"David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet" is a biography written by David Attenborough about his broadcasting life. Previously, I only knew that he narrated many famous BBC nature documentaries, but after reading the book, I found that his life is far richer than I imagined.
He has been interested in nature since childhood, living near a famous fossil discovery site. He studied paleontology and zoology in university, which laid the foundation for his future work. After a few years as a producer and presenter of wildlife documentaries at the BBC, he also took on administrative roles as the head of BBC 2 and the BBC's director of programming. Later, feeling too far removed from nature, he resigned from his executive position to become a freelancer, mainly presenting and narrating documentaries for the BBC and other producers. This book mainly discusses the behind-the-scenes stories of the documentary work he participated in.
I have watched many of the famous documentaries he was involved in, including Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Life Story, and I am very envious that he could go to various places around the world that are difficult for ordinary people to reach, seeing unique landscapes and strange plants and animals, and experiencing different cultures. The book describes how he got to these places, the difficulties encountered, the harsh environments, and the dangers faced. Ordinary people would probably struggle to endure the inconveniences of transportation, poor accommodation and food conditions, and sometimes falling into rivers or being attacked by animals. Without a love for nature, it would be impossible to persist for over sixty years.
His strengths are not the familiar voice and tone, but rather his love for nature and life, rich biological knowledge, and excellent program creativity and writing skills. After completing a documentary, he quickly comes up with new ideas and makes detailed plans, collaborating with others to secure funding and complete new documentary productions.
I am very grateful to David Attenborough for bringing us these unparalleled documentaries, allowing us to experience the joy of his explorations on screen, enhancing our life experiences, and making us more aware of nature and the importance of protecting the Earth and life.