The countryside, country life: general interest Books

Book SynopsisBestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben, invites you to reconnect with natureAs soon as we step out of the door, nature surrounds. Thousands of small and large processes are taking place, details that are long often fascinating and beautiful. But we've long forgotten how to recognise them.Peter Wohlleben, bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees, invites us to become an expert, to take a closer look and interpret the signs that clouds, wind, plants and animals convey. Chaffinches become weather prophets, bees are live thermometers, courgettes tell us the time.The Weather Detective combines scientific research with charming anecdotes to explain the extraordinary cycles of life, death and regeneration that are evolving on our doorstep, bringing us closer to nature than ever before. A walk in the park will never be the same again.Trade ReviewThe best weather detectives are the birds, plants and animals we share this fragile world with. But how many of us nowadays can interpret the clues they offer? Peter Wohlleben delves deep into the mysteries of animal and bird behaviour, soil management, plant adaptation, and ways of mitigating the effects of climate change on our gardens and our planet. * Christopher Somerville, walking correspondent for The Times. Author of The January Man *Wohlleben’s insightful observations of nature, combined with his signature blend of science and imagination, invite us into deeper relationship with the ecology of our homes * David George Haskell, Pulitzer finalist and author of The Forest Unseen and The Songs of Trees *For a society increasingly distanced from nature, Wohlleben renews our appreciation of the wonderful and varied ties between the living and nonliving worlds, including those that bind our favorite plants and animals with that most familiar of all physical entities, the weather * Bill Streever, nationally bestselling author of Cold *[A] fascinating book * Daily Mail *A treasure trove of fascinating information about the environment. A primer for the curious gardener... a book to browse and then think to yourself, 'Oh, so that's why.' * Town and Country magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBen Law's incredible sense of the land and his respect for age old traditions offers a wonderful insight into the life of Prickly Nut Wood.Having travelled to Papua New Guinea and the Amazon, observing age-old techniques for living in, working in and preserving forests and woodland, Ben Law felt compelled to return home and apply his learnings to a 400-year-old plot of woodland near where he grew up Prickly Nut Wood.This is the story of how he came to know and love his woodland, how he lived off the land, how he coppiced and hedged and created charcoal, how he puddled and built shelter, and finally how he carved out his famous, characterful woodland home that Kevin McCloud has cited as his favourite ever Grand Design.Trade Review‘Ben Law’s house is my favourite Grand Design’ Kevin McCloud ‘This book will leave you with a sense of awe and admiration but also a yearning to follow in Ben’s footsteps’ Permaculture magazine ‘Ben continues to inspire his readers about woodland … In Prickly Nut Wood, Ben Law practically demonstrates the benefits of living close to the land’ Woodland Matters

Read more less

Book SynopsisWindswept is a wonderful work, prose painted in bold, bright strokes like a Scottish Colourist's canvas' ROBERT MACFARLANE An instant classic of British nature-writing' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHTrade Review Praise for Windswept ‘Windswept isn’t only enjoyable and enriching, it contains some of the most striking descriptions of nature I’ve ever read . . . An instant classic of British nature-writing’ HORATIO CLARE, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ***** ‘Let’s face it, few of us are likely to experience life as Worsley does: remote, wild, elemental, between mountains andsky. But we get a tantalising glimpse of this other world through these pages. It’s like breathing in pure, invigorating Scottish Highlands air and it is a very welcome interlude… Worsley is the Real Deal’DAILY MAIL ‘Windswept is a wonderful work, prose-painted in bold, bright strokes like a Scottish Colourist's canvas. It is a story of learning to keep time differently, in one of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain. Annie Worsley has written a gorgeous almanac or year-book in which the minutes, hours and months are marked not by the tick of clock-hands but weather-fronts, bird migrations and plant-patterns of growth and decay’ Robert Macfarlane ‘Woven with the wisdom of both scientist and poet, Windswept is a beautiful account