Taken Captive By Birds is a collection of Marguerite Poland’s ‘discovery’ of birds as a child and the role they have played in her and her family’s life. Interwoven with the personal story are the myths, traditions and meanings behind birds and their names within Zulu and Xhosa culture. The book is divided into 18 chapters, each of which loosely deals with one particular bird or, sometimes, a grouping of birds. Beautifully illustrated by Craig Ivor van Vuuren, this collaboration promises to become one of the classic South African publications.