David Attenborough bibliography

The following is a chronological list of books written or co-written by Sir David Attenborough. Spanning much of his career, these works range from accounts of his early expeditions to volumes accompanying his landmark natural history programmes, as well as memoirs reflecting on his life and career.

Main author or significant contributor

  1. Zoo Quest Books - Zoo Quest to Guiana, Lutterworth (Cambridge, England), 1956, Crowell, 1957, abridged edition, University of London Press (London, England), 1962. aka 'Animal safari to British Guiana Englishmen Hunt Wildlife for B.B.C. Television and the London Zoo Amid Indian Tribes of Tropical South America'
  2. Zoo Quest Books - Zoo Quest for a Dragon (1957) - republished in 1959 to include an additional 85 pages from Quest for the Paradise Birds
  3. Zoo Quest Books - Zoo Quest in Paraguay (1959)
  4. Zoo Quest Books - Quest in Paradise (1960) - an accompaniment to the TV series The People of Paradise and Quest for the Paradise Birds
  5. People of Paradise (1960)
  6. Zoo Quest Books - Zoo Quest to Madagascar, Lutterworth (Cambridge, England), 1961, published as Bridge to the Past: Animals and People of Madagascar, Harper (New York, NY), 1962
  7. Zoo Quest Books - Quest Under Capricorn (1963)
  8. My Favourite Stories of Exploration (by various authors). Edited by Attenborough with drawings by Mike Charlton (1964)
  9. The World's Wild Places, a Time-Life series volume on Borneo published in 1970, contained a chapter by Attenborough entitled 'Up Mt Kinabalu'
  10. Fabulous Animals (1975) - (With Molly Cox) BBC Publications
  11. The Tribal Eye (1976), Norton (New York, NY)
  12. Deserts and Grasslands: The World's Open Spaces (1980) - by Attenborough (Author), Eric 'John Cloudsley-Thompson' and Duffey (Author)
  13. Life on Earth: A Natural History, BBC Publications (London, England), 1979, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1980. + Life on Earth: Reader's Digest Augmented and Enlarged Edition, based on original Collins / BBC edition
  14. Discovering Life on Earth (1981), Collins
  15. Tribal Encounters: An Exhibition of Ethnic Objects Collected by David Attenborough (exhibition catalog), Leicester Museums, Art Galleries, and Records Service, 1981
  16. Happiness (1980 Baggs Memorial Lecture), University of Birmingham (Birmingham, England), 1981
  17. Journeys to the Past: Travels in New Guinea, Madagascar, and the Northern Territory of Australia, Lutterworth (Cambridge, England), 1981
  18. The Zoo Quest Expeditions: Travels in Guyana, Indonesia, and Paraguay(contains Zoo Quest to Guiana, Zoo Quest for a Dragon, and Zoo Quest in Paraguay), Penguin (New York, NY), 1982
  19. The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1984
  20. Animal Stories: Tame and Wild (1985) - Michener, James A., Herriot, James, Morris, Desmond, Cousteau, Phillippe, Attenborough (Chapter 'The Komodo Dragon')
  21. The First Eden: The Mediterranean World and Man (1987) aka Birth of paradise - Illustrated story Mediterranean (1997) ISBN 4887211791 (Japanese Import)
