Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisThe Easternmost Sky is part memoir, part elegy and part warning. It was written on the Suffolk coast, in a place known for its farmland, nature reserves and the fastest coastal erosion in Europe. By exploring how climate change and social change are already affecting this agriculturally important part of the world, it is possible to imagine a very different landscape, to glimpse the future and to understand how these changes will affect us all.Trade ReviewEngaging... Blaxland is an acute observer, steeped in the ways of the countryside, its communities, and its traditions. * Country & Town House *Thought provoking. * BBC Radio Suffolk *The author writes beautifully about her life in this small extremity. * Country Life *A joy to read.

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Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated guide to the wildlife, landscape and nature reserves of Anglesey. Will appeal to all those interested in the wildlife and natural history of the island.

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Book SynopsisEach animal on the planet owes its existence to one very simple but crucial piece of evolutionary engineering: the egg. ?It's time to tell a new story of life on Earth.

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Book SynopsisA unique biography of a vital element in our bodies, our food and the world.

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Book Synopsis'Remarkable' Robert Macfarlane'Gorgeous' Amy Liptrot'Urgent and nourishing' Jessica J. LeeNina Mingya Powles first learned to swim in Borneo - where her mother was born and her grandfather studied freshwater fish. There, the local swimming pool became her first body of water. Through her life there have been others that have meant different things, but have still been, in their own way, home: from the wild coastline of New Zealand to a pond in northwest London.In lyrical, powerful prose, Small Bodies of Water weaves together memories, dreams and nature writing. Exploring everything from migration, food, family, earthquakes and the ancient lunisolar calendar, Nina reflects on a girlhood spent growing up between two cultures, and what it means to belong.Trade ReviewA remarkable book . . . Its language trembles on the brink of poetry; these sentences have surety to their rhythms, subtlety to their weightings. Beautifully, dreamily, intricately, it explores movement, migration and memory. Identity, here, is experienced as liquid, as fluent. Small Bodies of Water was the winner of the inaugural Nan Shepherd Prize, and it's my belief that Shepherd would have loved this book - and would have wanted to walk and swim with Nina, talking of all that her book brings to the surface -- ROBERT MACFARLANENina Mingya Powles is a distinctive new voice: attentive and tender. Her experience of belonging to many places is one that so many of us can relate to. This book is a beautiful personal journey through plants and sea creatures, food and language . . . A gorgeous read -- AMY LIPTROTElegant, understated, urgent and nourishing, this is a book that gives shape to the many intimate waters that connect us, to languages loved, lost and longed for, to the lands that honour us by giving us a home. With poetic precision, Nina Mingya Powles shows us what nature writing can be, braiding place, food, family, migration and all their legacies. This is non-fiction at its most dynamic, its most transporting. I will keep this book close by and return to it often -- JESSICA J. LEESo cool and crystalline, but with deep currents of association shifting like tides beneath -- MELISSA HARRISONNature writing lovers will adore this collection of lyrical essays . . . Traversing Borneo to New Zealand to North London, it explores what bodies of water have meant to [Powles] while navigating girlhood and growing up * * Evening Standard, Best Non-Fiction Books of the Year * *Small Bodies of Water gave me such a longing for travel. It is so full of texture and taste and different kinds of light . . . Nina Mingya Powles takes very small moments and details and skilfully imbues them with poignancy and meaning. It feels like a renewed form of nature writing, in which nature is not necessarily to the fore but nonetheless ever-present; in which nature is a medium for remembering and discovering -- SARA BAUMEVividly connected to nature . . . Captivating . . . Evocative literary sketches of Powles' life are drawn thoughtfully together . . . Mesmerising . . . Tender, like a flower pressed between the pages of a book -- Alycia Pirmohamed * * Big Issue * *A tender and tactile meditation on the elements that hold us together and keep us apart, Small Bodies of Water is a luminous, flowing book. Nina Mingya Powles's mind shimmers -- SEÁN HEWITTA shimmering, poetic masterpiece * * Time Out * *A hauntingly beautiful work - as deep and varied as the bodies of water it explores - and just as affecting. Powles writes of the body, the self and the natural world in ways I've not experienced before; full of raw and glistening truth. This book is exquisite and perfectly formed and reflective and it leaves ripples on your insides like the sea. The writing is off the scale -- KERRI NÍ DOCHARTAIGH

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Book SynopsisThe Arctic Guide presents the traveler and naturalist with a portable, authoritative guide to the flora and fauna of earth's northernmost region. Featuring superb color illustrations, this one-of-a-kind book covers the complete spectrum of wildlife--more than 800 species of plants, fishes, butterflies, birds, and mammals--that inhabit the Arctic'sTrade Review"This book takes my breath away and it may leave you gasping with glee, too. Ms. Chester begins with a lively crash course in boreal geography and ecology, then begins her heroic march through nearly all of taxonomy... The Arctic Guide takes the reader on a tour de force of nearly everything that's interesting in the circumboreal world."--Ed Kanze, Bedford (NY) Record-Review "Do you plan a visit to Alaska? If you do, you could do no better preparing for your natural history observations than by reading Sharon Chester's The Arctic Guide: Wildlife of the Far North."--Gerry Rising, Buffalo Spree "This is a phenomenal book. It covers the species you'd expect--birds and marine mammals--in depth. But it also includes fish, flies, even flora. It's the only book a naturalist requires for a field trip to the Arctic."--Matt Miller, Cool Green Science blog "This handy tome not only covers this vast region's fauna, but also touches upon climate, flora, atmospheric phenomena, landforms and oceanography... The illustrations are simply sublime... As a longtime Arctic guide, I recommend Chester's wholeheartedly... Browse it and daydream or stuff it into your river drybag or backpack if you head north this summer."--Michael Engelhard, Alaska Dispatch NewsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 2 About This Book 3 Geographic Coordinates 4 Glossary 5 Arktos 10 Defining the Arctic 11 Map of the Arctic 12 Mammals 25 Birds 127 Fishes 373 Lizards and Frogs 399 Flies, Bees, and Butterflies 401 Flora 425 Bibliography 535 Indexes 537

