Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisA new collection of award-winning journalist and author Brian Jackman's nature and travel writings from the past 40 years. This is a nationwide celebration of Britain's unspoiled coast and countryside, concentrating in particular on Britain's wildlife and the wild places in which its most spectacular species are found, but also touching on fishing, sailing and the way Britain's history has shaped the landscape. 'Wild about Britain is not a guidebook' says Brian Jackman. 'It's an extended love letter to the British countryside; a personal view covering more than four decades of travels in the wilder parts of Britain.' Complementing Brian Jackman's writing are a small number of illustrations from Jonathan Truss, one of the UK's leading wildlife artists who has twice won the Frozen Planet category of the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year competition. What makes the British countryside so special is its chameleon quality - the way its character changes with every few miles. Sometimes it can change dramatically; elsewhere the landscape undergoes more subtle shifts; but every region has its own distinctive qualities and is possessed of its own special magic. Brian Jackman writes eloquently and evocatively, conjuring up the sights and sounds of everything from barnacle geese on the salt marsh of an Islay loch to star gazing on Exmoor, of a seascape of headlands, cliffs and wave-smashed rocks at Lands End, of eagles on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and the autumn rut in the New Forest. Ancient oaks, red kites, huge mirror carp, the oldest path in Britain and Border reivers are all included. As a pioneer of eco-tourism, Brian Jackman has been writing on these subjects for 40 years, first as a travel writer for The Sunday Times and currently for The Daily Telegraph. Although more widely known for his knowledge of African wildlife and safaris - he is the author of The Marsh Lions and Savannah Diaries - it is his love of the British countryside that has brought him most of his awards. From Cornwall to Hermaness and from East Anglia to the Welsh Marches, Wild About Britain showcases Jackman's writing at its best. Winner of the British Guild of Travel Writers Best Narrative Travel Book 2018.Trade ReviewPicked by Stephen Moss for The Guardian's best nature books of 2017 list. " Wild About Britain by veteran travel writer Brian Jackman (Bradt) will come as a pleasant surprise to those who know the author only for his matchless prose on African wildlife." Stephen Moss "Brian Jackman's descriptions of landscape and atmosphere transport you into marvellous places." BBC Wildlife MagazineTable of ContentsContents Foreword by Simon Barnes Introduction: A Passion for Nature HOME GROUND My Dorset A Carp Called Harry Pebbles as Big as Skulls The Farm that Time Forgot Waiting for a Bite The Leys of the Land Staying Ahead of the Pack A Forest Fit for Merlin SOUTH Looking for Laurie under a Cotswold Sky In Search of King Alfred Between the Woods and the Water Mayfly The Secret Life of the Fox WEST AND WALES Tarka Territory Sand as Soft as Talc Where the Land Runs Out A Passion for Peregrines Stargazing in Stag Country The Exe Factor Lost in Scrumpy Land Red Kite Country The Island of the Tides Slow Train to Yesterday Lullaby in Roseland Lord of the Flies Dartmoor's Dark Age Undercroft Cul-de-Sac Country All I Ask Is a Tall Ship EAST The Old Man of Brundon Arthur Ransome's Secret Tideways Holding Back the Deluge Life in the Eye of a Lazy Wind A Winter's Tale An Owl for Autumn NORTH Land of the Steel Bonnets Dales in Crisis When the River Rises Singing in the Rain SCOTLAND Islands of the Simmer Dim Highland Summer Rum's the Word Dodging the Bonxies Wings Over Scotland Where Eagles Fly Stormy Seas and Safe Havens Hefted to the Hills Listening for the Hounds of Heaven Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisFloral stylist Willow Crossley presents 50 uplifting projects to help you bring nature into your home. In Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature, Willow embraces her passion for plants and shows how to use both flower-shop purchases, beachcombing bounty, home-grown harvests and hedgerow finds foraged on countryside walks to decorate your home. Divided into five chapters on Woodland, Flora, Fauna, Edibles and Beach, here are more than 50 ideas ranging from hellebores displayed in test tubes to a wreath made from hydrangeas, spring narcissi planted in wooden wine boxes, a tabletop display incorporating apples and pears, displays of pebbles, coral and shells, sea urchins fashioned into napkin rings, hollowed-out red cabbages used as vases, a colourful posy of chillies and a stylish wall display of antlers and feathers.

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Book SynopsisThe British Wildlife Photography Awards is a celebration of British natural history. This stunning collection of winning and shortlisted images documents nature across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Book SynopsisFarming – whether domestic crops, forestry, fish or livestock – is one of the pillars of human civilization, dating back to the early settlements of Neolithic times. Today, approximately one billion people work the land, providing food and other products for our ever-increasing human population. Arranged geographically, Farming explores the many types of farm and farming that exist today. See how farmers in Malaysia extract milky latex from the bark of rubber trees, used to make everything from protective gloves to vehicle tires; be amazed at the gorgeous stepped rice fields of Bali, where the traditional subak irrigation system is created around ‘water temples’ and managed by Hindu priests; marvel at the vast corn and soya bean fields of Ontario, much of it used for animal feed to support Canada’s beef industry; learn about nomadic pastoralism in low rainfall areas such as Somalia, where herders move camels, cattle, sheep and goats in search of grazing; explore the wineries and vineyards in Bordeaux, where more than 700 million bottles of wine are produced each year by more than 8,500 châteaux; and see how freshwater prawns are harvested for export in the watery deltas of Bangladesh. Presented in a landscape format and with more than 180 outstanding photographs of farming from every part of the planet, Farming offers a pictorial celebration of mankind’s deep connection with the land that sustains us.Table of ContentsContents include: Europe • Livestock farming, cows and sheep – Germany, France • Dairy farming – everywhere • Fruit farming – Kent • Hop farms and oast houses – Kent • Hill farming – Wales • High tunnel greenhouses • Wind farms • Oranges, apricots, lemons – Spain • Wineries and vineyards – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece • Champagne, France – largest farms in France North America • Cattle ranches • Arable crops – Midwest • Peanut farms – Georgia • Aquaponics • Fruits, vegetables, and nuts –Salinas valley, California • Corn belt – Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, southern Michigan, western Ohio • Wheat belt – from Alberta tocentral Texas • Cotton and tobacco farming – Deep South • Catfish farm, Mississippi • Scallop farms, Vancouver Island • Cattle, grains and oilseeds – Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan • Wild berries, caribou, musk, ox – Nunavut Central & South America • Sugarcane, coffee, soybeans – Brazil • Cattle ranches – Argentina • Cocoa – Ecuador • Coffee, cocoa, plantation – Columbia • Vineyards – Chile, Argentina • Andean farming – maize, potatoes Africa and the Middle East • Nomadic herding – Saharan Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Libya, Algeria) • Farming around the Nile – crop rotation, corn (maize), rice, wheat, sorghum, and fava • Citrus, wine, table grapes, corn and wool – South Africa • Tea, coffee – Kenya • Cocoa – Ivory Coast and Ghana • Maize and cassava – Nigeria Asia and the Pacific • Poppy farms – Afghanistan • Fruit farms – Afghanistan • Dry farming – India, Iran • Tea plantations – India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia • Rubber plantations – Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia • Rice cultivation – China, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam • Bali – subak irrigation system and water temples • Sugarcane, cassava (manioc), corn (maize), sweet potatoes – Vietnam • Sorghum farming – China • Fish farms – Fujian coast, China • Tilapia pens in Laguna de Bay, Philippines • Slash-and-burn – Indonesia • Subsistence farming – China, India, Nepal • Fish farms – India, Bangladesh, Thailand • Cocoa – Indonesia • Palm oil – Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo • Coconut farming – Malaysia, Thailand • Vertical farming – Japan • Sugarcane – Queensland • Stock farming – Australia • Wheat, barley, chickpeas – Australia

