Homing

On Pigeons, Dwellings and Why We Return

De: Jon Day

Narrado por: Matt Addis

'[Day has] succeeded in making that most familiar of birds seem mysterious, almost magical, and illuminated, brilliantly, the urge towards home' Malachy Tallack

A feral history of home, and our relationship with that most unloved bird.

As a boy, Jon Day was fascinated by pigeons, which he used to rescue from the streets of London. Twenty years later he moved away from the city centre to the suburbs to start a family. But in moving house, he began to lose a sense of what it means to feel at home.

Returning to his childhood obsession with the birds, he built a coop in his garden and joined a local pigeon racing club. Over the next few years, as he made a home with his young family in Leyton, he learned to train and race his pigeons, hoping that they might teach him to feel homed.

Having lived closely with humans for tens of thousands of years, pigeons have become powerful symbols of peace and domesticity. But they are also much-maligned, and nowadays most people think of these birds, if they do so at all, as vermin.

A book about the overlooked beauty of this species, and about what it means to dwell, Homing delves into the curious world of pigeon fancying, explores the scientific mysteries of animal homing, and traces the cultural, political and philosophical meanings of home. It is a book about the making of home and making for home: a book about why we return.

(P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Reseñas de la Crítica

Precise and poignant

I love Jon Day's writing and his birds. A marvellous, soaring account

A compelling blend of personal memoir, nature writing and popular science, Day's book considers the humble pigeon, probably our oldest companion species.

Homing did something I thought would be impossible - made me fall in love with the humble, familiar feral pigeon. It is both a repository of fascinating stories and memorable characters, and a deeply felt personal enquiry into the nature of 'home'. Every page of this beautifully written book brought me pleasure

'A terrific book which explores the sport inside out, as well as our own human concept of what home is'

In this lucid and beguiling book, Jon Day has written marvellously interwoven tale of our two species

A meditation that swoops agilely over topics from tyranny of technology to the paradoxes of parenting and the rewards of simply staying put. . . . A joyful, richly rewarding book

Big-hearted and quietly gripping

[A] Vivid evocation of a remarkable species and a rich working-class tradition...a charming defence of a much-maligned bird

Day's stories from the history of human-pigeon relations are well chosen and well told ... there's a great deal to like in the simple imagery of a young family and their pigeons growing up together in an east London home

This beautiful book by an English lecturer-cum-pigeon fancier reveals eerie parallels between human and bird life ... [A] beautiful book about unbeautiful birds

Jon Day takes on the humble racing pigeon to ask just what home is, how we establish it, miss it and depart and return to it. He elevates this heroic bird to its rightful place in natural history and our history too, and celebrates its shared instinct with us for home... the art his own family and academic career... He has many fascinating accounts of how we've exploited these miraculous birds' homing instincts in war and peace... Day swoops and soars over many fields of art and science to unravel our instinct for home

Endlessly interesting and dazzlingly erudite, this wonderful book will make a home for itself in your heart

I totally love Jon Day's new book Homing. For people who recognise that feeling familiar to Freud, of being homesick for nowhere, Jon's sense of making a particular home, or of knowing your way back to one, is a miracle-narrative of birds and men. Humane and beautifully navigated, it is hands down a book of the year (Andrew O'Hagan)

A dazzlingly erudite memoir about family, children and pigeon-fancying. An unlikely combination perhaps, but Day pulls it off.

Sky rats

After reading this book I find myself thinking of getting a couple pigeons to keep as pets. keep in mind they are unlike any other pet. Come to think of it they’re not a pet at all, free to go as they please, yet stay to live with us. They’re more like us then you probably realize.

Very Touching Story

This book was wonderful. It is as close to a hearty meal of roast beef and potatoes that your mother used to make as a book could be. Deep and satisfying and leaves you wishing it wasn’t over when it reaches its conclusion.

If your interested in Pigeons, this is really a great Audible Book

This is a great Audible Book. The only caveat being the subject mater may only appeal to narrow audience. I thought about holding back a star for that, but I've been reeding a lot of Audible Books recently and this one was particularly well done in every sense.
So to begin with, the story was well done about the subject mater. I guess being interested in birds in general or Pigeons specifically is kind of a fringe thing. But the author did a great story here.
Secondly, this authors style I feel is noteworthy. Maybe it's because he was telling his story, but the timbre of story was enjoyable in a way I would compare to reading Harper Lee's book. It feels uncluttered and without backtracking & explanation that draws things out. This is a feel I enjoy but don't get in long bios about important historical subjects.
Lastly, the narrator does first class work here! He does well by this story and he might even help it.
If this subject interests you, I don't think you can go wrong with this read.

So beautiful and moving

I loved this book. I wasn't expecting something so poetic about the nature of homes and homing.

Not just about pigeons

Interesting thoughts about life, parenthood and the meaning of home, amongst quite a bit of information about keeping, breeding and racing pigeons. I knew nothing about keeping pigeons before reading this book, but I am not surprised to learn that a reasonable amount of time and effort is required for racing pigeons with any hope of success.
This is a very readable book and I enjoyed learning more about these often unappreciated birds.