Natural History Books

Book SynopsisHow to describe the ecstatic song of larks? How the writers and poets have tried...Skylarks are the heralds of our countryside. Their music is the quintessential sound of spring. The spirit of English pastoralism, they inspire poets, composers and farmers alike. In the trenches of World War I they were a reminder of the chattering meadows of home.Perhaps you were up with the lark, or as happy as one. History has seen us poeticise and musicise the bird, but also capture and eat them. We watch as they climb the sky, delight in their joyful singing, and yet we harm them too. The Soaring life of the Lark explores the music and poetry; the breath-taking heights and struggle to survive of one of Britain''s most iconic songbirds.PRAISE FOR JOHN LEWIS-STEMPEL''Britain''s finest living nature writer'' - The Times''Lewis-Stempel is a fourth-generation farmer gifted with an extraordinary ability to write prose that soars and sings'' - Daily Mail

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Book Synopsis A triumph of accessible science writing. - Lee Schofield An intriguing book. The hedgehog has found its champion. - Tristan Gooley Jaunty, scholarly, wise. - Charles Foster Any project that highlights the plight of hedgehogs is invaluable. - Tim Rice In poll after poll hedgehogs come out top as Britain''s favourite mammal. And yet their numbers are estimated to have halved in less than twenty years. Why? Who or what is responsible for the disappearance of so many thousands of hedgehogs in recent decades? Is it the car driver, the badger, the farmer, the gardener ..? Tom Moorhouse sets out to investigate the evidence, and in seeking to discover the cause of this loss and how we save the species he uncovers a story full of twists, turns and uncomfortable truths about the trade-offs that exist between humans and wildlife.And then thankfully he provides solutions. A final chapter, complete with contributiTrade ReviewFor those with an interest in endangered species, Tom Moorhouse's Ghosts in the Hedgerow: A Hedgehog Whoddunit is a caring, amiable guide to who (and what) is responsible for the worrying decline ofI this cute mammal. -- Martin Chilton * Independent *Tom Moorhouse is brilliant at weaving complex ecological ideas into an easily accessible and very entertaining form - Ghosts in the Hedgerow is a delight. -- Hugh Warwick, ecologist and author of A Prickly AffairHedgehogs have been with us for millions of years, but they seem to be getting less abundant. How do we know, and why is it happening? These are important questions, easy to ask but very difficult to answer. That's partly because the issues are complex, research scanty and hedgehogs are surprisingly difficult to study properly. Tom has written a thorough, but very readable assessment of the challenges posed by the 20th century and what we can do to help the hapless 'Hedgie'. -- Pat Morris, author, and president of the British Hedgehogs Preservation SocietyA wonderfully entertaining and intriguing book. The hedgehog has found its champion. -- Tristan Gooley, author of The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs and How to Read WaterJaunty, scholarly, hugely entertaining, wise, deadly serious and downright fun ... A triumph. -- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild, Being a Human and A Little Brown Sea

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Book SynopsisSusanna Forrest lives in Berlin where she works as a writer and editor. She grew up in Norwich and later studied social anthropology at Cambridge. In 2016, she won the Sophie Coe Prize, which is awarded for writing on food history.Trade ReviewSusanna Forrest is the outstanding writer at the erudite end of horse madness... Forrest, a social anthropologist by training, heart truly pierced, has written a profound historical love story.... Her book is original, cerebral and from the heart. Thinking jodhpur-wearers will love it. -- Melanie Reid * The Times *From Xenophon to Hitler via Chinese polo and the battle of Waterloo, this extraordinary work demonstrates how much better world history looks with a horse in the foreground. * Meg Rosoff *Whether describing the splendours of the haute école, the miseries of the American horsemeat trade, or the horse-thronged streets of 19th century London, Forrest writes with a fine descriptive vigour. Her essayistic approach allows for an exhilarating blend of the historical and the personal, with lively digressions -- Jane Shilling * Evening Standard *A richly informative, lively and elegantly written overview of the horse in human culture and history... Anyone with even the slightest interest in horses and their past, present and future as human companions, allies or victims should be sure to read it and learn from it. -- Peter Mitchell * Fellow in Archaeology - University of Oxford *No animal more deserves a rigorous and deep investigation of its place in human life, and no one is better positioned to provide it than Susanna Forrest. She approaches her subject with both love and lucidity, with a sharp awareness of the limits of what we can know about horses. -- Justin E. H. Smith * Professor of History and Philosophy of Science - University of Paris *The Age of the Horse surprises and delights at every turn. This thoroughly and imaginatively researched, beautifully written book takes us to new destinations and offers new stories from the frontlines of horse-human sociality. -- Donna Landry * Professor of English and American literature - University of Kent *A very detailed, well-researched history of the evolution, domestication, and usage of horses throughout the ages and in different geographic areas. Susanna Forrest travelled the globe to learn about the practices of the past - including the horse at work and in war and religion - and about how people look upon horses today. -- Robert Sommer * Distinguished Professor - University of California *The Age of the Horse takes horses seriously in their multiplicity, in all the different ways they have been and are a part of our lives . . . This is rigorously researched, but accessible. Through the common history of humans and equids, it is a tribute to the adaptability of both species. -- Robin Irvine * University of St Andrews *Susanna Forrest tells the complete story of the horse, from the Mongolian steppes to Victorian coaches and Amish farms, in a book filled with vivid anecdotes and big ideas. -- Boria Sax * Author of CITY OF RAVENS *Many a horse lover would prefer to spend their entire day on the trail or at the race track, with no other human to taint the majesty of the experience. Susanna Forrest goes even further, delivering all of history with a sharp equine focus. Through her fascinating delving she creates a magical world where these exquisite creatures reign supreme. -- Elizabeth Mitchell * Author of THREE STRIDES BEFORE THE WIRE and LIBERTY'S TORCH *The illustrations are beautiful, the facts astonishing * Mail on Sunday *In charting the evolution of the horse, Forrest covers wide sweeps of history and geography with dexterity and panache... The Age of the Horse is full of facts and rich anecdote -- Robin Oakley * Literary Review *Finding a literary horse book, one that is both substantial and presents a staggering use of language, is an impossible task akin to finding a 6-year-old, well-trained, sensible gelding for a reasonable price. Susanna Forrest's The Age of the Horse is just such a miracle... It is a triumph, and one to be enjoyed by anyone looking for a good read. -- Gretchen Lida * Washington Independent Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisFrom central Glasgow to rural Wiltshire, a husband-and-wife team track down Britain’s enigmatic mammalsTrade Review‘Spring has barely ticked over into summer, but I’ve already found the book that I’ll be recommending for the rest of the year.’ -- BBC Countryfile Magazine'If you care about Britain’s beautiful mammals – which of course you do – this hilarious book is a must-read. Weasely my favourite book of the year so far.' -- Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth'Engaging, humorous and full of fascinating facts you probably never knew, Black Ops and Beaver Bombing celebrates, mourns and champions the wonderful variety of British mammals.' -- Waterstones, Best Books of 2023'You will laugh and learn in equal measure.’ * BBC Wildlife Magazine *‘Delightful… The authors’ sadness is clear, yet the text is more readable because they don’t take themselves too seriously, and scatter the text with memorable details.’ -- Irish Times‘Everything you could hope for in a book about our beleaguered native mammals. Elegiac, informative and funny; some truly magical encounters in the wild; an almost baffled indignation at our institutional and collective failures of policy and imagination; and best of all… some actual solutions.’ -- Peter Fiennes, author of Oak and Ash and Thorn'Packed full of useful information and acutely up to date… As she's one of the ablest mammalogists of our age, it's well worth listening to Fiona Mathews. I would heartily recommend this book to all.' -- Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver‘This book is, or should be, a big wake-up call to anyone who hasn’t already realised that Britain’s native mammals are in trouble… Black Ops and Beaver Bombing provides an entertaining and informative look at some of our native mammalian species as well as the wider issues associated with species conservation in Britain. It should be required reading for anyone with a passing interest in our native wild mammals as well as for those who would like to do more to help with conservation. I particularly hope that it will be read by the politicians and other people who are in a position to make positive changes to reverse the decline of our native mammals.' -- GreenSpirit Magazine

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Book SynopsisDescribes the struggle to become nationally recognised 'Birder of the Year', a competition involving much travelling and sometimes a little guile too. This book contains accounts of several bird species encountered, as well as descriptions of the habitats visited.Table of ContentsForeword; Prologue; Chapter One: January a moving experience; Chapter Two: February getting into the groove; Chapter Three: Marching on together; Chapter Four: April showers of migrants; Chapter Five: May The Lochans of Mercury; Chapter Six: June and July the half-time break; Chapter Seven: August unto the breach once more; Chapter Eight: September getting personal; Chapter Nine: October the Scilly season; Chapter Ten: November and December the final furlong; Chapter Eleven: The nineteenth hole; Chapter Twelve: Epilogue Chapter Thirteen: Further adventures of the silver-haired man The list Acknowledgements;