of life and landscape in one of the UK's most remote and dramatic enclaves. I was transported with every reading, left with gale-ruffled hair and a salty tang on my tongue’ Lee Schofield author of Wild Fell ‘A shaft of golden stormlight, a blast of pure Highland air, Windswept is an exhilarating account of life lived closer to the elements than most of us will ever have the chance to experience’ Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley ‘A compelling, abundantly descriptive portrait of a captivating place’ The Herald ‘Her nature writing is so fluent and captivating that you can lose yourself in it, find yourself feeling the breeze and smelling the warm vegetation of a Wester Ross summer’ West Highland Free Press

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne night Mark Cocker followed the roiling, deafening flock of rooks and jackdaws which regularly passed over his Norfolk home on their way to roost in the Yare valley. From the moment he watched the multitudes blossom as a mysterious dark flower above the night woods, these gloriously commonplace birds were unsheathed entirely from their ordinariness. They became for Cocker a fixation and a way of life.Cocker goes in search of them, journeying from the cavernous, deadened heartland of South England to the hills of Dumfriesshire, experiencing spectacular failures alongside magical successes and epiphanies. Step by step he uncovers the complexities of the birds'' inner lives, the unforeseen richness hidden in the raucous crow song he calls ''our landscape made audible''.Crow Country is a prose poem in a long tradition of English pastoral writing. It is also a reminder that ''Crow Country'' is not ''ours'': it is a landscape which we cohabit with thousands of otTrade ReviewLuminously beautiful and dartingly intelligent, Cocker's obsessive quest after the ancient trails of rooks across our dusk skies leads to an almost sacred space: a place where the landscape of the imagination and the lovingly, minutely observed realities of the natural world come to roost together -- Richard MabeyGuaranteed to ensure that you never look at a crow in quite the same way again * Guardian *Fabulous... Like all classic works of natural history, is is an extraordinary revelation of riches and wonders and that lie at our doorsteps, completely ignored * Independent *A splendid book...Crow Country's narrative of rookish discovery unfolds with splendid variety, incorporating scientific exposition, biography, environmental history, poetry, memoir and biography... Your heart beats faster as he describes a pack of tight-packed wigeon flushing in fear from an icy creak. You feel the shock of recognition as a barn owl meets his gaze. It's infectiously emotional. At it's most lyrical Crow Country matches the heights of that deeply eerie work of avian obsession JA Baker's The Peregrine; yet at its most scientific, it could sit alongside the best ornithological monographs... Crow Country is a significant, beautiful work * New Statesman *Exquisitely written, passionate exploration of the local and commonplace * BBC Wildlife *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPete Brown is simultaneously allergic to and obsessed by apples. He has written several books on food and drink, including Man Walks into a Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind, and Hops and Glory. His discriminating palate has led him to be a judge in the Great Taste Awards and the Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards, and a frequent contributor to Radio 4's Food Programme.Trade ReviewWonderful, revelatory ... very moving -- Sheila Dillon, BBC Radio 4An absorbing love letter to the English apple tree...lyrical and joyful * The Times Literary Supplement *His ability to laugh at himself, openness to wonder and willingness to go wherever the search takes him make Brown an engaging writer and The Apple Orchard an entertaining journey * Mail on Sunday *A delightful book * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Deliciously tactile and meditative . . . to read this is to luxuriate in the land, and to connect to it and oneself'' Bernardine Evaristo What fills my lungs is wider than breath could be. It is a place and a language torn, matted and melded; flowered and chiming with bones. That breath is that place and until I get there I will not really be breathing.Spurred on by her father''s declining health and inspired by the history he once wrote of his small Devon village, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett delves through layers of memory, language and natural history to tell a powerful story of how the land shapes us and speaks to us. The Grassling is a book about roots: what it means to belong when the soil beneath our feet is