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Book SynopsisIf we could see it as a whole, if they all arrived in a single flock, say, we would be truly amazed: sixteen million birds. Swallows, martins, swifts, warblers, wagtails, wheatears, cuckoos, chats, nightingales, nightjars, thrushes, pipits and flycatchers pouring into Britain from sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the enduring wonders of the natural world. Each bird faces the most daunting of journeys -navigating epic distances, dependent on bodily fuel reserves. Yet none can refuse. Since pterodactyls flew, twice-yearly odysseys have been the lot of migrant birds. For us, for millennia, the Great Arrival has been celebrated. From The Song of Solomon, through Keats' Ode To a Nightingale, to our thrill at hearing the first cuckoo call each year, the spring-bringers are timeless heralds of shared seasonal joy. Yet, migrant birds are finding it increasingly hard to make the perilous journeys across the African desert. Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo is a moving call to arms by an impassioned expert: get outside, teach your children about these birds, don't let them disappear from our shores and hearts.Trade ReviewA beautiful and important book * Simon Barnes, author of HOW TO BE A BAD BIRDWATCHER *'We owe a debt to a writer like McCarthy, who paints so well the portrait of natural riches we think our birthright ... McCarthy paints a portrait of a magical bird universe' * Daily Mail *'This is a joyful book' * Daily Express *'Michael McCarthy is one of the best environmental journalists there is' * Sunday Telegraph *'This is a valuable guide to what we'll soon miss' * Geographical Magazine *'This is the most important book I have read for a long time ... it boils with enthusiasm ... many will greatly enjoy the rich and informative prose ... to not read this book is a crime against conservation and the cost is almost beyond comprehension' * BBC Countryfile Magazine *A stark picture of the fate of migratory birds * BBC Country File Magazine *'This book could easily have been a grim litany of despair ... instead Michael McCarthy has taken the opportunity to celebrate our summer migrants ... this book reminds us of what we stand to lose and why we cannot afford to take the cuckoo for granted' * BBC Wildlife *'An impassioned hymn to the wonder of the annual display of migrating birds and a robust warning' * Metro *'A rich ornithological tapestry ... buy this book, enjoy it' * Ian Wallace, British Birds *'One of my heroes - writer Mike McCarthy - paints an all too harrowing picture of a landscape robbed of this iconic sound in his new tour de force Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo' * Sunday Express *'McCarthy spent the spring of 2008 following the "spring-bringers" . . . and celebrates them so eloquently here you will never see or hear them in the same way again . . . cherish them now' * Evening Standard *'A timely report from the edge of the natural world that is being eroded by ignorance and carelessness' * The Times *'An interesting book . . . Quirky observations, laced with historical and literary references, enliven the text' * Irish Examiner *'The titles sounds like an elegy, but the tone, until near the end, is upbeat and celebratory . . . he tells the story . . . with a light touch and wide open eyes' * Independent *'An environmental warning' * Terry Sutton, Dover Express & Folkestone Herald *'McCarthy builds up the magic ... rightly McCarthy is out to warn' * The Tablet *'This timely book by Michael McCarthy, one of the country's leading writers on the environment, is a celebration of these migratory birds and a call to arms to help preserve them' * National Trust Magazine *As well as raising the alarm, Michael McCarthy writes lyrically in praise of the songsters * Choice Magazine *'Lovely but heart-tugging book ... McCarthy's theme is twofold: to give us a vivid picture of what we have learned scientifically about birds themselves, but then beautifully to interweave it with the "human response'" * Spectator *'We have been warned' * Northern Echo *'Wake-up call to all those concerned with the UK's environment, calling for action before it's too late' * Your Birding Monthly *'The book does not just raise the alarm about the astonishing declines. It clebrates the migrant birds as a group, stressing the enormous cultural resonance they have across Europe' * Best of British *'Courageously, McCarthy's book is a celebration as much as a warning' * Tribune *'You must have and read this book' * Highland News & North Star *

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Along our shores, towering cliffs from the age of the dinosaurs rise beside wide estuaries teeming with wildlife, while Victorian ports share waterfronts with imposing fortifications.And the people who have lived, worked and played on this spectacular coast - from Stone Age fishermen to seafarers, chart-makers and surfers - have an incredible tale to tell.Coast: Our Island Story is an enthralling account, sparkling with geography, history, adventure and eccentric characters, told with Nick Crane's trademark charisma and wit.