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Book SynopsisForeword by Chris Packham. The author recounts his own experiences - the highs and the lows, the trials and tribulations - of being an avid birder in a world seemingly populated by experts and high-flyers. Join him on an often humorous and irreverent journey around the UK.Trade Review...From the rivalry between the author and his brother as children and their adventures, to his rediscovery of nature in all its glory, especially the winged kind, was the journey of a man with a passion that is detailed beautifully in this volume. The author writes with ease and imagination and his prose is a joy to read. The fact that he documents visits to some of my favourite wildlife watching spots made it even more entertaining but above all his love of nature shines through. This tale is accompanied by a parallel story of romance as he manages to find a like minded soul mate. A very enjoyable read. --Jenny Steel, www.wildlife-gardening.co.uk There is no birder out there who never gets it wrong, although there are a great many who would have you believe otherwise so it is refreshing to tag along with an average birder who can demonstrate that the richness and beauty of birding is all about the experience not the theory. Nice one Andrew. --Fatbirder Feb. 2012 The latest in a fairly long line of birding and twitching books, this tells the story of Andrew's journey into birdwatching as a boy. Early trips with his brother to the marshes in Essex and Kent will ring bells with many of us who followed similar paths of birding. There are many accounts of day-trips with the triumph and downfalls that beset all young birders. For a time, Andrew gives up the hobby, but he later rekindles the interest and, with his girlfriend (now wife), he travels more widely. Andrew never makes it into what I am sure he would see as the upper echelons of birding and clearly feels a bit of an outsider and, in that respect, I think his story will feel familiar to many people. This is a short read, but an enjoyable one, and better than I expected. --Birding World, April 2012 Andrew Fallan has written the latest in a recent growing genre of birders autobiographies. Fallan describes how he got the bug, what this has led to through his life and many of the ups and downs of this pastime. - This endearing tale recounts the continuous, occasionally desperate search for those rarities that appear in the UK occasionally, the failures and the successes, trials and tribulations of chasing birds, and reported sightings around the UK. Fallan lives in Essex, not known as a destination for great birding, and seems to spend much of the book longing for Norfolk, where he and his partner have many successes, but find themselves being brushed aside by some of the 'me first' crowd. - Packham says "I do definitely concur with his thoughts on a proportion of the twitching fraternity. They actually put me off birding for a while in the same fashion that football thuggery put me off going to see the beautiful game." wildlifeextra.com Andrew Fallan's concept of birding for 'low-flyers' certainly strikes a chord; after all, we can't all be the next birding equivalent of George Michael or Richard Dawkins ... The author has an acute sense of self-awareness and integrity - - British Trust for Ornithology The book celebrates a pure and unpretentious approach to birding that many birders could gain something from. The reason many of us go birding comes from a powerful and deep-seated connection that is impossible to explain to friends and family who question the attraction of traipsing around lonely marshes and woodlands, with binoculars swinging from the neck. At least, it's something that's hard to explain in a single conversation, but Andrew Fallan, in this short book, has more or less put his finger on the simple magic of watching birds - The book takes a refreshingly down-to-earth and holistic view of enjoying birds. It serves very well as a reminder of the great pleasure that is to be had by, for instance, forgetting about getting your head around the mirrors and tongue on P10 and instead looking in raw wonder at the refined form that is a gull against a marvellous coastal backdrop. Communicating the fulfilment in taking this basic approach is something that Fallan does excellently - - Birdwatch magazineTable of ContentsAbout the Author Foreword Acknowledgements Chapter 1 It started with a Kestrel... Chapter 2 Birding for low-flyers Chapter 3 Boys, bikes and birds Chapter 4 Further afield Chapter 5 Even further afield Chapter 6 The wilderness years Chapter 7 Return from exile Chapter 8 A match made in Norfolk Chapter 9 Targeted strikes Chapter 10 Of owls and raptors Chapter 11 Optical debacles Chapter 12 In search of raptors - again Chapter 13 Capercaillies - they don't exist! Chapter 14 A twitch too far Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis volume examines the impact of and responses to historic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Azores. Study is placed in the contexts of: the history and geography of this fascinating archipelago; progress being made in predicting future events and policies of disaster risk reduction. This is the only volume to consider the earthquake and volcanic histories of the Azores across the whole archipelago and is based, not only on contemporary published research, but also on the detailed study of archival source materials. The authors seek to show how extreme environmental events, as expressed through eruptions, earthquakes and related processes operating in the past may be considered using both complementary scientific and social scientific perspectives in order to reveal the ways in which Azorean society has been shaped by both an isolated location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the ever present threat of environmental uncertainty. Chapter 2, which analyses in dTable of ContentsList of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; Chapter 1: The Azores and the Azoreans; Chapter 2: The Tectonic and Geological Background; Chapter 3: Historical Eruptions and Earthquakes; Chapter 4: Evaluation and Prediction of Hazards; Chapter 5: Coping with Disasters in the Azores; Chapter 6: Conclusion: Developing Policies of Disaster Risk Reduction; Index.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Starting to Think Cat 5 Chapter 1: Together, Forever: A History of Cats and People 7 From Humble Beginnings: How Cats Became So Popular 8 Some Common Misconceptions about Cats — and the Facts 11 “All cats are cold fish” 11 “Cats love places, not people” 12 “Cats can take care of themselves” 13 Can You Have a Cat If You Have Allergies? 14 The Indoor versus Outdoor Controversy 15 Chapter 2: Kitten or Adult? Boy or Girl? One Cat or More? 19 Kitten or Cat: Which Is a Better Choice for You? 20 Everyone loves kittens! 20 Adult cat considerations 21 She-Kitty, He-Kitty: Which One’s Better? 23 Let the Fur Fly 24 Should You Consider a Pedigreed Cat? 26 Characteristics by Breed 28 The go-go group 30 A touch of the wild 31 Longhaired beauties 33 The big cats 34 Something different 35 The unCATegorizables 36 The Not-So-Ordinary Everyday Cat 37 Chapter 3: Mixes, Markings, and Pedigrees 39 What You Need to Know about Shelters 41 Animal-control shelters 43 Private nonprofit shelters 43 Volunteer Rescue-and-Placement Groups 45 Breeders: The Reputable, the Ill-Informed, and the Avoid-at-All-Costs 46 Finding the elusive “good breeder” 46 Shopping at the cat show 47 Online shopping 48 Spotting the less-than-ideal breeders 49 Pet Stores: What about Those Kittens in the Window? 51 Your Neighbor’s (Or Coworker’s) Kittens 52 Chapter 4: The Wild Ones: Special Cats, Special Considerations 53 Help for the Wild Ones 54 Finding the solution that isn’t 55 Offering a new way of thinking: Trap, Neuter, Release 55 But aren’t these cats pests? 56 Getting Your Feet Wet: How to Help 58 First, do no harm 58 Helping the helpers 59 Feeding community cats: Help or harm? 60 Learning to Care for Community Cats 60 Setting up a routine 60 Lining up help 61 Trapping cats 63 Spaying and neutering cats 64 Releasing cats 64 Housing considerations 65 Part 2: Getting Off to a Good Start 69 Chapter 5: Choosing a Healthy, Happy Kitten or Cat 71 Evaluating the Environment 72 Getting a read on a kitty’s history 73 Making special considerations 74 Choosing a Kitten 75 Adopting at the ideal age 75 Looking at a litter 76 Personality testing your kitten 77 Considering the Second-Chance Kitty 80 Recognizing Good Health in Kittens and Cats 82 The outer cat 82 The inner cat 84 Taking a Leap of Faith with Your Eyes Open! 85 Chapter 6: One Is Never Enough: The Multicat Household 87 You’re in Good Company 88 Another cat — for your cat 88 Another cat — for you 90 Adding to the Family 91 Understanding territoriality 92 Choosing compatible cats 92 Caring for More than One Cat 94 Litter box strategies 94 Cat trees, cubbies, and hiding places 95 Feeding time at the cat ranch 96 Multicat Medical Concerns 98 Parasite problems 98 Infectious viral diseases 99 Chapter 7: Setting Your Cat up for Success 101 Pre-Cat Preparations 102 Eliminating household hazards 102 Organizing a “safe room” 107 Bringing Your New Pet Home 110 Hello, Kitty! 112 Children 112 Other cats 114 Dogs 117 Other pets 119 Chapter 8: Think Like a Cat to Understand a Cat 121 Making Sense of Cat Senses 122 Smell 122 Hearing 124 Vision 124 Taste 125 Touch 125 Speaking “Cat” 126 Eyes 126 Ears 126 Tail 127 Voice 127 Hair and whiskers 128 Posture 129 Chapter 9: Feline Friendly: From Cat Toys to Catios 133 A New Era for Indoor Kitties 134 A Cat Can’t Have Enough Toys 135 Why toys are even more important to an indoor cat 135 With so many choices, go as crazy as you like 135 Feline Furnishings Cats Adore 137 Why every cat needs a place to scratch 137 Perches, catwalks, and shelves 138 Turn on the fun 139 A Constant Supply of Nibblies 140 Finding food is fun 140 Going green 140 A Whiff of Fresh Air 141 Leashes, strollers, and backpacks 142 The very best in cat remodels: The catio! 142 Some Final Thoughts on Environmental Enrichment 145 Someone to play with 145 The you factor 146 Part 3: Enjoying Life Together 147 Chapter 10: Solving Behavior Problems 149 Understanding “Bad” Behavior 151 Looking at the Root of Unwanted Behavior 152 Strategies for Changing Behavior 153 Yes, kitty! 154 No, kitty! 154 Calm kitty 155 Fairness 155 Attacking Behavior Problems 156 Aggression 156 Counter-cruising 159 Clawing 159 Should you consider declawing? 163 Noisiness 164 Chapter 11: Getting Good Litter Box Behavior 167 Defining the Problem 168 What’s being done, and where? 169 Which cat is the culprit? 171 Is Your Cat Sick? 171 Use the Box, Kitty! 174 Cleanliness is next to catliness 175 Offering alternatives 176 Discouraging misbehavior 178 Stopping Sprayers in Their Tracks 179 Retraining through isolation 180 Chapter 12: Out and About with Your Cat 183 Is Your Cat Up to Travel? 184 Health considerations 186 Temperament considerations 186 Leaving Your Pet Behind 186 Prepare for emergencies 187 Pet-sitters 188 Boarding facilities 189 Taking Your Pet with You 190 Air travel 192 Car travel 195 Moving Your Cat to a New Home 195 Using a safe room for moving 196 Anticipating problems 197 Allowing time for readjustment 198 Chapter 13: Littering: Should Your Cat Become a Parent? 201 The Case Against Breeding 202 Spaying and Neutering: What’s Involved? 203 The Birds and the Bees, Kitty-Style 205 Choosing a mate 206 The “oops” pairing 207 Caring for a Pregnant Cat 207 Happy Birthday, Babies 209 Special delivery! 210 After the birth 211 Kitten Development 212 Birth to two weeks 212 Two weeks to eight weeks 213 Eight weeks to fourteen weeks 214 The adolescent kitten 215 Saying Good-Bye to the Babies 215 Chapter 14: Home Care: Good Grooming and More 219 Fur, the Purrfect Complement 220 Why Cats Groom 220 What’s in It for You? 222 Tools of the Trade 223 Coat-care tools 224 Nail-trim aids 225 The Importance of Patience 226 Keeping Kitty Coats in Shape 227 Combing and brushing 228 Cat + water + soap = Oh, my! 229 Keeping parasites under control 230 Clipping Your Cat’s Claws 236 Dental Care 238 Chapter 15: Feeding Your Cat 241 Convenience at a Price? 242 Maintaining the “Perfect” Cat Diet 243 Fulfilling Basic Nutritional Needs 244 Protein 244 Carbohydrates 245 Fats 245 Vitamins 246 Minerals 246 Water 247 Choosing Foods 248 What type? 250 When to feed? 251 What about veterinarian-prescribed foods? 251 Treat your cat! 253 Curbing Eating Problems 254 The too-much cat 255 The finicky kitty 256 Part 4: The Basics of Good Health 259 Chapter 16: Preventive Healthcare for Your Cat 261 Recognizing Signs of Good Health and Bad 262 The physical cat 263 Vital signs 265 The emotional cat 267 Choosing a Veterinarian 269 Understanding Your Veterinarian’s Role in Preventing Illness 271 The not-so-routine exam 271 Vaccinations 272 Parasite control 274 Recognizing Emergencies 276 Chapter 17: Common Cat Health Problems 279 A Cooperative Approach to Cat Health 280 When Does My Cat Need a Specialist? 281 Some Common Health Problems 283 Abscesses 284 Upper respiratory infection 285 Difficulty breathing 286 Three nasty viruses 287 Urinary tract disease 290 Kidney diseases 291 Diabetes mellitus 293 Heart disease 294 Tumors 296 Giving Your Cat Medication 298 Pilling your pet 298 Liquid medication 299 Ear medication 299 Eye medication 300 Chapter 18: Caring for an Older Cat 303 How Old Is “Old”? 304 Normal Signs of Aging 306 Decline of the senses 306 Changes in appearance 307 Behavior changes 307 Special Care for Kitty Teeth 309 Common Problems 310 Hyperthyroidism 310 Constipation/Obstipation 313 Osteoarthritis 313 Home hospice care 314 Knowing When It’s “Time” 314 Euthanasia options 315 Dealing with loss 316 Part 5: The Part of Tens 319 Chapter 19: Ten Cat Myths Debunked 321 Cats Have Nine Lives 321 Cats Need to Drink Milk 322 Cats Purr Whenever They’re Happy 323 Cats Eat Plants If They’re Sick 324 Cats Are Dangerous around Babies 325 Cats Can Be Kept from Using Their Claws 327 A Well-Fed Cat Doesn’t Hunt 327 Cat Fur Causes Allergies 328 Black Cats Are Bad Luck 329 All Calicoes Are Female 330 Chapter 20: Ten Cool Cat-Related Places To Visit 331 Hemingway House 333 The American Museum of the House Cat 333 Citywide Cat Celebration 334 Purrfectly Pedigreed 334 When in Rome, Help the Cats 335 The Ultimate Destination for Cat Cafes 335 Hello Kitty! 336 Snuggle with a Library Cat (While You Still Can) 336 No, They Don’t Throw Real Cats Anymore 337 Safe Home for Big Cats 337 Chapter 21: Ten Common Household Dangers to Your Cat 339 Strings and Similar Things 340 A Shocking Experience 341 The Warm and Deadly Dryer 341 Pain Medicines That Kill 342 Toxic Plants 343 Garage Dangers 344 Four-Wheeled Menace 345 Towering Danger 345 Parasite Products for Dogs 346 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Help Your Cat in a Disaster 347 Have a Plan 348 Have a Grab-and-Go Disaster Kit 348 Get Your Cat ID — and Keep It Current 348 Keep Preventive Care Measures and Health Records Current 349 Have Restraints Ready 350 Keep First-Aid Supplies on Hand — with Directions 350 Know the Locations of Nearby Veterinary Hospitals and Other Animal Services 351 Keep a “Lost Kitty” Kit Ready 351 Corral Your Cat 352 Be Prepared to Help Others 352 Chapter 23: Ten Nonprofits Worthy of Your Donations 353 Winn Feline Foundation 354 Alley Cat Allies 354 The Jackson Galaxy Project 355 Morris Animal Foundation 355 Shelter Medicine Programs 356 Help with Spay-Neuter 356 Cat Sanctuaries 357 Big-Box Advocacy 357 Veterinary Schools and Colleges 357 Local Shelters and Rescue Groups 358 Index 359

