Isobel Charman is an award-winning television producer. She has spent the last decade working in factual documentary production as a writer, researcher, producer, and director and has worked on award-winning films for U.K., European, and U.S. broadcasters. For The Zoo, she has made unprecedented use of the vast archives at the Zoological Society of London. She lives in London.
Charman immerses the reader in Dickensian London as she presents
the human side of creating a zoo from scratch. Charman delves into
the disparate personalities of some of the major players and
captures the flavor of the politics as well as the excitement
generated by the zoo as the great minds of the age created a
scientific wonder.
Vivid, entertaining, and scrupulously researched.
A vivid, panoramic account of the first great public zoo. An
intriguing account of a colorful story immersed in Dickensian
times.
An affecting narrative of the first 25 years of the Zoological
Society of London through the stories of seven of its most
influential contributors. Charman provides historical and
atmospheric details of the era through the eyes of her characters.
The book is nuanced, often entertaining, and also tragic, as the
Society faced massive mortality rates in its early years.
An incredible piece of detective work, told through the eyes of
many key players and famous figures. A bold, no-holds-barred look
at one zoo's beginning.
In her charming, engaging narrative, the author deftly assumes the
points of view of her characters, in the spirit of a Victorian
novelist. A deeply researched, terrifically entertaining
exploration of the London Zoo 'through the eyes of some of the
people who made it happen.'
While all of the primary characters are real, Charman uses creative
text and careful research to reimagine aspects of their
personalities. Recommended for anyone interested in zoology and the
intersection of history and science.
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