Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisThe follow up to My Family and Other Animals and the second book in The Corfu Trilogy, the beloved books that inspired ITV''s television series The Durrells.In this second collection of tales concerning the Durrell family on the island of Corfu, young Gerry continues to be captivated by the fascinating flora and fauna of their adopted home - much to the bemusement and upset of his long suffering siblings and mother.Whether it''s lamp fishing by night or roving the countryside with his mentor Theodore, Gerry encounters intoxicated hedgehogs, tarantulas, dung beetles, water spiders and other animals, some of which become the family''s very unwanted pets.''A wild and amusing chronicle'' Daily Express''This book, an evocation of a budding naturalist''s life as a boy on Corfu, will delight many readers, even those who can''t stand spiders...'' Evening Standard''Delightful, charming, funny''Trade ReviewDelightful, charming, funny * The Times *A wild and amusing chronicle * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the wildflowers of North America, updated for the first time in decades to reflect the impact of climate change and the advancements in DNA studies that have radically altered the classification process.Whether preparing for a scenic hike or getting to know the flowers in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. This handsome volume, from the world's most trusted name in nature field guides, is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable resource, it covers 853 species of wildflowers, with nearly 5,200 full-color photographs.For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is organized according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group IV classification system. Each species features up to five vibrant photographs, t

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Book Synopsis“It’s a collection of whimsical stories that puts the water that runs through our lives at centre-stage.”

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Book SynopsisAlgeria is bigger than Western Europe but the Sahara's landscapes are known to few. This book features photographs that depict Saharan landscapes' beauty, solitude and tranquillity. In the final section, it also proposes Protected Area status for a large area of Algeria's south eastern Sahara.Trade Review"'it's main selling point will be that it's by Tom Sheppard.' (Sam) 'I have had a chance to look over your latest book and think it'd be an excellent addition to our stock range. With just the two guides available, the odd fiction book and no travel literature of note, I'd certainly be happy to have an informed, anecdotal account of travel in the country available, especially one so strikingly illustrated; the landscape and scale of its features are extraordinary.... The final pages are a must-have... '(Alex) 'The photos are of course beautiful and appropriate.' (Jean) 'It hardly needs to be said, but I'm highly impressed by the design of the book - magnifique!' (Jon) 'I think the dummy book is tremendous.... Overall I think it is fascinating, and in places awe inspiring.... such a grand and worthwhile exercise...' (Simon)

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Highland Book Prize In 1995 the National Trust for Scotland acquired Mar Lodge Estate in the heart of the Cairngorms. Home to over 5,000 species, this vast expanse of Caledonian woodlands, subarctic mountains, bogs, moors, roaring burns and frozen lochs could be a place where environmental conservation and Highland field sports would exist in harmony. The only problem was that due to centuries of abuse by human hands, the ancient Caledonian pinewoods were dying, and it would take radical measures to save them. After 25 years of extremely hard work, the pinewoods, bogs, moors and mountains are returning to their former glory. Regeneration is the story of this success, featuring not only the people who are protecting the land and quietly working to undo the wrongs of the past, but also the myriad creatures which inspire them to do so. In addition, it also tackles current controversies such as raptor persecution, deer management and rewilding and asks bigger questions about the nature of conservation itself: what do we see when we look at our wild places? What should we see?Trade Review'Deftly weaving through the social and political complexities of nature conservation in Scotland the Regeneration of Mar Lodge is testimony to the miracles that can happen when disparate interests come together in common cause. Beautifully written, often funny, sometimes very moving, always fascinating in its historical and ecological detail, Andrew Painting has given us a gift of insight, wisdom and vaulting ambition for a wilder, richer future for the Highlands of Scotland. A hugely enjoyable and inspiring read' -- Isabella Tree, author of 'Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm''Introduces a strong voice in nature writing to the world. A cracker ... The equivalent of Isabella Tree's excellent Wilding, but for the Scottish uplands - Scots pines, red deer, golden eagles, mountains, lochs, and a very large area ... This is a great achievement, it's about more than this wonderful location. It's a compelling and enjoyable read ... and deserves to win prizes' -- Mark Avery * Standing Up for Nature blog *'Painting writes both clearly and often entrancingly. ... I commend this book strongly. You will learn a lot. ... Painting is not dogmatic; he invites you to think and indeed argue' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'The tone is companionable, humorous and buoyant ... when I next visit the Cairngorms, I’ll do so with a deeper understanding and appreciation of its beauty' * BBC Countryfile *'Andrew's enthusiasm and love for the Cairngorms shines through ... These pages are a testimony to the miracles which can materialise when different interests with often radically divergent views come together for the common good' * Press & Journal *'Regeneration is the painfully honest but ultimately inspirational story of the transformation of Mar Lodge by a dedicated team of ecologists, stalkers, rangers and other estate workers. Andrew Painting is an outstanding new nature writer – and someone we will no doubt hear more from in the years to come' -- Alan McCombes * John Muir Trust magazine *'This is Painting's first book and judging by its all-round execution, this should not be his last. ... Heartwarming and inspiring, it is thoroughly engaging, making for an educational and entertaining read' * Dundee Courier, Scottish Book of the Week *'Beautiful ... details the work that has occurred over the last twenty-five years on Mar Lodge Estate and long-term regeneration efforts. There is a lot to be learned from this book even if you have prior knowledge of environmental conservation' * Scottish Field *'Mar Lodge Estate has come to represent potentially the future of what Scotland's wildlife, mountains and hillside look like ... a fascinating mix of conservation, sporting interests and inevitably for somewhere so beautiful, the management of people ... Andrew Painting is immersed in what’s going on, there are all sorts of threads and lines underground, above ground, in the water, up the hills – he just gets it holistically' * BBC Radio Scotland, Out of Doors *'Marvellously evokes the Cairngorm landscape, the thin tapestry of plants and animals that clothe massive geological landforms. Painting's deft use of anecdote and humour lightens this narrative of a landscape that has been used and over-used as a resource for centuries ... This is a tale of hope, the story of the small and often overlooked aspects of nature as much as the grand and iconic' * Mountaineering Scotland *'Painting bores into the heart of Scottish conservation … and brings a rare and balanced viewpoint to this fraught world. Environmentalists want more diverse landscapes, more resilient to our changing climate, while fans of Highlands sport – to many, the essence of Scottish identity – would like it to long continue. Mar Lodge's success shows that they are not incompatible if groups tread lightly and seek to understand each other's beliefs' * Geographical Magazine *'Engaging, meticulously researched ... Regeneration demonstrates that a future is possible for Scotland’s uplands in which rewilding, deer stalking, tourism, communities, and even grouse shooting can coexist in harmony' -- Alex Roddie * The Great Outdoors *'My book of the year…Painting writes with style and verve…the details spell out what makes Mar Lodge so critical for the future: this estate has brought about a successful marriage of traditional Highland sports and ecological restoration' * Reforesting Scotland *'Painting – a wonderful writer – is clearly passionate about nature conservation, and is fearless in his discussions of land ownership and land management in the Highlands' -- Ian Crofton * Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal *'If you have ever wondered what happened to all that land at Mar Lodge that the National Trust for Scotland took over in 1995, then this is the book for you… A great read' -- John Miles * Birdwatching magazine *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the invisible connections sustaining the entire natural world from the bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees Did you know that trees can influence the rotation of the earth?Or that wolves can alter the course of a river?Or that earthworms control wild boar populations?The natural world is a web of intricate connections, many of which go unnoticed by humans. But it is these connections that maintain nature’s finely balanced equilibrium.Drawing on the latest scientific discoveries and decades of experience as a forester, Peter Wohlleben shows us how different animals, plants, rivers, rocks and weather systems cooperate, and what's at stake when these delicate systems are unbalanced. ‘Peter Wohlleben doesn't merely look, he sees. Let's all learn as much from him as we can, and quickly’ Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of CowsTrade ReviewPeter Wohlleben doesn't merely look, he sees. Let's all learn as much from him as we can, and quickly. -- Rosamund Young, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF COWSFascinating… Wohlleben is right to remind us that everything is joined up -- Julian Glover * Evening Standard *A fascinating read * BBC Wildlife *Praise for The Hidden Life of Trees: ‘Marvellous’ -- John Banville * Irish Times *Praise for The Inner Life of Animals: 'Always fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind' -- Richard Kerridge * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the power of our relationship with Y Môr (the sea) along the Wales Coast Path.Matthew Yeomans takes us on journeys along the official walking trail, which in its entirety covers 870 miles (1400 km) of the Welsh coastline. He uncovers how the sea has shaped our lives through history; how Wales's rich mythology, literature and culture has been influenced by this fluid force, and the growing role that the sea plays in our lives. Along the way, Seascape challenges us to face the realities of climate change and how we will need to adapt where and how we live. Only by recovering a healthy relationship with the sea can we meet our future challenges and unlock opportunities for better ways of living.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITINGA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: NATURE AND TRAVELWhen Kerri and her partner M moved to a small, remote railway cottage in the heart of Ireland they were looking for a home, somewhere to stay put. What followed was a year unlike any other.Cacophony of Bone maps the circle of that year - a journey from one place to another, field notes of a life - from one winter to the next. It is a telling of a changed life, in a changed world - and it is about all that does not change. All that which simply keeps on - living and breathing, nesting and dying - in spite of it all.This is an ode to a year, a place, and a love, that changed a life.Trade Review[A] generous, glowing book. ní Dochartaigh is on intimate terms with the natural world . . . [and] Cacophony of Bone is distinctly innovative in form. This attention to form is a considerable narrative achievement. It [. . . ] persuades the reader to look, assess and imagine afresh * * Irish Times * *Raw, visionary, lucid and mystical, Cacophony of Bone speaks of the connection between all things, and the magic that can be found in everyday life -- KATHERINE MAYThe delight of ní Dochartaigh's writing is her capacity to measure compassion against observation. Her wisdom is like water - too strong, and too elusive, to be hooked . . . This is the book's power - that it fills the needs of the person who stands before it . . . It is a book that creeps into the reader * * Caught by the River * *This is a brilliant second book from a unique and deeply gifted writer who constantly renews our sense of the natural world and the landscape of the heart -- KEVIN BARRYWhat joy, to find oneself once more in the world of Kerri Ní Dochartaigh, following her through the astonishments of her days, where each moment is deeply felt and each page is written with such nimble meticulousness. Cacophony of Bone is neat as a robin's nest, and just as wondrous -- DOIREANN Ní GHRíOFAA strange and beautiful book - a collage of glittering images, moments, feelings, sensations. A selection of shining objects gathered on windowsill for safekeeping. A careful record of a fulcrum year, with all its joys and pains laid out on the page; Kerri ní Dochartaigh is a prose poet with keen eyes and a huge heart -- CAL FLYNIn Cacophony of Bone as in her previous work, Kerri has a deeply personal voice that feels as if it comes not from her, but from the earth beneath her -- MARC HAMERI am a little in awe of Kerri ní Dochartaigh's work - the clarity and disinhibition of her storytelling; the wild freedom of her prose. Here is a brave and bold book, and one that deserves to be read, then read again -- HELEN JUKESCacophony of Bone is a book that touched me deeply. It's so vital, so brimming with life and love, and ní Dochartaigh's singular, addictive lyricism -- LUCY JONESIn poems and essays, Ní Dochartaigh writes in exquisite detail of the seasons, beginning with the "ghost-trace, moon-white" and silent winter that kicks off a new phase of life * * Los Angeles Times * *

