At Warburg, Germany, in 1941, four British PoWs find an unexpected means of escape from the horrors of internment when they form a birdwatching society, and embark on an obsessive quest behind barbed wire. Through their shared love of birds, they overcome hunger, hardship, fear and stultifying boredom. Their quest draws in not only their fellow prisoners, but also some of the German guards, at great risk to them all... Derek Niemann draws on original diaries, letters and drawings, to tell of how Conder, Barrett, Waterston and Buxton were forged by their experiences as POWs into the giants of post war wildlife conservation. Their legacy lives on, in institutions such as the RSPB and the British Wildlife Trust.

Join a brilliant, but stubborn, parrot as he endures the banality of the pet store before being purchased by an equally insufferable young man. But while things between parrot and owner get off to a rocky start, the delights of having a pet (or human) bring them both around in the end. From author Devin Scillian and illustrator Tim Bowers of the Memoirs series, this is sure to please fans new and old.

Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin From the Paperback edition.

We are not afraid to say that we are fascinated by birds. Flying birds always provoke human admiration. There is this unexplained mysterious feeling that surrounds us when watching birds on the forest trees, in our backyard, at the ocean, sea, or lake. Birds are an infinite treasure of inspiration for humans, waking us up in the morning with beautiful birdsongs. Their little brain is of a size of an unshelled walnut and is associated with intelligent behavior and the same capabilities of humans and apes’ mental tasks. When you think about all the animals in the world, you quickly realize that birds are, in fact, among some of the most intelligent creatures we have on earth. Although there are more than ten thousand bird species worldwide, only a handful of them have made the list for the extremely talented and incredibly intelligent. So who are these super intelligent feathered friends? It is difficult to pick one. Perhaps kea, ravens, and crows are equally smart; while macaws, cockatoo, and jays are on the top of any list too. Who knew that an African gray is capable of working out the location of hidden food by using the kind of deduction and elimination skills previously seen only in humans and apes? And as you probably have heard, they are exceptional talkers! Today, we all know that it is bad to imprison birds in cages, but it was not always the case throughout the history. According to Stephen King, “Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.” Due to beautiful poetry and cultural expressions, the flying bird became a symbol of freedom and independence. There are cases of historic acknowledgment of birdcages, especially in the Victorian era. People were listening to birdsongs in cages as it was their radio entertainment outlet. During wartimes, birds demonstrated their unique abilities in courageous heroic efforts to help humans in transferring information through the battlefields. The birds and birdcages both have a longtime history. Our love for the amazing earth creatures makes us stand out for their protection and safety to enjoy our shared inhabitants on the planet, and as for the birdcages, people find them pretty appealing in various ways of the aesthetic repurposing.

A man becomes entangled in a dangerous web of death and deceit in this “hallmark of classic French noir” set in 1960s Paris (The Guardian) Trouble is the last thing Albert needs. Traveling back to his childhood home on Christmas Eve to mourn his mother’s death, he finds the loneliness and nostalgia of his Parisian quartier unbearable. Until, that evening, he encounters a beautiful, seemingly innocent woman at a brasserie, and his spirits are lifted. Still, something about the woman disturbs him. Where is the father of her child? And what are those two red stains on her sleeve? When she invites him back to her apartment, Albert thinks he’s in luck. But a monstrous scene awaits them, and he finds himself lured into the darkness against his better judgment. Unravelling like a paranoid nightmare, Bird in a Cage melds existentialist drama with thrilling noir to tell the story of a man trapped in a prison of his own making.

Friendly advice on proper finch care Of all the birds kept as pets-16.5 million in American homes-none are as widely diversified as finches, which hail from nearly every corner of the globe. This fun, practical guide provides finch owners and those deciding if they want to bring a finch into their home with expert guidance in raising this delightful bird. It covers choosing the right species of finch, health care, housing and supplies, feeding, training, and how to have fun and maintain the best relationship with a finch.