"Wilson magnificently weaves the history of the robin’s cultural influences with facts about the bird’s biology, migratory patterns, habits, and behavior. . . . Loaded with paintings, photographs, and literary references in classics like The Secret Garden. . . . This is an exceptional work for all bird enthusiasts."
— Booklist
“Wilson ranges delightfully over . . . robin lore that would not have occurred to me even to look for.”
— lection
"Wilson's debut book, Robin, offers an account of this bird, describing its place in fairy tales, environmental campaigns, and scientific discoveries alongside some truly beautiful illustrations . . . Robin is a fascinating read and Wilson asks some interesting and wide-ranging questions: how did the robin's name travel the world? Why is the robin so melancholy? Who was Cock Robin? And how has the history of the color red shaped the robin's ambivalent associations and unusual origin stories?"
— Yorkshire Life Magazine
"Everyone's favorite garden bird is celebrated and explored in this wide-ranging, superbly illustrated volume. Taking in both natural and cultural histories, Robin addresses questions including why the bird's name has traveled around the world and why it has a reputation for melancholy."
— BBC Wildlife Magazine
"[Wilson] has written a new book on the robin and its remarkable presence across folklore, religion, culture, painting, literature, poetry, music, Christmas and even the nicknames of a clutch of football teams."
— The Journal
“The latest (103rd) installment in Reaktion’s admirable Animal series brings us every angle on a familiar songbird . . . This is not a bird that lives ‘alongside’ but among us, in our books and songs and TV ads as well as our woods and gardens.”
— Times Literary Supplement
"Wilson dives deep into the historical confluence of human culture and the European robin . . . The majority of the text is focused on the history of the European robin in a human context, including literature, religion, and pop culture . . . this book might be right up your street if you are an anglophile and appreciate Victorian history."
— American Biology Teacher