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Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1720-07-18
Date of death: 1793-06-26
Gender: male
Nationality: UK
Birthplace: Selborne, Hampshire, England, UK
Place of death: Selborne, Hampshire, England, UK
Places of residence: Selborne, Hampshire, England, UK
Education: Holy Ghost School, Basingstoke
Oxford University (Oriel College)
Occupations: cleric
naturalist
ornithologist
Short biography: The review of the original publication of 'Natural history and antiquities of Selborne' in 'The topographer, for the year 1789, vol. i', p. 40, notes: "The author, the Rev. Gilbert White, is Senior Fellow of Oriel College, in Oxford, elder brother of Mr. White, the well-known Bookseller of Fleet-street; both sons, (as I am informed) of a Barrister, who, if so, was brother of the Rev. Gilbert White, Vicar of Selborne, (who died 1728) son of Sir Samson White, of Oxford, Knight. Mr. White resides upon an estate of his own in this parish".

Members

Reviews

The Illustrated Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White

I wanted to like this book so much, but I just didn't. It was so dry and boring, even the lovely illustrations couldn't save it. Rev Gilbert White's nature journal entries were in a couple of anthologies that I read, and these little snippets were delightful. My hopes that his famous book would be as good were dashed.

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blueskygreentrees | 8 other reviews | Jul 30, 2023 |

The natural history and antiquities of Selborne, 1789 by Gilbert White

THE FACSIMILIE EDITION OF THE FIRST EDITON OF 1789. A FINE COPY, QUARTO, RECENTLY REBOUND BY SOTHERAN IN HALF LEATHER OVER ORANGE CLOTH, TEG, RAISED BANDS, MARBLED ENDPAPERS. ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS. BOOKPLATE ON FEP. A VERY HANDSOME COPY

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AlexHofmann | Nov 17, 2021 |

The natural history of Selborne by Gilbert White

What a beautiful book with the tiny white birds rendered on a soft sweet cover!

THREE Stars for the Good Writing and FIVE Stars for the illustrations by Richard Mabey!

It is hard to read how callously he shoots, kills and collects birds as "specimens."

As well, his defense of sportsmen shooting birds and animals simply as _targets
and his refusal to condemn boys for cruelly killing birds in mouse traps
contrast jarringly with his sympathy and love for bird songs and for Timothy Turtle.

Makes great points about Earthworms vital to soil life and beautiful descriptions of swifts.
If only he had not interfered with the baby swifts.… (more)

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m.belljackson | 8 other reviews | Aug 24, 2020 |

The portrait of a tortoise : extracted from the… by Gilbert White

A favourite book, often re-read. Sylvia Townsend Warner has extracted from the writings of Gilbert White references to the old tortoise he inherited in 1780 from his aunt. The resulting window into the world of a pet tortoise in a Hampshire garden is a delight - for instance in April 1789, "Timothy the tortoise begins to eat dandelion", but by the middle of September he is very dull, "and spends his time on the border under the fruilt-wall".