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring and life-affirming story of a difficult childhood transformed into happy adulthood through the power of nature and gardensBeloved author Marc Hamer writes about finding refuge in his tiny back garden in this highly original story of childhood, old age, and the restorative power of gardens. As a child, he kindled a deep love of the earth by watching plants and insects and exploring the world through a stack of old encyclopaedias he found in the shed. Now an old man, he creates a garden for himself in the neglected plot behind his house.A little book with a big heart: the insights glow as vivid as a flowerbed. If you want to be inspired, or you've lost your belief in the goodness of this world, this could be for you.'A sublime meditation on life, love, nature and family, woven with the wisdom gained through a life well lived' Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell'Patterned with Hamer's gifts for observation, compression, and tone' New Yorker'Rich and tender' New York Times'A book of great but tender power' Charles Foster, author of Being a BeastTrade ReviewA memoir infused with wisdom and a deep love of nature, as well as a how-to book for finding peace of mind * Saga *Hamer's prose proceeds by association and by charismatic detail... but it also has a strong sense of arc, of change...He has an inclination to celebrate and express love-an inclination that seems built out of the humus of a difficult childhood...he is not an Adam cast out of the garden but "a boy cast out of hell," and into a series of gardens. * New Yorker *An illuminating, powerful read * Woman's Own *Marc Hamer knows how to live - simply, sparely, reverently, abundantly. Spring Rain is a tonic for the soul. * Sy Montgomery, author of How to Be A Good Creature *Interwoven with the writer's deep-seated love of the natural world... I highlighted many passages while reading this book * Countryman *A breathtaking narrative that transcends genre and geography. * Shelf Awareness * *Hamer explains why a garden is not just a place of work - it's also a place of worship. -- Margaret Roach * New York Times *Mr. Hamer has found his ideal calling in this book stitched together from small essays, a genre in which such capricious mutability of opinion is not only tolerated but encouraged. Through his words, we connect with the ultimate text, the landscape itself. * Wall Street Journal *Hamer's signature prose, rich with precise, detailed observations that evoke the luminous wonder that informs and illuminates all being, is on full display * Vancouver Sun *A book of great but tender power; acute, wise and intimately observed, speaking with the unmistakable voice of the land itself - which is equally unmistakably Hamer's own. And what a voice that is! -- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild'A sublime meditation on life, love, nature and family, woven with the wisdom of age gained through a life well lived' * Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell *Hamer has a canny way of divining the sacred in the quotidian * Booklist *No facet of nature, however subtle, eludes Marc Hamer - and I relish being invited along on each intimate adventure * Margaret Roach, author of A Way to Garden *A wonderful book about our relationship with the earth, with other animals and with our own troubled humanity. It has taught me a lot. I feel great love for it -- Max Porter, on How to Catch a Mole: A Life in NatureA wholly original, semi-autobiographical book on how to live, how to be calm and content with only a little, in a quietly humming garden * Daily Mail, on Seed to Dust *From a hardscrabble childhood and vagrancy to the life-enhancing rewards of nurturing both 12 acres and an unusual friendship... Hamer meditations take similar forms, starting down to earth, if not actually in it, and ending taking off for the skies one way or another. His prose mimics this, beginning earthy and becoming airy. -- Tim Dee * Guardian, on Seed to Dust *A fascinating, lyrical account of the loneliness and beauty of life on the margins * Times Literary Supplement, on How to Catch a Mole: A Life in Nature *A beguiling and poetic memoir - illustrated with Hamer's line drawings - he encourages us to tune into the consoling rhythms of nature * Bookseller *Hamer lets us in; we learn what his tools feel like in hands hardened by decades of manual labour... But it is also an unlikely love story * Telegraph, on Seed to Dust *Patterned with Hamer's gifts for observation, compression, and tone. . . I tend to think of a garden story as inevitably circular: every winter is followed by a spring, again and again. Hamer's garden story has that element, but it is as neighborly with the mortal arrow as it is with the return -- Rivka Galchen * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisHow can an animal even be this d*mn cute?This adorable gift book is the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life. Packed with sweary captions and fun f*cking facts, this laugh out loud package will help you get out all that so-cute-I-can't-handle-it aggression! Get ready to tell adorable hedgehogs to take a f*cking hike and snoozing sloths to stop that cute sh*t already!

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Book SynopsisFrom the Northern Lights to whirling coastal birds, and sunken villages to the annual deer rut, the UK is home to some of the world's finest natural spectacles. With this guide and a little luck, you too can experience the magic of seeing something truly extraordinary. Start planning your spectacular year with the help of this practical guide to the UK’s most magical natural phenomena. This guide shows you when and where to go, and how to maximise your chances of a sighting, as well as explaining why these amazing spectacles occur in the first place. Sections cover: - Space: meteor showers, eclipses and supermoons, Northern Lights - Weather: hidden currents, mountain waves, named winds - Tides: tidal bores, tidal races, low tide walks - Land: autumn colours, wildflower displays, rutting deer - Rivers and lakes: salmon runs, sunken villages, waterfall wonders - Coast: wheeling waterbirds, seabird cities, seal pups Each spectacle is graded according to how easy it is to spot, and the author gives expert tips on achieving the best sighting. Scientific insights describe the astronomical, meteorological and ecological causes of events, which are brought to life through the stories of the people who know them best, from the glider pilots who ride mountain waves to the King’s Guides who help people navigate the dangerous sands of Morecombe Bay. This is your starting point for some truly phenomenal adventures.Table of ContentsIntroduction Space 1 Meteor showers 2 Eclipses and supermoons 3 Northern Lights Weather 4 Hidden currents 5 Mountain waves 6 Named winds Tides 7 Tidal bores 8 Tidal races 9 Low tide walks Land 10 Autumn colours 11 Wildflower displays 12 Rutting deer Rivers and lakes 13 Salmon runs 14 Sunken villages 15 Waterfall wonders Coast 16 Whirling waterbirds 17 Seabird cities 18 Seal pups Spectacle sighting record Index Further reading Acknowledgements Credits