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Book SynopsisSpring is nature's season of rebirth and rejuvenation. Earth's northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun, winter yields to intensifying light and warmth, and a wild, elemental beauty transforms the Highland landscape and a repertoire of islands from Colonsay to Lindisfarne. Jim Crumley chronicles the wonder, tumult and spectacle of that transformation, but he shows too that it is no Wordsworthian idyll that unfolds. Climate chaos brings unwanted drama to the lives of badger and fox, seal and seabird and raptor, pine marten and sand martin. Jim lays bare the impact of global warming and urges us all towards a more daring conservation vision that embraces everything from the mountain treeline to a second spring for the wolf.Trade ReviewA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK; "There are books that transport us and Jim Crumley's ode to spring takes us there on the wings of a sea eagle ... Exquisitely observed ... uplifting and disquieting ... Crumley's masterful words take you into the canvas of nature as into the work of a grand master ... The joy, the passion, the complete understanding Jim has for his world is a portal. The world on our doorstep." Scottish Book of the Week, The Courier; "Nature writer and poet Jim Crumley returns with a third volume of close observations [and] charts the arrival of spring, from the February song of a mistle thrush to May's drowsy warmth. Crumley quotes Margiad Evans - 'Write in the very now where you find yourself' - and takes her advice to heart." New Statesman; "This thought-inducing paean to nature brings the issues of the natural world to the forefront ... Crumley writes movingly about the season of rebirth and transformation which sees the hibernators awaken and the daffodils rise. A wonderful read." Kirstin Tait, Scottish Field; "A fantastic writer ... exquisite observations of details in the landscape as well as sweeping vistas ... remarkable." Ben Hoare, BBC Countryfile magazine; "Compelling ... Radical ... Crumley writes of the creatures and landscape before him like a James Guthrie or Landseer of print ... He could be Ali Smith's naturalist twin." Rosemary Goring, Scottish Review of Books; "Beautifully written ... thoughtful and thought-provoking ... Jim Crumley does not shy away from the important issues facing the natural world [in] a book you'd like to think could have real influence on the world we live in." Undiscovered Scotland; Praise for Jim Crumley's writing: Wainwright Golden Beer Prize 2017, LONGLISTED (The Nature of Autumn); The Richard Jeffries Society & White Horse Bookshop Literary Prize for nature writing, SHORTLISTED; "A delightful meditation." Stephen Moss, Books of the Year, Guardian; "Nature writing is like trying to catch birds with cobwebs. Crumley's just has a higher tensile strength than most." Herald; "Breathtaking...This nature book is a delight...words that freshen and sparkle the everyday world and sprinkle warmth and colour into the heart of it." Miriam Darlington, BBC Wildlife; "Enchanting." Sara Maitland; "A passionate, compelling, very personal work... the honesty of his voice is striking." Scottish Review of Books; "Enthralling and often strident." ObserverTable of ContentsPart One: Harbingers; Chapter One: First Syllables; Chapter Two: Falcons of the Yellow Hill; Chapter Three: The Backward Spring; Chapter Four: The; Mountaineering Badger; Part Two: Island Spring; Chapter Five: The Nature of Second Spring; Chapter Six: Forty-eight Hours on Colonsay; Chapter Seven: Yell – No Need of Dreams; Chapter Eight: An Island Pilgrimage (1) – Mull and Iona; Chapter Nine: An Island Pilgrimage (2) – Lismore to Islandshire; Chapter Ten: An Island Pilgrimage (3) – Lindisfarne, Nature’s Island; Chapter Eleven: May in June; Part Three: Highland Spring Chapter Twelve: Glen Clova and the Definite Article; Chapter Thirteen: The Poetry of Mountain Flowers; Chapter Fourteen: The Sanctuary (1) – A Second Spring for the Wolf; Chapter Fifteen: The Sanctuary (2) – Loch Tulla; Chapter Sixteen: The Properties of Mercury; Chapter Seventeen: Renaissance

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Book SynopsisA book about the climate change...from a totally different vantage point: Everything is based on energy! Everything that in the times of times was inflicted and added onto the Earth, onto nature, the animals and plants, the waters and oceans, the atmosphere and the people, in terms of suffering and cruelties, crimes upon crimes, everything that was not amended, are unatoned energies in, on and above the Earth. The climate change brings a dark and long cortege of denouncements, which is emerging, for the Planet Earth has been groaning since having to bear human beings.However, depending on the corresponding country, the chapter of long darkness on this Earththe climate changewill gradually brighten, and it will grow sunnier, because the Earth will also become more light-filled. An Earth that becomes more light-filled signifies the spiritual dawn and the beginning of the New Era. People of the New Era find the true God in their peace-loving nature and, on the new Earth, build the Kingdom of Peace under the Sign of the LilySophiathe purity and freedom of the love for God and neighbor.An excerpt:The exorbitant abuse of energiesand this, from the very beginninghas not been nullified, for energy cannot be lost, neither the energies from yesterday nor those of today.

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together for the first time monochrome self-portraits taken byNinagawa intermittently since early in her career, with her photographic series noir (2010), the artist''s ground-breaking look at the dark side of contemporary society, and PLANT A TREE (2011), images of cherry blossoms scattered on the surface of rivers. This book was made in conjunction with her recent exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in May, 2015.

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Book SynopsisSince its founding four hundred years ago, New England has been a vital source of nature writing. Maybe it's the diversity of landscapes huddled so close together or the marriage of nature and culture in a relatively small, six-state region. Maybe it's the regenerative powers of the ecosystem in a place of repeated exploitations. Or maybe we have simply been thinking about our relationship with the natural world longer than everyone.If all successive nature writing is a footnote to Henry David Thoreau, then New England has a strong claim to being the birthplace of the genre. But there are, as the sixty entries in this anthology demonstrate, many other regional voices that extol the wonders and beauty of the outdoors, explore local ecology, and call for environmental sustainability. Between these covers, Noah Webster calls for our stewardship of nature and Lydia Sigourney finds sublime pleasure in it. Jonathan Edwards and Helen Keller both find miracles, while Samuel Peters

