Mae Jon Gower wedi ysgrifennu dros 40 o lyfrau bellach gan gynnwys Y Storïwr (Llyfr y Flwyddyn yn 2012), Norte, Rebel Rebel, The Story of Wales a The Turning Tide, am Fôr Iwerddon. Birdland yw’r llyfr diweddaraf, yn dilyn cyfrol am bêl droediwr Americanaidd Raymond Chester a nofel, I’w Ddiwedd Oer am yr anturiaethwr Edgar Evans. Daw Jon o Lanelli yn wreiddiol ac mae wedi ymgartrefu bellach gyda’i wraig a’u dwy ferch yng Nghaerdydd.

Jon Gower is a former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent who has over 40 books to his name. These include The Story of Wales, which accompanied a landmark TV series, the travelogue An Island Called Smith and Y Storïwr which won the Wales Book of the Year. Following The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea Jon told the story of 50 years of change in British birdlife in Birdland, chronicled the life of a NFL legend in Raider: The Raymond Chester Story and published I’w Ddiwedd Oer, a Welsh language historical novel about polar explorer Edgar Evans.

Birdland: A Journey Around Britain on the Wing / HarperNorth

A joyous celebration of Britain’s rich bird life

In Birdland, Jon a lifelong birder, explores our intimate connection with the bird life around us. From the symphonic song of the wren to the clack of a puffin’s beak and from epic migrations to sunset murmurations, birds are commonplace miracles.

But all is not well in Birdland. Jon charts the many changes to Britain’s bird life over the last 50 years, as the countryside has seemingly emptied and in many ways fallen silent. He considers the effects of the climate emergency, the decline in biodiversity and warming oceans on birdlife and looks at work being done to mitigate these developments. But above all it is a celebration of birds and their being, and a call to arms to defend them.

‘A delightful peregrination around our nation in search not just of birds, but also what birds mean to us; jam-packed with fascinating cultural, scientific and human stories.’ Stephen Moss

‘An intelligent, enchanting and uplifting book.’ Tristan Gooley

‘Follow the song and be plunged into a world where you will be charmed by birds. Full of knowledge and emotion, this is a wonderful journey to take alongside such an erudite and passionate writer.’ Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB

‘A wonderfully descriptive avian journey around Britain. At once witty, poignant and delightful, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.’ Iolo Williams

You can order a copy of Birdland: A Journey Around Britain on the Wing from all good bookstores.

  • “A powerful and vital antidote to that awful feeling of ‘the deadening of life on the planet’. A truly beautiful book about birds and people, it is also a quiet masterpiece, by turns moving, funny and revelatory, about living in love with the world.”

    Horatio Clare

  • “This is Jon Gower in his absolute element – pursuing birds through landscape and language to every corner of Britain. Birdland tells stories of heartbreaking loss, but also of joy and determination, and the people fighting to save and celebrate our endangered species. It is charming, sobering, exquisitely observed and, above all, inspirational.”

    Tom Bullough

  • “A readable tour of the state of Britain’s birdlife.”

    Country Life

I’w Ddiwedd Oer

Yn y gyfrol hon, cawn hanes bywyd yr anturiaethwr o Gymro, Edgar Evans - un o brif gymdeithion yr enwog Gapten Robert Falcon Scott ar ei alldaith enbyd i Begwn y De yn 1912. O droedio creigiau'r arfordir ar drwyn Penrhyn Gŵyr gyda'i annwyl fam-gu - yn hel wyau gwylanod - i rodio gerwinder yr Antarctig ochr yn ochr ag un o'r fforwyr enwocaf erioed, mae stori Edgar Evans yn un ryfeddol.

You can order a copy of I’w Ddiwedd Oer from all good bookstores.

Raider: The Raymond Chester Story

Dive into the thrilling life of Raymond Chester, the Oakland Raiders legend. 

While America was convulsed following the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, Chester was central to the move of Black American football into the mainstream. From his college glory at Morgan State to his iconic moments on the NFL field, Chester’s story is one of resilience and triumph which resonates far beyond the world of sport. 

You can order a copy of Raider: the Raymond Chester Story from all good bookstores.

The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea / Harper Collins

The Turning Tide is a hymn to a sea passage of world-historical importance. Combining social and cultural history, nature-writing, travelogue and politics, Jon Gower charts a sea which has carried both Vikings and saints, invasion forces and furtive gun-runners, writers and fishermen.

You can order a copy of The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea from all good bookstores.

‘Fascinating, spellbinding, erudite and great fun – every page made me want to walk out the door and go look at the Irish Sea.’ Roddy Doyle

‘The Irish Sea has found her bard. This is a dazzle of storytelling, an enthralling trove of history and a joyful work of travel and reportage, singing with the love of the sea. Nobody can tell a tale like Jon Gower.’ Horatio Clare

‘Contagious with delight and fascination. The seeming informality, the twinkle-in-the-eye in the telling, the gentle provocation make it a joy to read. Jon’s perhaps brought into a being a new class of book, for it’s nothing if not a Racontography.‘ Cynan Jones

Listen to a sample

Newyddion/News