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Book SynopsisPoems to celebrate spring. A sublime bedside companion to enjoy as the frost melts and days grow longer, with poems to immerse yourself in the season. From William Blake and Emily Dickinson to Robert Browning and Eleanor Farjeon, some of the finest poets that ever put pen to paper describe this wondrous season of new beginnings. With one entry for every day through spring, from 1st March until 31st May, this collection of 91 poems will invigorate you in the warmer and wetter months of Spring, from Robert Herrick’s first drops of March dew and the breaking blossoms of Laurence Binyon’s April day to William Blake’s meadow-sweet May and Emily Dickinson’s promise of light to come. This beautiful and collectable anthology of poems derives from the popular A Poem for Every Night of the Year and features poems inspired by springtime by Laurence Binyon, Margaret Cavendish, Amy Lowell, William Wordsworth and many more.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the James Cropper Wainwright Prize 2022 for Nature Writing - Highly Commended Winner for the Richard Jefferies Award 2021 for Best Nature Writing 'A rural, working-class writer in an all too rarefied field, Chester’s work is unusual for depicting the countryside as it is lived on the economic margins.' The Guardian 'An important portrait of connection to the land beyond ownership or possession.' Raynor Winn ‘It’s ever so good. Political, passionate and personal.’ Robert Macfarlane ‘Evocative and inspiring…environmental protest, family, motherhood and…nature.’ Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground, Costa Novel Award Winner 2021 Nature is everything. It is the place I come from and the place I got to. It is family. Wherever I am, it is home and away, an escape, a bolt hole, a reason, a place to fight for, a consolation, and a way home. As a child growing up in rural England, Guardian Country Diarist Nicola Chester was inexorably drawn to the natural landscape surrounding her. Walking, listening and breathing in the nature around her, she followed the call of the cuckoo, the song of the nightingale and watched as red kites, fieldfares and skylarks soared through the endless skies over the chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs: the ancient land of Greenham Common which she called home. Nicola bears witness to, and fights against, the stark political and environmental changes imposed on the land she loves, whilst raising her family to appreciate nature and to feel like they belong – core parts of who Nicola is. From protesting the loss of ancient trees to the rewilding of Greenham Common, to the gibbet on Gallows Down and living in the shadow of Highclere Castle (made famous in Downton Abbey), On Gallows Down shows how one woman made sense of her world – and found her place in it.Trade Review‘I couldn’t put it down! A must read!’—Dara McAnulty, author of Diary of a Young Naturalist 'From treetop protests at the Newbury Bypass to the grand Highclere Estate, On Gallows Down is that rare thing: nature writing as political as it is personal.'—Melissa Harrison, author of The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary'A powerful personal and political journey through place that charts the profound influence we have on nature, and that nature has on us.'—Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground and The Heeding'An evocative and inspiring memoir which touches on environmental protest, family, motherhood and most importantly, nature. Her passion for the natural world and especially birds, shines through in this wonderful book.'—Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground'Nicola Chester deserves many readers. On Gallows Down is an impassioned study of a contested landscape, which interrogates our attitudes towards land stewardship, ownership and living in the right relationship with both human and other-than-human neighbours. Charged with love and fire, On Gallows Down is a beautiful exploration of a much-mapped, multi-faceted landscape.'—Katharine Norbury, author of The Fish Ladder'Chester’s writing has a lovely elasticity, dancing between wonder, introspection and anger as she moves from the particular to the universal…She belongs to the disappearing English, rural working class, and is intent on handing this baton to her three children, who play a part in the book. Chester also explores the familiar tension between wanting to write and being needed at home. The heady ecstasy of time carved out alone, in nature. The scrabble to earn a precarious living, and the insecurities of occupying a tied cottage. The idea of ‘home’ lies at the heart of this fierce, beautifully written, immersive book about one’s place within the landscape.'—Tessa Boase, author of Etta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds'Nicola’s passionate and enduring love of nature shines through every single word, paragraph and page of this book, as she seamlessly weaves memoir with stories of the landscape in which she is so deeply rooted that it seems to speak through her. Powerful, enlightening, dazzling, hopeful, On Gallows Down is a rare and precious gem – to be savoured, not rushed, and returned to again and again. My words cannot do this book justice – it simply needs to be read.'—Brigit Strawbridge Howard, author of the Wainwright-shortlisted Dancing with Bees

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Book SynopsisIn The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins crystallized the gene''s eye view of evolution developed by W.D. Hamilton and others. The book provoked widespread and heated debate. Written in part as a response, The Extended Phenotype gave a deeper clarification of the central concept of the gene as the unit of selection; but it did much more besides. In it, Dawkins extended the gene''s eye view to argue that the genes that sit within an organism have an influence that reaches out beyond the visible traits in that body - the phenotype - to the wider environment, which can include other individuals. So, for instance, the genes of the beaver drive it to gather twigs to produce the substantial physical structure of a dam; and the genes of the cuckoo chick produce effects that manipulate the behaviour of the host bird, making it nurture the intruder as one of its own. This notion of the extended phenotype has proved to be highly influential in the way we understand evolution and the natural world. It represents a key scientific contribution to evolutionary biology, and it continues to play an important role in research in the life sciences.The Extended Phenotype is a conceptually deep book that forms important reading for biologists and students. But Dawkins'' clear exposition is accessible to all who are prepared to put in a little effort.Oxford Landmark Science books are ''must-read'' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.Trade ReviewThe Extended Phenotype is a sequel to The Selfish Gene ... he writes so clearly it could be understood by anyone prepared to make the effort * John Maynard Smith, LRB *This entertaining and thought-provoking book is an excellent illustration of why the study of evolution is in such an exciting ferment these days. * Science *Table of ContentsAFTERWORD BY DANIEL DENNETT; GLOSSARY; AUTHOR INDEX; SUBJECT INDEX

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Book SynopsisCharles Darwin's account of the momentous voyage which set in motion the current of intellectual events leading to The Origin of Species  When HMS Beagle sailed out of Devonport on 27 December 1831, Charles Darwin was twenty-two and setting off on the voyage of a lifetime. His journal, here reprinted in a shortened form, shows a naturalist making patient observations concerning geology, natural history, people, places and events. Volcanoes in the Galapagos, the Gossamer spider of Patagonia and the Australasian coral reefs - all are to be found in these extraordinary writings. The insights made here were to set in motion the intellectual currents that led to the theory of evolution, and the most controversial book of the Victorian age: The Origin of Species. This volume reprints Charles Darwin's journal in a shortened form. In their introduction Janet Brown and Michael Neve provide a background to Darwin's thought and work, and this edition also includes notTable of ContentsVoyage of the Beagle - Charles Darwin List of maps and illustrationsAcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroductionA note on this editionCharles Darwin's Journal of ResearchesAuthor's prefaceAppendix One: Admiralty instructions for the Beagle voyageAppendix Two: Robert FitzRoy's "Remarks with reference to the Deluge"Biographical guide

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Book SynopsisCan horses feel shame? Do deer grieve? Why do roosters deceive hens? We tend to assume that we are the only living things able to experience feelings but have you ever wondered what’s going on in an animal’s head? From the leafy forest floor to the inside of a bee hive, The Inner Life of Animals opens up the animal kingdom like never before. We hear the stories of a grateful humpback whale, of a hedgehog who has nightmares, and of a magpie who commits adultery; we meet bees that plan for the future, pigs who learn their own names and crows that go tobogganing for fun. And at last we find out why wasps exist.Trade ReviewAlways fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind, Wohlleben guides us from one creature to the next -- Richard Kerridge * Guardian *Wohlleben presents short chapter in bite-sized portions, so the reader has a constant sense of learning something new almost with every page ... The formula is provably winning. I still felt I was on a robust learning curve as subjects as diverse as motherly love, gratitude, deception, desire, shame and knowledge of good and evil were explored one by one ... fascinating -- Katharine Norbury * Observer *Wohlleben is connecting with something big here… He truffles up some wonderful animal facts, too… Wohlleben’s empathy with animals can be touching and illuminating -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Entertaining and enthusiastic -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *The Inner Life of Animals will rock your world. Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight, this book shows us that animals think, feel, and know in much the same way as we do -- and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us. -- Sy Montgomery, author of THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS