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Book SynopsisPoems that break down, expose, and reconsider our notions of time. This collection speaks the language of the clock as a living instrument, exposing the sensory impacts of our obsession with time. In oh orchid o’clock, lyrics wind through histories like a nervous system through a body. The poems speak to how we let our days become over-clocked, over-transactional, and over-weaponed. With an instrumental sensibility, Endi Bogue Hartigan investigates what it is to be close to time—collective time, with its alarms and brutalities, and bodily time, intricate and familial. She considers how can we be both captured and complicit within systems of measurement, and she invites us to imagine how to break from, create, or become immune to them. Her poems use language to expose the face of the clock to reveal how gears press against interconnecting systems—economic, capitalist, astronomical, medical, governmental, and fantastical. Trade Review"The clock—its histories, oddities, dominance—is the mechanism of Endi Bogue Hartigan’s oh orchid o’clock. . . . As she evokes the timeless simultaneous information and activity our internet age allows, with its WebMD and newsfeeds and everything else searchable that is packed into these poems, the poet continues to make space for what is before and beyond our conceptions of time. . ." * Harriet Books *"oh orchid o’clock is a book about time, from delineations and attentions to the very loss of time: time sits at a marker from which all else is perceived, written, achieved or ignored. . . . Hartigan offers time as both metaphor and structure, writing of end times, lost times, made-up time, violent time, the times we pay for in advance. She composes this collection as an expansive tapestry of lyric squares, temporal shards and narrative moments, some in motion and others held in amber; time held and held up, turned slowly in the light." * rob mclennan’s blog *“Hartigan’s oh orchid o’clock fluidly rotates constructions of time: our violent times; scientific and philosophical time; the ‘orbit’ of digital time we frequently ‘visit’; the transportive materiality of deep time; the ruling ‘grip of time’ within the timepiece; the illusory ‘streaming of time’ that is ‘a perception trick’; and, critically, time ‘resolved’ or defeated by nature by ‘the orchid opal sky calculating nothing;’ by the imprecision of water, which is ‘the nemesis of all clocks;’ by fire, where the ‘clock surrounds . . . a foliage of flame, clockless.’ Here, in the book’s free rotation of poetic time, which is ‘something pure and round,’ we are not ‘absorbed’ by the ‘vertical worlds’ that ‘fall horizontally.’ Here, in the linguistic rotations constructed by poetry, we are not mere visitors of time or ‘tethered as a clockhand.’ Here, in oh orchid o’clock, we are new rotations, where ‘one side of the orchid is pointing at everything close.’” -- Amy Catanzano, author of Starlight in Two Million: A Neo-Scientific Novella“Time is in the center of this extraordinary poetry collection by Hartigan, who drives us (through a kind of incantatory speech) into a world of subversive syntax, of compressed and expanded language and, most of all, of meaning. This ‘apparatus,’ as the poet subtly refers to the compositions on these pages, rearranges the outlines of matter versus organic matter, of the objective versus the subjective in our known (and unknown) spaces, giving them a new range of expression, a new clarity, to signify and bridge. These poems connect the molecular to the universal to the public to the personal in a single breath. It’s a wildly original and ingenious book, but what catapults us into the bliss of this reading is a sense of finding (astonished) the 'arrows and notches' of our earthly human print.” -- Flávia Rocha, author of Exosfera“Hartigan, in this wondrous and fearsome mélange of meditation, rhyme, and wordwelding, pursues the vortex of Emily Dickinson’s dark conjuncture even as she mounts a Blakean charge against the modern tyranny of clock-time. Her oh orchid o’clock is rife with natural and mechanical marvels—scent clocks and snowflakes, marigolds and gym ellipticals—but its terribly ubiquitous mechanisms are the Taylorized workplace and the AK-15. Counter to these rapacious devices, Hartigan weaves a lush tangle of perceptions, drawn from the everyday, heightened by her deliriously acute ear. Not a knife-beak, not an ink fluke: public events toll ever more ominously in her Northwestern US, and yet these poems, lounging in the clock like certain creatures, lyrically undo the incremental fiction of the hours.” -- John Beer, author of Lucinda“Swirling with condensations and collisions of language, observations, societal and personal conditions, at the center of which abides a constantly fervently spinning heart, these poems also ask: ‘Can the clock burn?’ I think the clock does burn in these poems, also morphs and contracts and grows second (and third, fourth, other) second-hands, seeks alternate ways of counting, amplifying and expanding time inside the interstices that nest beneath and beyond what we can count, what we can comprehend. These poems are clocks of their own count and their own making, setting their tiny pulses against our current collective sense of an impending clock, to dream and create their own intricate, delicate music and meter and measure of what it means to be and feel at this particular moment in time.” -- Dao Strom, author & songwriter of Instrument/Traveler’s Ode“I am awed by Hartigan’s ability to inhabit time’s perplexities. Her sonically sensitive and wondrous meditations on continuity and chronology, accumulation and containment, contemplate the ‘measure of measure,’ each one finding a different way to mesmerize time to investigate its constructions. Never have I so intimately felt the bewilderment of being ‘off the clock’ and of the clock. I love oh orchid o’clock’s quality of deep prayer, how it attends intimately to the feeling of time in lived experience, how it lets go of instrumentality to consider the instrument.” -- Mary Szybist, author of Incarnadine"Open oh orchid o’clock, and you find yourself inside the clockwork maze of a Chinese incense box that releases each hour with a distinct scent. Let the hours teach, sing, dismantle and restore. These poems by Hartigan fathom time’s mythos in nesting dolls and gunshots, measures in galactic orbits and fractals or intervals between ravages and respite as by the Nilometer—the unit that ancient Egyptians used to calculate the precisely rising levels of the Nile between successive flooding. Hartigan’s work shows us the cuckoo in the clock but also the clock in the cuckoo: how time resides in the body, grips the imagination, how it is transactive, a factory of simulacra, a secret seam between what has passed and what is yet to come. The extraordinary richness of this book lies in its showcasing of language as a worthy opponent in wrestling the giant of time; how a phrase, even a phoneme can lock as well as set time free, how poetry can contend with the eternal and the sudden, how the lyric can subdue time’s machinations with a pulse all its own: chiming, colliding or stilled at will—'I am free to fill the silence with denser silence,' the poet declares—a triumph for us all." -- Shadab Zeest Hashmi, author of Ghazal Cosmopolitan

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Book SynopsisFrom "Mother Earth" to "Mother Nature," women have for centuries been associated with nature. Feminists, troubled by the way in which such representations show women controlled by powerful natural forces and confined to domestic space, have sought to...Trade ReviewUndomesticated Ground explores a dazzling array of feminist texts that endeavour to inhabit and transform nature as a place of feminist possibility. Throughout, Alaimo remains sensitive to the pitfalls of any alliance between women and nature. The texts are grouped chronologically and thematically, and each is carefully considered in relation to its social and historical moment. -- Meredith Criglington * Canadian Literature *Stacy Alaimo challenges essentialized conceptions of nature in Undomesticated Ground, calling for nature's reclamation as feminist space.... Alaimo persuasively asserts that feminism will benefit from a more complex understanding of nature's multiple and, at times, contradictory representations.... Her work importantly lays the groundwork by which we can articulate essentialized notions of nature, disrupt them, and then question the framework of dualisms that guides our inquiry. -- Maureen McKnight, University of Wisconsin * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and the Environment *Undomesticated Ground is an important and informative book, and it should set the stage for an enlivened discussion of nature and feminism. * Choice *Alaimo's Undmesticated Ground: Recasting Nature as Feminist Space ... takes on the important work of dismantling nature–culture dualisms in which culture is viewed as dynamic and nature as static.... Alaimo offers feminists an alternative path in which boundaries between human and nonhuman nature are permeable but not completely collapsed. -- Shannon Sullivan * Hypatia *Students of nature writing, women's literature, and more familiar forms of imaginary domesticity will find rich insights in Undomesticated Ground. -- Barbara Ryan, University of Missouri * American Literature *Throughout the book, Alaimo shows that women have made subversive use of the particular literary, political, and gender conventions around them to create spaces for and threads of women's liberation that do not rest on a separation from nature.... These insights are complex and generative, and I found Alaimo's analysis to be rich and thought-provoking.... In both form and content, then, this is an important book for ecological scholars of all traditions. Read it with pleasure. -- Catriona Sandilands, York University * Environmental Ethics *

