Books by Harriet Ritvo

Capturing the fervor of the Victorian age for classifying and categorizing, Ritvo depicts a complex of competing groups-naturalists and zoologists, farmers and showmen, butchers and artists-deploying rival schemes to impose order on nature.

Harriet Ritvo gives us a vivid picture of how animals figured in English thinking during the nineteenth century and, by extension, how they served as metaphors for human psychological needs and sociopolitical aspirations.

Located in the heart of England's Lake District, the placid waters of Thirlmere seem to be the embodiment of pastoral beauty. This title re-creates the battle for Thirlmere and the clashes between conservationists who wished to preserve the lake and developers eager to supply the needs of a growing urban population.