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Book SynopsisThe new book from the author of the Sunday Times bestseller, Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom. Lose yourself in the calming world of woodland wildlife. Whether it’s statuesque pines or a steamy tropical forest, you will discover a wealth of beautiful and intriguing creatures that dwell in the world’s forests – from foxes, fireflies and fallow deer to lemurs, leaf frogs and lady bugs. Millie’s much-loved intricate drawing style will be irresistible for those who love to colour. Meander through a world of towering trees, leafy canopies, exquisite blossoms and underground burrows to meet a huge array of animals that make the woods their home. Featuring species from across the globe, this is a celebration of the world’s forests – vibrant and teeming with life – guaranteeing hours of relaxation and colouring fun.Trade Review'A new book from colouring extraordinaire Millie Marotta is always an occasion, and we’re happy to report that her latest, Woodland Wild, is another sensational addition to her catalogue.' * Papercrafter *

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Book SynopsisFrom a 2018 Wainwright Prize shortlisted author, THE CIRCLING SKY is part childhood memoir, blended with exquisite nature observation, and the story of one man's journey over a year to one of the UK's key natural habitats, the New Forest of HampshireIn the form of several journeys, beginning in January 2019, Neil Ansell returns for solitary walks to the New Forest in Hampshire, close to where he was born. With beautiful sightings and observations of birds, trees, butterflies, insects and landscape, this is also a reflective memoir on childhood, on the history of one of the most ancient and important natural habitats in the United Kingdom, and on the Gypsies who lived there for centuries - and were subsequently expelled to neighbouring cities. It is also part polemic on our collective and individual responsibility for the land and world in which we live, and how we carTrade ReviewA beautiful evocation of life in a forest and a powerful reminder of the interconnected fate of all wild things, including ourselves * Raynor Winn *Like taking a refreshing and eye-opening walk in the open air with the most interesting, observant and companionable of guides. In The Circling Sky Neil Ansell reveals the remarkableness of the relatively unexotic New Forest, moving deftly from personal reflection to beautiful nature writing, to a crucial, timely argument about the history and importance of common land. * Naomi Ishiguro *Neil Ansell's series of walks in the New Forest through the course of a year coalesce into a skilful exploration of memory, childhood, and how certain landscapes can become an integral part of your life. Ansell is a gifted naturalist, sensitive, inquisitive, at times justly enraged, invariably joyful. The Circling Sky is a wonderful tribute to a unique and precious place * James Macdonald Lockhart *The Circling Sky reads like a vivid and subtle nature programme for your mind's eye. Its New Forest setting is a world within a world; a fragile Eden with an utterly astonishing cast of birds; a unique harbour to an array of species both familiar and unexpected, and a complex, sometimes dark human history. At times it felt like Danny the Champion of the World had grown up, lived an intriguing life, and was now communicating his subtle life philosophy as he walked among the trees. I finished this book sharing its author's desire to look closer, to "walk in peace", and - as he puts it - to "camp without camping", and simply fall sleep beneath a tree. * Damian Le Bas *'Top-class nature writing. The book is a poetic meditation as well as a forthright argument. Ansell is among my most-admired British nature writers' * Rebecca Foster, shinynewbooks.co.uk *Neil Ansell is a wonderful guide...this is a delight of nature writing * Choice magazine *Neil Ansell takes us on a thoughtful journey through the fabulous New Forest. He combines evocative description with an accurate naturalist's eye, in the best tradition of modern British nature writing. * Jeremy Purseglove *His articulate reminiscences and observations on history, wildlife and the changing landscape will make readers reflect on the world around us and our part - individually and collectively - in looking after it * Culturefly *Neil Ansell is a writer of extraordinary sensitivity and insight * climatecultures.net *An immersive delving into the delights of the New Forest. Neil Ansell writes with such warmth and such wonder on the wild - with vital eyes and mind he senses the essence of the world around him, tucked down in the landscape to observe better the life of the natural world * Dr James Canton *His anecdotes gleam * TLS *Beautifully charts the challenges and solaces of being alone and part of nature * Bookseller *[A] captivating memoir...vivid as photographs, yet sketched with something more profound than simple reportage. Beneath the measured, knowledgeable, unfussy voice is a meaningful, and even important record: not just of a changing landscape, but of a man such places have shaped. * The Herald *Ansell's beautiful memoir of his walks through the Scottish wilderness makes the case for being truly a part of nature rather than outside of it * Observer *Neil Ansell is a genuine creature of the wild. His knowledge of remote places, and his love for them, come from deep and sustained immersion. He writes in prose which is entirely right for its subject - unshowy, level-headed, quietly surprising. The Last Wilderness is a wonderful experience which tingles with all the sensations of being out on the hill, in all weathers, alone * Philip Marsden *Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation * Madeleine Bunting *An easy storyteller, with a companionable style. His year in the forest is painterly in its attention to colours...his knowledge of birds is formidable * Herald Magazine *Every foray Ansell makes into the New Forest yields captivating insights * Saga Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA powerful work of memoir and storytelling that will change the way we think about the natural world.Like many diasporic people of colour, Claire Ratinon grew up feeling cut off from the natural world. She lived in cities, reluctant to be outdoors and stuck with the belief that success and status could fill the space where belonging was absent. But a chance encounter with a rooftop farm was the start of a journey that caused her to rethink the life she'd been creating and her beliefs about who she ought to be. Enlivened, she turned her hand to growing food in London before finding herself yearning for a small parcel of land to call her own. Unearthed tells the story of her leaving the city for the English countryside - and her first garden - in the hope of forging a pathway towards the embrace of the natural world and a sense of belonging cultivated on her own terms.'Ratinon's story will change hearts and minds' Alice Vincent'A beautiful book about nature...I recommend it' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)Trade ReviewA beautiful book about nature, and how reengaging with the foundational experience of our species of growing and cultivating crops can be a source of healing and spiritual truth... I recommend it -- Afua HirschThis is an outstanding work of storytelling and nature writing. It's also a hard-hitting and educational read * Gardens Illustrated, *Books of the Year* *It is rare for a book to come along that tells a story that has never been heard before. Unearthed is just that and more. Deeply felt, deeply told, deeply generous, Claire Ratinon's story of trying to find a place of belonging in a post-colonial landscape is one that will change hearts and minds. How vitally we have needed this narrative, how beautifully it has been told. -- Alice Vincent, author of RootboundExquisite * Nova Reid, Author of The Good Ally *Poignant and groundbreaking... we are tenderly offered a new possibility of deeper wonder, awe and profound hope as we unearth the truth that grows in all our gardens * The Garden *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING - HIGHLY COMMENDED'Remarkable' Robert Macfarlane'Beautiful' Amy Liptrot'Powerful, unflinching . . . Part hymn to nature, part Troubles memoir' GuardianKerri ní Dochartaigh was born in Derry at the very height of the Troubles. One parent was Catholic, the other Protestant. In the space of a year Kerri's family were forced out of two homes and when she was eleven a homemade petrol bomb was thrown through her bedroom window. For families like hers, terror was in the very fabric of the city.In Thin Places, Kerri explores how nature kept her sane and helped her heal, and how we are again allowing our borders to become hard and terror to creep back in. Kerri asks us to reclaim and rejoice in our landscape, and to remember that the land we fight over is much more than lines on a map.Trade ReviewA remarkable piece of writing. I don't think I've ever read a book as open-hearted as this. It resists easy pieties of nature as a healing force, but nevertheless charts a recovery which could never have been achieved without landscape, wild creatures and "thin places". It is also flocked with luminous details (moths, birds, feathers, skulls, moving water). Kerri's voice is utterly her own, rich and strange. I've folded down the corners of many pages, marking sentences and moments that glitter out at me. Wow -- ROBERT MACFARLANEDochartaigh takes great solace in nature, and much of the book is a meditation on the beautiful landscapes and flora and fauna that surround her . . . Passionate, moving and beautifully written, this is a remarkable account of trauma and ways to acknowledge and overcome it * * Sunday Times * *What was Kerri ní Dochartaigh's burden as a child - to exist in "the gaps between" the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland - has become her gift as a writer. She is sensitive to the legacies of loss and trauma and highly attuned to the gifts of the natural world and the possibilities of place. This is a special, beautiful, many-faceted book -- AMY LIPTROTPowerful, unflinching . . . Part hymn to nature, part Troubles memoir . . . Vividly descriptive . . . Thin Places is at heart a survivor's story located in the real and brutally Darwinian world of lived experience * * Guardian, Book of the Day * *Fabulous . . . Piercingly honest, movingly heartfelt. There is so much soul and knowledge and compassion, it gave me shivers -- ELIF SHAFAK * * Guardian, Best Books of the Year * *An eloquent, moving work of politics, geography and the self. Full of wisdom and deeply engaging -- SINÉAD GLEESONThe power of place to heal trauma makes for a beautiful read . . . It contains moments of great beauty . . . It is heady, bright and difficult to pin down. It is also redemptive. The Irish word for hope, we are told, is dòchas or dòigh, which holds, within its roots, glimmers of dóighiúil, the word for giving. Ní Dochartaigh takes that hope and gives it to us all * * Big Issue * *A beautiful and harrowing book about trauma, the potential to heal and the subtle magic of the wild. Kerri ní Dochartaigh offers us a fragile kind of redemption, full of truth and solace -- KATHERINE MAYNí Dochartaigh's delight in wild things weaves a thread of light through her childhood, adulthood and the book itself . . . Acutely personal . . . Wonderfully evocative . . . This heartfelt memoir, with its message on the saving grace of nature, may speak to an even wider audience than it first imagined * * Daily Mail * *A powerful, bracing memoir that asks what happens when a child grows up in a city that isn't safe . . . This is a book that will make you see the world differently * * Irish Times * *