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Book SynopsisThrow it in your backpack, hop on the subway, and explore.Trade ReviewDr. Day... A sort of Julia Child of nature. -- Ellen Pall New York Times 2007 This little gem fills you in on everything finned, furred, feathered, or leafed, and how to find it, in all five boroughs. House and Garden 2007 Provides historic facts, photographs and maps to give a snapshot of the city's natural resources and to remind hard-charging New Yorkers of the unchanging parts of their environment. -- Sally Goldenberg Staten Island Advance 2007 A complete guide for the urban naturalist. -- Greg Rienzi Gazette 2007 Describes how to find and explore some of the greener parts of the concrete jungle. -- Walter Dawkins The Record 2007 This book should be in every New Yorker's library as both reference and inspiration for low-carbon-impact journeys to places of unexpected beauty and tranquility. Crawford-Doyle Booksellers Newsletter 2007 You may well wonder why I am reviewing a book about New York city when we preach 'local, local, local' throughout these pages. I'll tell you, because this beautifully illustrated handbook is a wonderful example of exploring the bucolic city... All illustrated with gorgeous watercolors by Klingler. We should have one of these. But in the meantime, you will find many of the same species in our fair cities., so why not pick up a copy for inspiration? Minneapolis Observer Quarterly 2007 A guidebook to nature in the Big Apple would range from slim to empty, one might think. Try again. Painted turtles, American eels, dwarf centipedes, Eastern spotted newts, black-crowned night herons and Manhattan schist rocks are among the highlights of Leslie Day's Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City. -- Robin Lloyd www.livescience.com 2007 Leslie Day ('a child of Manhattan') reveals hidden depths of this urban behemoth... A wonderful guide to the green side of the Big Apple. -- PDSmith Guardian 2008 This guide is useful for students and anyone interested in locating and identifying the flora and fauna of New York City. -- Denise A. Garofalo American Reference Books Annual 2008 Wonderfuly written and well organized... In short, this useful book is, quite simply, beautiful. Living the Scientific Life 2008 This is a unique an excellent beginner's guide... Highly recommended. International Hawkwatcher 2008 Useful for students and anyone interested in locating and identifying the flora and fauna of New York City. -- Denise Garofalo ARBA Online 2008 The scientific detail is appropriate for all levels, and additional readings are referenced in a selected bibliography. Highly recommended. Choice 2008Table of ContentsForeword, by Michael R. BloombergAcknowledgments1. The Natural History of New York City2. The ParksThe BronxBrooklynManhattanQueensStaten Island3. Forever Wild4. AnimalsINVERTEBRATESAnnelidEarthwormArachnidsHorseshoe CrabDaddy LonglegsGoldenrod SpiderRabid Wolf SpiderMyriopodsHoffman's Dwarf CentipedeGarden CentipedeGarden MillipedeInsectsPyralis FireflyTwo-Spotted Ladybug BeetleHoneybeeEastern Carpenter BeeYellow JacketCommon Green Darner DragonflyEastern Amberwing DragonflyEastern Forktail DamselflyPolyphemus MothEastern Tent MothCabbage White ButterflyMourning Cloak ButterflyEastern Tiger Swallowtail ButterflyEastern Black Swallowtail ButterflyMonarch ButterflyCrustaceansPillbugSowbugBlue CrabNorthern Rock BarnacleSpiny Cheek CrayfishVERTEBRATESFishAmerican EelStriped BassPumpkinseed SunfishBluegillLargemouth BassAmphibiansAmerican BullfrogFowler's ToadRed-Backed SalamanderEastern Spotted NewtReptilesCommon Snapping TurtleDiamondback TerrapinEastern Painted TurtleEastern Garter SnakeBirdsDouble-Crested CormorantMute SwanCanada GooseBrant GooseAmerican Black DuckMallard DuckWood DuckCanvasback DuckBufflehead DuckRed-Breasted MerganserHooded MerganserGreat Blue HeronBlack-Crowned Night HeronRed-Tailed HawkOspreyPeregrine FalconBarn OwlMonk ParakeetRuby-Throated HummingbirdRed-Bullied WoodpeckerBlue JayBlack-Capped ChickadeeTufted TitmouseWhite-Breasted NuthatchGray CatbirdNorthern MockingbirdAmerican RobinBlack-and-White WarblerCommon YellowthroatYellow WarblerRed-Winged BlackbirdEuropean StarlingBaltimore OrioleScarlet TanagerHouse SparrowDark-Eyed JuncoNorthern CardinalHouse FinchAmerican GoldfinchWhite-Throated SparrowMAMMALSEastern Red BatLittle Brown BatBig Brown BatCommon RaccoonEastern ChipmunkEastern Gray SquirrelOpossumRed Fox5. PlantsAQUATIC PLANTSCommon CattailCommon ReedWILDFLOWERSRed and White CloverCommon MilkweedCommon MulleinDandelionBlack-Eyed SusanTREESEastern White PineAustrian PineBald CypressAilanthusAmerican ElmAmerican HornbeamGinkgoHorsechestnut TreeLindensHoney LocustBlack LocustSugar MapleRed MapleNorway MapleWhite Mulberry TreeRed Mulberry TreeEastern White OakNorthern Red OakPin OakOsage OrangeEastern RedbudSweetgumLondon PlaneAmerican SycamoreTulip TreeWeeping WillowWild CherryNATIVE SHRUBSSpicebushCommon ElderberryArrowwood ViburnumNONNATIVE SHRUBSButterfly RushRugosa Rose6. MushroomsArtist's ConkChicken Mushroom, or Chicken-of-the-WoodsTurkey Tail7. GeologyFordham GneissInwood MarbleManhattan SchistSerpenteniteHartland FormationOrganizationsBibliographyIndexCredits

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Book SynopsisDe-centering the human, the essays collected in Elemental Ecocriticism provide important correctives to the idea of the material world as mere resource. A renewed intimacy with the elemental holds the potential for a more dynamic environmental ethics and the possibility of a reinvigorated materialism.Trade Review"The mixture here is rich, exhilarat- ing, and while the processes of creating this collection were evidently equally so for the contributors, and while the result is illuminating and at times almost heady for the reader, it behoves us to bear in mind the toxic within such intoxication and seek a little grit amongst the mud."—Green LettersTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Eleven Principles of the ElementsJeffrey Jerome Cohen and Lowell Duckert1. Pyromena: Fire’s DoingAnne Harris2. PhlogistonSteve Mentz3. Airy SomethingValerie Allen4. The Sea AboveJeffrey Jerome Cohen5. Muddy ThinkingSharon O'Dair6. The Quintessence of WitChris Barrett7. Wet?Julian Yates8. Creeping Things: Spontaneous Generation and Material CreativityKarl Steel9. Earth’s ProspectsLowell DuckertLove and Strife: Response EssaysElementalityTimothy MortonElemental Relations at the EdgeCary WolfeElemental Love in the AnthropoceneStacy AlaimoCoda: Wandering Elements and Natures to ComeSerpil Oppermann and Serenella IovinoAcknowledgmentsContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisHow the 1970s energy crisis facilitated a neoliberal shift in US political culture. In Energizing Neoliberalism, Caleb Wellum offers a provocative account of how the 1970s energy crisis helped to recreate postwar America. Rather than think of the crisis as the obvious outcome of the decade's oil shocks, Wellum unpacks the cultural construction of a crisis of energy across different sectors of society, from presidents, policy experts, and environmentalists to filmmakers, economists, and oil futures traders. He shows how the dominant meanings ascribed to the 1970s energy crisis helped to energize neoliberal visions of renewed abundance and power through free market values and approaches to energy. Deeply researched in federal archives, expert discourse, and popular culture, Energizing Neoliberalism demonstrates the central role that energy crisis narratives played in America's neoliberal turn. Wellum traces the roots of the crisis to the consumption practices and cultural narratives spTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction. Energy in CrisisChapter 1. "Is America Running Out of Gas?": Assembling the Energy CrisisChapter 2. "A Time to Choose": Interpreting the Energy CrisisChapter 3. "A Vibrant National Preoccupation": The Energy Conservation Ethic and Market ForcesChapter 4. "Put Your Foot on the Pedal": Contesting Conservation in Seventies Car CinemaChapter 5. "Markets Born of Shocks": NYMEX Oil Futures, Financialization, and Neoliberal NarrativesEpilogue. Enduring CrisisNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisMindfulness and Surfing casts a fresh perspective on this popular sport, and explores how riding the waves can be the ultimate meditation. Engaging author Sam Bleakley takes us on a soulful journey across the tideline of his personal and philosophical travels. Through lunar cycles and river surfing to the Taoism of nature, he reveals an acute awareness of what the oceans can tell us about our place in the natural world. Meditating on one of nature’ s greatest elements – its salty swells, flow and peaks – he shares life lessons in mindfulness that will be relished by surfer and non-surfer alike.

