Nature Book Reader June 2020 - Flipbook - Page 8
A Nature Book Reader
JOHN ANDREWS
John Andrews buys and sells vintage fishing tackle for the soul
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
My favourite ‘nature’ book
has to be The Call of the
Wild by Jack London. I saw
the film aged 7 at the Palace
cinema in Watford, I went
with my dad and my sister
and the film affected me
deeply. I read the book not
long afterwards. As my
mate Mark, a plasterer and
fishing tackle obsessive from
Gloucester said the other day
“Humans are shit. Dogs are
much better. there’s nothing I
like more than a good cuddle
with my Chester”. The Call
of the Wild tells the story of
Buck, a much loved family
pet dog who is stolen and
placed into a dog sled team
in Alaska where he endures
and witnesses much savage
cruelty. The book, written
originally for children, has
a simple message – trust
nature and be wary of human
failings. It has long been
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picked apart and criticised
by fucked-up liberals
but despite its deep
unfashionability it remains
my personal favourite.
Further Reading
Mr Chippy’s Last
Expedition 1914-15
by Caroline Alexander
The Fishermen’s
Bedside Book by BB