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'Often poetic ... highly-researched and thought-provoking' New Scientist'Gently and thoughtfully enquiring' The SpectatorCan you remember the first time you encountered true darkness? The kind that remains as black and inky whether your eyes are open or closed? Where you can't see your hand in front of your face?Jacqueline Yallop can. It was in an unfamiliar bedroom while holidaying in Yorkshire as a child, and ever since then she has been fascinated by the dark, by our efforts to capture or avoid it, by the meanings we give to it and the way our brains process it. Taking a journey into the dark secrets of place, body and mind, she documents a series of night-time walks, exploring both the physical realities of darkness and the psychological dark that helps shape our sense of self. Exploring our enduring love-hate relationship with states of darkness, she considers how we attempt to understand and contain the dark, and, as she comes to terms with her father's deteriorating Alzheimer's, she reflects on how our relationship with the dark can change with time and circumstance.Darkness captivates, baffles and appals us. It's a shifty thing of many textures and many moods. It can be an absence and a presence, a solace and a threat, a beginning and an end. Into the Dark is the story of the many darks that fascinate and assail us. It faces the darkness in all its guises and mysteries, celebrating it as a thing of beauty while peering into the void.

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Book SynopsisTakes you along the Sussex coast. Covering from the sands at Camber and sticking as close to the water's edge as possible, this title shows how environmental changes, human interference, events, disasters and the power of the sea have affected the county's coastline, leaving harbours stranded high and dry and villages drowned off shore.

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Book SynopsisA century before Charles Darwin, decades before the French Revolution, Gilbert White began his lifelong habit of measuring and observing the world around his Hampshire home. Daily rainfall levels and temperature shifts were recorded with home-made instruments. Bird song and seasonal migrations were noted. The feeding habits of frogs, bats and mice were jotted into his diaries and nature journals, as were the simple delights he felt hearing a cricket in the meadow or a blackbird in the hedgerows. The extraordinary detail of the natural history he described has given us, two hundred years later, a glimpse into ecosystems untouched by industry and an account of how changes in global climate can affect local weather patterns. Gilbert White is now considered England's first ecologist. The Natural History of Selborne is one the most published books in the English language. Yet the most enduring quality of his writing is the spirit of curiosity that bounds across every page, inspiring us to explore the abundance of life at our doorsteps and around our parishes.

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Book SynopsisFor more than two thousand years the people of St Kilda remained remote from the world. Their society was viable, utopian even; but in the nineteenth century the islands were discovered by missionaries, do-gooders and tourists, who brought with them money, disease and despotism. In 1930, the few remaining islanders were evacuated, no longer able to support themselves.An exploration of the life and death of the remote Hebridean society, Island on the Edge of the World is a moving account of human endeavour.Trade ReviewA story like a marvellous pebble, wet from the sea, strange and comic like all things out of step with time, sad as the old songs the women sang, splendidly told * * Sunday Times * *Reawakened my awe at the strangeness of our world -- WILL SELFA profound moral for our time . . . A beautiful, well-written book * * Washington Post * *A fascinating book . . . Charles Maclean is an excellent writer . . . he describes the story of St Kilda with powerful compassion -- MAGNUS MAGNUSSONAn evocative study of the island * * Scotsman * *Excellent * * Esquire * *

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Book SynopsisCompanion to the National Geographic television series, this book reveals the remarkable intelligence, family loyalty, unique personalities, and fascinating behaviors of elephants.As big as a bus, weighing up to 11 tons, elephants have fascinated us for centuries, but only recently have scientists been able to observe their innermost workings as individuals, families, and herds. This enlightening book—companion to the highly anticipated televisions series from National Geographic—takes us to the few places in the world where elephants roam. Filled with glorious photography and groundbreaking narratives of current science, these pages capture the life and behavior of these iconic creatures as never before seen.We also meet the researchers and conservationists dedicating their time and risking their lives to understand and protect the world''s two species, African and Asian, as they share new insights into elephant culture.Combining autho