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Book SynopsisThis full-color field guide is an indispensable companion to Costa Rica, the most popular neotropical ecotourism destination, featuring all the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods that the visitor can hope to see there.Trade Review"Featuring a good selection of common and/or interesting species, The Wildlife of Costa Rica is the most authoritative and most useful general guide to its subject. It will attract every ecotourist visiting Costa Rica. This dream team knows its stuff, and the illustrations are stunning." -- Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Stanford University

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Book SynopsisThis pocket-sized, easy-to-use guide to the birds of Zambia features 425 birds likely to be seen in the region, plus a few ‘specials’ sought after by birders. It is an invaluable introduction and guide for visitors to Zambia with its 20 national parks and 42 Important Bird Areas. Features include: an informative introduction to birding in the region, including habitat descriptions and a glossary; full-colour photographs illustrating diagnostic features and plumage differences; concise identification text, including key ID pointers, call description and favoured habitat of each species; up-to-date distribution maps. Lightweight and handy for use in the field, this will be an excellent guide for anyone interested in the birds of Africa. Sales points: compact, easy to use, for birders of all levels; colour photographs of all 425 featured species; distribution maps for each species; authors are regional experts.

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Book SynopsisRabbits. We’ll never quite know why, but sometimes they decide they’ve just had enough of this world. A Box of Bunny Suicides follows over two hundred bunnies as they find ever more outlandish ways to do themselves in. From an encounter with the business end of Darth Vader’s light saber to hiding under an elephant’s footstool, no stone goes unturned (or undropped, or uncatapulted) as these twisted little cuties sign off in style.A Box of Bunny Suicides combines Andy Riley’s two cult favorite books, The Book of Bunny Suicides and The Return of the Bunny Suicides, and will appeal to anyone intouch with their darker side.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Myers (a seasoned specialist who gives bird tour guides with WINGS Birding Tours) presents an easy to use and colorful introduction to the fauna of Southeast Asia. The guide provides a very brief introduction to wildlife viewing skills and etiquette."--ChoiceTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 6 Introduction 6 Geographic Coverage 6 Measurements 6 Basic Tips for Visitors 8 Guide to the Best Spots for Viewing Wildlife in Southeast Asia 10 Species Accounts Birds 26 Mammals 174 Reptiles 210 Frogs 226 Invertebrates 230 References 244 Photo Credits 244 Index 249

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Book SynopsisCovering 20 species recognized since 2002, this edition illustrates 462 known mammal species in the United States and Canada - each in beautiful color and accurate detail. With distribution maps, updated common and scientific names, and track and scat illustrations, this volume is useful for identifying North American mammals.Trade ReviewPraise for the first edition: "Will be welcomed by amateur naturalists and field biologists."--Science Praise for the first edition: "Makes all other field guides for mammals of the United States (exclusive of Hawaii) and Canada obsolete."--Jerry R. Choate, Journal of Mammalogy Praise for the first edition: "Sets new standards in field guides. A must for any biological traveller to the US or Canada, as well as for residents."--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist "Probably the easiest to use of the field guides to the mammals of North America."--Ian Palsen, Birdbooker Report "When it comes to field guides, Princeton University Press has long held a position of honor and respect among both professional and amateur naturalists for consistently providing exceptional levels of accuracy and attention to detail. With its new and updated illustrations, revised identification information, and the addition of twenty recently recognized species to its contents, the new second edition of Mammals of North America by Roland Kays and Don Wilson more than upholds this well-earned reputation."--John Riutta, The Well-read Naturalist "This is an excellent, handy field guide in the Princeton Field Guides series."--Robert Hoopes, Wildlife Activist "This is a perfect guide for naturalists of all ages and skill levels... [A] wonderfully compact and easy to use field guide."--Birdfreak.com "This is a truly indispensable guide for the experienced mammal watcher as well as a real treat to the novice... With 112 color plates covering 462 species of North American mammals, the guide is up-to-date, accurate, handsome and handy. If you only have one reference to your local furry friends, be sure this one is on your book shelf."--Cathy Taibbi, Wildlife Conservation Examiner, Examiner.com "Many people with a 'nose for nature' want to identify whatever they see and certainly for North America this would be the book to have in your pocket... This book is aimed at both professional mammalogists and amateur naturalists and would be great for travellers."--Helen Ashton, Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 Species Included 8 What Is a Species? 8 What Information Is Included? 8 What Information Is Not Included? 10 Further Reading 10 Recommended Internet Resources 10 Using This Book to Identify a Mammal 11 Quick Mammal ID Chart 12 How Are Mammals Related? 16 Mammal Measurements and Anatomy 17 Species Plates 18 Glossary 240 Index 242

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Book SynopsisDiscover the natural world of southern California's coastline from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. This spectacular pocket-sized guide to shoreline sealife is filled with color illustrations, engaging descriptions and quick identification features so you can identify that nifty creature before it crawls, slides or swims away.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[This] translation makes it easy to see why Arsenyev maintains a fan base among Russian readers: his travelogue is both romantic and closely observed, and he is an appealing narrator, courageous but more than willing to admit faults and share credit. * The New Yorker *Excellent and accessible . . . Slaght follows in Arsenyev's snowy, muddy footsteps — preserving, but also teaching others to identify and appreciate what is unique. Thus the pleasure of reading his new translation lies in the details, which are abundant but never frivolous. * LA Review of Books *A translation that, in its fluency and readability, stands comparison with English-language classics of the genre. . . . Slaght has done Arsenyev proud. The smooth translation doesn't read like one: it is seamless and colloquial while remaining entirely in tune with the style of period in which it was written. * Asian Review of Books *Arsenyev's narrative in Jonathan Slaght's fine translation should inspire us all to treasure and protect these remarkable places. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsForeword: The Unknown Arsenyev / Ivan YegorchevPreface to the 1921 EditionTranslator's AcknowledgementsTranslator's IntroductionPart I: The 1902 Expedition1. The Glass Valley2. Meeting Dersu3. The Boar Hunt4. The Incident at a Korean Village5. The Lower Reaches of the Lefu6. The Blizzard at Lake Khanka7. Parting Ways with DersuPart II: The 1906 Expedition8. The 1906 Expedition—Preparations and Equipment9. At the Departure Site10. Up the Ussuri11. From Chzhumtayza to the Village Zagornaya12. The Route across the Mountains to the Village of Koksharovka13. The Fudzin River Valley14. Through the Taiga15. The Great Forest16. Across the Sikhote-Alin to the Sea17. The Villages of Fudin and Permskoye18. Saint Olga Bay19. Trip to the Sydagou River20. Adventure on the Arzamasovka River21. Saint Vladimir Bay22. The Tadusha River23. Dersu Uzala24. Amba25. The Li-Fudzin26. The Path along the Noto River27. An Accursed Place28. Return to the Sea29. Up the Tyutikhe River30. The Red Deer Rut31. The Bear Hunt32. From the Mutukhe River to Seokhobe33. An Encounter with the Khunkhuz34. Fire in the Forest35. The Winter Expedition36. To the Iman37. A Dangerous River Voyage38. Plight39. From Vagunbe to Parovoza40. The Final TripAppendix I: Historical and Current Names of Landmarks and SettlementsAppendix II: Biographical InformationBibliographyIndex of Plants and AnimalsIndex