constantly shifting, when the people and places that nurtured us are slipping away.Trade ReviewBurnett manages the delicate feat of maintaining our sense of reverence for the nebulous Anglo-Saxon romanticism..., but twins it with astute scientific nous which never strays into the esoteric. She does this with such joy that we cannot help but want to join in... a heartening read. * The Quietus *With a blend of poetry, memoir and a uniquely experimental, sensory style of nature writing, The Grassling celebrates the lusciousness of both land and language ... Ideas that might in a lesser writer have seemed whimsical are grounded by the rich layers of Burnett's prose. -- Clare Saxby * TLS *A poetic, lyrical tribute to the earth beneath our feet . . . Burnett is one of the freshest voices in the current crop of nature writers -- Ben Hoare * Countryfile *This astonishingly beautiful ode to the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside . . . [evokes] a richly immersive sense of the natural world and our place within it. * Country Living *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisI''m not on my own because I''ve been sitting crying into a handkerchief or apron over a lack of interested men. I''ve been made every offer imaginable over the years. Men offer themselves, their sons . . . drunk fathers sometimes call me up and say things like: ''Do you need a farmhand?'' ''I can lift the hay bales'' ''I can repair your tractors''. . .Heida is a solitary farmer with a flock of 500 sheep in a remorseless area bordering Iceland''s highlands. It''s known as the End of the World. One of her nearest neighbors is Iceland''s most notorious volcano, Katla, which has periodically driven away the inhabitants of Ljótarstaoir ever since people first started farming there in the twelfth century. This portrait of Heida written with wit and humor by one of Iceland''s most acclaimed novelists, Steinunn Siguroardóttir, tells a heroic tale of a charismatic young woman, who walked away from a career as a model to take over the family farm at the age ofTrade ReviewHeida is a force of nature . . . she has about her an honesty that is never less than enchanting * Sunday Times *A fierce account of what it means to hold the countryside in trust . . . [Heida is an] utterly charming personality . . . this is an inspiring story of resistance to a corporate Goliath, and [Heida] - with her forthright tone and irrepressible humour - makes a delightful David * Mail on Sunday *I had the feeling while reading it that Heida was in MY kitchen, idly chatting to ME and that I was getting to know her really well, as a close friend . . . It was a privilege to be 'talked to' as a friend and allowed to share a fine farmer's life for a few hours * Rosamund Young, author of THE SECRET LIVES OF COWS *A rare portrait of a woman possessed of frontier courage and a sense of humour and humility . . . revelatory and inspiring * The Herald *Heida comes across as a highly impressive person . . . Iceland is lucky to have this formidable guardian angel protecting its traditions and landscape * Daily Mail *Sharp and funny . . . this is an engrossing quick dispatch from an unusual life * The Riverside Way (The Riverside Bookshop blog) *What a story . . . a real-life Bathsheba from Far From the Madding Crowd, but undistracted by the endless queue of male suitors . . . this frank, unusual book details a year in her life * Muddy Stilettos *An engaging memoir . . . a beautifully written ode * Countryman *A study in courage and determination * TLS *It is her deep connectedness to others - whether her family, her farmer neighbours, her dog, or the land itself - which drives the emotional heart of the book * Church Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverything you wanted to know about the countryside, but were too afraid to ask 'A joyful companion with surprises and delights on every page' Tristan Gooley, author of The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs'Highly readable and scrupulously balanced'John Wright, author of The Forager's Calendar'Lovely, luminous'Bella Bathurst, author of Field WorkNeed advice on how to raise a chicken or pluck a pheasant? Wondering how to train your dog, catch a mole or sneak through a field of cows? Perhaps you're after the secret to the fattest pumpkin, the wormiest compost, the classiest snowdrop?Or are you simply in love with our captivating landscapes, keen to unlock the history and culture of our woods and fields, our footpaths and boundaries, our meadows and moors?In this delightful and eye-opening book, Meg Clothier and her father, Jonny, combine decades of practical know-how with a passion for literature and lore - braced up by a keen understanding of the conundrums of the contemporary c

