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4 July 2009
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The Century That Made Us BBC Four

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Gilbert White's home The Wakes, at Selborne
  GILBERT WHITE: THE NATURE MAN
Wednesday 28 June 2006 9pm-10pm; 12.15am-1.15am; 2.45am-3.45am; Sunday 2 July 12.35am-1.35am (Saturday night)

Often referred to as the founding father of the ecology movement, Gilbert White profoundly changed how we look at the natural world. His book The Natural History of Selborne (1787) is a deceptively simple account of wildlife through the seasons, which was, until the advent of Harry Potter, the fourth most published book in English.

With White's biographer Richard Mabey, Michael Wood travels from the bucolic landscapes of Hampshire to the grand intellectual societies of London and shows how White created his ecological revolution. Along the way, fans like David Attenborough and Alan Titchmarsh pay homage to the great man.

VIDEO CLIPS

 
Michael Wood   THE NATURE MAN 
Michael Wood introduces the pioneering observer of nature.
 
Woods near Selborne   CHILDHOOD IMPRESSIONS 
How White's early experience of nature influenced his writing.
 
An owl hunting   STEALING THROUGH THE AIR UNHEARD 
Michael Wood reads White's beautiful description of an owl hunting.
 
 

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THE CENTURY THAT MADE US
Details of other programmes in the season
  The Century That Made Us (Image: Portrait of King George III of England when he was Prince of Wales © Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
MICHAEL WOOD ON GILBERT WHITE
Read a feature by the programme's presenter
  Michael Wood

 

 HAVE YOUR SAY
Share your thoughts on the programme

BBC Links

Science and Nature
Find out about nature programmes on the BBC and get involved yourself

External Links

Gilbert White's House
Details of how to visit The Wakes

Photo Gallery
Pictures of The Wakes

The Natural History of Selborne
Read the full text on the Gutenberg website

Gilbert White Profile
Details on the Natural History Museum website

Book Review
Richard Mabey's biography of Gilbert White reviewed on Times Online

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

 



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