In The Hide , Gordon Buchanan

Gordon Buchanan is an award-winning presenter and wildlife cameraman, his credits including the Planet Earth and Frozen Planet series and, as presenter, the popular Family & Me series of documentaries. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2020 for services to conservation and wildlife filmmaking. Gordon lives in Glasgow with his wife and family. In the Hide is his first book.

In In the Hide, Gordon shares for the first time his emotionally honest and raw account of a difficult childhood in Glasgow and Mull, and the escape and solace he found – and continues to find – in the natural world around him. A moving and exhilarating read, Gordon’s story shows how taking the unconventional path in life can lead to remarkable opportunities. An intimate and inspiring account of resilience in the face of hardship, In the Hide marks the arrival of a bold new voice in nature writing.

“A truly remarkable story told by a brilliant man.” 

I have a confession, I’m not a big bookworm but having meet Gordon briefly during his last tour and with a very pertinent title it was always going to be a book added to my very short read list. And i have just finished reading all the three hundred odd pages.

The book follows Gordon’s life from a young boy through adolescence and his big break into wildlife documentaries. It is an intimate and inspiring account of resilience in the face of hardship many people will relate to during the early 1970’s here in the uk. Interspaced with stories and recounted memories from his thirty plus years of wildlife broadcasting the book flips from childhood to adventure’s in some of the world’s wildest places and encounters with wildlife both great and small.

The result is a book that i found hard to put down . Gordon has lived a life that in part in extraordinary travelling the globe and encountering wildlife interactions most of us can only dream about . It also tells the story of a very grounded and ordinary man , sometimes struggling with the pressure of everyday life , something i think most of us will be able to relate to. Gordon is undoubtedly one of the best wildlife broadcasters of his time and a master story teller . The book is entertaining , at times brutally honest but ultimately just a darn good read !