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part 1: Deciding Whether a Turtle or Tortoise Is Right for You 7 Chapter 1: Understanding Chelonians 9 Chapter 2: Understanding What Turtle and Tortoise Ownership Requires of You 19 Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Turtle or Tortoise for You 35 Chapter 4: Finding Your Turtle or Tortoise 49 Part 2: The Who’s Who of Turtles and Tortoises 57 Chapter 5: Aquatic Turtles 59 Chapter 6: Semi-Aquatic Turtles 73 Chapter 7: Semi-Terrestrial and Terrestrial Turtles 87 Chapter 8: North American Box Turtles 101 Chapter 9: Small Tortoises 115 Chapter 10: Medium-Sized to Large Tortoises 127 Chapter 11: Really Big Tortoises 137 Chapter 12: Special Tortoises 145 Part 3: Welcome Home! Creating a Safe and Healthy Environment 153 Chapter 13: Making a Home for an Aquatic or Semi-Aquatic Turtle 155 Chapter 14: Making an Indoor Home for a Terrestrial Turtle or Small Tortoise 165 Chapter 15: Keeping a Turtle or Tortoise Outdoors 173 Chapter 16: Lighting Up Your Chelonian’s World 181 Chapter 17: Keeping Your Turtle or Tortoise Warm and Toasty 187 Chapter 18: Water: The Magic Liquid 195 Part 4: Open Wide! Turtle and Tortoise Health 201 Chapter 19: Making Sure Your Pet Eats the Right Things 203 Chapter 20: Monitoring Your Turtle’s or Tortoise’s Health 225 Chapter 21: Breeding Your Chelonians 243 Chapter 22: Sleeping the Winter Away 263 Part 5: The Part of Tens 269 Chapter 23: Ten Turtles and Tortoises That Make Great Pets 271 Chapter 24: Ten Turtles and Tortoises That May Be Difficult to Care For 275 Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Keep Your Pet Healthy 281 Chapter 26: Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid 287 Appendix A: Chelonian Terms and Scientific Names 293 Appendix B: Sources of Things Chelonian 303 Index 307

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Book SynopsisTweet, tweet, parakeet! Your one-stop resource when you''re ready to bring home a budgie There are lots of perks to owning a parakeet (also known as a budgie). This book introduces you to your beautiful budgie buddy and prepares you to give that bird a home that other avian companions will envy. Perfect for first-time bird owners and seasoned bird parents, Parakeets For Dummies offers expert advice on adopting a parakeet and introducing it to other fur or feathered babies you might have. You''ll also discover the best way to groom and train your parakeet and learn how to teach it to talk. And when your feathered friend appears to be under the weather, you can turn to this book to identify the symptoms of illness and know what to look for when choosing a vet for your pet. Discover whether a parakeet is a good fit for your family, including any existing birds and other pets Construct a comfortable enclosure and prep your home so your bird canTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part 1: Introducing the Parakeet 5 Chapter 1: Parakeets: More Than Just Pretty, Whistling Birds 7 Chapter 2: Is a Parakeet Your Perfect Companion? 13 Chapter 3: Finding and Selecting a Parakeet 27 Chapter 4: Home Tweet Home: Preparing for Your Parakeet 37 Part 2: Caring for Your Parakeet 59 Chapter 5: Polly Want a Cracker? Feeding Your Parakeet Properly 61 Chapter 6: Pretty Bird! Grooming Your Parakeet 75 Chapter 7: Come Here Often? Getting to Know Your Parakeet 85 Part 3: Training and Breeding Your Parakeet 97 Chapter 8: Good Bird! Taming and Training Your Parakeet 99 Chapter 9: Keeping Your Parakeet Healthy and Handling Emergencies 115 Chapter 10: Bouncing Baby Budgies: Breeding Your Parakeets 131 Part 4: The Part of Tens 145 Chapter 11: Ten Facts about Parakeets 147 Chapter 12: Ten Fun and Informative Parakeet and Budgie Websites 149 Index 151

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Book SynopsisA moving account of raising, then freeing, an orphaned owl, whose lasting friendship with the author illuminates humanity's relationship with the worldTrade Review"Carl Safina has written a book of great wisdom and beauty, full of drama and insight. How right to choose an owl, symbol of learning, to help us see anew the twinned truths of compassion and connection—gifts our kind desperately needs to keep our world alive." -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus"The rescue of a little screech owl brings Carl Safina the unexpected joy of companionship and propagation of the species, leading him to philosophize about humanity and how much we’re part of nature. A delightful read!" -- Frans de Waal, author of Different"This is a book about a foundling owl, and infinitely more. As it turns out, the universe and all its mysteries, our relationship with our wild kin and a better future for ourselves and the planet—all are reflected through the prism of an eight-inch ball of feathers named Alfie. Carl Safina has never been more eloquent, or more urgent. Alfie & Me is masterful." -- Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing