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Book SynopsisCovers all the larger mammals of Tanzania, including marine mammals and some newly discovered species. This title features plates with side-by-side photographic comparisons of species that are easily confused, as well as species checklists for every national park.Trade Review"The information is up-to-date, accurate and inclusive. Whether you plan to visit Tanzania or a neighbouring country or simply like to learn something about mammals around the world, you'll like this one."--Geoff Carpentier, North Durham Nature Newsletter "[A] fantastic field guide... The compact, dense paperback is perfect for field use... There are also very helpful sections on where/how to watch mammals in Tanzania and on national parks and protected areas. This exemplary field guide is among the best this reviewer has seen; he would not leave for Tanzania without it."--Choice "[T]his new guide is an excellent addition to the literature and a 'must buy' for both the seasoned safari-goer and the first-timer."--Mark Gillies, Audley Traveller "This book is an absolute must for a person going on a safari in Tanzania. It is better than the other mammal guides I own or have seen. It will set you up on where to look. It will help you separate similar species and it will add wonder to your trip."--Roy John, Canadian Field-Naturalist "I would ... recommend this book as a valuable addition to your field guide collection, whether you are resident in the region or a visitor."--Nigel Hunter, SwaraTable of ContentsForeword 7 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 9 Conservation in Tanzania 10 How to use this book 12 Watching mammals in Tanzania 16 Tanzania's major vegetation types 20 Overview of mammalian families included in the book 24 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS (see the following pages for a full list of species) 25 Terrestrial mammals AARDVARK: Tubulidentata 26 ELEPHANT-SHREWS: Macroscelidea28 HYRAXES: Hyracoidea 32 ELEPHANT: Proboscidea 38 PRIMATES: Primates 40 RODENTS: Rodentia 84 HARES AND RABBITS: Lagomorpha 88 HEDGEHOGS: Erinaceomorpha 92 PANGOLINS: Pholidota 94 CARNIVORES: Carnivora 100 ODD-TOED UNGULATES: Perissodactyla 168 EVEN-TOED UNGULATES: Artiodactyla 172 Marine mammals DUGONG: Sirenia 246 CETACEANS: Cetacea 248 CARNIVORES: Carnivora 261 Species comparison spreads 262 National Parks and major protected areas of Tanzania 269 Glossary 306 Photographic credits 309 Recommended further reading and references 312 Index 317

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Book Synopsis'An anthology to treasure and return to' ELINOR CLEGHORN'Uniquely compelling, dynamic and powerful' LUCY JONES'Deeply affecting' TOM SHAKESPEARE'Promises to change the landscape of nature writing' LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONESA first-of-its-kind anthology of nature writing by authors living with chronic illness and physical disabilityWITH A FOREWORD BY SAMANTHA WALTONThrough twenty-five pieces, the writers of Moving Mountains offer a vision of nature that encompasses the close up, the microscopic, and the vast.From a single falling raindrop to the enormity of the north wind, this is nature experienced wholly and acutely, written from the perspective of disabled and chronically ill authors.Moving Mountains is not about overcoming or conquering, but about living with and connecting, shifting the reader's attention to the things easily overlooked by those who move through the world untroubled by the body that carries them.Contributors: Isobel Anderson, Kerri Andrews, Polly Atkin, Khairani Barokka, Victoria Bennett, Feline Charpentier, Cat Chong, Eli Clare, Dawn Cole, Lorna Crabbe, Kate Davis, Carol Donaldson, Alec Finlay, Jamie Hale, Jane Hartshorn, Hannah Hodgson, Sally Huband, Rowan Jaines, Dillon Jaxx, Louise Kenward, Abi Palmer, Louisa Adjoa Parker, Alice Tarbuck, Nic WilsonTrade ReviewBringing together startlingly original voices, Moving Mountains invites us not only to look at nature, but to live alongside it in community and collaboration. Privileging the experiences, perceptions, and perspectives of disabled and chronically ill writers and poets, this anthology is both an urgent call for justice, and an endlessly moving exploration of what it means to be human. Compelling, challenging, contemplative and curious, Moving Mountains is an anthology to treasure and return to -- Elinor Cleghorn * author of UNWELL WOMEN *Moving Mountains is a rich gift of much-needed stories and cosmologies that help us see the earth, our world and interdependence, and our ideas of "nature" and the "natural" with greater clarity. I found each of the narratives uniquely compelling, dynamic and powerful. Beautifully curated and edited with a moving introduction by Louise Kenward, Moving Mountains is a generative and profound anthology that I know I will return to - and it will help us untangle ourselves from many of the modern myths which separate and sever -- Lucy Jones * author of LOSING EDEN and MATRESCENCE *Personal involvements with nature are exposed in this deeply affecting collection, which will stay with you -- Tom ShakespeareSome of my favourite writers and artists are collected here. Together they present a strong argument for the expansion of nature writing into the realm of illness and disability - whether from bed, chair, balcony or close neighbourhood. What if your illness and/or disability - or for that matter ableism and lack of access - restricts your capacity to "immerse" yourself in nature? What can experiencing nature through an unsteady, uneven body reveal? In Eli Clare's words, a world that "relishes crookedness, wholeness and brokenness" -- Alice Hattrick * author of ILL FEELINGS *An important, vital, questing collection of words, stories and experiences of wild green space which asks what it means to lose oneself in nature and explores how acquaintance with living landscapes both urban and rural can earth, galvanise and inspire. An anthology to open eyes, minds and hearts, I loved it -- Dan Richards * author of HOLLOWAY and OUTPOST *A stunning anthology that promises to change the landscape of nature writing. Challenging who gets to write about nature, Moving Mountains is an ambitious, beautiful collection of work -- Lizzie Huxley-Jones * author and editor of STIM *Moving Mountains is a stunning book that captures the experience of living with a disability or chronic illness. Through the beautifully described narratives I felt seen, known and far less alone. Moving Mountains raises the voices of disabled authors but it offers insights to everyone, because illness impacts us all -- Claire Wade * author of The Choice *This is a beautiful collection of stories & poems by a variety of authors. The authors will feel like they are old friends sharing their deepest thoughts with you. As someone living with chronic illness, it was comforting and validating to be heard through these stories too -- Jeannie Di Bon * Hypermobility Movement Therapist *Nature might not heal disabled bodies, but it does connect and soothe. Just like this beautiful, raw book did for me -- Rachel Charlton-DaileyNature and pain have always been caught up together; in this lively anthology, nature and pain shine light on one another and both come out transformed -- Noreen Masud * author of A FLAT PLACE *This polyphonic exploration of bodies, minds and the natural world brings together fascinatingly diverse writing to create something magical. A collection that fuses fierce strength with lyricism, vulnerability with exciting prose, it's a moving testament to resilience and hope, and to celebrating joy wherever we can find it -- Lulah Ellender * author of GROUNDING *