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis20 WALKS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR YOUR DOG AND GREAT PUBS WHERE THEY'RE WELCOME. This collection of tried-and-tested walks, all between 1 and 5 miles, has been written specifically for dogs and their owners, allowing for maximum off-lead time.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisScotland is a nation of dramatic weather and breathtaking landscapes - of nature resplendent. And, over the centuries, the people who have lived, explored and thrived in this country have developed a rich language to describe their surroundings: a uniquely Scottish lexicon shaped by the very environment itself. A Scots Dictionary of Nature brings together - for the first time - the deeply expressive vocabulary customarily used to describe land, wood, weather, birds, water and walking in Scotland. Artist Amanda Thomson collates and celebrates these traditional Scots words, which reveal ways of seeing and being in the world that are in danger of disappearing forever. What emerges is a vivid evocation of the nature and people of Scotland, past and present; of lives lived between the mountains and the sky.Trade Review"Delightful ... A celebration of Scotland's great outdoors, this is a lovely book to have on the coffee table. Easy to read and interesting to rifle through." Scottish Field; "So good." Robert Macfarlane; "Full of words and expressions which ...[are] ripe for reappropriation." Scotsman; "A reminder of how easily the beauty of language and its connection with nature can be lost." Herald; "A stunning wee book detailing some of the wonderfully inventive Scots words that document the world around us." The List; "...a delight to leaf through" Herald

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Lake District is one of our busiest national parks. Many people believe that wildness is long gone from the fells, lakes, tarns and becks, yet, within its boundaries, Jim Crumley sets out to prove them wrong – to find “a new way of seeing and writing about this most seen and written about of landscapes". With a naturalist’s eye and a poet’s instinct he is drawn to Lakeland’s turned-aside places where nature still thrives, from low-lying shores to a high mountain oakwood that’s not even on the map. Through backwaters and backwoods, Crumley traces this captivating land’s place in the evolution of global conservation and pleads the case for a far-reaching reappraisal of all of Lakeland’s wildness.Trade ReviewPraise for Previous work: Richard Jefferies Society & White Horse Bookshop Literary Prize for nature writing: SHORTLISTED; Saltire Society award: SHORTLISTED "A delightful meditation." Stephen Moss, Books of the Year, Guardian; "Nature writing is like trying to catch birds with cobwebs. Crumley's just has a higher tensile strength than most." Herald; "Enthralling and often strident." ObserverTable of ContentsNowhere under the Rainbow; The Tree Mountaineers; Nature’s Social Union; The Tree Mountaineers (2); The Juniper Belt; Time Stalls, You Grow Still, You Go Deeper In; A Sense of Place Fell; Golden Eagle, Silver Swan; A Sense of Rightness Regained; Ash to Ashes; Divining in Reverse

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA charming addition to Rizzoli’s carefully curated program of bringing classic books back into print. This beautifully packaged facsimile of Edith Holden’s original diary is filled with a naturalist’s masterful paintings and delightful observations chronicling the English countryside throughout 1906. As one of the few true records of the time in print, the handwritten thoughts and paintings contained in The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady transport readers to a more refined, romantic, and simpler time. Capitalizing on the current Downton Abbey–inspired appetite for Edwardian-era ephemera, fashions, and society, this reproduction brings readers back to a time in which propriety, civility, and an appreciation for the natural world reigned. This souvenir of a bygone era serves not only as a calming touchstone, but a reminder that as long as we choose to see it, we are still surrounded by beauty and grace.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA blank journal that captures the beauty of the great outdoors and the spirit of adventure! The cover sports a gorgeous woodcut-style illustration of a vintage camper van making its way through a lush forest. Inside, the pages are lined for easy writing and feature full-color spot illustrations. This journal is sure to spark creativity and wanderlust in journalers and nature lovers around the world.