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Book SynopsisNew format paperback edition - A photographic journey through Cranborne Chase, one of the Southâs most historic and atmospheric landscapes.Trade Review'Hidden gems of the Cranborne Chase AONB are beautifully captured by photographers Roger Lane and the late Roger Holman.' -- Dorset Life Magazine'The pair are well-known for their stunning landscape photographs and these, together with Roger Lane's informative text, make this book a must-read for anyone with a love of the picturesque Cranborne Chase.' -- Blackmore Vale Magazine

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author of Rewild Yourself comes a brilliant new book that reveals the natural joys to be discovered on your doorstep. In the autumn of 2020, Simon Barnes should have been leading a safari in Zambia, but Covid restrictions meant his plans had to be put on hold. Instead, he embarked on the only voyage of discovery that was still open to him. He walked to a folding chair at the bottom of his garden, and sat down. His itinerary: to sit in that very same spot every day for a year and to see - and hear - what happened all around him. It would be a stationary garden safari; his year of sitting dangerously had begun. For the next twelve months, he would watch as the world around him changed day by day. Gradually, he began to see his surroundings in a new way; by restricting himself, he opened up new horizons, growing even closer to a world he thought he already knew so well.The Year of Sitting Dangerously is a Trade Review'Celebrates the glory of British nature' * Daily Express *'Barnes, as did so many in those prison days of covid, found Nature restorative, yet the reader will be equally convinced by the need to restore her and to take more care to open their eyes and ears to British common-or-garden natural phenomena... You don't need to go to Africa for a safari' -- John Lewis-Stempel * Country Life *

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Book SynopsisThis book is about how the dreams of exploring other worlds became a reality with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. The problems encountered in the development of the spacecraft, including the disastrous fire aboard Apollo 1 which resulted in the deaths of the three American astronauts, Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee are covered. When Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the surface of the Moon on 20 July 1969, many people thought that this was the first time man had visited its nearest neighbour. Although this was the first manned landing, there had been forty-one missions prior to this by both the Americans and the Russians. This book is about all those missions and the sixty-five missions that followed. Also included, although in much lesser detail, is the part the Russians played in the formative years of the space race' and the problems they encountered, culminating in the successful Apollo/Soyuz program which proved that the two super-powers could work together. The l

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the beauty and diversity of the remaining ancient meadows.

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Book SynopsisThis book guides people as to what they can see at different times of year (it is useful year-round) and describes trees, flowers, plants, insects, birds and mammals that can be found in UK woodlands. It weaves fascinating facts with snippets of folklore.

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Book SynopsisChristmas at Battersea: True Stories of Miracles and Hope is full of heart-warming festive tales about the bond between man and animal, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.''Battersea Dogs & Cats Home never closes its doors, not even on Christmas Day'' - Paul O''GradyOn Christmas Day this year, an army of dedicated volunteers will be making the day as special as possible for the four-legged residents of Battersea, with knitted jumpers for poorly puppies and turkey dinners for hungry kittens.Christmas at Battersea features tales of rescue from Battersea''s staff, and of inspirational owners who find a place in their hearts and homes for abandoned pets.You''ll meet:- Scrappie the mongrel puppy, left in a bin on the coldest day of the year- Shadow the Pug, whose loyalty helps a widow through her first Christmas alone- The litter of puppies named after Santa''s reindeer, in urgent need of a home on Christmas Eve- Rosie the Staffie, rescued from a freezing lakeFeaturing tear-jerking but uplifting real life stories about the animals that have passed through Battersea''s doors at Yule time, Christmas at Battersea is the perfect present for animal lovers.Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is the oldest and most-loved animal home in the country, caring for thousands of lost, abandoned or unwanted cats and dogs every year. Royalties from the sale of this book go towards supporting the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (registered charity no. 206394).

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Book Synopsis_______________Starman takes us at breakneck speed through Gagarin''s strange trajectory ... Without books like these to shelter it, history is eroded by propaganda and real heroes fall victim to spin'' - New ScientistA riveting account of Gagarin''s life ... Starman brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the time'' - EuropeanStarman was worth writing and is definitely worth reading'' - Daily Telegraph_______________The definitive biography of Yuri Gagarin, re-published with new material to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of his momentous flight into space.On April 12 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to leave the Earth''s atmosphere and venture into space. An icon of the 20th century, he also became a danger to himself and a threat to the Soviet state. At the age of 34, he was killed in a plane crash. Based on KGB files, restricted documents from Russian spaceTrade Review‘Starman takes us breakneck speed through Gagarin's strange trajectory...Without books like these to shelter it, history is eroded by propaganda and real heroes fall victim to spin' * New Scientist *‘A riveting account of Gagarin's life ... Starman brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the time' * European *‘Starman skilfully achieves two distinct objectives: The uncovering of much of the mystery around one of mankind's finest periods, and a full and respectful acknowledgement that its many great heroes, both sung and unsung, were, first and foremost, human beings' * Moscow Times *‘Starman was worth writing and is definitely worth reading' * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWhat is it like to be a swift, flying at over one hundred kilometres an hour? Or a kiwi, plodding flightlessly among the humid undergrowth in the pitch dark of a New Zealand night? And what is going on inside the head of a nightingale as it sings, and how does its brain improvise? Bird Sense addresses questions like these and many more, by describing the senses of birds that enable them to interpret their environment and to interact with each other. Our affinity for birds is often said to be the result of shared senses - vision and hearing - but how exactly do their senses compare with our own? And what about a birds'' sense of taste, or smell, or touch or the ability to detect the earth''s magnetic field? Or the extraordinary ability of desert birds to detect rain hundreds of kilometres away - how do they do it? Bird Sense is based on a conviction that we have consistently underestimated what goes on in a bird''s head. Our understanding of bird behaviour is simultaneouslTrade ReviewAn absolutely absorbing book, on almost every page there is an astonishing observation or revelation -- Peter Parker * Daily Telegraph *An eye-opening guide to all matters ornithological ... His tour of the frontiers of our understanding of birds is stuffed with mind-boggling facts and insights. Thoroughly engaging, it also gives us a thrilling sense of the vast, unmapped territories that lie beyond, waiting to be discovered -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *A joy to read, simultaneously fascinating and hilarious ... a book that is thoughtful, thoroughly researched and engagingly written throughout -- Jamie Condliffe * New Scientist *An inspired bringing together of all the latest scientific research on avian sight, sound, touch and taste as well as smell, along with some senses which are beyond human capabilities altogether ... if you pick up Bird Sense, however wise you think you are, you'll learn something new -- Michael McCarthy * Independent *This fascinating book has much to teach us, not just about what it means to be a bird, but about the rewards and responsibilities of our coexistence with these wonderful creatures -- David Wheatley * Guardian *Superb ... like having the top of your own head lifted off and its contents deliciously stirred: no one after reading this book could think it was possible to know too much, no one could think science removes us from feeling ... his richly engaging book so deepens our understanding of what is familiar that we are returned to the birds we know around us and the wider world with a revivified sense of how life comes and goes -- Tim Dee * Observer *Remarkable in its celebration of birds * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFun, easy-to-do outdoor activities to unleash your inner child.Trade ReviewBeautifully produced and full of games and activities to unleash the outdoorsman in you. -- Natasha Harding * THE SUN *

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Book SynopsisEllen Ruppel Shell’s Slippery Beast is a fascinating account of a deeply mysterious creature—the eel—a thrilling saga of true crime, natural history, travel, and big business. What is it about eels? Depending on who you ask, they are a pest, a fascination, a threat, a pot of gold. What they are not is predictable. Eels emerged some 200 million years ago, weathered mass extinctions and continental shifts, and were once among the world’s most abundant freshwater fish. But since the 1970s, their numbers have plummeted. Because eels—as unagi—are another thing: delicious. In Slippery Beast, journalist Ellen Ruppel Shell travels in the world of “eel people,” pursuing a burgeoning fascination with this mysterious and highly coveted creature. Despite centuries of study by celebrated thinkers from Aristotle to Leeuwenhoek to a young Sigmund Freud, much about eels remains unknown, including exactly how e

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Book SynopsisCovering the Carolinas from up-country to the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain, this book is an in-depth yet accessible primer on the many ways that Carolinians can attract birds - from large wildlife refuges to private sanctuaries, and from farms to suburban homes and even apartments.

