David Douglas, a Naturalist at Work

December 17, 2012
Nisbet presents the work of undeservedly-obscure 19th-century Scottish naturalist Douglas in this handsomely-illustrated volume, a follow-up to The Collector: David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest. Like his earlier work, this volume is notable for Nisbet’s evocative nature writing: “The orange-red bark on all the trees flakes into thick jigsaw pieces perfect for an ant to climb up or a nuthatch to clamber down.” Douglas is best-known today for the species named after him, particularly the Douglas-fir and the Douglas squirrel, but Nisbet is doing his best to change that. Feeling that the prior book “had only begun to touch the dynamic worlds” the scientist saw, the author “went back on the trail” to uncover “additional facets of his career and character.” Douglas’s illustrations and writings are interspersed with his chronicler’s modern-day explorations, and masterfully succeed in bringing the experiences of both men to life. Agent: Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency.