It's not easy for me to write about environmental books, because there are so many which I love. I'll use this brief article to outline a few all-time favourites:

Lawrence Anthony must come first of any list, and especially his book 'The Elephant Whisperer,' written as an autobiography of several years' spent gaining the trust of a rogue herd of elephants on his property. Lawrence writes superbly, but more importantly the events he describes are heart-rending in the extreme. He was an amazing conservationist, though he passed away only recently in 2012.

Gerald Durrell of course is a great name in the space, for his work with zoos but primarily for the prodigious amount of literary work he produced simultaneously to this all. He, as Lawrence Anthony, had some incredible experiences, which are described in such a glib and engaging manner that anyone with little experience in environmentalism can easily connect and understand. The trust established after his death is a wonderful ongoing tribute to his vision and work; the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization similarly, and indeed I have talked with both.

Finally, I must not neglect to mention Frans de Waal: no novelist he, but his work, coming from his scientific background in primatology is fascinating to explore in the academic and intellectual realms. Discussing anthropomorphism, and his own coinage- Anthropodenial- this is revelatory in the extreme. I'm no film connosseur, but his vivid passages and anecdotes seem so real that one cannot help being transported into his perception of certain incidences.

Keen to hear others' thoughts on favourite books (and films)...