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Book SynopsisFeaturing iconic animals from red deer, golden eagles and Highland cows to red squirrels, pine martens and salmon as well as the plants, trees and flowers which thrive in mountain, forest, moor and seashore, this book is the ideal way to explore Scotland’s amazing range of flora and fauna. Many of the illustrations show the animals and plants in their natural habitats, so you can appreciate the extraordinary beauty of Scotland’s landscapes too.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2016 Charles Foster wanted to know what it was like to be a beast: a badger, an otter, a deer, a fox, a swift. What it was really like. And through knowing what it was like he wanted to get down and grapple with the beast in us all. So he tried it out; he lived life as a badger for six weeks, sleeping in a dirt hole and eating earthworms, he came face to face with shrimps as he lived like an otter and he spent hours curled up in a back garden in East London and rooting in bins like an urban fox. A passionate naturalist, Foster realises that every creature creates a different world in its brain and lives in that world. As humans, we share sensory outputs, lights, smells and sound, but trying to explore what it is actually like to live in another of these worlds, belonging to another species, is a fascinating and unique neuro-scientific challenge. For Foster it is also a literary challenge. Looking at what science can tell us about what happens in a fox's or badger's brain when it picks up a scent, he then uses this to imagine their world for us, to write it through their eyes or rather through the eyes of Charles the beast. An intimate look at the life of animals, neuroscience, psychology, nature writing, memoir and more, it is a journey of extraordinary thrills and surprises, containing wonderful moments of humour and joy, but also providing important lessons for all of us who share life on this precious planet.Trade ReviewTranscendentally eccentric nature writing of the first order. Charles Foster digs deep under the skin of other animals, uncovering gems of wisdom that our usually superficial gaze will otherwise miss -- Hugh WarwickGleefully lascivious in its physical curiosity, Being a Beast advocates for our highest animality by expanding our sensory intelligence. A flabbergasting, thunderstriking, stupendous, brilliant book -- Jay GriffithsThrilling, brilliant, bonkers... a strange kind of masterpiece: the song of a satyr, perhaps, or nature writing as extreme sport. * Financial Times *Charles Foster's chronicle of the sensory lives of beasts and his own forays into self re-wilding is like nothing you have ever read. Deeply serious and at times laugh-out-loud funny, this is an extraordinary book. -- Caspar HendersonUnimaginably different from any book you have ever read - an exploration of our deep kinship with animals that is thought-provoking, funny and full of adventure all at once, brilliantly written, and sparkling with ideas -- Iain McGilchristFoster is funny and profound and his empathic mission shows our kinship with other species -- Patrick Barkham * Guardian *Extraordinary... very funny... Foster is well read and writes beautifully. * The Sunday Times *A wild and whimsical memoir. * The Times *Takes nature writing to new levels... his work is a triumph. -- Kate Green * Country Life *Very funny... hones senses long neglected... Mr Foster is the real thing, going truly feral and in the process discovering a whole new world. It is not a midlife crisis so much as a lifelong passion. * Economist *Funny, exuberant and courageous, nudging closer and closer to how it might feel to enter the non-human world. * Guardian, readers' BOTY 2016 *

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Book Synopsis'Jasper Winn is the perfect guide' - Observer For a hundred and fifty years, between the plod of packhorse trains and the arrival of the railways, canals were the high-tech water machine driving the industrial revolution. Amazing feats of engineering, they carried the rural into the city and the urban into the countryside, and changed the lives of everyone. And then, just when their purpose was extinguished by modern transport, they were saved from extinction and repurposed as a 'slow highways' network, a peaceful and countrywide haven from our too-busy age. Today, there are more boats on the canals than in their Victorian heyday. Writer and slow adventurer Jasper Winn spent a year exploring Britain's waterways on foot and by bike, in a kayak and on narrowboats. Along a thousand miles of 'wet roads and water streets' he discovered a world of wildlife corridors, underground adventures, the hardware of heritage and history, new boating communities, endurance kayak races and remote towpaths. He shared journeys with some of the last working boat people and met the anglers, walkers, boaters, activists, volunteers and eccentrics who have made the waterways their home. In Britain most of us live within five miles of a canal, and reading this book we will see them in an entirely new light.Trade ReviewJasper Winn is the perfect guide to what these 'wet roads and water streets' signified in the past, and to their importance today. And not just to wildlife but the humans he meets, too: looking for an escape, a refuge or, indeed, a place to feel at home. -- Ben East * Observer *Engaging and informative * The Countryman *Winn cycles, walks, boats and paddleboats his way around the 2,000-mile network of canals ... More than a charming travel book, this is a roving miscellanea of engrossing canal facts and lore. -- Olivia Edward * Geographical magazine *Water Ways doesn't just recount Winn's adventures with good humour but gives a meticulously researched overview of the history, engineering, characters, customs and wildlife of our water ways, as well as the challenges they are facing in the 21st century ... it adroits webs nearly everything, and how it does that is entirely wonderful. -- Sarah Henshaw * Waterways World *

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Book SynopsisWinter is a withdrawal: quiet and dark and cold. But in the dim light frost shimmers, stars twinkle and hearths blaze as we come together to keep out the chill. In spite of the season, life persists: visiting birds fill our skies, familiar creatures find clever ways to survive, and the world reveals winter riches to those willing to venture outdoors.In prose and poetry spanning seven hundred years, Winter delights in the brisk pleasures and enduring beauty of the year's turning. Featuring new writing from Patrick Barkham, Satish Kumar and Anita Sethi, extracts from the work of Robert Macfarlane, James Joyce and Kathleen Jamie, and a range of exciting new voices from across the UK, this invigorating collection evokes the joys and the consolations of this magical time of year.Trade Review"A carefully selected compilation of undeniably gripping extracts and specially commissioned pieces ... the final book in a fantastic series designed to celebrate the seasons"-LandLove magazine; "Be inspired on a winter walk by writers who adore the frosty season" - Country Walking magazine; "Compelling reading ... what is original about this collection is not just the diversity of relatively unknown talent on show, but the quality of the work" - Tom Mooney, Wexford Echo; "To open its covers is to open onto a landscape which you have not yet crossed and to feel yourself beckoned in. It might be an intellectual landscape - littered with strange formations of thought-rocks you have never encountered. It might be an emotional landscape - bathed in the colour of an unfamiliar sky. It might even be a spiritual one, animated by the sound of an unheard yet strangely familiar melody. ... This book will take you from mountain heights to urban jungle, and from the back of a cow shed to the slippery deck of an 18th Century sailing ship. ... If you want a book to help reduce your heating bills this Winter, this could be it. The cosy effect of curling up with it will work wonders." -- Richard Littledale, blogger; "Packed with good writing ... a good mixture of familiar and unfamiliar" - Mark Avery; "Just adorable... it's the most beautiful writing. Makes you feel in keeping with the seasons" - Karen Gimson, BBC Radio Leicester; "Alive and vibrant, both in the imagery it evokes and in the feelings it arouses. Without doubt Winter, that most enigmatic of seasons, comes gloriously alive in this lovely anthology. The editor, Melissa Harrison, has done a commendable job of keeping this quartet of anthologies completely relevant, with each seasonal interpretation allowing a heartening and thoughtful meditation into the true meaning of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" - jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.ukTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction by Melissa Harrison vii; Roger Deakin 1; Hartley Coleridge 4; Annie Worsley 5; Samuel Taylor Coleridge 9; Lucy Jones 11; Edward Step 13; Caroline Greville 15; Thomas Furly Forster 18; Jen Hadfield 19; Charles Dickens 21; Reverend Gilbert White 23; Nicholas Breton 25; Elizabeth Gardiner 26; William Shakespeare 29; John Fowles 30; Chris Foster 31; Richard Jefferies 34; Kate Blincoe 38; Kristian Evans 40; Andrea Levy 42; Anon. 44; Satish Kumar 46; Thomas Furly Forster 51; Nicola Chester 52; Julian Beach 55; Christina McLeish 58; Joseph Addison 61; Patrick Barkham 63; Ronald Blythe 67; Nick Acheson 69; Louis MacNeice 71; Jini Reddy 72; Thomas Furly Forster 75; Liz Berry 76; Henry Tegner 79; Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion 83; Nakul Krishna 84; Adrian Bell 88; Al Alvarez 91; R. S. Thomas 93; Reverend Gilbert White 94; Richard Adams 95; Mary Leapor 97; Matt Gaw 99; Virginia Woolf 101; Iain Green 104; Thomas Furly Forster 108; Jacqueline Bain 109; Anna Laetitia Barbauld 113; Jane Adams 114; Jack Clemo 117; Elizabeth Guntrip 118; Sir Edward Grey 121; Henry Williamson 123; David North 126; James Joyce 130; Emma Kemp 132; William Wordsworth 134; Robert Macfarlane 137; Brian Carter 141; Janet Willoner 145; John Clare 148; Sheila Stewart 149; Sophie Bagshaw 154; Dr Rob Lambert 157; Robert Louis Stevenson 161; Jon Dunn 163; Reverend Gilbert White 167; Thomas Hardy 168; Lucy McRobert 170; Thomas Furly Forster 172; Clare Leighton 173; Tiffany Francis 177; Bethany Pope 180; Claire Thurlow 182; Edward Step 186; Ann MacCarthy 187; Olaudah Equiano 191; Matt Poacher 192; Edmond Holmes 195; Anita Sethi 196; Kathleen Jamie 202; Author Biographies 204

