An end of the world black comedy
by William M Johnson

REVIEWS

‘A mind-blowing and witty exposé… A no-holds barred, no mercy account of the conservation mercenaries’ (Have Bad News – Will Travel – First Class) successful efforts to get a rich living from a dying planet… A ‘must’ for the guilty and the innocent so that lessons can be learned before it is too late.’

~ Ian MacPhail, a founder of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) ~

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‘William Johnson courageously pulls no punches. This sharp, brilliantly observed book deserves a wide audience…’

~ Virginia McKenna ~

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‘A witty exposé of the double standards of nature conservation… This tale of man’s destruction of the Earth is bound to cause controversy. But it will certainly make you laugh too.’

~ The Geographical ~

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‘An author with an instinctive feel for his subject…prepared to carefully and quietly dissect the high-profile world of nature pseudo-conservation until all that remains is something devastatingly unnatural…’

~ The Comedy Review ~

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‘Making a Killing …looks with depth, honesty and dry humour the author is renowned for, at the human failings which stand in the way of real progress being made in the fight to prevent further destruction of our planet…’

~ Marine Connection ~

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‘A wicked black comedy that pulls no punches...’

~ Sunday Mercury ~

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‘A devastating black comedy… It is not difficult to recognise the various world leaders, conservation organisations and their PR-inspired philosophies satirically selected by the author’s barbed, but knowledgeable wit.’

~ Wildlife Guardian ~

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‘A withering attack on the multinational charities which dominate today’s environmental protection scene… feathers are sure to fly…’

~ S.C. Observer ~

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‘A highly original, but frightening tale of man’s destruction of the Earth and his seeming indifference to the fate of all creatures but his own.’

~ BBC Wildlife Magazine ~

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‘…a novel to lift the lid on the world of conservation…[a] story of political intrigue and environmental mayhem. [Johnson’s] 1990 book, The Rose-Tinted Menagerie, was one of The Observer’s Books of the Year and his latest work has received critical acclaim…’

~ Sutton Coldfield News ~

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‘If you like your satire in spadefuls and your black comedy the deepest shade of noir, this may be the book for you. William Johnson has written a novel that invites comparison with Tom Sharpe or Ben Elton and clearly aspires to the label ‘uproarious’…[Though] Johnson may be attempting the impossible…he makes a decent fist of it, rollicking along from demos to Earth Summits, throwing in popes and presidents and royals, introducing various speaking animals into the castlist and ending on a suitably apocalyptic note, illustrative of the Gaia hypothesis… A heady and entertaining mix…a brave attempt at the Great Green Novel.’

~ David Nicholson-Lord, BBC Wildlife Magazine ~

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‘A controversial black comedy which highlights the darker side of conservation – the multinational corporations, vote-catching politicians and conservation organisations competing against each other instead of fighting for a common cause… A satire that will attract not only committed environmentalists but also fans of fast-paced murder mysteries…’

~ Environmental News & Information Service, The Conservation Foundation ~

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‘A Royal Family, the Roman Catholic church, conservation organisations, the United Nations – they all come in for brutal yet hilarious treatment in William Johnson’s new book, Making a Killing… Johnson’s acerbic, dark sense of humour cuts through the veils of smoke and secrecy that surround the environmental movement and its acolytes. Based on a wealth of experience the reader will sense that this book is far from a work of total fiction. The characters are too finely drawn, the situations too believable, the diagnosis too plausible, the danger too real. It’s a scenario that could – perhaps will happen. And it’s a warning to us all. I couldn’t put it down.’

~ Wildlife Times ~