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Book Synopsis'A warp-speed tour of dinosaurs, with an expert guide' PROF. STEVE BRUSATTE, bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs'A fun, speedy read for grown-ups who love dinosaurs - a great way to get into the subject' PROF. MICHAEL BENTON, author of The Dinosaurs Rediscovered---------Travel back to the prehistoric world and discover the most fascinating parts of the lives of Earth's most awe-inspiring creatures - the dinosaurs. Dr Dean Lomax brings these prehistoric creatures to life in ten bite-sized essays, written for people short on time but not curiosity. Making big ideas simple, Dean takes readers on a journey to uncover what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur, what dinosaurs ate, how they evolved, what caused them to go extinct, and more! Perfect for anyone fascinated by the dinosaur exhibits at museums, palaeontology and fans of Jurassic Park.---------'An eminently accessible read...a perfect primer (or refresher) for dino fans and newbies, yet doesn't skimp on the fascinating details that make 21st-century palaeontology so vibrant' DR REBECCA WRAGG SYKES, author of KindredTrade ReviewA fun, speedy read for grown-ups who love dinosaurs - a great way to get into the subject * Professor Michael Benton, author of The Dinosaurs Rediscovered *A warp-speed tour of dinosaurs, with an expert guide. * Professor Steve Brusatte, bestselling author of 'The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs' *An eminently accessible read, Lomax provides a perfect primer (or refresher) for dino fans and newbies, yet doesn't skimp on the fascinating details that make 21st century palaeontology so vibrant. * Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of 'Kindred' *If you were a dinosaur fan when you were a kid and never lost interest, I encourage you to check out this book. Paleontology has come a long way since the 1990s and there have been many finds that have changed the way we think about these creatures. This book covers a lot of ground and it's all packaged in a quick, easy read that will supply you with many fun dinosaur facts for entertaining or educating purposes. * Kallie Moore, host of PBS Eons Show *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature Elemental, fierce and full of wonder, the Cairngorm mountains are the high and rocky heart of Scotland. To know them would take forever, to love them demands a kind of courageous surrender. In The Hidden Fires, Merryn Glover undertakes that challenge with Nan Shepherd as companion and guiding light. Following in the footsteps and contours of The Living Mountain, she explores the same landscapes and themes as Shepherd’s seminal work. This is a journey separated by time but unified by space and purpose, a conversation between two women across nearly a century that explores how entering the life of a mountain can illuminate our own. An Australian who grew up in the Himalayas, her early experiences of the Scottish hills and weather left her cold. But gradually acclimatising and with an approach like Shepherd’s, that is more mountain wandering than mountaineering, she discovers the spark that sets the hills and herself on fire. Through Glover’s deepening encounter, the wild majesty and iridescence of the Cairngorms is revealed in this beautiful evocation of landscape, place and identity. Shortlisted for The Great Outdoors Reader Awards 2024 'Merryn Glover’s The Hidden Fires is not just brave, it is remarkable' – Sir John Lister-KayeTrade Review'Inspired by The Living Mountain, this book will sit comfortably and deservedly on the same shelf as Nan Shepherd’s masterpiece' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'A dazzling adventure into mountain, place and time. Redolent with the presence of Nan Shepherd, this book will captivate lovers of The Living Mountain' -- Esther Woolfson'The Hidden Fires is a book about homecoming and homemaking, of noticing and belonging. It is a joyous celebration of the process of finding yourself' -- Kerri Andrews, author of Wanderers: A History of Women Walking'Only rarely does one read a book whose quality of distinction is immediately apparent from the first page; Merryn Glover’s The Hidden Fires is not just brave, it is remarkable. Her writing comes at you out of the rock; it recalls some splendid cave painting, telling as much of man as of beast and leaving us in awe of each' -- Sir John Lister-Kaye, FRSGS, OBE'A meditation on both Nan Shepherd's classic book and on what the mountains mean to them both...the discoveries she makes as she follows in Shepherd' Cairngorms footsteps have a freshness about them. There's magic and mysticism in the mix too' -- David Robinson'a deeply personal account of Glover's love for the landscape' -- Alice Hinds * Sunday Post *'A truly inspiring and beautiful book about the Cairngorm mountains, our natural world, and beyond...a rare beauty, where the place and sense of self is revealed and celebrated in all its blazing glory and wonder' -- Liz Robinson * LoveReading - Star Book *'Glover crafts an evocative and immersive slice of travel writing about how the beauty and grandeur of the Cairngorms spoke to her soul' * Waterstones Online *'Glover muses on the late legendary poet's thoughts and experiences whilst on her own transformative journey in a pilgrimage that is touching, elemental, brave and deeply affecting' * Scottish Field *'An admirable and enjoyable book, well-written, good humoured and informative' * The i *'Evocative writing... brings alive the joys and hidden spirituality that a trip to the Scottish hills can bring' * Life and Work *'A very special book...on all accounts, it entertains, educates, and fascinates' -- Neil Reid * Scottish Mountaineer Magazine *'Glover’s writing is refreshing and, whiles, can sparkle like schist... The book will appeal most to those who go to the hills for the hills’ allure rather than out to prove prowess at one of the sporting activities alone' -- Hamish Brown * Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal *'Despite the influence of Shepherd’s gaze, Glover’s own voice – thoughtful, honest, funny, and utterly full of feeling – shines' * The Great Outdoors *

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Book SynopsisHow should we treat non-human animals? In this immensely powerful and influential book (now with a new introduction by Sapiens author Yuval Noah Harari), the renowned moral philosopher Peter Singer addresses this simple question with trenchant, dispassionate reasoning. Accompanied by the disturbing evidence of factory farms and laboratories, his answers triggered the birth of the animal rights movement.'An extraordinary book which has had extraordinary effects... Widely known as the bible of the animal liberation movement' Independent on SundayIn the decades since this landmark classic first appeared, some public attitudes to animals may have changed but our continued abuse of animals in factory farms and as tools for research shows that the underlying ideas Singer exposes as ethically indefensible are still dominating the way we treat animals. As Yuval Harari’s brilliantly argued introduction makes clear, this book is as relevant now as the day it was written.Trade ReviewIn my mind, it is one the most important books of the last 100 years. It expands our moral horizons beyond our own species and is thereby a major evolution in ethics -- Peter Tatchell * Ecologist *

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Book SynopsisWild Life in a Southern County traces the course of a spring which rises on an Iron Age hillfort and gradually broadens into a brook, flows through a nearby village and hamlet, skirts a solitary farmhouse and its orchard, before draining into water meadows and a lake where the wildfowl nest. Immersed in the detail of this ancient landscape, its people and the habitats of its wildlife, what emerges from Jefferies' dazzling prose is his sense of perpetual wonder and the deep affection he felt for his homeland, from the clatter of a milkmaid's boots to a pike lying in ambush.

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Book SynopsisTo celebrate Richard Mabey's 80th birthday, a reissue of the seminal Nature Cure, originally published in 2005 to great acclaim. At the height of his career, having recently published Flora Britannica, the author and naturalist fell in to a deep and all consuming depression. Unable to rise from his bed, his face turned to the wall, Richard Mabey found that the touchstones of his life - his love for nature and the land - could no longer offer him solace. But over time, with help from friends and a move to East Anglia, he slowly recovered, finding a new partner, and a new relationship with landscape. Nature Cure, full of nuance and energy, was a pioneering book in the genre that has since become known as New Nature Writing, and received many plaudits on publication. For this new hardback edition Richard has written a new foreword and Little Toller has commissioned a new jacket by the celebrated artist Michael Kirkman.Trade Review'Mabey's memoir on his recovery from crippling depression through a rediscovery of his love for nature is quite remarkable both for its honesty and its total lack of ego. He has much to say on Man's relationship with nature and the prose is both warm and fiercely intelligent.' The Judges, Whitbread Book Awards, 2005.