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Book Synopsis''A beautiful and profound meditation on the way landscape shapes art and life. I was entranced by The White Birch, a book that comes close to encapsulating the vast enigma of Russia in the form of a single tree'' Alex Preston, author of Winchelsea and As Kingfishers Catch FireThe birch. Genus Betula. One of the northern hemisphere''s most widespread and easily recognisable trees, and Russia''s unofficial national emblem.From Catherine the Great''s garden follies and Tolstoy''s favourite chair to the Chernobyl exclusion zone and drunken nights in Moscow, art critic Tom Jeffreys leads us across Russia''s diverse land to understand its dramatically shifting identity. As we walk through lost landscapes, discover historic artworks, explore the secret online world of Russian brides, and relive encounters between some of Russia''s greatest artists and writers, we uncover a myriad of overlapping meanings surrounding the humble birch tree. Trade ReviewA natural-political exploration of Russian relationships with the birch tree across past, present, and future. Moving from the Tsarina's garden to the Soviet Gulag, from Chernobyl to Lake Baikal, The White Birch is elegant and intrepid, like its subject -- Daisy Hildyard, author of The Second Body and Hunters in the Snow'Genuinely revelatory' -- Sophy Richards * TLS *There could be no better guide through the thickets of meaning, history and imagery that entangle with the birch tree than figurative forester Tom Jeffreys -- Melissa McCarthy, author of Sharks Death SurfersA beautiful and profound meditation on the way landscape shapes art and life. I was entranced by The White Birch, a book that comes close to encapsulating the vast enigma of Russia in the form of a single tree -- Alex Preston, author of Winchelsea and As Kingfishers Catch FireI love this book. Jeffreys admits he doesn't know where he's going at every turn, but trusts his instinct - and his ear for a good story - as he tries to untangle myth from fact . . . This is the great joy of The White Birch -- Mark Hooper * Caught by the River *With elegance, humour, and deep insight . . . The White Birch is a daring, at once sympathetic and critical, experiment in interpreting how national identity is entwined with a tree. More than a book, it is a mirror and a magnifying glass, through which to observe the all-too-human and the other-than-human worlds, as well as, of course, ourselves -- Michael Marder, author of Plant-Thinking and The Chernobyl HerbariumThe White Birch is a wonderful book: at once an idiosyncratic personal journey and an erudite and clear-eyed critical study. Jeffreys is a deeply human writer and a smart and honest critic who here, splitting the timber of the Russian birch, finds his way deep into the Russian idea of Russia -- Richard Smyth, author of The Woodcock and An Indifference of Birds

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Book SynopsisIs your cat smarter than Donald Trump?Already read The Beautiful Poetry of Donald Trump? Gobbled up Fire and Fury? Well, how about some Fire and FURRY. It''s time to give your cat a pick me up, as we pit its wits against the President...You know Donald Trump, right? Wobbly orange trumpet on legs? The answer to the question: ''What would the offspring of a Wotsit and a dolphin look like?'' Yeah, that guy. Well, he also happens to be the 45th President of the United States of America. There are many questions to be asked of Trump - did he collude with Russia? Is his hair made from caramelised orangutan farts? More pressing than all of them, though, is this: Is he smarter than your cat?*There''s only one way to find out...To complete the Cat vs Trump test you will need:A catA pencilThe ability to forget that the world feels like it''s on the brinkof nuclTrade ReviewA good present for a cat person * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn pursuit of a connection to Britain''s captivating natural world, Jini Reddy searches for the magic in our landscape.A London journalist with multicultural roots and a perennial outsider, she determinedly sets off on an unorthodox path through the wanderlands of Britain. Serendipity and her inner compass guide her around the country: Where might this lead? And if you know what it is to be Othered yourself, how might this color your experiences? And what if, in invoking the spirit of the land, it decides to make its presence felt?Whether following a cult map to a hidden well that refuses to reveal itself, attempting to persuade a labyrinth to spill its secrets, embarking on a coast-to-coast pilgrimage or searching for a mystical land temple, Jini depicts a whimsical, natural Britain. Along the way, she tracks down ephemeral wild art, encounters women who worship The Goddess, and falls deeper in love with her birth land. Throughout, she rejoices in the wildneTrade ReviewWhat a wonderful book Wanderland is! A witty, gentle, original and very modern quest for the magical (not the mythical) in Britain's landscape, which both made me laugh and moved me. I wish Roger Deakin could have read this book, for he would surely have recognised a kindred spirit in Jini Reddy. -- Robert MacfarlaneA breath of fresh air. * Observer *[An] effervescent exploration… Reddy’s engaging narrative has an assurance and humour which both charm and convince. -- Elizabeth Dearnley * The Times Literary Supplement *Witty and engaging. -- Tom Robbins * Financial Times, Best mid-year reads of 2020 *An honest, contradictory and refreshing take on nature writing. * Conde Nast Traveller *Funny and touching. * The Mail on Sunday *Candid, soulful and uplifting search for natural magic. * The Lady *Warm, open-minded and endlessly curious, Jini is an ideal guide to Britain’s more unusual places and people. Wanderland is a truly engaging exploration, full of heart and soul. -- Melissa HarrisonA page turner. * Sunday Express ‘S’ Magazine *Wanderland is extraordinary, unique even, standing apart from recent books about the British countryside….. She is, she declares, lovesick: at times her prose has a dreamy, almost erotic charge. -- Ben Hoare * Countryfile *She rejects the stereotypes placed on people of colour, and crafts a beautiful story of self-discovery and exploration of the natural world. * Brown Girl magazine *Curious and tenacious, Jini learns to accommodate both solitude and the gifts of chance, discovering at last a new way of being, a new way of seeing, a new way of listening to the complex voices of this archipelago – animal, aerial, human and other-than-human. -- Katharine NorburyWith an unusual but timely eco-spiritual edge, and an alluring blend of memoir and nature-writing this touches on themes of identity and belonging as it charts how a restless spirit fell in love with her native land. -- Caroline Sanderson, Editor at The Bookseller (Editor’s choice in the Bookseller)Wanderland is a skilfully crafted and touching memoir of self-discovery inspired by Britain's wild places. -- Mark Whitley * The Countryman *A joyous celebration of the beauty we can see and the magic we can't. -- Tay Aziz * BBC Wildlife *…doesn’t just open your eyes to the Isles’ mystical history, but also your mind to the possibilities of what spirits may be lurking there. * Wanderlust magazine *In this funny, touching book…we are left with a sense that Reddy really has made contact with something deep within herself that feels entirely new and special. -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *Her easy style, genuinely questioning approach and willingness to take a wry look at her own self all carry the reader along in an engaging and often delightful tale. -- Stephen Moss * Resurgence & Ecologist *Table of ContentsWhat Happens Up the Mountain Doesn’t Always Stay Up the Mountain Beginnings To the Oracle on the Sea The Lost Spring Walking through Woods and Pain A Woman of the Old Ways The Secret Place of the Wild Strawberries – Part I The Tree Whisperer A Pilgrimage Walk in a Land of Giants Lost in Glastonbury A Temple in the Land When You Can See Neither Wood Nor Trees In Search of Ash Dome and Maidens of Mud and Oak The Secret Place of the Wild Strawberries – Part II Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisAn RSPB audio and book guide to the birdsong of Britain's best known bird species. Birdsong is the natural soundtrack to our lives and can evoke a powerful sense of time, place and season. Often profoundly beautiful, it is also the most effective way to discover many birds, and birds' songs and calls reveal much about their lives and behaviour. But identifying which bird is making which sound can seem challenging. With this groundbreaking and easy-to-use RSPB guide, Adrian Thomas helps you learn and identify bird sounds step by step and at your own pace. Whether you are an experienced birdwatcher or just enjoy hearing the birds in your garden, this new guide will open your ears like never before to the amazing songs and calls around you. Together the book and CD combine to create an RSPB-endorsed sound guide to more than 100 songs and calls of 65 garden, woodland and farmland birds, and a reference section describes in detail the sounds of a further 185 birds of Britain and northTrade ReviewAdrian’s knowledge of the science and majesty of birdsong resonates from every page as he tells how to recognise the vocalisations of 250 species, opening a new dimension of birdwatching to novice and expert. -- Stuart Winter * Sunday Express *Adrian's descriptions of the sounds are excellent - far closer to the real thing and easier to remember than most field guides manage - but his own sonograms are a useful extra touch, and of course the CD (...) adds a very valuable extra dimension. -- Matt Merritt * Bird Watching *Thomas's enthusiasm for his subject, as well as the sheer depth of his passionate knowledge, really shines through on every page. -- The Reviewer * English Garden *It's easy to read, clearly illustrated and as someone with no musical knowledge makes essential reading. -- James Lidster * Birdwatch *It contains the clearest descriptions I have read for understanding pitch, timbre, harmonics and overtones and for anyone struggling to learn bird calls and songs it's a great introduction and I suspect for many it might just be the book they need. -- James Lidster * Birdwatch *Table of ContentsPart 1: An Introduction to Bird Songs and Calls Introduction How to use this guide What is sound? How do birds make noises? Types of bird sound How to describe bird sounds Reading sonograms What sounds to expect: Where and when? What to expect: Habitats Putting it all together Turning it into learning Part 2: Guide to Common Bird Songs and Calls Towns and villages Woods and copses Upland woodland Farmland Reedbeds and marshes Part 3: Reference Guide How to Record Bird Sounds Glossary References Acknowledgements Sound Credits Photo Credits Track List Index

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Book SynopsisRSPB Spotlight: Ospreys is packed with eye-catching, informative colour photos, and features succinct, detailed text written by a knowledgeable naturalist.A hunting Osprey is one of the great sights of the natural world, and its fishing prowess is admired and revered around the globe. However, its penchant for taking fish from trout ponds resulted in a drastic decline in the UK with the species wiped out by human persecution and habitat loss.Thanks to concerted conservation efforts, it has made an encouraging comeback in recent decades, giving people across the country the chance to see this majestic hunter in action once again. This easy-to-read text explores all aspects of the Osprey's biology and ecology, including a detailed overview of the adaptations that make it such a skilled and proficient hunter. There is also a chapter dedicated to Osprey migration with a summary of the findings of groundbreaking satellite tracking research. Tim Mackrill also explores the relatTable of ContentsMeet the Osprey Diet and Feeding Behaviour Breeding Migration A History of Ospreys in Great Britain Osprey Conservation Ospreys in Culture Watching Ospreys Glossary Further Reading and Resources Acknowledgements Image Credits Index

