IN PRAISE OF BEES: A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES. By Elizabeth Birchall.

2014 1st edition. 4to (186 x 267mm). Pp256. Colour photographs, colour and b/w illustrations throughout, extensive bibliography. Laminated boards.

"The bee is probably the most written about species after the human race. As so many commentators through the ages have discovered, there is far more to the insect than its biology and life cycle. In Praise of Bees explores bees' place in human lives and imaginations, from cave paintings and inscribed clay tablets through to our contemporary world. This beautiful book's pages are filled with nuggets of bee science and practical beekeeping with carefully researched references to the role of these fascinating creatures in myth, religion, politics, philosophy and folklore. A rich variety of illustrations, ranging from Old Masters and scientific etchings to modern photographs appear throughout accompanied by a selection of verse, much of it the author's. The text is leavened with a dry wit, resulting in a scholarly but eminently readable exploration of bees, their complex society and their place in the world. This is especially relevant in view of concerns about their present plight and the ecological consequences." Chapters include: From wild bees to early beekeeping; Messengers of the Gods; Christian bees; Moral and sagacious bees; For tyrrany or Commonwealth?; The bees' own city; Awesome swarms; Bees do it - millennia of mystery; A settled sure abode; Lurking lizards and collapsing colonies; Honey; Medicinal and other 'subtil gifts'; Companions from cradle to grave; Bees in the bonnet - folk customs and curious anecdotes; Warrior bees; From Lanthorn Pane to electron microscope; Beekeeping - a craft and a delight.