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Book Synopsis* LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE. * Repackaged for 2022 with an additional essay In Strangers, Rebecca Tamas explores where the human and nonhuman meet, and why this delicate connection just might be the most important relationship of our times. From 'On Watermelon' to 'On Grief', Tamas's essays are exhilarating to read in their radical and original exploration of the links between the environmental, the political, the folkloric and the historical. From thinking stones, to fairgrounds, from colliding planets to transformative cockroaches, Tamas's lyrical perspective takes the reader on a journey between body, land and spirit-exploring a new ecological vision for our fractured, fragile world.Trade Review'A fascinating, lyrical exploration of the eco-political, from human and non-human bodies to landscapes. Tamas' essays are deeply rooted in folklore and the fragility of existence. A stunning work of enquiry and eloquence.' -Sinead Gleeson; 'So full of insight, compassion and reason' -Anthony Anaxagorou; 'Bursting with intellectual generosity. Deep wide roots and radical shoots. ' -Max Porter; 'exciting and clear-eyed' -Melissa Harrison; 'Rebecca Tamas has the ability to bring together our planet's environment with the ecology of the imagination, to retrieve silent life-forms alongside forgotten intellectual movements. This creates a shifting perspective in her essays which illuminates while giving unexpected pleasure.' -Amit Chaudhuri; 'To read Rebecca Tamas is to feel weirdly, uncannily creaturely, and to see all around us as pulsing with meaning.' -Katherine Angel; 'Strangers is a much-needed lesson in how to love--unconditionally and immeasurably--a dying world.' -Jessica J Lee; 'Erudite yet intimate, moving yet fierce, Rebecca Tamas' hungry exploration of the world - occurring at the porous boundary between literary forms - made me rethink what it means to be humane.' -Olivia Sudjic; 'Rebecca Tamas writes searingly on loss, transformation, art and the body. Her writing is tender and sharp, brimming with heat' -Nina Mingya Powles; 'Strangers is an extraordinary, essential book. Both quiet and loud. Strange yet explicit.' -Sara Baume; 'These essays are sharp, purposeful, moving and strange: necessary writing for now.' -Jenn Ashworth; 'The writing in these essays is luminous and urgent, intensely intimate and wildly global. Strangers is an intricate exploration of environmental precarity, literary strangeness, and the importance of the nonhuman.' -Naomi Booth; 'Strangers is a work of generous, optimistic curiosity, one which forgoes the easy promise of a world to come and invites us instead into a relationship of charged "feral intimacy" with a world that is already here.' -Sam Byers; 'Tamas builds a world so intimate for us here, teaching us how to unlearn and relearn, relive and relove.' -Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal; 'This text is an echoing, unstoppable bell.' -Caught by the River (book of the month); 'A passionate and poetic exercise in empathy for everything.' -Between Two BooksTable of ContentsOn Watermelon--On Hospitality--On Panpscychism--On Greenness--On Pain--On Grief--On Everest--On Mystery

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Book SynopsisNaturalist and author Brian Parkinson follows the main highways and back country roads, stopping off at New Zealand’s most spectacular locations. The country’s isolation for millions of years means its flora and fauna are unique. Parkinson highlights forest birds, towering trees, glacial lakes and active volcanoes which make New Zealand special. from isolated beaches and out on the water, he draws attention to the seabirds and mammals off New Zealand’s coast. But this is not just a road trip exploring the country’s beauty spots. Parkinson writes that ‘natural history is as much about history as it is about nature’ and examines how New Zealand’s natural environment has dramatically changed since people first stepped ashore. What we see today is the result of what happened in the past and all New Zealanders should explore the unique wildlife on our doorstep. It’s just a road trip away.

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Book SynopsisContaining 146 color photos, this book looks at the mammals and reptiles most likely to be encountered in the world-famous Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. It includes 89 species of mammal and reptile.Trade Review"The book is uniquely peppered with anecdotes and tips from six local safari guides working in the region. This human touch is a nice feature, and it's likely you'll come across one of the 'Big 6' on safari in the region... Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Derek Kverno, Birding in Tanzania "Essential book if you are heading for the Serengeti... Excellent."--Derek Moore, Derek Bird Brain "Animals of the Serengeti: And Ngorongoro Conservation Area by Adam Scott Kennedy and Vicki Kennedy is an easy-to-use guidebook that is also very readable... The book is lightweight with each page filled with pictures and brief scientific explanations for each animal. Still, what I find most intriguing about the book, which I also think you will also enjoy, is the incorporation of short first-hand stories told by local guides... A great read."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com "It's an indispensible companion for anyone thinking of making a visit to the region, to enhance your overall experience of the wildlife to be found there and inform you about the characteristics and behaviors that you will observe."--Wild Travel Magazine "A colorful, easy-to-read overview of the fascinating animals to be found on safari in Tanzania."--Library Journal "Filled with vivid anecdotes, Animals of the Serengeti will enable any safari traveler to identify the area's wildlife with ease."--BASE "Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Birding Tanzania Blog "Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Birding Tanzania Blog "These two guides are keys to prepare you for your journey, whether it is an actual safari or an imaginary one from the comfort of your home."--Dan R. Kunkle, Wildlife ActivistTable of ContentsAbout this book 7 About the guides 10 Geography of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) 12 The great migrations 14 Map of the 'Greater Serengeti area' 16 Where to watch wildlife in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) 20 MAMMALS Lion Panthera leo 24 Leopard Panthera pardus 28 Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus 32 Serval Leptailurus serval 36 Caracal Caracal caracal 37 Wild Cat Felis sylvestris 38 African Civet Civettictis civetta 39 Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta 40 Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina 40 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta 42 Aardwolf Proteles cristata 44 Striped Hyena Hyena hyaena 45 Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula 46 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo 47 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus 48 Ichneumon Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon 49 Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus 50 White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda 51 Zorilla Ictonyx striatus 52 Honey Badger Mellivora capensis 53 Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas 54 Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus 55 Golden Jackal Canis aureus 56 Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis 58 Wild Dog Lycaon pictus 59 Pangolin Smutsia temminckii 60 Aardvark Orycteropus afer 61 African Elephant Loxodonta africana 62 Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis 67 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius 68 Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer 70 Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus 73 Warthog Phacochoerus africanus 74 Plains Zebra Equus quagga 76 Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis 80 Eland Tragelaphus oryx 84 Roan Hippotragus equinus 86 Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia 87 Steinbuck Raphicerus campestris 88 Oribi Ourebia ourebi 89 Kirk's Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii 90 Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus 91 Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula 92 Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca 93 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus 94 Defassa Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus 95 Impala Aepyceros melampus 96 Grant's Gazelle Nanger granti 98 Thomson's Gazelle Eudorcas thomsonii 100 Coke's Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus 102 Topi Damaliscus lunatus 103 White-bearded Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus 104 Cape Hare Lepus capensis 108 Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis 108 Springhare Pedetes capensis 109 Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus 110 Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus 111 White-bellied Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris 112 Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata 113 Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis 114 Southern Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus 115 Bush Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei 115 Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus 116 Lesser Galago Galago senegalensis 117 Guereza Colobus Colobus guereza 118 Patas Monkey Erythrocebus patas 120 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis 122 Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus 124 Olive Baboon Papio anubis 126 Rufous Sengi Elephantulus rufescens 128 REPTILES Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus 130 Savanna Monitor Varanus albigularis 132 Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus 132 Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis 134 Helmeted Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa 135 Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis 136 Striped Skink Mabuya striata 136 Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia 138 Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis 139 Mwanza Flat-headed Agama Agama mwanzae 140 Red-headed Rock Agama Agama agama 140 Blue-headed Tree Agama Acanthocercus atricollis 141 Black-necked Spitting Cobra Naja nigricollis 142 Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis 143 Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus semivariegatus 144 Velvety-green Night Adder Causus resimus 144 Puff Adder Bitis arietans 145 African Rock Python Python natalensis 146 Further reading and useful resources 148 Acknowledgements 149 Photographic credits 149 Index 150

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Book SynopsisIt's easy to see why you fell in love with the idea of adopting a Pomeranian. Distinguished by its vivacity, intelligence, extroversion, and fierce loyalty to its family, this tiny canine can make an excellent companion...for the right person.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: Pomeranians: What’s Not to Love? Chapter 1: Catching Pomer-mania. Chapter 2: What’s in a Pom? Chapter 3: In Search of Your Soul Mate. Chapter 4: The Final Selection: Picking Your Perfect Partner. Part II: When Your House Becomes Your Pom’s Home. Chapter 5: Prepare to Be Pomerized! Chapter 6: Coming Home. Chapter 7: Starting Off on the Right Paw: The First Few Days. Part III: Caring for Your Pom from Head to Paw. Chapter 8: Eating Out of the Pom of Your Hand. Chapter 9: Primping Your Pom. Chapter 10: Maintaining Your Pom’s Health and Happiness. Chapter 11: Doctoring Your Dog. Chapter 12: Traveling with a Pom Pilot (Or Leaving Him in Others’ Care). Part IV: Training Your Pom with TLC. Chapter 13: Saving the Carpets: Housetraining. Chapter 14: Mastering Manners and Basic Commands. Chapter 15: Dealing with Doggy Delinquents. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 16: Ten Cool Activities to Do with Your Pom. Chapter 17: Ten Fun Facts about Poms. Index.