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Book SynopsisA lavish celebration of the seabirds of the British Isles.Seabirds are the living links between land, air and sea. They enjoy a freedom that even humans, with all our technological assistance, can barely imagine. Many species travel mind-boggling distances across the length and breadth of our planet before returning to land to breed in large, deafening and confusingly crowded colonies. Yet within this commotion each mated pair forms a bond of extreme closeness and tenderness that survives separation each winter and may persist for decades. The long and geologically varied coastline of the British Isles provides homes for internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds. Visiting their colonies is always unforgettable, whether they are cliff-faces packed with Guillemots, islands white-capped by clustered Gannets on their nests, flat beaches crowded with screaming Arctic Terns or seaside rooftops overlaid with a second townscape of nesting gulls. The changTrade ReviewA superb new book...packed with fascinating information on how the birds around our coast are faring. * Scotland Outdoors *This wonderful book is an inspiring, new resource for sea-birdwatchers of all abilities and interest and deserves a place in the home of every birder. * Surf Birds *Marianne Taylor does an excellent job of providing evocative and informative descriptions of every species...the text is greatly enhanced by superb photographs. * BBC Wildlife *Brilliant...excellent for any birder's Christmas stocking. * Bird Watching *Table of ContentsIntroduction Seaducks Eider Common Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Other seaducks Divers and grebes Red-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Great Crested Grebe Slavonian Grebe Other divers and grebes Tubenoses Fulmar Manx Shearwater European Storm-petrel Leach’s Storm-petrel Other tubenoses Gannets, cormorants and relatives Gannet Cormorant Shag Other related species Phalaropes Grey Phalarope Skuas Arctic Skua Great Skua Other skuas Gulls Kittiwake Mediterranean Gull Black-headed Gull Common Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Herring Gull Yellow-legged Gull Great Black-backed Gull Other gulls Terns Little Tern Sandwich Tern Roseate Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Other terns Auks Guillemot Razorbill Black Guillemot Puffin Other auks Recommended reading Bibliography Acknowledgements Photographic credits Index

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Book SynopsisNot many ships' cats have even one memorial statue, let alone six. But Trim does, including one outside Euston Station in London, proudly unveiled by Prince William on the bicentenary of Matthew Flinders's death 19 July 2014. Trim was the ship's cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his voyages to circumnavigate and map the coastline of Australia from 1801 to 1803. He lived quite the adventurous life. As a small kitten he fell overboard while at sea but managed to swim back to the vessel and climb back on board by scaling a rope. This cemented his position as Flinders's beloved companion, and together they survived a voyage around the world, the circumnavigation of Australia and a shipwreck. When Flinders was imprisoned by the French in Mauritius in 1803 Trim shared his captivity until one day he mysteriously disappeared which heartbreakingly Flinders attributed to his being stolen and eaten by a hungry slave.Trim, The Cartographer's Cat is an ode to this much-loved ship's cTrade ReviewFeline fans among us will utterly adore it. * RNLI magazine *

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Book SynopsisThis practical pocket guide, published in association with the Wildlife Trusts, includes more than 190 species of animal and plant that inhabit still-water bodies such as ponds, pools and small lakes.Each species account includes accurate artworks and concise descriptions outlining essential details such as size, habitat, ecology and distribution in Britain and the Northern Europe. A vast number of species occurs in these habitats, so the guide selectively pictures and describes the fauna and flora that are most likely to be found and identified. Among the fascinating animals featured are freshwater sponges, hydras, water bears, worms, leeches, water snails, dragonflies and damselflies, frogs and toads, bats, fish, birds, and iconic mammals such as the Water Vole and European Otter. The easy-to-follow layouts and illustrations aid quick and precise identification, making the book an indispensable reference in the field as well as in the home and garden. It''s compact enough to fTable of ContentsIntroduction Natural Wetlands Artificial Ponds Threats to Ponds Today Garden Ponds Pond Wildlife Marginal Plants Water Plants Rushes Grasses Mosses Trees Sponges Hydras Worms Water Bears Leeches Molluscs Crustaceans Insects Arachnids Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals

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Book SynopsisFINALIST IN THE PEOPLE''S BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2022/2023 WRITTEN BY THE WAINWRIGHT-CONSERVATION-PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF REBIRDING. Transform your understanding of the natural world forever and discover the wild forces that once supported Britain's extraordinary natural riches, and could again.Our precious archipelago is ravaged by climate change, bereft of natural ecosystems and lies at the mercy of global warming, flooding, drought and catastrophic biodiversity loss. But could restoring species that once helped protect our islands help turn this crisis around?From familiar yet imperilled honeybees and ancient oak woods to returning natives like beavers and boars, Britain's cornerstone species may hold the key to recovering our biodiversity on land and in our seas. In Cornerstones, we discover how beavers craft wetlands, save fish, encourage otters, and prevent rivers from flooding. We learn how disruptive' boars are seasoned butterfly conservationisTrade ReviewCornerstones makes a bold, riveting and visionary case for reviving the wild species that can help us restore our living planet. This is an exciting read! * Patrick Barkham, author of The Butterfly Isles and Wild Child *By concentrating on 'cornerstones', we have the potential to transform landscapes and lives. A brilliant read. * Bird Watching magazine *Very few writers can navigate the complexities of the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, but Macdonald achieves this with skill and impact. Cornerstones paves a compelling pathway of hope, and it is as bright and brilliant as it is essential. * Sophie Pavelle, author of Forget Me Not *It’s an interesting debate and one we should have. * Simon Lester, Country Life *This celebration of the species that anchor healthy, life-giving ecosystems is a timely reminder to recognise – and urgently protect – our common roots. * New Statesman *A primordially fortifying book. * New Statesman *It is ultimately a hopeful tale, and one well worth reading. * Lorraine Connolly, Country Life *Benedict Macdonald continues to come up with practical and effective solutions to the biodiversity crisis, with his latest book, Cornerstones. -- Stephen MossI think this is this author’s best book, so far, and that makes it excellent. -- Mark AveryMacdonald crams in evidence from a dizzying array of studies and writes with the urgency of an evangelist […] it’s exciting, convincing stuff. * Countryfile *Macdonald's skill is in painting a big picture and communicating the benefits for all to see. -- Keith Betton * Birdwatch magazine *This book is a brave, wonderfully descriptive and immensely important diagnosis of how far the countryside has drifted. -- Chris Fitch * Geographical *From the first sentence of the introduction, I was drawn in by evocative descriptions of Nature at its best. * Lorraine Connolly, Country Life *The author’s great strength is in painting vivid pictures, helping us to imagine a possible future where we have more self-willed, wilder land. -- Ian Carter * British Wildlife *Macdonald excels in describing the who and what of rewilding. He offers fascinating tales of the ways in which animals may transform British landscapes [...] Macdonald’s vision for rewilding reminds us of the potentially transformative animal lives around us. Humans could and should allow them to help restore our natural world. -- Barbara J. King * Times Literary Supplement *From this book you will uncover the important role ‘wild forces’ once played, and could play again, in boosting biodiversity and restoring broken ecosystems — all described in remarkably researched detail [...] one very important book. * Rewilding Britain *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter one - Boar Chapter two - Birds of Prey Chapter three - Beavers Chapter four - Whales Chapter five - Bees Chapter six - Cattle and Horses Chapter seven - Trees Chapter eight - Lynx and Wolves Chapter nine - Humans

