The birds and other stories ([New edition])

The idea for this famous story came to du Maurier one day when she was walking across to Menabilly Barton farm from the house.

She saw a farmer busily ploughing a field whilst above him the seagulls were diving and wheeling.

She developed an idea about the birds becoming hostile and attacking him.

In her story, the birds become hostile after a harsh winter with little food -- first the seagulls, then birds of prey, and finally even small birds -- all turn against mankind.

The nightmarish vision appealed to Hitchcock who turned it into the celebrated film.