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Book SynopsisA charming memoir exploring the history, landscape and people of rural France, told through the eyes of a Parisian-born Englishman, writer and poet. Adam Thorpe''s home for the past 25 years has been an old house in the Cévennes, a wild range of mountains in southern France. Prior to this, in an ancient millhouse in the oxbow of a Cévenol river, he wrote the novel that would become the Booker Prize-nominated Ulverton, now a Vintage Classic. In more recent writing Thorpe has explored the Cévennes, drawing on the legends, history and above all the people of this part of France for his inspiration. In his charming journal, Notes from the Cévennes, Thorpe takes up these themes, writing about his surroundings, the village and his house at the heart of it, as well as the contrasts of city life in nearby Nîmes. In particular he is interested in how the past leaves impressions--marks--on our landscape and on us. What do we find in the grass, earth and stTrade ReviewIn an altogether different class ... beautifully written, full of wisdom about the balance struck by humanity and the natural world ... Adam Thorpe, a self-described "curator of time", has written a grand little book. I might have added that no holidaymaker this year in France, or further afield, should be without it. But why wait until July or August? Don't postpone the treat. Buy now; this book is a real joy. * The Tablet *A marvellously astute, wry and affectionate account of France and the French – mercifully free of whimsy – and, moreover, written in pitch-perfect English prose. A delight. -- William BoydPart history and part memoir, Notes from the Cévennes is a marvellous evocation of the forgotten Languedoc, and an affectionate portrait of a country and a people. -- Sigrid Rausing * Editor of Granta *A powerful story of cooperation and conflict, both between ourselves and Nature. Living in two places, the ancient pastoral retreat of the Cévennes, and the Roman cosmopolitanism of Nimes, Adam has all the gifts of novelist, correspondent, historian and poet. -- Colin Greenwood * Radiohead *His novels are concerned with how the past and the present, reality and fiction elide into each other, particularly through landscape; and Thorpe, in this series of tightly controlled, involving vignettes, finds evidence of this everywhere he looks … Gleaming with polished insights, this sensitive book is both a warning, plea and salutary reminder that even the tiniest action affects the universal. France profonde, indeed. * Spectator *Erudite and beguiling * The Times *Thorpe has dizzying range as well as style * Daily Mail *[A] deeply engaging book, part chatty memoir, part profound perception of the evidence of previous human existences ... He has, in short, lived a life to which he was not born but which he has taken up and made his own, something many people dream about but few are able to emulate * Times Literary Supplement *Thorpe’s memoir is not part of any herd. Nor does it belong in the fast-and-loose category of potboilers about swapping English life for continental idylls … It is erudite, firmly embedded in its own soil and yet evasive … affectionate, appreciative and perceptive * Observer *Beautifully written and produced, a pure pleasure: learned and attentive and rich in description and full of humour that is genuinely affectionate without being remotely patronising * Irish Times *By turns comic and pensive, Notes from the Cévennes is an absorbing and beautifully composed collection of vignettes, recording Adam Thorpe’s encounters, adventures and meditations over half a lifetime in France … Mr Thorpe captures so well the dark history of France, the conflict of religion, politics and land * Country Life *This absorbing book is written in prose as bright and bracing as the waters of the rivers in which Thorpe loves to swim. Despite the warts-and-all picture, it made me want to pack my bags and head south. * Literary Review *Thorpe allows a sense of folk magic to permeate, and his characters feel rustic in a timeless way because he transmits a real appreciation of the wild and how humans justify our interactions with other beasts … A gentle homage to rural life. * New Statesman *Table of Contents1 Gossamer Threads 2 The Poppet 3 Coming Into Shot 4 Wartime Shrines 5 Our Baker is Missing 6 Reprisal in the Oxbow 7 The Psychological Castle 8 Taking the Postman Hostage 9 Resident Tombs 10 A Flat Above the Cafe 11 All that Rough Muskc 12 Erudition 13 A Local Custom 14 Disaster Area 15 Martins in the Roof 16 A Visit from the City Police 17 Arches and Bulls 18 Defending Wolves 19 A Catastrophe 20 Floodwaters 21 The Ballot 22 Paws, Fingers and Thighs 23 Taking Our Tread 24 Epilogue Footprints Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisDestress and escape from your busy schedule with this beautiful coloring book featuring 45 nature-inspired scenes you can fill with your favorite colors.Unwind and release your creativity through the beauty and wonder of nature with Pretty Simple Coloring: Nature Scenes. Filled with 45 delightful drawings of plants and animals, this coloring book is the perfect escape no matter how busy your schedule. The beautiful line art illustrations are easy to see and designed to be quickly filled with your favorite colors. Relax and enjoy your coloring time—no matter how long or short—without the worry of straining your eyes or cramping your hand. Make the most of your free time with Pretty Simple Coloring: Nature Scenes.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1869, John Muir set out from California's Central Valley with a flock of sheep and trekked into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. His journals describe the summer he spent in what would become Yosemite National Park. Celebrating the Sierra's lizards and mountain lions, tall trees and waterfalls, fierce thunderstorms and bears, Muir raises an awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension.John Muir is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation and his vision, passion and integrity continue to inspire readers today - particularly in this, his best-loved book.Trade ReviewMuir's prose is a miracle of immediacy. His books are illuminated by sunshine and starlight. The cold mineral air of the mountains and the resiny reek of coniferous forests lift bracingly off his pages. No other writer is so ceaselessly astonished by the natural world as Muir, or communicates that astonishment more urgently. Muir lived "in an infinite storm of beauty", and his readers live in it with him -- Robert MacfarlaneAn inspirational figure for modern environmentalism . . . his enthusiasm and heart-felt love of nature is immensely impressive. Thankfully the wilderness blooms again in Muir's evocative prose * * Guardian * *Brilliant description is the currency of My First Summer in the Sierra . . . Religious awe and powerful terrestrial awareness mark [Muir's] prose in what is essentially a song to nature's marvels and to our humanness of being * * Scotsman * *The richness of Muir's writing roots deeper into the terrain than any other wilderness writer known to me * * Los Angeles Times * *Muir was a geologist, an explorer, philosopher, artist, author, and editor, and to each of his avocations he devoted that deep insight and conscientious devotion which made him its master * * New York Times * *The great mountain man . . . [John Muir] remains a towering presence in American cultural life, and is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation -- Mark Cocker, author of Crow CountryAs more and more of us grow aghast at what we have done to the world we started with, Muir's reverence and devotion will seem keenly germane, and our regret may be transmuted into a fight for the future -- Edward Hoagland

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Book SynopsisWinter takes us on an intimate tour of the artists, poets, composers, writers, explorers, scientists and thinkers who helped shape a new and modern idea of winter. We learn how literature heralds the arrival of the middle class; how snow science leads to existential questions of God and our place in the world; how the race to the poles marks the human drive to imprint meaning on a blank space. Offering a kaleidoscopic take on the season, Winter is a homage to an idea of a season and a journey through the modern imagination.Trade Review'Gopnik's mind darts about like mercury as he tells his tale' The Times. * The Times *'Often startlingly good ... The perfect fireside companion' Observer. * Observer *'Brilliantly insightful ... Any writer who can take subjects as diverse as Wilson Bentley's snow crystal photographs, Dickens's Christmas stories and the myth that the Inuit have dozens of different words for snow, and find something original and interesting to say about each of them, has to be worth reading' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *'Makes chilliness worth every minute' The Economist. * Economist *Table of ContentsAuthor's Note. Romantic Winter. Radical Winter. Recuperative Winter. Recreational Winter. Remembering Winter. Bibliography. Permissions. Index.

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Book Synopsis''A delight'' Hugh Warwick, ecologist and author of A Prickly Affair''Hilarious and heartbreaking'' Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell''A triumph'' Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild, Being a Human and A Little Brown Sea''A necessary nature book, with prose as sharp as prickles.'' John Lewis-StempelA body lies motionless on the ground. Small, with a snouty head and covered with spines, it is unquestionably dead before its time. And all of those gathered around the corpse are suspect. So which one of them is responsible for this crime - and for the disappearance of many many thousands of hedgehogs in recent decades?Is it the car driver, the badger, the farmer, the gardener ..? Who could possibly have it in for a hedgehog? In poll after poll they come out top as our favourite mammal. And yet their numbers are estimated to have halved in less than twenty years. Magnifying glass in han

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Book SynopsisMichael Symmons Roberts (Author) Michael Symmons Roberts was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1963. He has published eight collections of poetry and received a number of accolades including the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Award and the Whitbread Poetry Prize. His Selected Poems was published in 2016. As a librettist, his work has been performed in concert halls and opera houses around the world, and he is an award-winning broadcaster and dramatist. He is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, his Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong was published in 2025.Paul Farley (Author) Paul Farley is the author of four collections of poetry and has won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the Whitbread Poetry Award and the E.M. Forster Award. He broadcasts regularly on radio and presents The Echo Chamber on Radio 4. Edgelands, co-written with Michael Symmons Roberts, received the Royal Society of Literature's Jerwood Award and the 2011 Foyles Best Book of Ideas Award and was serialised as Radio 4 Book of the Week.Trade ReviewThis book is a delight: witty and wryly contrarian -- Robert MacFarlane * Guardian *A masterpiece of its kind... Even more uplifting is the chapter on weather - truly one of the most extraordinary passages of prose I have read in some time... This is, quite simply, beautiful, but it is also typical of a beautifully conceived work of exploration, by two emissaries to the wilderness who do the wasteland proud -- John Burnside * The Times *Marvellously quirky, fascinatingly detailed and beautifully written * Daily Telegraph *The edgelands, where the veneer of civilisation peels away, are the most despised and ignored of landscapes. Ambition turns to dust in the sewage farm and landfill site. But Farley and Roberts's mischievous and elegant forays into these marginal wastes, show that dust turns back to life in them - into riotous ecologies, agitprop architecture and the wonderful business of playing. A provocative, left-field read -- Richard MabeyHaunting, often inspiring book...Edgelands covers an impressive range of politics, reminiscence, investigation and rumination * Scotland on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis10th anniversary edition with new PrefaceOne of the largest rivers in the world, the Indus rises in the Tibetan mountains, flows west across northern India and south through Pakistan. For millennia it has been worshipped as a god; for centuries used as a tool of imperial expansion; today it is the cement of Pakistans fractious union. Five thousand years ago, a string of sophisticated cities grew and traded on its banks. In the ruins of these elaborate metropolises, Sanskrit-speaking nomads explored the river, extolling its virtues in Indias most ancient text, the Rig-Veda. During the past two thousand years a series of invaders - Alexander the Great, Afghan Sultans, the British Raj - made conquering the Indus valley their quixotic mission. For the people of the river, meanwhile, the Indus valley became a nodal point on the Silk Road, a centre of Sufi pilgrimage and the birthplace of Sikhism. Empires of the Indus follows the river upstream and back in tTrade Review'Impressive and original ...In the course of her journey, Albinia encounters all kinds of danger, and at times her courage tips her into foolhardiness ... This however, is the behaviour we expect of the best kind of travel writer.' * Peter Parker, Daily Telegraph *'Empires of the Indus is a magnificent book, a triumphant melding of travel and history into a compelling story of adventure and discovery ... an inspiring book, and readers with even a fraction of Albinia's wanderlust will want to set off on their own explorations.' * Paddy Docherty, Financial Times *'Such an accomplished first book' * The Sunday Times *'In an engaging blend of travel writing and history, journalist Albinia charts the course of the longest river in the Indian subcontinent.' * Financial Times *'Its originality, enthusiasm and understanding add up to a memorable, illuminating read.' * Scotsman *'Imaginatively structured' * Scotland on Sunday *'As the first book of a young writer, it's an impressive achievement' * New Statesman *'The truly great achievement of this book is to reveal, unflinchingly and with panache, the rich and varied heritage of the Indus in all its appalling spleandour' * Guardian *'Alice Albinia is well placed to unpick the country's complex history in this impressive debut' * Independent *'I have travelled much of the territory described here but I cannot say that I remotely knew it until I read this wonderful book. With her debut work Alice Albinia is set to take her place alongside the greats like Eric Newby and Colin Thubron. Her prose is lucid and entertaining and her insights invariably penetrating' * Fergal Keane *