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Book SynopsisCartoonist and national treasure Ralph Steadman''s unique take on a variety of extinct birds ...When Ceri Levy asked Ralph Steadman to produce one piece of art representing an extinct bird for a recent exhibition, Ghosts of Gone Birds, Ralph said ''yes''. Then ''yes'' again ... and again ... and again.An astonishing 100 paintings later, Extinct Boids was born.Ralph got carried away by the birds, taking Ceri with him ... this book details the discoveries they made on their travels through the savage seas of extinction. After stumbling on the previously hidden Toadstool Island, where the extinct birds of the world live on in secretive harmony, the duo spent nearly a year in close proximity to a host of fantastical avian creatures. Ralph documents them all in this series of remarkable paintings, featuring unique interpretations of well-known birds such as the Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon and Dodo, along with less familiar members of the featTrade ReviewNot since Adam named the beasts ... has anyone so enriched the language of ornithology as Mr. Steadman and his co-author, Ceri Levy, in Extinct Boids. * New York Times *A characteristically madcap and often very funny voyage through the dark tale of extinction. -- Stephen Moss * Daily Mail *While Steadman gives us paintings of the dodo, the great auk and other familiar lost species in burning, unforgettable colours, we also find the nasty tern, the wizened twit, the dickie bird, the jail bird, and the lesser Peruvian blue-beaked blotswerve. The film-maker and conservationist Ceri Levy anchors it all in sanity with an appealing running commentary. -- Michael McCarthy * The Independent *Every turn of the page reveals a bird brought to life in Steadman's inimitable style. * New Scientist *Ralph's remarkable paintings... pay a tribute to some of the most beautiful creatures ever to have lived. * The Lady *Each species is splashed across the page in Steadman’s unique style, accompanied by a witty and informative commentary by Levy. * The Guardian *The illustrator Ralph Steadman has used his weird imagination to conjure up colourful, faded feathered friends. * Leicester Mercury *The national treasure that is Ralph Steadman utilises his trademark cartoon-style to document those “ghost birds” whose demise stands as an indictment of mankind’s destructive tendencies. * Sunday Express *A riotous flight of imagination with a serious message. * Birdwatch *Table of ContentsHis Nibship in the Midship HMS Steadmanitania Ghosts of Gone Birds So I said, then he said, then… Japanese Egret Great Auk North Island Giant Moa Choiseul Crested Pigeon Black Mamo Guadalupe Caracara Mauritius Owl Rodrigues Solitaire Oahu ‘O’o Jamaican Red Macaw Liverpool Pigeon Purple Gallinule South Telly Chat Chatham Rail North Island Takahe Pallas’s Cormorant Dodo Blue Slut Rodrigues Blue-black Throstle Lesser-blotted Bitwing Mauritius Night Heron Mechanical Botanical Spunt Imperial Woodpecker Martinique Amazon Parrot King Island Shtum Orange-beaked Mwit Huia Red-footed Booby Bonin Wood Pigeon St Helena Giant Hoopoe Red-moustached Fruit Dove Snail-eating Coua Ula-’ai-Hawane Greater Amakihi Biship’s ‘O’o Honduras Banana ‘O’o How a Bird is Born Pale Blue Piddle Carolina Parakeet North Island Piopio South Island Piopio Red Rail Moor Pen Needless Smut Réunion Sacred Ibis Quink Spundwick’s Fret Cuban Macaw Labrador Duck Mauritius Blue Pigeon Dusky Seaside Sparrow Lord Howe Swamphen Bar-winged Rail Norfolk Island Kaka Ex-Stink Boid Blue Lidwink Blackened Thront Gould’s Emerald Aldabra Brush Warbler Stephens Island Wren Grand Cayman Thrush Robust White-eye Splindwilf Orange-beaked One-wing Jurassic Atitlán Grebe Laughing Owl Double-banded Argus Lanai Hookbill Humpbacked Blue Mult York Island Fright Chatham Island Bellbird Dieffenbach’s Rail Lord Howe Gerygone Robust White-eye Guam Flycatcher Aldabra Brush Warbler Blue-winded Gasp New Zealand Quail Wizened Twit White-winged Sandpiper Auckland Island Merganser Nasty Tern Gob Swallow Once Bittern Lousy Grudgian Mauritian Shelduck New Zealand Little Bittern Colombian Grebe Mascarene Parrot Channel-beaked Murdoch Cuckoo Broad-billed Parrot Spotted Wingless Strut Mottled Splatwink Angered Maggot Sleet Crested Honeycreeper Pueo ‘Apapane Maui Creeper Omao Common ‘Amakihi Palila Hawaiian I’iwi Hawaiian Ariapola’au Lanai Oloma’o Greater Koa Finch Kona Grosbeak Lanai Hookbill Kioea Laysan Rail Hawaiian Rail Bishop’s ‘O’o Hawaiian Crow Canary Islands Oystercatcher The White-winged Gonner Tanna Ground-dove Spittle’s Yerk Northern Bald Ibis Lesser Peruvian Blue-beaked Blotswerve White-winged Feathered Dinosaur Tristan Moorhen Hawaii Mamo The man who hated birdshit Tahiti Rail Réunion Gallinule White Gallinule Guadalupe Ponce Oceanic Eclectus Parrot Kakawahie Lesser-blotted Kamao Guadeloupe Amazon Parrot Oahu Nukupu’u Lesser ‘Akialoa Purple Swamphen White Gallinule Tahiti Sandpiper Yooo-eeee Bluebreast Dickie Bird Nested Lemon Tweet Jail Bird Yuleiptopede Nativitaurus Willychick Tweet Long-legged Shortwing Passenger Pigeon Orange Thronk Pink Twisted Thrisp Branch Fling Schwing Pink Rotten Scrawl Random Blotted Slumley Splattered Shag Desert Bluebeak Pink-headed Duck Giant Elephant Bird Green Twot Yellow Twet Pink Twit ‘Smy Egg Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisRSPB ID Spotlight Woodland Birds is a reliable fold-out chart that presents illustrations of 63 of our most widespread and familiar woodland birds by renowned artist Stephen Message.Our landscape has long been shaped by its native tree cover, whether pine, oak, beech or birch. These habitats are full of life, and you''ll see many different bird species in all kinds of woodlands throughout the year. But do you know a Nuthatch from a Treecreeper? And can you tell the difference between a Goshawk and a Common Buzzard when it''s soaring overhead? The UK''s woodlands are home to a diverse collection of our most beautiful wild bird species.The species are grouped by family and helpfully labelled to assist with identification, while the artworks are shown side by side for quick comparison and easy reference at home or in the field. The reverse of the chart provides information on the habitats, behaviour, life cycles and diets of our woodland birds, as well as the conservation isTable of ContentsIntroducing the UK’s Woodland Birds Habitat Distribution and Migration General Behaviour, Life Cycle and Diet Conservation Spotlight ID with Artwork

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Book SynopsisHow deep do sharks swim? Have more people been into space then the deep ocean? And what effect are we having on the health of our seas? Ask An Ocean Explorer answers these questions and more!

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Book Synopsis''The master. Puts all other modern tree-writers in the shade'' John Lewis-Stempel, author of MeadowlandThomas Pakenham is an indefatigable champion of trees. In The Company of Trees he recounts his personal quest to establish a large arboretum on the family estate, Tullynally in Ireland; his forays to other tree-filled parks and plantations; his often hazardous seed-hunting expeditions; and his efforts to preserve magnificent old trees and historic woodlands.Whether writing about the terrible storms breaking the backs of hundred-year-old trees or a fire in the peat bog on Tullynally which threatens to spread to the main commercial spruce-woods, his fear of climate change and disease, or the sturdy young saplings giving him hope for the future, his book is never less than enthralling.Trade ReviewThe more you read of the various Earls' attempts to create beautiful views across their parkland, the more you realise they struggle with the same problems the rest of us face when designing our ownlittle gardens. The only difference is that they're working on a massive scale, and thinking in centuries instead of years ... Raising all his own saplings from seed, he comes across like a real-life version of P. G. Wodehouse's amiable (if unworldly) Lord Emsworth, pottering about with his seed trays and compost in his ancestral kitchen. But he engages fully with the 21st-century threat of global warming, as well as the four new diseases threatening our trees: acute oak decline, sudden oak death, ash dieback and pseudomonas syringae - a lethal canker of horse chestnuts that has infected 49 per cent of the tree species in England, according to a recent survey -- Helen Brown * DAILY MAIL *The Company of Trees: A Year in a Lifetime's Quest, brings readers along a journey from the 1,500 acres of farm and parkland of the family estate at Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath, to planthunting expeditions in Asia and South America, and more ... told in monthly chapters that will charm a readership beyond those who don't need to Google 'arboretum' for a definition. There is a sense of adventure in travel diary revelations where the energetic Eighth Lord Longford (though he doesn't use that inherited title) tells of shinning up rocky banks near the foothills of the Himalayas and nearly breaking an ankle in the quest for seeds. He being in his 80th year, mind ... Good-humoured revelations of triumphs that sometimes end in failure contribute to an engaging openness -- Valerie Shanley * IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY *At Tullynally, his estate in Ireland. Thomas Pakenham is growing his own woodland. In this lively diary of his travels to the Himalayas and Patagonia in search of seeds, and his tours of the thriving plantations where he plants and preserves trees, he gives seasoned advice on garden design and landscaping, and worries about the diseases that have devastated ashes, elms, oaks and chestnuts * SAGA magazine *Historians make very good tree people because they respect both the past, with its particular and changing atmospheres, as well as posterity. After all, most trees span more than one human lifetime, and the story of trees has been part of the story of the land and even the people. And historians can salt the worthy fare of plant descriptions with tales of plant hunters and gardeners from the past. Pakenham's writing is brisk, clearly personal and pleasantly epigrammatic ... Readers should finish this book with a lively sense of the importance and allure of trees, even if they have never so much as planted an acorn -- Ursula Buchan * THE SPECTATOR *Few have ever indulged their inclinations on a grander scale than Thomas Pakenham, whose passion is for trees. This is an exuberant tale of greed and gratified desire by a romantic who, for 50 years and more, has been planting trees by the thousand on his family estate at Tullynally in Westmeath. Pakenham is currently in his 82nd year, and buying magnolias like a madman "in what the Germans call Torschlusspanik" (last-minute or door-closing panic) ... Trees are, as this book points out, "the biggest living things in these islands, taller than most buildings, older than many ancient monuments", and, like the Williamses at Caerhays and the Holfords of Westonbirt, the planting Pakenhams have done them proud in person and in print -- Hilary Spurling * THE GUARDIAN *Botanical history and travel are two of the underlying elements of this absorbing year in the life of tree-loving Thomas Pakenham. Eloquently written as a diary and illustrated with an array of colour photographs, this informative and entertaining read describes the arboretum and garden areas he is creating on the family estate in Ireland. The book reveals his observations, experiences and lessons learned * COUNTRYSIDE *Thomas Pakenham could convert a property developer into a tree-hugger ... If The Company of Trees is a diary, it is also a journey - into the author's life and Tullynally's past. The book's photographs are as beautiful and glossy as conkers; anecdote and information fall like autumn mast ... I closed the book and went to look at my own trees. Thanks to the joyful hours spent in its author's company, I saw them anew. His book is a plum among autumn's publishing fruits -- John Lewis-Stempel * COUNTRY LIFE *Gardeners who love beauty, not arboreal ethnicity, now have an eloquent ally ... The Company of Trees is beautifully illustrated with his own excellent colour photos... it tells a story which has touching continuity across generations -- Robin Lane-Fox * FINANCIAL TIMES *The book is written as a journal in a tone so natural you feel as if you're in his study at Tullynally as the wind soughs through the woods. His hard-won knowledge garnered over a lifetime of seed-collecting, planting and observation is displayed lightly so you absorb masses of information without ever feeling like you're at a dendrology conference. It's impossible not to feel affection for a man nearing 80 who not only plants a copse of rare Magnolia campellii Alba Group from seed, but collects that seed himself from a mountainside in Sikkim, India ... Pakenham's optimism and concern for future generations, both trees and people, is infectious. The world's trees could not have a more compelling advocate -- Caroline Beck * GARDENS ILLUSTRATED *The Company of Trees: A Lifetime's Quest is by one of the world's most famous tree huggers, octogenarian Thomas Pakenham of Tullynally Castle. It tells the story of his collection of remarkable trees in Co. Westmeath, and also shares gems such as discovering a rare blue poppy in Tibet by sitting on it, and getting lost at nightfall in his own woods only to be saved by a search party hours later * THE SUNDAY TIMES IRELAND *Thomas Pakenham, the champion of trees, narrates a story of exploration and discovery, of life-cycles longer than our own in this lavishly illustrated book ... An enthralling book by a passionate writer, educator and entertainer * WELSH BORDER LIFE *Thomas Pakenham's endlessly fascinating life and garden is the subject of The Company of Trees in which he continues the story of one man's love for all things arboreal begun in his 2002 bestseller, Meetings with Remarkable Trees. In this latest work we find him at home in Tullynally, where he has established an important arboretum, recalling his diverse personal quests for plants and seeds found on his far-flung travels ... and as all journeys begin with one small step, so do many plants grow from one small seed. Their stories follow fast and furious -- David Wheeler * HORTUS *