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Book SynopsisOriginally published as: Second edition. (Helm field guides): London: Christopher Helm, 2011.Trade ReviewPraise for the first edition: "Birds of the Hom of Africa is another excellent publication in the Princeton Field Guides series."--Frederic Brock, Wildlife Activist Praise for the first edition: "A welcome addition to the literature on the birds of Africa... [A]n outstanding work."--Emil K. Urban, Augusta State University Praise for the first edition: "This eagerly awaited field guide is the first ever to cover the stunning birds of an outstanding region... With its unrivalled, truly authoritative coverage, Birds of the Horn of Africa is indispensable for birders and ornithologists alike."--C. Hilary Fry, University of Aberdeen Praise for the first edition: "This is one of the best field guides in the world. The writing is of a very high standard, and I am impressed by the overall quality of the plates and attention paid to local subspecies. Birds of the Horn of Africa is the premier field guide to the region."--Keith N. Barnes, editor of The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho, and SwazilandTable of ContentsIntroduction 9 Acknowledgements 10 How to use this book 11 The plates 11 Species accounts 11 Abbreviations 15 Maps 16 Taxonomy and nomenclature 17 Bird Identification 18 Learning to identify birds 18 Individual variation 19 Moult 20 Bird topography 21 Glossary 23 Geography, climate and habitats 26 Important Bird Areas 30 Organisations and websites 32 Species accounts 33 Ostriches STRUTHIONIDAE34 Albatrosses DIOMEDEIDAE 36 Petrels and shearwaters PROCELLARIIDAE 36-38 Storm-petrels HYDROBATIDAE 40 Tropicbirds PHAETHONTIDAE42 Frigatebirds FREGATIDAE 42 Boobies SULIDAE 44 Pelicans PELECANIDAE 46 Grebes PODICIPEDIDAE 46 Cormorants PHALACROCORACIDAE 48 Darters ANHINGIDAE 48 Finfoot HELIORNITHIDAE 48 Bitterns, herons and egrets ARDEIDAE 50-56 Hamerkop SCOPIDAE 58 Storks CICONIIDAE 58-62 Shoebill BALAENICIPITIDAE 62 Ibises and spoonbills THRESKIORNITHIDAE 64-66 Flamingos PHOENICOPTERIDAE66 Ducks and geese ANATIDAE 68-78 Secretarybird SAGITTARIIDAE 80 Hawks, buzzards and eagles ACCIPITRIDAE 80-112 Falcons FALCONIDAE 114-122 Guineafowl NUMIDIDAE 124 Quails and francolins PHASIANIDAE 124-130 Buttonquails TURNICIDAE 130 Rails, crakes and gallinules RALLIDAE 132-138 Cranes GRUIDAE 140 Bustards OTIDIDAE 142-144 Jacanas JACANIDAE 146 Painted-snipe ROSTRATULIDAE 146 Crab-plover DROMADIDAE 148 Oystercatchers HAEMATOPODIDAE 148 Stilts and avocets RECURVIROSTRIDAE 148 Thick-knees BURHINIDAE 150 Coursers and pratincoles GLAREOLIDAE 152-154 Plovers CHARADRIIDAE 156-164 Sandpipers and allies SCOLOPACIDAE 164-176 Skuas STERCORARIIDAE 178 Gulls LARIDAE 180-184 Terns STERNIDAE 186-192 Skimmers RYNCHOPIDAE 190 Sandgrouse PTEROCLIDAE 194 Pigeons and doves COLUMBIDAE 196-204 Parrots and lovebirds PSITTACIDAE 206 Turacos MUSOPHAGIDAE 208 Cuckoos and coucals CUCULIDAE 210-216 Barn owls TYTONIDAE 218 Typical Owls STRIGIDAE 218-222 Nightjars CAPRIMULGIDAE 224-228 Swifts APODIDAE230-234 Mousebirds COLIIDAE 236 Trogons TROGONIDAE 236 Kingfishers ALCEDINIDAE 238-242 Bee-eaters MEROPIDAE 244-248 Rollers CORACIIDAE 248-250 Wood-hoopoes and scimitarbills PHOENICULIDAE 252-254 Hoopoes UPUPIDAE 254 Hornbills BUCEROTIDAE 256-258 Ground-hornbills BUCORVIDAE 258 Barbets and tinkerbirds CAPITONIDAE 260-264 Honeyguides INDICATORIDAE 266 Woodpeckers and wrynecks PICIDAE 268-270 Larks ALAUDIDAE 272-282 Swallows and martins HIRUNDINIDAE 284-288 Wagtails, pipits and longclaws MOTACILLIDAE 290-296 Cuckooshrikes CAMPEPHAGIDAE 298 Hypocolius HYPOCOLIIDAE 298 Pittas PITTIDAE 300 Bulbuls PYCNONOTIDAE 300-302 Thrushes and chats TURDIDAE 304-322 Warblers SYLVIIDAE 324-342 Cisticolas and allies CISTICOLIDAE 344-352 Flycatchers MUSCICAPIDAE 354-358 Monarch flycatchers MONARCHIDAE358 Wattle-eyes and batises PLATYSTEIRIDAE 360 Babblers TIMALIIDAE 362-364 Tits PARIDAE 366 Treecreepers CERTHIIDAE 366 Penduline-tits REMIZIDAE 368 White-eyes ZOSTEROPIDAE 368 Sunbirds NECTARINIIDAE 370-378 Shrikes LANIIDAE 380-384 Bush-shrikes MALACONOTIDAE 384-390 Nicators INCERTAE SEDIS 390 Helmetshrikes PRIONOPIDAE 392 Orioles ORIOLIDAE 394 Drongos DICRURIDAE 396 Crows CORVIDAE 396-400 Starlings and oxpeckers STURNIDAE 402-410 Sparrows and petronias PASSERIDAE 412-416 Weavers PLOCEIDAE 416-432 Waxbills ESTRILDIDAE 434-444 Whydahs and indigobirds VIDUIDAE 446-448 Canaries and seedeaters FRINGILLIDAE 450-456 Buntings EMBERIZIDAE 456-458 Checklist of the birds of the Horn of Africa 460 Appendix 1: Species endemic to the Horn of Africa 488 Appendix 2: Hypothetical species 491 Appendix 3: LARGE WHITE-HEADED GULL S 492 References and further reading 493 Index 495 Quick index to the main groups of birds 512

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