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Book SynopsisOn 30 January 1607 a huge wave, over 7 meters high, swept up the River Severn, flooding the land on either side. The wall of water reached as far in land as Bristol and Cardiff. It swept away everything in its path, devastating communities and killing thousands of people in what was Britain''s greatest natural disaster. Historian and geographer Mike Hall pieces together the contemporary accounts and the surviving physical evidence to present, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of what actually happened on that fateful day and its consequences. He also examines the possible causes of the disaster: was it just a storm surge or was it, in fact, the only recorded instance of a tsunami in Britain.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xvii Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Taking Flight with Beekeeping 7 Chapter 1: To Bee, or Not to Bee? 9 Discovering the Benefits of Beekeeping 10 Harvesting liquid gold: Honey 11 Bees as pollinators: Their vital role to our food supply 11 Being part of the bigger picture: Save the bees! 13 Getting an education: And passing it on! 13 Improving your health: Bee therapies and stress relief 15 Determining Your Beekeeping Potential 16 Environmental considerations 16 Zoning and legal restrictions 16 Costs and equipment 17 Time and commitment 18 Beekeeper personality traits 18 Allergies 19 Deciding Which Beekeeping Approach to Follow 19 Medicated beekeeping 20 Natural beekeeping 20 Organic beekeeping 21 Combining approaches 21 Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Honey Bees 23 Basic Body Parts 24 Skeleton 24 Head 25 Thorax 26 Abdomen 27 The Amazing Language of Bees 27 Pheromones 27 Shall we dance? 28 Getting to Know the Male and the Two Female Castes 29 Her majesty, the queen 29 The industrious little worker bee 32 House bees 33 Field bees 36 The woeful drone 37 The Honey Bee Life Cycle 39 Egg 39 Larva 41 Pupa 42 Other Stinging Insects 43 Bumblebee 44 Carpenter bee 44 Mason bee 45 Wasp 45 Yellow jacket 46 Bald-faced hornet 47 Part 2: Starting Your Adventure 49 Chapter 3: Alleviating Apprehensions and Making Decisions 51 Overcoming Sting Phobia 52 Knowing what to do if you’re stung 53 Watching for allergic reactions 54 Building up a tolerance 54 Understanding Local Laws and Ordinances 55 Easing the Minds of Family and Neighbors 55 Location, Location, Location: Where to Keep Your Hives 57 Knowing what makes a perfect bee yard 57 Urban considerations 59 Understanding the correlation between geographical area and honey flavors 64 Knowing When to Start Your Adventure 64 Chapter 4: Selecting a Hive That’s Perfect for You 67 The Langstroth Hive 68 The Kenyan Top Bar Hive 70 The Apimaye Insulated Hive 73 The Flow Hive 75 The Warré (People’s) Hive 78 The Five-Frame Nuc Hive 81 The Observation Hive 83 Make a Beeline to the Best Beehive 86 Hives for harvesting honey 87 Hives for pollinating your garden 87 A hive for learning and teaching 88 Chapter 5: Basic Equipment for Beekeepers 91 Starting Out with the Langstroth Hive 92 Knowing the Basic Woodenware Parts of the Langstroth Hive 92 Hive stand 93 Bottom board 93 Entrance reducer 95 Deep-hive body 96 Queen excluder 97 Shallow or medium honey super 98 Frames 100 Foundation 103 Inner cover 106 Outer cover 106 Knowing the Basic Parts of a Top Bar Hive 108 The top bar 108 Everything else 109 Ordering Hive Parts 110 Startup hive kits 110 Setting up shop 111 Adding on Feeders 112 Hive-top feeder 112 Entrance feeder 114 Pail feeder 115 Baggie feeder 116 Frame feeder 117 Top Bar hive feeders 118 Fundamental Tools 118 Smoker 119 Hive tool and frame lifter 119 Bee-Proof Clothing 120 Veils 120 Gloves 122 Really Helpful Accessories 123 Elevated hive stand 123 Frame rest 125 Bee brush 125 Slatted rack 126 Screened bottom board 126 Beekeeper’s toolbox 128 Chapter 6: Obtaining and Installing Your Bees 131 Determining the Kind of Bee You Want 132 Deciding How to Obtain Your Initial Bee Colony 135 Ordering package bees 135 Buying a “nuc” colony 136 Purchasing an established colony 138 Capturing a wild swarm of bees 138 Picking a Reputable Bee Supplier 139 Deciding When to Place Your Order 141 The Day Your Girls Arrive 142 Bringing home your bees 142 Recipe for sugar syrup 143 Putting Your Bees into the Hive 144 Hiving steps for Langstroth type hives and Steps 1–7 for Top Bar hives 144 Hiving Steps 8–14 for Top Bar hives 150 Watching your bees come and go from their new home 151 Part 3: Time for a Peek 153 Chapter 7: Opening Your Hive 155 Establishing Visiting Hours 156 Setting an Inspection Schedule 156 Preparing to Visit Your Langstroth or Top Bar Hive 157 Making “non-scents” a part of personal hygiene 157 Getting dressed up and ready to go 158 Lighting Your Smoker 159 Opening a Langstroth Hive 161 Removing the hive-top feeder 164 Removing the inner cover 165 Opening a Top Bar Hive 166 The Hive’s Open! Now What? 168 Chapter 8: What to Expect When You’re Inspecting 169 Keeping a Journal 170 Inspecting a Langstroth Hive 171 Removing the first frame of your Langstroth hive 171 Working your way through the Langstroth hive 173 Holding up frames for inspection 174 Knowing when it’s time for more smoke 175 Replacing Langstroth frames 175 Closing the Langstroth hive 176 Inspecting a Top Bar Hive 177 Working your way through the Top Bar hive 177 Top Bar comb management 179 Looking into Top Bar cells 180 Replacing the top bars and closing the hive 181 Understanding What to Always Look For 181 Checking for your queen 181 Storing food; raising brood 182 Inspecting the brood pattern 182 Recognizing foodstuffs 183 Your New Colony’s First Eight Weeks 183 Checking in: A week after hiving your bees 183 The second and third weeks 186 Weeks four through eight 188 Chapter 9: Different Seasons, Different Activities 193 Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer 194 Your summer to-do list 195 Your summertime commitment 195 Falling Leaves Point to Autumn Chores 196 Your autumn to-do list 196 Your autumn time commitment 200 Clustering in a Winter Wonderland 201 Your winter to-do list 202 Your wintertime commitment 203 Spring is in the Air (Starting Your Second Season) 203 Your spring to-do list 204 Your springtime commitment 205 Administering spring medication 205 Reversing hive bodies 207 Managing Top Bar Hives in the Spring 208 Finding the cluster 208 Preventing the urge to swarm 209 Expanding the brood nest 209 The Beekeeper’s Calendar 210 Part 4: Common Problems and Simple Solutions 213 Chapter 10: Anticipating and Preventing Potential Problems 215 Running Away (to Join the Circus?) 216 Swarming 216 Absconding 227 Where Did the Queen Go? 227 Letting nature take its course 228 Ordering a replacement queen 228 Introducing a new queen to the hive 229 Avoiding Chilled Brood 230 Dealing with the Dreaded Robbing Frenzies 231 Knowing the difference between normal and abnormal (robbing) behavior 231 Putting a stop to a robbing attack 232 Preventing robbing in the first place 232 Ridding Your Hive of the Laying Worker Phenomenon 234 How to know if you have laying workers 234 Getting rid of laying workers 235 Preventing Pesticide Poisoning 237 The “Killer Bee” Phenomenon 237 What are “killer bees”? 238 Bee prepared! 239 Chapter 11: Colony Collapse Disorder 241 What is CCD? 242 What to Do If You Suspect CCD 243 Why All the Fuss? 243 What’s Causing CCD? 244 The cellphone theory 244 It may be the perfect storm 244 Answers to FAQs 248 What You Can Do to Help 248 Chapter 12: Keeping Your Bees Healthy 251 Understanding the Importance of Good Nutrition 252 What bees eat 252 The need for good gut health 253 Taking steps to ensure good nutrition 253 Medicating or Not? 254 Knowing the Big-Six Bee Diseases 254 American foulbrood (AFB) 255 European foulbrood (EFB) 256 Chalkbrood 257 Sacbrood 258 Stonebrood 258 Nosema 259 A handy chart 260 Chapter 13: Heading Off Honey-Bee Pests 263 Parasitic Problems 263 Varroa mites 264 Tracheal mites 271 Zombie (Phonid) flies 276 Other Unwelcome Pests 276 Wax moths 277 Small hive beetle 278 Ants, ants, and more ants 279 Bear alert! 280 Raccoons and skunks 281 Keeping out Mrs Mouse 282 Some birds have a taste for bees 283 Pest Control at a Glance 283 Chapter 14: Raising Your Own Queens 285 Why Raising Queens is the Bee’s Knees 286 Understanding Genetics 287 Dominant and recessive genes 287 Inbreeding versus outcrossing 288 Accentuate the positive 289 What Makes a Queen a Queen 291 Talking about the Birds and Bees for Honey Bees 292 Creating Demand: Making a Queenless Nuc 293 Queen-Rearing Method 1: Go with the Flow 294 If the queen cells are capped 294 If the queen cells are open 294 Mind the timeline 295 Queen-Rearing Method 2: The Miller Method 296 Queen-Rearing Method 3: The Doolittle Method, also Known as Grafting 298 Tools and equipment 298 How it’s done 301 Providing nuptial housing 303 Finding Homes for Your Queens 304 Evaluating the Results 305 The Queen Rearer’s Calendar 306 Marking Your Queens 307 Part 5: Sweet Rewards 309 Chapter 15: Honey, I Love You 311 Appreciating the History of Honey 311 Understanding the Composition of Honey 313 Healing with Honey 314 Honey and diabetes 314 Honey’s nutritional value 315 Honey and children 315 Choosing Extracted, Comb, Chunk, or Whipped Honey 315 Extracted honey 316 Comb honey 317 Chunk honey 317 Whipped honey 317 Honeydew honey 318 Taking the Terror out of Terroir 318 Customizing your honey 319 Honey from around the world 320 The Commercialization of Honey 324 Is it the real deal? 324 Raw versus regular honey 325 Organic or not? 325 Your own honey is the best 325 Appreciating the Culinary Side of Honey 326 The nose knows 326 Practice makes perfect 327 Recognizing defects in honey 328 Pairing Honey with Food 328 Infusing Honey with Flavors 329 Judging Honey 329 Honey Trivia 330 Chapter 16: Getting Ready for the Golden Harvest 333 Having Realistic Expectations 334 What Flavor Do You Want? 334 Assembling the Right Equipment to Extract Honey 335 Honey extractors 335 Uncapping knife 336 Honey strainer 336 Other handy gadgets for extracting honey 337 Honey containers 340 Planning Your Extracted Honey Harvest Setup 340 Gathering Comb Honey Equipment 342 Section comb cartridges 342 Cut comb 342 Branding and Selling Your Honey 342 Creating an attractive label 343 Finding places to market your honey 346 Selling your honey on the web 346 Chapter 17: Honey Harvest Day 347 Knowing When to Harvest 348 Bad things come to those who wait! 349 A few pointers to keep in mind when harvesting liquid gold 350 Getting the Bees out of the Honey Supers 351 Shakin’ ’em out 352 Blowin’ ’em out 353 Using a bee escape board 353 Fume board and bee repellent 354 Honey Extraction from a Langstroth Frame 356 Harvesting honey using an extractor 357 Cleaning frames after extracting 359 Harvesting Honey from Your Top Bar Hive 360 Selecting the comb to harvest 360 Getting the bees off Top Bar comb 362 Harvesting using the crush-and-strain method 362 Harvesting honey using a honey press 363 Harvesting cut-comb honey 365 Harvesting Wax 365 Part 6: The Part of Tens 367 Chapter 18: More than Ten Fun Things to Do with Bees 369 Making Two Langstroth Hives from One 369 Making One Langstroth Hive from Two 371 Dividing a Top Bar Hive into Two Colonies 373 Combining Two Top Bar Hive Colonies 375 Building an Elevated Hive Stand 376 Building materials list 377 Cut list 377 Planting Flowers for Your Bees 378 Asters (aster/callistephus) 379 Bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea) 380 Bee balm (Monarda) 380 Hyssop (Agastache) 380 Malva (Malvaceae) 381 Mint (Mentha) 381 Nasturtium (Tropaeolum minus) 381 Poppy (Papaver/Eschscholzia) 381 Salvia (Salvia/farinacea-strata/ splendens/officinalis) 382 Sunflowers (Helianthus/Tithonia) 382 Brewing Mead: The Nectar of the Gods 382 Create Cool Stuff with Propolis 385 Propolis tincture 386 Propolis ointment 386 Propolis varnish 387 Making Gifts from Beeswax 387 Beeswax candles 388 Beeswax furniture polish 389 Beauty and the Bees 389 Use your cappings 390 Equipment 390 The recipes 391 Packaging and labeling 396 Chapter 19: More than Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Bee Behavior 397 Chapter 20: My Ten Favorite Honey Recipes 403 Honey Curry Vegetable Dip 405 Golden Cornbread 406 Honey Picante Chicken Wings 407 Apricot Honey Bread 408 Asian Honey-Tea Grilled Prawns 409 Broiled Scallops with Honey-Lime Marinade 410 A Honey of a Chili 411 Beef and Potato Tzimmes 412 Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies 413 Apple Honey Tart 414 Part 7: Appendixes 415 Appendix A: Helpful Resources 417 Honey Bee Information Websites 417 Apiservices — Virtual beekeeping gallery 417 The Barefoot Beekeeper 418 Beemaster Forum 418 Bee-Source.com 418 Facebook — Top Bar Beekeeping 418 Honey Bee Health Coalition 418 Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAARAC) 419 National Honey Board 419 Bee Organizations and Conferences 419 The American Apitherapy Society Inc 420 American Beekeeping Federation 420 American Honey Producers 420 Apiary Inspectors of America 420 Apimondia: International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations 421 Eastern Apiculture Society 421 Heartland Apicultural Society Inc 422 International Bee Research Association 422 USDA Agricultural Research Service 422 The Western Apiculture Society 423 Bee Journals and Magazines 423 American Bee Journal 423 Bee Culture 424 Bee World 425 Beekeeping Supplies and Equipment 425 Apimaye Insulated Hives 425 Barnyard Bees 426 Bastin Bees 426 Bee-commerce.com 427 BeeInventive 427 Bee Vital 428 Betterbee 428 Blue Sky Bee Supply 428 Dadant & Sons, Inc 429 Glorybee Inc 429 Healthy Bee 430 Hive Butler 430 Hive Tracks 430 Hungry Bear Farms 431 Kelley Beekeeping 431 Mann Lake 431 Miller Bee Supply 432 Oliverez 432 Pierco 433 Pigeon Mountain Trading Company 433 Rossman Apiaries 433 Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies 434 Swienty Beekeeping Equipment (EU) 434 Thorne Beekeeping Supply (UK) 435 Western Bee Supplies 435 State Bee Inspectors (United States) 436 Appendix B: Beekeeper’s Checklist 437 Appendix C: Glossary 441 Index 449