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Book SynopsisA wise, witty, alternative history of humanity exploring how our relationship with dogs has changed over the centuries - by the author of the bestselling JUST MY TYPETrade ReviewA witty celebration of the long-lasting dog/human relationship . . . There are some extraordinary facts in this book -- Melanie Reid * THE TIMES *From the Queen's corgi named Rozavel Lucky Strike to Donald Trump being terrorised by a poodle, this love letter to our four-legged friends is a delight . . . there is a good joke, an intriguing tale or a fascinating statistic on every page -- Craig Brown * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Garfield exudes a puppyish persona, his prose is bouncy and his dog facts digestible . . . [a] fact-packed history of a 15,000-year relationship -- Jackie Annesley * THE SUNDAY TIMES *A glorious new celebration of man's best friend . . . [a] moving and invigorating study of all things canine -- Roger Lewis * DAILY MAIL *A treat . . . [a] charming and erudite book on the mutually rewarding relationship between Homo sapiens and Canis lupus familiaris -- Helen Brown * DAILY TELEGRAPH *In the latest fun, excursive contribution to an eclectic oeuvre, this author explores the bond between humans and the dogs who love us and walk us, guard and rescue us * SAGA *DOG'S BEST FRIEND is as fascinating, funny and wise as we've come to expect from Simon Garfield. More than that, it's a book that asks profound questions about what it means to be canine -- ANDY MILLER, author THE YEAR OF READING DANGEROUSLYFunny, fascinating and endearing - this is a book that will make your tail wag -- KATE HUMBLEA fascinating, informative and highly entertaining expedition through the highways and byways of dogdom -- JOHN BRADSHAW, author of IN DEFENCE OF DOGSByron, Sassoon, Woolf, Charles Schulz . . . many have managed to express the love we have for our dogs, but until now, no one has adequately explained it. Simon Garfield has written a book every owner will lap up with the same delight and enthusiasm their Fido would a discarded box of fried chicken. That is to say, with great pleasure -- KATE SPICER, author of LOST DOGA wise and witty alternative history of humanity . . . Interesting and somewhat unusual * PLATINUM MAGAZINE *Starting with ancient cave paintings and taking the reader on a journey from Buckingham Palace to the Soviet space program before heading into the genome lab, the book invites testimony from breeders, psychoanalysts, and pooch lovers the world over in its quest to work out the secrets behind the astonishing human-and-beast bond. A joy! * WOMAN & HOME, best non-fiction books of 2021 *A romp through the history of our relationship with dogs, packed with fascinating facts and heart-warming tales of loyalty and derring-do. Discover how our canine companions help heal us, where designer dog trends began and more * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *Witty, probing, and spot-on . . . With emotional acuity, DOG'S BEST FRIEND leaves the reader acknowledging that Canis lupus familiaris will always be a mixed bag of ancestry and characters while maintaining an unflinching connection with us * American Kennel Club *This engaging study, by turns wry, ironic and poignant, goes from prehistory to now. By the end - even though the dog comes when you call - you wonder who really is in charge * SYDNEY MORNING HERALD *In this well-researched and absorbing narrative, written with the same enthusiasm that characterized JUST MY TYPE and ON THE MAP, Garfield explores the human-dog relationship with humor, intelligence, and warmth . . . A dog fancier's delight * KIRKUS REVIEWS *If you have a dog in your life, Simon Garfield's Dog's Best Friend will make you laugh with recognition, cry at the pity of it all, and leave you feeling like you've just had your belly rubbed. As refreshing and restorative as a good walk * D.D. GUTTENPLAN, Editor, The Nation *Garfield is like the schoolteacher who made the time fly, a one-man Blue Peter team for intelligent adults, a great British explainer * OBSERVER *Garfield has a genius for being sparked to life by esoteric enthusiasm and charming readers with his delight * THE TIMES *

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Book SynopsisPart love letter, part invitation, 1,001 Ways Nature Makes You Smile is an informative celebration of the outdoors in simple, classic, fun, illustrated list-style chapters. This overview invites readers to celebrate nature while emphasizing its value for all. Enjoying the outdoors is not exclusive to the wealthy, the athletic, or the experienced; it's inclusive, gratifying, and it makes us smile!

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Book Synopsis“The sea is as near as we come to another world.” —Anne Stevenson This book celebrates oceans, coasts and shorelines the world over. Bringing together incredible stories and legends of the sea, delicious recipes and activities inspired by the coast, and fascinating trivia on everything from marine exploration to the turning tides, it will captivate anyone who is enthralled by the wonder of the sea.Learn about sea creatures, such as turtles, jellyfish, whales, sharks, and dolphins Dish up delicious recipes and drinks, such as seafood paella, potted shrimp, halloumi kebabs, and mint iced tea Get creative with crafts, such as driftwood art, seashell art, and building your own raftThe Sea is beautiful and practical, delivering lessons on maritime history, coastline formations and features, famous lighthouses and shipwrecks, and myths and legends of the ocean while also offering do-it-yourself projects and encourageme

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Book SynopsisBased on the beloved Twitter sensation, Thoughts of Dog contains never-before-seen, sweet and funny reflections on life from the pup-spective of a gooooob dog, who, above all else, loves their human. Join a dog and their stuffed “fren” sebastian as they navigate life’s adventures through the most wholesome lens imaginable.The mastermind behind WeRateDogs, Matt Nelson, expands the Thoughts of Dog universe born on social media with his new book for anyone looking for a smile.

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Book SynopsisThe world is rich with marvellous forests and amazing communities of plants, animals, fungi and minute creatures that populate them. Learn all about the woods, experience each sound and smell and explore all the hidey-holes and cosy dens of its dwellers with this big and beautiful book all about forests, published in partnership with The Woodland Trust, the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK. Marvel at the peaceful twilight of the deciduous forest, where birds gather twigs, bats shelter in tree trunks and the carpet of fallen leaves becomes small creatures’ homes. Spot a bald eagle soaring high up in the winter sky through the towering green giants of the redwood forest. Discover all the noises in the Amazonian rainforest, where most creatures live in the tree canopy together, creating a symphony of sounds. Each forest has something special to offer and is invaluable. Into the Forest is a celebration of trees and wildlife all around the world. Children will find out how trees change colour through seasons, how to plant their own trees and the importance of protecting our forests through sustainability.Trade ReviewThis big and beautiful book is a celebration of trees and wildlife all around the world. -- The Week * The Week *

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered how trees got their names? What did our ancestors think about trees, and how were they used in the past? This fascinating book will answer many of your questions, but also reveal interesting stories that are not widely known. For example, the nut from which tree was predicted to pay off the UK's national debt? Or why is Europe's most popular pear called the conference'? Simon Wills tells the history of twenty-eight common trees in an engaging and entertaining way, and every chapter is illustrated with his photographs. Find out why the London plane tree is so frequently planted in our cities, and how our forebears were in awe of the magical properties of hawthorn. Where is Britain's largest conker tree? Which tree was believed to protect you against both lightning and witchcraft? The use of bay tree leaves as a sign of victory by athletes in ancient Greece led to them being subsequently adopted by many others - from Roman emperors to the Royal Marines. But why were willow trees associated with Alexander Pope, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Samuel Johnson? Why did Queen Anne pay a large sum for a cutting from a walnut tree in Somerset? Discover the answers to these and many other intriguing tales within the pages of this highly engrossing book.Trade Review"Simon Wills tells the history of twenty-eight common trees in an engaging and entertaining way, and every chapter is illustrated with his photographs. A simply fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover." --Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisA love of birds has always been an important part of the British way of life but in wartime birds came into their own, helping to define our national identity. One the most popular bird books ever, Watching Birds, was published in 1940 while songs like There'll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover epitomized the blitz spirit. Birds even featured in wartime propaganda movies like the 1941 classic The First of the Few starring Leslie Howard where they inspired the design of the Spitfire. Along the coast flooding to prevent a German invasion helped the avocet make a remarkable return while the black redstart found an unlikely home in our bombed-out buildings. As interesting as the birds were some of the people who watched them. Matthew Rankin and Eric Duffey counted seabirds while looking for U-boats. Tom Harrisson, the mastermind behind Mass Observation, watched people 'as if they were birds' while POW Guy Madoc wrote a truly unique book on Malayan birds, typed on paper stolen from the Japanese commandant's office. For Field Marshall Alan Brooke, Britain's top soldier, filming birds was his way of coping with the continual demands of Winston Churchill. In comparison Peter Scott was a wildfowler who was roused by Adolf Hitler before the war but after serving with distinction in the Royal Navy became one of the greatest naturalists of his generation. With a foreword by Chris Packham CBE The Role of Birds in World War Two is the story of how ornithology helped to win the war.

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