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Book Synopsis'Luminous' The Times'Beautiful' Caught by the RiverBringing together contemporary Scottish writing on nature and landscape, this inspiring collection takes us from walking to wild swimming, from red deer to pigeons and wasps, from remote islands to back gardens, through prose, poetry and photography.Edited and introduced by Kathleen Jamie, and with contributions from Amy Liptrot, Jim Crumley, Chitra Ramaswamy, Malachy Tallack, Amanda Thomson and many more, Antlers of Water urges us to renegotiate our relationship with the more-than-human world, in writing which is by turns celebratory, radical and political.Trade ReviewSplendid . . . Read, and treasure what we have while we have it * * The Times * *A selection of luminous essays, poems and visual art . . . The most intuitive pieces reflect that nature is not something to be explored on weekends and in nice weather but through everyday rituals . . . [written with] a gallows humour and deftness of touch * * The Times * *Varied and unexpected . . . The Scotland we find here is a bracingly complex place . . . Yields some very fine writing * * TLS * *Essential . . . With fine contributions from a variety of diverse writers and artists, this is more than a celebration of the natural world; it is a call to action. From placenames to field notes, creatures to flora; bodies of water to stretches of land - this is a raw, exquisite reckoning, free from blinkers, full of love and loss. To protect something, we must see it. These contributors show us our world, one still so full of hope -- Kerri ní Dochartaigh * * Irish Times * *Beautiful . . . A series of authentic experiences, each individual immersing themselves in nature . . . Antlers of Water is a warm invitation to reimagine your intimacy to nature, whether that's within the confinements of a communal city garden or on an island surrounded by the vast ocean. But whilst we should enjoy it, in whatever manner we please, we must not forget we must also take care of it * * Caught by the River, Book of the Month * *Features some fine writing on Scotland's environment * * Independent * *Rich and intriguing . . . Illuminating, insightful and - even more important - necessary, there's something for everyone here, whether you're a devoted Munro bagger and birdwatcher or an occasional countryside visitor * * Herald * *Provides relief and inspiration . . . Open-hearted . . . The knowledge that there is something bigger than ourselves, is a relief. How deep the water is, how old the mountains. Scotland is wild. I'm going out to look again * * Scotsman * *Reveals why fresh awareness of wildlife and landscape should be cherished * * Sunday Post * *A bravura collection of essays on the splendour and wildness of the Scottish landscape, Antlers of Water is edited by the acclaimed Kathleen Jamie and draws together a stellar list of contributors * * Waterstones, Best Books of the Year * *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the answers behind the mysteries of the countryside in all their fascination and beauty... Ever wondered about the masses of twigs in bare-branched trees that look like abandoned nests? Seen fuzzy red balls on roses? A stranded pond on a hilltop? Or even considered the shaded ways we walk along? One of Britain's best-known naturalists, John Wright describes and explores fifty of the natural (and unnatural) puzzles of the countryside that might confound the ever-curious. He reveals the histories and practicalities of those that are man-made and the astounding and intricate lives of the natural wonders around us. From the enormous to the truly tiny he illuminates the oddities that pepper our countryside and reveals the many pleasures of spotting and understanding them. Informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated, this is for anyone who has ever gone outside and wondered what is that?Trade ReviewBEST NATURE BOOKS OF 2021 'Highly readable ... Apart from his ready knowledge of nature, [John Wright] has a sharp eye, a ready wit and a keen nose for a good story. Superb. * Countryfile Magazine *Praise for The Forager's Calendar: 'He writes so engagingly ... [This book] is a treasure. It is beautifully produced, designed and illustrated. -- John Carey * The Sunday Times *John Wright writes as though he's talking directly to you, a good friend in the same room. His harvest of fascinating information is worn lightly, with funny, whimsical observations... this wonderful book should be well-thumbed by anyone who is interested in the natural world. * BBC Countryfile *A hugely useful, well-illustrated and often funny book * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating insight the life of trees at Kew Gardens - and those that care for them - over the course of a year.