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Book SynopsisPublished in the UK for the first time, The Last American Man is by the author of huge international bestseller Eat, Pray, LoveTrade Review'It is almost impossible not to fall under the spell of Eustace Conway ... his accomplishments, his joy and vigor, seem almost miraculous' * New York Times Review of Books *'Gilbert takes a bright-eyed bead on Eustace, hitting him square with a witty modernist appraisal of folkloric American masculinity' * The Times *'Conversational, enthusiastic, funny and sharp, the energy of The Last American Man never ebbs' * New Statesman *'A riveting, deftly written, biography' * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisWind is everywhere and nowhere. Wind is the circulatory system of the earth, and its nervous system, too. Energy and information flow through it. It brings warmth and water, enriches and strips away the soil, aerates the globe. Wind shapes the lives of animals, humans among them. Trade follows the path of the wind, as empire also does. Wind made the difference in wars between the Greeks and Persians, the Mongols and the Japanese. Wind helped to destroy the Spanish Armada. And wind is no less determining of our inner lives: the föhn, mistral, sirocco, Santa Ana, and other ?ill winds? of the world are correlated with disease, suicide, and even murder.Heaven?s Breathis an encyclopedic and enchanting book that opens dazzling new perspectives on history, nature, and humanity.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 'Funny, accessible and full of wonders' Melissa Harrison, author of The Stubborn Light of Things Lev Parikian is on a joyful journey to discover the quirks, habits and wonders of how we experience nature. ___ It’s often said that we're a nation of nature lovers, but what does that really mean? Lev Parikian sets out to explore the many ways that he, and we, experience the natural world - from pavement to garden and from wildlife reserve to far-flung island. He visits the haunts of famous nature lovers to examine their insatiable curiosity; meets ramblers, birders and den-builders; and gets up close and personal with the nature he finds everywhere - including the kitchen sink. Open a window, hear the birds calling and join this warm and generous journey into the tangled bank. ___ ‘If, like me, you've got more *into nature* in the last few months, but sometimes feel a bit excluded by nature writing, then this book will make you feel included and welcomed.’ Tracey Thorn ‘A witty, touching and profound book about one man's burgeoning relationship with the natural world - and it's also a joy to read.’ Stephen Moss ‘Lev's endearing child-like joy at even the smallest of encounters is infectious.’ BBC Wildlife MagazineTrade Review'Funny, accessible and full of wonders - a genuine breath of fresh air. - Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley and The Stubborn Light of Things 'An open, warm and unique journey full of unabashed enthusiasm for the natural world. A rare thing.' - Stephen Rutt, author of The Seafarers'Lev Parikian is one of those rare beasts: a nature writer with a sense of humour. This is a witty, touching and profound book about one man's burgeoning relationship with the natural world - and it's also a joy to read.' - Stephen Moss, naturalist and author'Lev's endearing child-like joy at even the smallest of encounters is infectious - this book will have you peering more closely at the spider in your bathroom or the woodlouse in your garden, and following his advice to "Look. Look again. Look better".' - BBC Wildlife Magazine'Try Lev Parikian's witty Into the Tangled Bank. He starts with the wildlife found in your kitchen sink, and gradually deepens connections to nature within and outside your own four walls.' - Ann Pettifor, Guardian (Best Books to Inspire Hope for the Planet)'I genuinely think Into the Tangled Bank should be put on prescription for anyone suffering depression or loneliness because it is an absolute tonic of a book that creates happiness in the very soul of the reader. I adored it.' - Linda's Book Bag'If, like me, you've got more *into nature* in the last few months, but sometimes feel a bit excluded by nature writing, like you don't know enough, then this book will make you feel included and welcomed.' - Tracey Thorn

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Book Synopsis___ See the British year afresh and experience a new way of connecting with nature – through the prism of Japan’s seventy-two ancient microseasons. Across seventy-two short chapters and twelve months, writer and nature lover Lev Parikian charts the changes that each of these ancient microseasons (of a just a few days each) bring to his local patch – garden, streets, park and wild cemetery. From the birth of spring (risshun) in early February to ‘the greater cold’ (daikan) in late January, Lev draws our eye to the exquisite beauty of the outside world, day-to-day. Instead of Japan’s lotus blossom, praying mantis and bear, he watches bramble, woodlouse and urban fox; hawthorn, dragonfly and peregrine. But the seasonal rhythms – and the power of nature to reflect and enhance our mood – remain. By turns reflective, witty and joyous, this is both a nature diary and a revelation of the beauty of the small and subtle changes of the everyday, allowing us to ‘look, look again, look better’. It is perfect gift to read in real time across the British year. ___ ‘A fresh new look at the microseasons of nature’s calendar, seen through Lev Parikian’s eyes – with his usual humour, attention to detail and beautifully written prose.’ Stephen Moss ‘Buy this book. Plant it somewhere handy and whenever you’re in need of a “spark of joy” pick it up and read a few pages. Its wit will make you smile. It will transport you to a wilder, gentler, more beautiful world.’ Ann Pettifor

