Patrick's account is a gripping and thoroughly poignant journey through a Britain in conflict with its natural self. For me, this is an account of the sacrifice of nature for the dubious rewards of progress. In Search of One Last Song is excellently rendered and, in many places, darkly and openly, unflinchingly honest. The characters are drawn in three dimensions and are arresting, lively, colourful and tangible. Patrick's descriptions are lucid, visualising intriguing pockets of resistance and people immersed in the natural world of birds and rural life. I learned so much from this book and not just about its subject but about the history of wildlife and its centrality in British culture. With zipping prose, the book is a pleasure to read, offers food for contemplation and asks some serious questions for our modern times. Thoroughly enjoyable and thoroughly recommended. Patrick writes regular columns for a host of different publications but you’ll see his work in The Critic and his column on rural life
is great.