• Great for bullet journaling, note-taking, goal tracking, and list-making; or use as a daily planner, gratitude journal, or travel log! • A great add-on gift or self-purchase for writers, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts• 5 x 7 1/8-inch paperback journal with debossed cover and lay-flat binding• 192 lined pages with full-color illustration throughout Travis Pietsch is an illustrator and designer living in Orlando, FL. He has produced work for Facebook, J.R. Watkins, USA Today, and more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Smell of Summer Grass is the story of the years spent in finding and building a personal idyll, sometimes a dream, sometimes a nightmare, by writer Adam Nicolson and his wife, cook and gardener, Sarah Raven.Without knowing one end of a hay baler from the other, Adam Nicolson and Sarah Raven, fed up with London and with life, escaped with his family to a run-down farm in the Sussex Weald. Looking for Arcadia, they found a mixture of intense beauty and profound chaos. Over three years they struggled with dock leaves, spring flowers, bloody-minded sheep and neighbours before eventually arriving at some kind of equilibrium.Funny, poetic, ironic and wise, The Smell of Summer Grass' is based partly on the long out of print ''Perch Hill''. It traces the growing intimacy between man and his chosen place, his love affair with it and his frustrations with its intractable realities. As an attempt to live out the pastoral vision, it makes one heartfelt plea: we should never abandon our dreams.Trade Review'Candid, observant and often very funny' Daily Mail 'A delightful memoir – a reminder that the very best writing starts at home' Robert McCrum, Observer Praise for ‘The Mighty Dead’: ‘Thrilling and unsettling … [a] wonderfully expressive alloy of travelogue, scholarship and advocacy, which broods with heartfelt grace … Nicolson's books always shine with the Homeric virtues of eloquence, passion, generosity, audacity and candour … He does them proud’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent ‘A beautiful study: full of insight, generosity and unaffected passion. The writing is exhilarating’ Guardian ‘A thrillingly energised book … it transmits a whole worldview at once decipherable and dramatically strange … To read Homer is to be struck by what Nicolson calls ‘time-vertigo’ – and this book is one that holds your hand and encourages you to peer over the edge. To read it is to have a fat pair of Homeric jump-leads attached from Nicolson’s sparkling and crackling faculties to your own’ Spectator ‘As gripping as a thriller and as delicately constructed as a sonnet … an astonishing tour de force that reveals Homer to be at once as ancient as papyrus and as modern as MTV … Not only does he have an inward understanding of how Homer’s poetry works, his own prose also has the sharp glitter of a poet’s eye’ Telegraph

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe perfect companions for exploring the National Parks.Walking guide to the Broads National Park, with 20 best routes chosen by the park rangers. Each walk varies in length from 2 to 10 km and can be completed in less than 4 hours.20 best routes chosen and written by National Park rangersWalks from 2 to 10kmDetailed description for each walk with highlights clearly marked on the map along with an accompanying map and photographsGeneral information about the National Park plus basic advice on walkingThis and the Broads National Park Pocket Map (ISBN: 9780008439156) are the perfect companions for exploring this superb walking area of East Anglia.Trade Review“Walking guides from Collins will have you expertly traversing the landscape like a park ranger.” – Great British Life

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe village of Mark on the Somerset Levels is a watery wonderland, rich in wildlife: rooks and roe deer; sparrows and snowdrops; buzzards, badgers and butterflies; the iconic brown hare and the spectacular hummingbird hawk-moth. This title is both the story of a small corner of the West Country and a celebration of the natural world.Trade ReviewDelightful, soothing and informative * Daily Mail *An enchanting book, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is a combination of celebration for what is and regret for what is passing. It is elegiac * Daily Express *An enchanting month-by-month guide to "the natural history of an English village". As richly evocative of January as of June, Moss captures the flora and the fauna of his Somerset home with a grace and charm to warm the coldest winter night * Independent *[A] charmingly produced book…readers are in the hands of an expert -- Steven Barfiel * The Lady *This engaging account…should spark interest in country-dwellers and provide a transporting read for townies. In his placid style, Moss is profoundly informative -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisConsidered a classic at the time of its publication in 1910, A Shepherd''s Life is a rare account of the lives of those who lived on and worked the land in nineteenth-century rural Britain. A masterful work of prose, W. H. Hudson focuses on the story of one man, a Wiltshire shepherd named Caleb Bawcombe, whose tales of sheep dogs, farmer''s wives, poachers and local fairs become a sublime account of a way of life that has largely disappeared from these shores.