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE ACKERLEY PRIZE 2023* ‘The most thoughtful and soothing book I’ve read this year.’ Daily Mail ‘There is just one object I want to carry inside the van... It was believed lightning would not strike a house that held a thunderstone. I place this fossil on the windowsill, its surface gleaming like cat’s eyes ahead of me on a dark road.’ In the wake of a traumatic lockdown, Nancy Campbell buys an old caravan and drives it into a strip of neglected woodland between a canal and railway. There is no plumbed water, no electricity point and the walls are as thin as a Kinder egg. But it is the first home she has ever owned. As summer begins, Nancy embraces the challenge of how to live well in a place in which possessions and emotions often threaten to tumble, clearing industrial junk from the soil, forging unconventional friendships off-grid and helping the wild beauty surrounding her to flourish. But when illness and uncertainty loom once more, she has to find a way to hold on to beauty and wonder, to anchor herself in this van, this safe space, this shelter from the storm. An intimate journal across the space of a defining summer, Nancy Campbell’s memoir is celebration of the people and places that hold us when the storms gather; a soul-shaking journey that reminds us what it is to be alive. ___ ‘A beautiful and often very funny account of hope and healing in the face of illness and uncertainty.’ TLS ‘How to find beauty and wonder even in the most trying of circumstances’ The Scotsman ‘An uplifting, heart-filled read full of hope and love.’ Lulah Ellender, author of GroundingTrade Review‘Campbell’s memoir of the year she spent in that caravan is the most thoughtful and soothing book I’ve read this year’ Daily Mail ‘A beautiful and often very funny account of hope and healing in the face of illness and uncertainty’ TLS ‘This raw, honest account of semi-urban caravan life offers a valuable lesson in how to find beauty and wonder even in the most trying of circumstances […] she is wonderfully alert to every nuance of every experience, and writes with joyous precision about the summer she sees unfolding all around her.’ The Scotsman ‘Hopeful, honest and lyrically written, a memoir which celebrates resilience in precarious times.’ The Simple Things A ‘many-splendoured book, which is at once an after-love, ever-loving letter to her ex; a real-time journal to keep herself company and emotionally intact; a worked-over piece of literary art (Campbell writes beautiful prose) and a rich newcomer to the latest and most exciting department of place writing.’ Horatio Clare, The Spectator ‘The Fifty Words for Snow and The Library of Ice author digs deep into the elemental again, escaping lockdown by buying a caravan and finding hope in neglected woods’ i weekend ‘One is swept along by the subtle, elegant prose and a narrative that is rich in literary references, sometimes carried away by poetic drift, yet overriddingly a visceral, energising sense of a life live well’ Country Life ‘I’ve read Campbell’s work before – the gorgeous crystalline perfection of Fifty Words for Snow gave me tightly controlled, crisp prose delivered with scientific precision. Thunderstone is different. Campbell’s deft hand with language remains, but under the microscope now is herself, in raw and emotional detail. […] Campbell’s depiction of the canal community where her caravan resides is tender and warm’ Kate Blincoe, Resurgence & Ecologist ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a writer who writes about these things as movingly, as gracefully — as beautifully — as Nancy Campbell.’ The Clearing ‘I picked this book up to have a quick browse and two hours later wondered where the time had gone. Thunderstone is an honest and moving account of the author’s journey through a series of traumas, from the onset of the pandemic — coinciding with her partner’s stroke — to dealing with her own illness. This book is an uplifiting, positive and poetic look at life in all its rawness: a celebration of change, self-discovery, and off-grid life that is, quite simply, a pleasure to read.’ The Countryman ‘I hope to thank Nancy Campbell for this book in person someday. For giving us this humbling, honest, raw & deeply moving book that reminds us what it means to be alive.’ Kerri ni Dochartaigh, Caught By the River ‘An utterly beautiful, life affirming, soul shaking, heart-breaking wonder of a book. […] This is a humbling, honest, raw and deeply moving book that reminds us what it means to be alive.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, author of Thin Places ‘An uplifting, heart-filled read full of hope and love.’ Lulah Ellender, author of Grounding: Finding Home in a Garden ‘Thunderstone goes well beyond mere memoir. Nancy is a badass, a wild woman corralling experiences of poetry, humanity and the natural world to shape visions of new ways forward for us all.’ Matthew Teller, journalist and author of Nine Quarters Of Jerusalem ‘A courageous, compassionate, uncanny chronicle of life and loss on the fringes.’ Dan Richards, author of Outpost ‘A memoir of great honesty and clarity, intimacy and subtlety… It asks profound questions about how to live through the storms of life with authenticity.’ Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being / Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence ‘Any book by Nancy Campbell has to be worth reading.’ Dervla Murphy ‘A writer of quiet strength, clarity and empathy, with a traveller's eye for detail and the precision of a poet, Nancy Campbell is the wisest and kindest of guides through heartbreak and beyond.’ Nick Hunt, author of Outlandish: Walking Europe’s Unlikely Landscapes ‘Humbling, humorous and exquisite.’ Sarah Thomas, author of The Raven's Nest ‘If this is a story of grief and illness, loneliness and heartache, one is left with the feeling that here is a writer who knows better than most of us how to live.’ Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings ‘Nancy Campbell’s deep knowledge of art, nature and other cultures is completely transporting […] I couldn’t put it down.’ Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure For Sleep ‘Beginning with an elemental howl of grief, poet and explorer Nancy Campbell’s new book swiftly morphs into a handbook of post-disaster reconstruction, the building blocks of which are close observation, humour, and visceral engagement with the world around her.’ James Attlee, author of Under the Rainbow: Voices from Lockdown

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Book SynopsisJenny Joseph was no ordinary poet - and Led by the Nose is no ordinary memoir. Shaped around the smells of the English countryside, it is full of the wilful personality and the sly humour that characterised the purple-clad old woman in her iconic poem 'Warning'. Joseph's eccentricities permeate each chapter as she flows through the gardening year with its chores and blossoms, frequently leading the reader off the garden path to stop, smell the roses, and ignore the world for a while. Full of the sensual awareness of Jenny Joseph's poetry, Led by the Nose is a singular memoir: a work of delicious diversion and literary flair, horticultural anxieties and countercultural tendencies, providing a glimpse - or sniff - of the landscape of this treasured poet's life.Trade ReviewA gardening book for the literary-minded. -- Woman’s Hour * Radio 4 *A treat for the sensual gardener. -- Alan Titchmarsh * Daily Express *Led by the Nose looks and feels like the perfect present for a favourite gardening aunt. Small and chunky, beautifully illustrated with darkly floral woodcuts by Yvonne Skargon, it charts the changing seasons in Jenny Joseph's "rural slum" * Times Literary Supplement *If you have had enough of gaudy melon flowers, try the poet Jenny Joseph's little paperback, Led by the Nose: A Garden of Smells. It will give you just the right shot of romantic Englishness as you sniff your way through the author's gardening year ... poetic, as you would expect from Joseph, but not soppy -- Stephen Anderton * The Times *Combining the knowledge of a seasoned gardener with the writing power of a poet * Mail on Sunday *You may not think that you know the work of Jenny Joseph, but you do. She is the author of 'Warning: When I am an old woman I shall wear purple' - once voted the nation's favourite poem and a worldwide bestseller. Now she has written this year's most unusual gardening book. * The Times *This little book, covering a year in her own garden, is much more than an account of what borders she dug and when she planted her sweet peas ... the poet's sensitivity comes through in the details ... for those who want to evoke similar Proustian memories * Sunday Times *This book would make a good present for a thoughtful, sensitive gardener, especially an elderly one who is tempted both to wear purple and to pick flowers in other people's gardens * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisWhen Denis O'Connor rescues a three-week-old kitten from certain death during a snowstorm, little does he know how this tiny creature will change his life forever. Against all odds the kitten - who he names Toby Jug - survives and forms an unusually strong bond with his rescuer.Set against the rural splendour of Northumberland, Paw Tracks in the Moonlight charmingly chronicles the adventures of one man and his Maine Coone cat. From an invasion of bees at Owl Cottage to the case of the disappearing tomatoes, life with Toby Jug - who believes himself to be human - is never dull. Nevertheless, it is only when Denis and Toby Jug embark on a summer camping trip on horseback in the Cheviot Hills that a new world opens up for them both.Trade ReviewBeautifully told. * The Crack *This genuinely endearing cat's life story is going to warm the cockles of hearts all over the world. * Lancashire Evening Post *A charming book that will appeal to all ages. * The Pulse *A lyrical glimpse into a long-vanished rural world. * MyShelf.com *

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Book SynopsisDavid Howe tells the story of the Lake District, England's most dramatic landscape. Home to vistas of stunning beauty and a rich heritage, it is an area of England that fascinates, inspires - and has bewitched David for a lifetime. With passion and an endless curiosity, he reveals how half a billion years of shifting ice, violent volcanoes and (of course) falling rain have shaped the lakes and fells that have fired the imaginations of the great sons and daughters of the area, the poets and the scientists. He shows that Lakeland is a seamless web where lives and landscape weave together, where the ancient countryside has created a unique local history: of farming and mining, of tightknit communities, of a resilient and proud people. The Lake District is a place of rocks and rain, reason and romance, wonder and curiosity. And this book celebrates it all: the very character of Cumbria.Trade Review"Written in a tremendously readable narrative style (think `Mountains of the Mind' by Robert Macfarlane) ... skilful ... compelling." The Great Outdoors; "Chapters on mountains, ice and lakes, on farming and national parks and Wainwright ... set against Cumbria's wider cultural importance ... very accessible ... [yet] holds a considerable weight of authority." Country Life; "Interesting ... links the landscape with the scientists, the Romantic poets and other notable residents [of the Lake District] ... forensic details of the geology and geomorphology of the Lakes ... detailed biographies on the lives and loves of the Romantic poets." BBC Countryfile Magazine; "An ambitious and enjoyable biography of a landscape." Cumbria Life, Book of the Month; "Affectionately written ... a ramble through the Lake District ... elegiac ... a reflection on the transience of life and beauty." Workington Times and Star; Praise for Wandering in Norfolk: East Anglian Book Awards 2017, SHORTLISTED; "A real treat, and a perfect read for that comfortable armchair in front of the woodburner on a cold winter's day." Eastern Daily Press; "The pot pourri style is very effective ... thoughtful views on a variety of subjects and some beautifully written science lessons ... an excellent and well written book." Amazon reviewer; "Beautifully written, a joy to read." Amazon reviewerTable of ContentsUps and Downs; Atoms; Rain; Nature and the Romantics; Three Persons and One Soul; Love and More Romance; Friends, Family and Fame; Lakes; An Ocean, Ancient and Deep; Volcanoes; Mountain Building; Ice; Stone Age to Iron Age; Roman Roads to Victorian Railways; Where to Go and What to See; Love Letters to the Lake District; A Force of Nature; Back to Nature; Hedgehogs and Herdwicks; A National Property; Tales and Sails; Intimations of Mortality