  22. Our World's Heritage (1987) - Javier Perez; Attenborough; Hawkes, Jacquetta; et al. de Cuellar - Publisher. National Geographic Society
  23. The Trials of Life (1990), Publisher: Collins / BBC Books
  24. The Private Life of Plants: A Natural History of Plant Behaviour (1994)
  25. Heart of a Nomad Wilfred Thesiger in Conversation with David Attenborough Paperback – 1994
  26. The Life of Birds (1998)
  27. The Life of Mammals (2002)
  28. Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster (2002) - autobiography, revised in 2009[1]
  29. Life in the Undergrowth (2005)
  30. Light On The Earth (Wildlife Photographer of the Year) Hardcover, 2005 - Attenborough (Author)
  31. Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery (2007) - by Attenborough (Author), Martin Clayton (Author), Rea Alexandratos (Author), Susan Owens (Author)
  32. Life in Cold Blood (2007)
  33. David Attenborough's Life Stories (2009)
  34. David Attenborough's First Life: A Journey Back in Time With Matt Kaplan (2010)
  35. David Attenborough's New Life Stories (2011) aka Life Stories 2
  36. Nature Tales: Encounters with Britain's Wildlife (2011) - by Michael Allen (Author), Attenborough (Author), Sonya Patel Ellis (Author)
  37. Drawn From Paradise: The Discovery, Art and Natural History of the Birds of Paradise (2012) - by Attenborough (Author), Errol Fuller (Author)
  38. David Attenborough's Why Do Birds of Paradise Dance (2012) - Attenborough, Errol Fuller
  39. Does My Goldfish Know Who I Am?: And Hundreds More Big Questions from Little People Answered by Experts (2013) - Harris, Gemma Elwin, Knapman, Timothy, Attenborough (Contributor)
  40. Why Can't I Tickle Myself?: Big Questions From Little People . . . Answered By Some Very Big People (2013) - Gemma Elwin Harris (Author), Bear Grylls (Contributor), Miranda Hart (Contributor), Attenborough (Contributor)
  41. Information Age: Six Networks that Changed Our World (2014) - Tilly Blyth (Editor), Attenborough (Contributor)
  42. Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions (2017)
  43. Journeys to the Other Side of the World: Further Adventures of a Young Naturalist (2018)
  44. Life on Earth 40th Anniversary Edition (2018)
  45. Beastly Journeys: Unusual Tales of Travel with Animals (2018) - Dervla Murphy, Attenborough, Jonathan Scott, Gerald Durrell, Mark Shand
  46. A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future (2020)
  47. Living Planet: The Web of Life on Earth A new, fully updated edition of Attenborough's seminal portrait of life on Earth (2021) - Attenborough (Author)
  48. Earthshot: How to Save Our Planet (2022) - by Colin Butfield (Author), Jonnie Hughes (Author), HRH Prince William (Introduction), Attenborough (Contributor) and Shakira
  49. The Earthshot Prize: A Handbook for Dreamers and Thinkers: Solutions to Repair our Planet (2023) - by Colin Butfield (Author), Jonnie Hughes (Author), HRH Prince William (Introduction), Attenborough (Contributor)
  50. Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness (2025) - by Colin Butfield (Author) Attenborough (Contributor)