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Book Synopsis THE ORIGINAL & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING ALMANAC Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including key dates, tide tables and garden tasks; constellations and moon phases; sunrises, folk songs, seasonal recipes plus a 'bun of the month'; and - because 2023 will be a good year for planet spotting - the solar system and the zodiac.The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, with this instalment following the swirling micro world of the garden pond through the year.You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.This year's edition is illustrated by artist Whooli Chen.The geographical scope of The Almanac is Britain and IrelandPRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC:'Lia Leendertz's classic almanac never fails to delight' - The Herald'It's a perfect Christmas present' - Allan Jenkins, The Observer'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof'This book is your bible' - The Independent'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews

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Book SynopsisDeep Country is Neil Ansell''s account of five years spent alone in a hillside cottage in Wales.''I lived alone in this cottage for five years, summer and winter, with no transport, no phone. This is the story of those five years, where I lived and how I lived. It is the story of what it means to live in a place so remote that you may not see another soul for weeks on end. And it is the story of the hidden places that I came to call my own, and the wild creatures that became my society.''Neil Ansell immerses himself in the rugged British landscape, exploring nature''s unspoilt wilderness and man''s relationship with it. Deep Country is a celebration of rural life and the perfect read for fans of Robert Macfarlane''s Landmarks, Helen Macdonald''s H is for Hawk orJames Rebanks'' A Shepherd''s Life.''A beautiful, translucent portrayal of mid-Wales'' Jay Griffiths''Touching. Through Ansell''s charming and thoroughly

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Book SynopsisWaterstones Non fiction Book of the Month November 2021 ‘A delightful compendium that brings together language, culture and adventure through frozen landscapes as it shares the meanings behind 50 words for snow, gathered from around the globe.’ The Herald Snow. Every language has its own words for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. In this exquisite exploration, writer and Arctic traveller Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings of fifty words for snow. In Japanese we encounter yuki-onna – a ‘snow woman’ who drifts through the frosted land. In Icelandic it is hundslappadrífa – ‘snowflakes as big as a dog’s paw’ – that softly blanket the streets. And in Māori we meet Huka-rere – ‘one of the children of rain and wind’. From mountain tops and frozen seas to city parks and desert hills, each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story – the perfect winter gift. ___ ‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘Sparkles and dazzles with new meanings and old magic. You’ll never see snow in the same way again.’ Matt Gaw, author of Under the StarsTrade Review'A sparkling prism to reveal what snow means to different cultures... [an] exploration of the language that describes myriad snowscapes, from mountain peaks and ancient glaciers to boreal cities and Baltic landscapes.' National Geographic 'A miraculous snow bank of niveous names and knowledge as delicate and multifaceted as the flakes it celebrates. A glittering cloud of Inupiaq, Icelandic, compound Maori, Finnish, Scots, Thai, Hebrew, American Sign Language.' Dan Richards, author of Outpost: A Wild Journey to the Ends of the Earth 'This is a book of now... It shows us how we are connected and united across languages and across borders, through our environment, climate, stories and Nature. Fifty Words for Snow is both gorgeous and important to hunker down with, whatever the weather outside.' Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine 'A delightful compendium that brings together language, culture and adventure through frozen landscapes as it shares the meanings behind 50 words for snow, gathered from around the globe.' The Herald, Christmas Books 2020 ‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art. It is impossible to imagine the reader who will not love it.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘Sparkles and dazzles with new meanings and old magic. You’ll never see snow in the same way again.’ Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars

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Book Synopsis'This is one of those special books . . . Even if it were only a book about eels, it would be wonderful.' - Sunday Times'I never thought I would see myself in an eel, until I read Svensson’s beautiful book, in which he anthropomorphizes eels and shows how mysterious they are, and how little we know about them. It’s a beautiful book that makes you realize that the eel is our cousin — we are the eel, and the eel is us.' - Michaela Coel’I can’t recall us ever talking about anything other than eels and how to best catch them, down there by the stream. Actually, I can’t remember us speaking at all. Maybe because we never did.’The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is one of the strangest creatures nature ever created. Remarkably little is known about the eel, even today. What we do know is that it’s born as a tiny willow-leaf shaped larva in the Sargasso Sea, travels on the ocean currents toward the coasts of Europe – a journey of about four thousand miles that takes at least two years. Upon arrival, it transforms itself into a glass eel and then into a yellow eel before it wanders up into fresh water. It lives a solitary life, hiding from both light and science, for ten, twenty, fifty years, before migrating back to the sea in the autumn, morphing into a silver eel and swimming all the way back to the Sargasso Sea, where it breeds and dies.And yet . . . There is still so much we don’t know about eels. No human has ever seen eels reproduce; no one can give a complete account of the eel’s metamorphoses or say why they are born and die in the Sargasso Sea; no human has even seen a mature eel in the Sargasso Sea. Ever. And now the eel is disappearing, and we don’t know exactly why.What we do know is that eels and their mysterious lives captivate us.This is the basis for The Gospel of the Eels, Patrik Svensson’s quite unique natural science memoir; his ongoing fascination with this secretive fish, but also the equally perplexing and often murky relationship he shared with his father, whose only passion in life was fishing for this obscure creature.Through the exploration of eels in literature (Günter Grass and Graham Swift feature, amongst others) and the history of science (we learn about Aristotle’s and Sigmund Freud’s complicated relationships with eels) as well as modern marine biology (Rachel Carson and others) we get to know this peculiar animal. In this exploration, we also learn about the human condition, life and death, through natural science and nature writing at its very best.As Patrik Svensson concludes: 'by writing about eels, I have in some ways found my way home again.'Trade ReviewThe best mysteries are those science hasn’t yet cracked, and top of the list comes the sex life of eels. -- Melanie Reid * The Times *Extraordinary . . . Such is his skill that the echoes and parallels he finds never seem stretched. It’s as if the eel’s mysteriousness is snaking out, beyond its extraordinary life cycle and uncanny ability to confound scientists, and into the writing. * Observer *This beguiling book . . . completely won me over to these astonishing, mysterious creatures . . . Beautifully written, The Gospel of the Eels left me in awe of the animal. * Sunday Times ‘Nature Books of the Year’ *A gorgeously evocative blend of science, nature writing and family memoir * Guardian *What a joy! Patrick Svensson’s sinuous weaving of natural history, philosophy, psychology and autobiography is as compelling and rewarding as a silver eel’s return to the Sargasso Sea. I loved every moment. * Isabella Tree, author of Wilding *I’m still not sure I like eels, but I loved this book. * Sunday Times *In this lovely, thoughtful blend of natural science and memoir, Patrik Svensson elevates the European eel . . . to an almost mythical status . . . We must hope this marvellous book is not the eel's eulogy. * Mail on Sunday *Just as the eel glides between freshwater and salt, Svensson’s book swims in the seas of both natural history and memoir. Svensson’s father took the young Patrik eel fishing often, and their beautifully rendered nocturnal outings have the feel of occult ritual. * New York Times *Svensson’s book, like its subject, is a strange beast: a creature of metamorphosis, a shape-shifter that moves among realms. It is a book of natural history, and a memoir about a son and his father. It is also an exploration of literature and religion and custom, and what it means to live in a world full of questions we can’t always answer. * New Yorker *There’s an underlying theme here that made me think science is about discovery, not always about perfect answers. * Forbes, ‘Best Summer Reads For Those Stuck Inside Working Remotely’ *Drawing from literature, science and his own studies, Svensson inspires readers to see eels in a whole new way. * Los Angeles Times, ‘21 new and classic books to keep you in touch with the natural world’ *

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