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Book SynopsisMore Australian Birding Tales takes up where the author's best-selling first book, An Australian Birding Year, ended. In this new book Bruce Richardson describes his further birding adventures, which take his total 'life list' from 672 to 759, well exceeding his initial target of 700 species. He delights in finding new 'lifer' species, whether they are common but not yet seen by him or mega rarities, but he also glories in the fact that his birding trips take him to stunning parts of Australia that he wouldn't normally have visited. He travels through the outback, takes the ferry over to Tasmania, makes several pelagic expeditions and goes on a memorable trip to Cocos/Keeling and Christmas Islands. He describes his travels with humour, and intersperses the ticks and the dips of birding with personal anecdotes of a life lived through good times and bad. Although reaching the 700 species target was a milestone, for Bruce birding is equally about the vibe, the good friends he makes along the way and his exploration of the glorious Australian countryside. He certainly does see some cool birds though.Trade Review"I love it! The same combination of cracking wit and deep insight that made An Australian Birding Year so memorable....this is a wonderful, major success" --Kenn Kaufman, Kaufman Field Guides

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 2017, Will and his wife Amy lost their baby, Elowen, a few days before their due date. After a traumatic induced birth, they returned from hospital to their cottage in the New Forest, grief-stricken and struggling to make sense of what happened to them. Unmoored by sadness, what became clear in the weeks and months following Elowen's death is that there is no established vocabulary with which to understand this experience, either for Will or the people around him. Indeed, as he discovers, there is no word in the English language for a parent who has lost a child. Without any linguistic or emotional scaffold, the disorientation of his grief feels ever more lonely and alienating. Elowen charts the darkness of Will's grief over the course of two years with unflinching honesty, but it also describes in sonorous prose what sustained him: the natural world, and in particular the silence and attentiveness of tracking wolves in the forests of Sweden. These animals, only ever fleetingly seen, nonetheless provided profound solace, and in the act of searching for them he began to find a way to live with his grief. This profoundly moving, ultimately uplifting book challenges the way we think about loss and help us to re-evaluate our relationship to the natural world. Elowen is not only a remarkable portrait of grief, but also an impassioned hymn to the wild and a treatise on the restorative potential of nature in uncertain times.Trade Review'A beautiful portrayal..raw, visceral, delicately tender.' Raynor Winn. 'A deeply moving portrait of a family that dares to be completely open and completely vulnerable. It is an extraordinary generous and brave book, and I am grateful to this writer, to this family.' Barney Norris.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Prix Renaudot 2019 A New York Times Best Book of 2021 ‘Extraordinarily beautiful… a long last loving glance at the planet.’ Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild The Art of Patience sees the renowned French adventurer and writer set off for the high plateaux of remotest Tibet in search of the elusive snow leopard. There, in the company of leading wildlife photographer Vincent Munier and two companions, at 5,000 metres and in temperatures of -25ºC, the team set up their hides on exposed mountainsides, and occasionally in the luxury of an icy cave, to await a visitation from the almost mythical beast. This tightly focused and tautly written narrative is simultaneously a dazzling account of an exacting journey, an apprenticeship in the art of patience, an acceptance of the ruthlessness of the natural world and, finally, a plea for ecological sanity. A small masterpiece, it is one of those books that demands to be read again and again.Trade Review‘In The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet, the French writer Sylvain Tesson chronicles his rapturous journey through Tibet’s Chantang plateau with the wildlife photographer Vincent Munier. Tesson’s words, in a ravishing translation by Frank Wynne, paint pictures as vivid as any photograph.’ -- Liesl Schillinger, New York Times, 'Best Books of 2021', Travel‘Tesson is a transcendent travel writer… [The Art of Patience] inspires action, thought, silence – and perhaps also prayer.’ -- BBC Countryfile Magazine, Best Books of 2021‘A wonderful evocation of waiting and watching for nature.’ -- Tim Birkhead, author of Bird Sense‘Beautifully written, beautifully translated, intensely moving and totally absorbing.’ -- Stanley Johnson, author of Where the Wild Things Were‘The Art of Patience is extraordinarily beautiful, a narrative of prose that flows with poetry, a long last loving glance at the planet, a visit to the vital bedside of a living world determined to stay alive.’ -- Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild: How Animals Learn to be Animals‘I found it hard to resist… there is so much more to this elegantly written book than the story of a search. It is also a philosophical consideration of the benefits of silence, waiting and personal reflection; an ode to the psychological effect of natural beauty; and a poetic eulogy to the planet.’ -- Big Issue‘[One of] the best books of the year.’ * Financial Times on Consolations of the Forest *‘I thought I’d rip through this book. But it’s not something you want to read fast. Tesson, who I came to like more and more, is trying to rearrange his relationship with time. Being alone, miles from anywhere, encourages him to sit still and watch things.’ * Spectator on Consolations of the Forest *‘He comes across as the brainiest, daftest, sternest, funniest, most companionable hermit you'll ever meet.’ * Guardian on Consolations of the Forest *

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Book SynopsisMorton argues that the chief stumbling block to environmental thinking is the image of nature most writers promote: they propose a new world view, but their very zeal to preserve the natural world leads them away from the “nature” they revere. To have a properly ecological view, Morton suggests, we must relinquish, once and for all, the idea of nature.Trade ReviewRigorous and unsettling, Timothy Morton's book is a vividly realized critique of the political and ethical meanings of "place" and "space." Steeped in philosophical and literary history, Ecology without Nature is a profoundly convinced and convincing intervention, calling as it does for a more intellectually robust and politically supple environmentalism, one much better suited to the realities of twenty-first-century life. A more thoughtful reflection on the future of dwelling together in a vulnerable world would be hard to find. -- David L. Clark, Professor of English and Cultural Studies, McMaster UniversityMorton demonstrates that because most ecocriticism assumes nature/environment as a concept, most ecocritics perpetuate the assumptions of the literature that they purport to critique. He argues that nature is an arbitrary rhetorical concept whose modern origins can be traced to Romantics writing during the Industrial Revolution--essentially, that ecocriticism fetishizes "nature." He contends that a "really deep ecology" would let go of the idea of nature because it marks the difference between "us" and "it." Drawing on writers from Adorno to Zizek, and considering literature and art from the 18th century to the present, Morton offers a complex, important, and often playful argument that lays the groundwork for new directions in ecocriticism. -- G. D. MacDonald * Choice *We’re in the sh**. We have to face it and learn to live with it. That’s a basic idea in dark ecology, which Timothy Morton outlines in his book Ecology Without Nature...Dark ecology has a realistic take on the human state without resorting to false optimism or fatalistic tones of apocalypse. It also requires people to take control, and not lay down in the mud with blind faith of staying above the surface without ever drowning. When we realise our connection to the rest of the world, we understand that our actions reflect all life on the planet...Dark ecology has the potential to be the punk rock or experimental pop of ecological thinking. Or even the death metal, since it shares a goth sensibility that focuses on the dark. * Kasino A4 *Ecology Without Nature offers original and important critiques of ecocritical theory, in particular through its analysis of the legacy of Romanticism and the paradox of dualism that pervades much ecological writing. Its occasionally irreverent style and embrace of kitsch make it an enjoyable read, even when the associationist organization and technical terminology require the reader to slow down. However, this slowing down is exactly what Morton recommends for ecocritics as we enter the twenty-first century and the increasingly urgent demands of “this poisoned ground” where Morton calls us to stand. -- Janet Fiskio * Environmental Philosophy *Table of Contents* Introduction: Toward a Theory of Ecological Criticism * The Art of Environmental Language: "I Can't Believe It Isn't Nature!" * Romanticism and the Environmental Subject * Imagining Ecology without Nature * Notes * Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Longlisted for the Non-Obvious Book Awards""The subtitle says it all—Bjornerud and graphic artist Hagerman have compiled a wonderfully quirky collection of 'curiosities' that, collectively, detail the Earth’s transformation over eons and illustrate how our understanding of the planet has deepened through time. . . . A charming work, chock-full of information."---Laurie Selwyn, Library Journal, starred review"This is a garnet of a geology book: rooted in the planet, jewel-like and multi-coloured."---Andrew Robinson, Nature"[Geopedia] is a buffet of bite-size chapters perfect for dipping in and out of. . . . Its pocket-size format makes it perfect as a traveling companion, and its short chapters suit our frazzled attention spans, making it a fun alternative to night-time doomscrolling or heavier nonfiction. No matter if you’re a hard-core rockhound or a geological outsider, you’ll get something worthwhile from this little gem of a book."---Howard Lee, Ars Technica"A neat little book . . . . Take a dip into Geopedia for a bit of quirky fun." * Descent *"A fascinating, illuminating read. Organized alphabetically, the articles span the gamut of the sub-disciplines. Bjornerud explores both the etymology of the scientific terms and their scientific import. Readers who pick it up will learn a lot."---I. D. Sasowsky, Choice"perfect for casual reading .... Bjornerud...is a gifted writer" * Choice *"A cute little book of curiosities to dip in and out of but, like a box of rich chocolates, you probably will not want to finish it off all in one sitting."---Helen Coombs, Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Nature Guidebook Award, National Outdoor Book Awards""I highly recommend this book. It may change your life in ways you never imagined possible."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

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