A Life on Our Planet

My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future

Contributors

By Sir David Attenborough

With Jonnie Hughes

On Sale
Sep 27, 2022
Page Count
272 pages
ISBN-13
9781538719992

In this scientifically informed account of the changes in nature over the last century, award-winning broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough shares a lifetime of wisdom and a hopeful vision for the future.

*Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Science & Technology Book of the Year* 
 
See the world. Then make it better.

I am 93. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary.

As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world – but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day — the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.

I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement, and my vision for the future. It is the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake — and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.

We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited.

All we need is the will to do so.

  • "The eminent traveler and naturalist delivers a combination of memoir and manifesto, the first leisurely, the second earnest....Recognizing that we are at a tipping point, Attenborough is refreshingly optimistic, noting that one thing humans do well is solve problems. Anyone concerned with the planet's ecological future will want to spend time with this excellent book."
    Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Formats and Prices

Price

$17.99

Price

$22.99 CAD

Sir David Attenborough

About the Author

David Attenborough is Britain’s best-known natural history filmmaker. His career as a naturalist, broadcaster and author has spanned over seven decades. Born in 1926, his first job – after Cambridge University and two years in the Royal Navy – was at a London publishing house. Then in 1952 he joined the BBC as a trainee producer, and it was while working on the Zoo Quest series (1954-64) that he had his first opportunity to undertake expeditions to remote parts of the globe, to capture intimate footage of rare wildlife in its natural habitat.  He was Controller of BBC 2 (1965-68), during which time he introduced colour television to Britain, then Director of Programmes for BBC Television (1969-1972). In 1973 he abandoned administration altogether to return to documentary-making and writing, and has established himself as the world’s leading Natural History programme maker with landmark BBC series, including Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), Life of Birds (1998), The Blue Planet (2001), Life of Mammals (2002), Planet Earth (2006) and Life in Cold Blood (2008). He has also narrated other major natural history series including Blue Planet, Planet Earth, The Frozen Planet, Planet Earth II, Dynasties and Blue Planet II.

He has served as trustee of the British Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and as President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. He continues to narrate landmark natural history programmes and write bestselling books.  

Colin Butfield is co-founder and Director of Studio Silverback. He is also the co-founder and Chair of Open Planet. He is the Executive Producer of the BBC series Earthshot, YouTube Originals climate change series Seat at the Table, and The Climate Games.  He is an advisor to The Earthshot Prize and author of the bestselling book Earthshot: How to Save Our Planet.

Prior to founding Studio Silverback Colin was WWF’s Executive Producer for the Our Planet project. He was the scientific and conservation advisor to the Netflix Our Planet series and is Executive Producer of the feature documentaries David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet and Breaking Boundaries. Over the past 10 years Colin has written and produced many high profile articles and events (often with Sir David Attenborough) on the climate and nature crisis.  These includes Sir David’s speech at the opening of COP26, main stage events at Davos 2019 and 2020, World Bank and IMF spring meetings, COP26 Private Finance Agenda, G8 and UN Security Council.

Learn more about this author