Editor

  1. New Generation Guide to the birds of Britain and Europe, (Corrie Herring Hooks Series), (1987) - by Christopher Perrins (Author), Attenborough (General Editor), Collins, University of Texas Press (Austin, TX)
  2. New Generation Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe (1987) - Alastair Fitter, Attenborough (General Editor), Collins, University of Texas Press (Austin, TX)
  3. New Generation Guide to the Butterflies and Day-flying Moths of Britain and Europe, 1989 - Michael Chinery, Edited by Attenborough, Illustrated by Brian Hargreaves / University of Texas Press
  4. New Generation Guide to the Fungi of Britain and Europe (1989) (Corrie Herring Hooks Series) (Collins New Guides) - Stefan Buczacki (Author), John Wilkinson (Illustrator), Attenborough (General Editor), Collins, University of Texas Press (Austin, TX)
  5. The Atlas of the Living World (Marshall Pictorial Atlas S.) (1997), Philip Whitfield (Author), Peter D. Moore (Author), Barry Cox (Author), Attenborough (Editor)

Foreword, preface and introduction provided to

  1. Benjamin the 'Zoo Quest' bear - 1957, Charles Lagus (Author), Introduction by Attenborough
  2. Thorburn's mammals; with an introduction by Attenborough (1974)
  3. Worlds Apart: Nature in Cities and Islands (1976) - Burton, John Andrew and Sparks, John. Attenborough (foreword)
  4. Spirit of Asia (1980), Author Michael Macintyre, Introduction by Attenborough
  5. Nature Conservation Why and How (1980) - Andrew Ruck (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  6. To the Farthest Ends of the Earth: 150 Years of World Exploration by the Royal Geographical Society (1980) - Ian Cameron (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  7. Focus on Nature(1981) - With a foreword by Attenborough, Gerald Thompson, George Bernard, John Cooke (Author)
  8. True to Nature: Christopher Parsons looks back on 25 years of wildlife filming with the BBC Natural History Unit (1982) by Christopher Parsons, Attenborough (Foreword)
  9. Survival: South Atlantic, 1983 - Cindy Buxton (Author), Annie Price (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  10. Wildlife through the Camera, by British Broadcasting Corporation, 1982 - Author of introduction. Parkwest Publications (Jersey City, NJ), 1985
  11. Andrew Langley, The Making of "The Living Planet," Little Brown (Boston, MA), 1985 - Attenborough (Foreword)
  12. The Oxford Dictionary of Natural History (1986) - Allaby, Michael (Editor); Attenborough (Foreword)
  13. The Encyclopedia of World Wildlife, by Mark Carwardine, Attenborough (Foreword) (Octopus Publishing, 1986) ISBN 0-7064-2437-9
  14. Digging Dinosaurs: The Search That Unraveled the Mystery of Baby Dinosaurs (1988) - John R. Horner; James Gorman; Attenborough (Foreword)
  15. Select specimens from nature of the birds, animals &c. 1813 (with commentary by Tim Bonyhady), 1988 - Thomas Skottowe (Author), Attenborough (Foreword) Richard Browne (Illustrator), Tim Bonyhady (Editor)
  16. The Last Rain Forests Hardcover (1990) - by Mark Collins (Editor), Attenborough (Introduction)
  17. Tomorrow Is Too Late - A Celebration of Our Wildlife Heritage (1990) - Attenborough (Introduction), HRH King Charles III (Foreword)
  18. Green Inheritance: World Wild Life Fund Book of Plants (1991), Anthony Huxley (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  19. Peter Scott: Painter and Naturalist (1994), Elspeth Huxley (Author), Attenborough (Introduction)
  20. Wildlife Photographer of the Year (1994) - Helen Gilks (Herausgeber), Peter Wilkinson (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  21. Visions of a Rainforest: Year in Australia's Tropical Rainforest (1997) by Stanley Breeden (Author), Stanley Greeden (Author), William T. Cooper (Illustrator), Attenborough (Foreword)
  22. Wild Fruit by Snowdon (1997), Earl of Antony Armstrong - Jones Snowdon (Author), Penny David (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  23. Wildlife Specials (1998) - BBC Natural History Unit (Author), Keith Scholey (Editor), Attenborough (Foreword)
  24. Gabriele Koch (Ceramics Art Monographs) (1998) - Gabriele Koch (Author), Attenborough (Introduction)
  25. Richtersveld: The Enchanted Wilderness (2000) - by Graham Williamson (Photographer, Author, Illustrator), Attenborough (Foreword)
  26. The Butterflies of Hampshire (2000) - Oates, Matthew, John Taverner, David Green, Attenborough (Foreword)
  27. Travels with the Fossil Hunters (2000) - edited by Peter J. Whybrow, Attenborough (Foreword)
  28. Australia's Lost World (Life of the Past co-published with New Holland Publishers Pty. Ltd) (2000) - by Michael Archer (Author), Suzanne Hand (Author), Henk Godthelp (Author), Suzanne J Hand (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  29. The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans (2001) - Andrew Byatt, Alastair Fothergill, Martha Holmes, Attenborough (Foreword)
  30. Dancing Out of Bali (Periplus Classics Series) (2004) - by John Coast (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  31. William Hodges 1744–1797: The Art of Exploration, 2004 - Professor Geoff Quilley (Editor), Foreword by Attenborough
  32. Planet Earth - As You're Never Seen It Before (2006) - By Alastair Fothergill, Attenborough (Foreword)
