Far Away and Long Ago

The autobiography of W. H. Hudson contains unique and sensuous insights into his early life in provincial Argentina during the mid-19th century.
By the time he published this retrospective account of his formative years, W. H. Hudson was a highly respected and famous naturalist and ornithologist, responsible for the expansion and development of both disciplines. He was also a novelist, publishing tales of romantic adventure to praise.
Although he held a special love for his native Argentina, and the Patagonia region of South America, Hudson would permanently migrate to England in 1874, remaining there for most of his remaining years. His studies and comparisons of the avian species of Britain and his native land were welcomed by the academic establishment in the UK, who found Hudson's papers well-researched and informed by their author's origins.

W. H. Hudson was a British biologist, ornithologist, and author who lived from 1841 to 1922. Hudson, who was born in Argentina to British parents, spent a large portion of his youth travelling and learning about the flora and animals of South America. In his early twenties, he came to England and took a job as a clerk. Despite this, he continued to write about nature and in 1892, "The Naturalist in La Plata," his first book, was published. After that, Hudson published numerous other books about the natural environment, including "British Birds" and "Idle Days in Patagonia." He is most well-known, however, for his books, including "Green Mansions" and "The Purple Land," which merged his love of the outdoors with his prowess as a writer. The grandeur and mystique of the wilderness were beautifully and evocatively captured in Hudson's writing, which was praised for its in-depth and evocative depictions of the natural environment. He was also a forerunner in the conservation movement and a proponent of preserving endangered species' habitats.