Jack Ashby is the Assistant Director of the Museum of Zoology at
the University of Cambridge, one of the UK's largest and most
significant natural history museums. His life is split between a
career dedicated to engaging people with the natural world -
chiefly through museums - and ecological fieldwork across
Australia, on behalf of universities and wildlife organisations
there.
Jack is also the author of Animal Kingdom: A Natural History in 100
Objects; a trustee of the Natural Sciences Collections Association
and the international Society for the History of Natural History;
and an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Science and
Technology Studies at University College London. When he's not
chasing animals for work, he's generally doing it for fun,
undertaking mammalwatching trips around the world, and sharing his
excitement for what he finds on social media.
He lives in Hertfordshire.
‘Charming, informative … a marvellous read’ Tim Flannery, New York
Review of Books
‘Ashby reveals marvellous creatures, and the mysteries and myths
surrounding them’ BBC Wildlife magazine
‘Ashby’s spirited tour of the Australian bestiary is a revelation
to readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of platypus biology, and
unacquainted with nabarleks, dunnarts and other indigenous
Australian fauna.’ Natural History
‘Building on his considerable scientific knowledge and decades of
field experience, Ashby immerses readers in all things platypus … A
must-read for any mammal nerd or Aussie wildlife enthusiast.’
Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science
‘An engaging natural (and enraging colonial) history’ Washington
Independent Review of Books
‘From platypuses and possums, through wombats, echidnas, devils and
kangaroos, to quolls, dibblers, dunnarts and kowaris, Ashby knows
them all; and he guides his readers on a tour of their lives, their
evolutionary stories and the challenges they face in the modern
world.’ The Well-read Naturalist
‘Fascinating … This is wonderfully dorky stuff … A persistently,
defiantly upbeat book, downright infused with Ashby’s scientific
exuberance’ Open Letters Review
‘Keen to overturn the warped, colonial perception that monotremes
(e.g. platypuses and echidnas) and marsupials are more primitive
than other mammal species, the zoologist author who runs
Cambridge's Natural History Museum takes us on a tour of the fauna
of Australia in all their glory …Engaging and entertaining’
Bookseller
‘This is a compelling, funny, firsthand account of our wonderfully
unique mammals and how our perceptions of them impact their
future.’ Australian Geographic
‘Ashby has an infectious enthusiasm for Aussie marsupials and
monotremes’ West Australian
‘Written in a lively, conversational style and drawing on decades
of fieldwork, this is a beguiling portrait of our unique fauna.’
Sydney Morning Herald
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