Review: The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough by Chas Newkey-Burden

Chas Newkey-Burden’s new book is perfect for when you feel the urge to read but do not have the luxury of commitment. Sample this lovely retelling of how Attenborough handled a few awkward situations: 272pp, ₹799; Gaia “When a large bird once knocked him off his feet, he lightly reprimanded it saying: ‘Now, now.’ Confronted by a group of cannibals in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, he strolled closer to them and politely said: ‘Good Afternoon!’ He charmed them, too.” It is evident that Chas Newkey-Burden, a British journalist whose earlier books include celebrity biographies of, among others, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Simon Cowell, Michael Jackson and Paris Hilton, greatly admires Attenborough. An immersive read, The Wit and Wisdom of David Attenborough details the celebrated naturalist’s own childhood years and his keen sense of wonder that has remained untarnished. Attenborough recounts a childhood spent “venturing across northern England on his bike as a young teen, alone, in search of fossils.” There were times when he would go away for more than a week on a fossil hunt and as was the norm of that period, his parents wouldn’t know his exact whereabouts. It was interesting to learn that Attenborough is a “middle brother” – his older brother was Richard Attenborough, who directed the Oscar-winning Gandhi and did an impressive turn as General James Outram in Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj ke Khilari, and his younger brother John was an executive in the automobile industry.