  33. Grace Wyndham Goldie, First Lady of Television (2006) - John Grist (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  34. Wild Borneo: The Wildlife and Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan (2006) - by Nick Garbutt (Author, Photographer), J. Cede Prudente (Photographer), Attenborough (Preface)
  35. Evolution: Selected Letters of Charles Darwin (2008) - Edited by Frederick Burkhardt, Samantha Evans, and Alison M. Pearn. Foreword by Attenborough
  36. Of a Feather: Avian Collective Nouns & Terms of Assembly, Group Names & Associated Terms(2008) - Written, compiled, designed and illustrated with wood engravings by Colin See - Paynton, Attenborough (Foreword)
  37. Gabriele Koch - Hand Building and Smoke Firing (2009) - Tony Birks (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  38. Story of Silbury Hill (2010) - Jim Leary(Author), David Field (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  39. Silent Summer (2010) - Norman MacLean (Editor) & Attenborough (Foreword)
  40. Ernest Thompson Seton: The Life and Legacy of an Artist and Conservationist (2010) - by David L. Witt (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  41. Food For The Flames, 2011 - David Shaw King (Author); foreword by Attenborough
  42. Frozen Planet: A World Beyond Imagination (2011) - Alastair Fothergill (Author), Vanessa Berlowitz (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  43. John Craxton (2011) - Ian Collins, Attenborough (Foreword)
  44. Varilaku: Pacific Arts from the Solomon Islands (2011) - Crispin Howarth (Author), Deborah Waite (Foreword), Attenborough (Foreword)
  45. Monograph of the Paradiseidae, or Birds of Paradise, and Ptilonorhynchidae, or Bower-Birds  - Folio Society Limited edition (2011) (1,000 copies) - Attenborough (Foreword)
  46. Illustrations of birds drawn for John Gould by Edward Lear- Folio Society Limited edition (2012) (780 copies) - Attenborough (Foreword)
  47. Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters from the Malay Archipelago (2013) - John van Wyhe (Editor), Kees Rookmaaker (Editor), Attenborough (Foreword)
  48. Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown (2013) - Michael Bright, Attenborough (Foreword)
  49. First Overland: London - Singapore by Land Rover (2016) - by Tim Slessor, Attenborough (Foreword), Antony Barrington Brown (Photographer)
  50. Natural History of Edward Lear (2016) - Robert McCracken Peck (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  51. The Hunt: The Outcome Is Never Certain (2016) - by Alastair Fothergill (Author), Huw Cordey (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  52. Endeavoring Banks: Exploring Collections from the Endeavour Voyage 1768–1771 (2016) - Neil Chambers, Anna Agnarsdóttir, Jeremy Coote, Philip J. Hatfield, John Gascoigne - Attenborough (Foreword)
  53. Park Life: The Memoirs of a Royal Parks Gamekeeper (2017) - John Bartram (Author), John Karter (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  54. 11 Explorations into Life on Earth: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution (The RI Lectures Book 2) (2017) - Helen Scales (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  55. With Honourable Intent: A Natural History of Fauna and Flora International (2017) - by Tim Knight, Mark Rose, Attenborough (Foreword)
  56. Blue Planet II: A New World of Hidden Depths (2017) - James Honeyborne(Author), Mark Brownlow (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  57. Planet Earth II: A New World Revealed (2017) - Stephen Moss (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  58. Dynasties: The Rise and Fall of Animal Families (2018) Stephen Moss, Attenborough (Foreword)
  59. Our Planet: The One Place We All Call Home, Created in partnership with WWF, Our Planet is a book for children and adults, featuring a foreword by Attenborough (2019), Matt Whyman (Author), Richard Jones (Illustrator)
  60. Journeys in the Wild: The Secret Life of a Cameraman (2019) - Gavin Thurston (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  61. Our Planet (2019) - Alastair Fothergill (Author), Keith Scholey (Author), Fred Pearce (Author), Attenborough (Foreword)
  62. Seven Worlds One Planet (2019) - Jonny Keeling, Alexander Scott, Attenborough (Foreword)
  63. William Smith's Fossils Reunited 2019 - Peter Wigley (Editor) with Jill Darrell, Diana Clements and Hugh Torrens, Foreword by Attenborough
  64. Journeys in the Wild: The Secret Life of a Cameraman (2020) - Gavin Thurston, Attenborough (Foreword)
  65. Education through the Arts for Well-Being and Community, The Vision and Legacy of Sir Alec Clegg  2020 - Edited by Catherine Burke, Peter Cunningham, Lottie Hoare, Foreword by Attenborough
  66. A Life In Nature (2021) - Sir Peter Scott (Author) Attenborough (Foreword) (Originally published in 1967 under the title Happy the Man)
  67. Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists (2022) - Simon Martin (Author), Attenborough (Introduction), Virginia Woolf (Contributor)
  68. Australian Wildlife Conservancy: Celebrating the First 30 Years (2022) - by Hannah Sheppard Brennand (Author, Editor), Attenborough (Foreword)

