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Innocent, invader, lover, thief. Sparrows wear many guises, and they are everywhere. Able to live in the Arctic and the desert, and in cities from Beijing to San Francisco, the house sparrow is the most widespread wild bird in the world. In this book, award-winning science and natural history writer Kim Todd explores the bird's complex history, biology and literary tradition. Old World sparrows, like the house sparrow, can nest in a garage or an airport, while New World sparrows often stake their claim to remote islands or meadows in the high Sierra. The nineteenth-century 'Sparrow War' in the USA (a battle over the sparrow's introduction) set the stage for decades of invasive species debate, while in the 1950s Mao Zedong began a catastrophic programme to eradicate the bird in China. While studies of house sparrows have taught us about topics from evolution to adultery, their recent decline in cities globally remains an ornithological mystery. Richly illustrated, this is an unforgettable exploration of the natural and cultural history of a beloved, reviled and ubiquitous bird.