Audiobooks

Year Title Length Subject Credit
1970 This Is Man’s World - Argo Records / World Wildlife Fun,[2] July 1970 at Decca Studios, London. Vocals
1978Tarka the Otter2 hrsHis Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers is a 1927 novel by English writer Henry Williamson.Narrator
1983Yanomamo-By Peter Rose and Anne Conlon; on-stage narration and published audio recording.
1990Ocean World-By Peter Rose and Anne Conlon; on-stage narration (including at the Royal Festival Hall), for audio recording and video broadcast (both published).[3]
1992Trials of Life10hrs 1 minComplete & Unabridged. Released by ISIS Audio in cassette format.
2000Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf1 hr 16 minAttenborough narrates this symphonic fairy tale for children.
2005The Scars of Evolution2x28 min = 56 minPresented by Attenborough, a two-part BBC Radio 4 series.
2009–2011David Attenborough's Life Stories6 hrs 25 minCollected together for the very first time, this is the complete series one and two of Life Stories, written and presented by Attenborough.Author, narrator
2010David Attenborough – Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster19 hrs 23 minHis career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly five decades and there are very few places on the globe that he has not visited. In this volume of memoirs, Attenborough tells stories of the people and animals he has met and the places that he has visited.
2012Quote... Unquote: Highlights from the Acclaimed BBC Radio 4 Panel Show1 hr 52 minThis collection features more than 50 of the show's most entertaining guests, including AttenboroughGuest contributor
2014The Lewis Chessmen and What Happened to Them-Irving Finkel (Author)Narrator
2016Tweet of the Day: A year of the British Birds6 hrs 50 minTweet of the Day is a year-long series of fascinating stories about our British birds. Some tracks by Attenborough.
2017David Attenborough: The Early Years Collection10 hrs 9 minIncludes three volumes from Attenborough's chronicles: Zoo Quest for a Dragon, Quest in Paradise and Quest Under Capricorn.Author, narrator
2018Life on Earth12 hrs 26 minAttenborough reads a new edition of Life on Earth, available as an audiobook for the first time.
My Field Recordings From Across The Planet - This 2-CD set is a compilation of original field recordings made by Attenborough between 1954 and 1963, in 60 tracks. It was sold with a 52-page booklet. Author, narrator
2019The Peregrine8 hrs 56 minAttenborough reads J. A. Baker's classic of British nature writing, The Peregrine.Narrator
2020A Life on our Planet6 hrs 20 minIn this scientifically informed account of the changes occurring in the world over the last century, Attenborough shares a lifetime of wisdom and a hopeful vision for the future.Co-author, narrator
2021Living Planet: The Web of Life on Earth11 hrs 33 minAudiobook for book accompanying The Living Planet TV series, a study of the ways in which living organisms, including humans, adapt to their surroundings.Author, narrator
2022David Attenborough in His Own Words1 hr 31 minAttenborough discusses his life and achievements in this collection of BBC radio and TV interviews.
The Hidden World: How Insects Sustain Our Life on Earth Today and Will Shape Our Lives Tomorrow14 hrs 20 minDr George McGavin on an exciting audio journey to help us understand the fascinating world of insects.Guest contributor
The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behaviour10 hrsReleased 10 November 2022 by William Collins / HarperCollins.Author, narrator
2023The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behaviour10 hrsAudiobook of book accompanying The Trials of Life TV series, tackles ethology, the study of how animals behave.

See also

References

  1. ↑ David Attenborough, Life on Air, BBC Books, 2002
  2. ↑ "This Is Man's World". mainlynorfolk.info. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Ocean World". RoseConlon. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
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