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘An entertaining book, written with Fort’s characteristic conversational style… A real pleasure to read’ – BBC Countryfile ‘A wide-ranging, intelligent and bracingly enjoyable book’ – The Literary Review ‘Meticulously researched and seasoned with wry humour, this is a perceptive and richly rewarding read’ – Mail on Sunday We have lived in villages a long time.  The village was the first model for communal living. Towns came much later, then cities. Later still came suburbs, neighbourhoods, townships, communes, kibbutzes. But the village has endured. Across England, modernity creeps up to the boundaries of many, breaking the connection the village has with the land. With others, they can be as quiet as the graveyard as their housing is bought up by city ‘weekenders&rsquoTrade Review‘An entertaining book, written with Fort’s characteristic conversational style… A real pleasure to read.’ * BBC Countryfile *‘Charming…Mr Fort doesn’t only focus on the visually delightful in village life, he tells it as it is – without any firm conclusion, possibly, but with cordiality and wit.’ * Country Life *‘A witty, charming and informative book… full of shrewd insights peppered with nostalgia and humour.' * Countryside magazine *‘The headline news is that village life is still alive and well and it is great fun looking for it.’ * Best of British *‘A chatty and often amusing summary of his enquiries into twenty-odd English villages… Warm and thoughtful.’ * The Oldie *‘A wide-ranging, intelligent and bracingly enjoyable book.’ * The Literary Review *‘Timely, myth-busting march through English rural history... this pedal around the parishes is an entertaining and provocative read on a subject close to every English heart.’ * The Spectator *‘Meticulously researched and seasoned with wry humour, this is a perceptive and richly rewarding read.’ * Mail on Sunday *‘Tom Fort is one of those delightfully curious sorts of fellow who writes delightfully curious sorts of books about delightfully curious sorts of things… He is – as he admits – no expert, but he certainly has lots of good ideas. The Village News may be a light read but someone in Whitehall should really take it seriously.’ * Guardian *‘A thoughtful, clear-sighted history of the English village told through twenty-one case studies, each of which has its particular character…a passionate cry to spare our countryside from the fate of Oliver Goldsmith’s “Deserted Village”.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘Unashamedly nostalgic but perceptive…simply wonderful.’ * Cotswold Life *‘This book explores the whole notion of the village... Warm and affectionate, but frank and honest too.’ * Country Walking *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wonderful resource book for any Waldorf or Waldorf-inspired kindergarten. Encourage children to engage with the seasons as they craft willow hanging baskets, harvest and prepare fruit, care for birds and make Advent wreaths. As well as fun nature activities -- both indoor and outside -- for children, this book also includes advice for teachers and valuable background reading, on topics such as biodynamic farms. All the activities in this book are based on practical experience from the Children's Nature and Garden Centre in Germany, and are fully tried and tested. This is the companion book to Spring and Summer Nature Activities for Waldorf Kindergartens.Trade Review'The activities included will be inspiring for all, including those seeking outdoor nature-based ideas and projects for children up to the age of seven and beyond. It is richly illustrated with lovely photographs of young children engaged in these nature activities… With its spring/summer companion it would make a lovely gift and provides a resource to return to as the seasons turn.'-- Kindling'This is another wonderful book full of resources and ideas for activities with children, following the rhythm of the seasons of Autumn and Winter... This book is a worthy addition to any home or Kindergarten Library!'-- Blathu

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A priceless portrait of one of the least understood and frequently most vilified of people: farmers. It should really be read by all in this country who buys food - i.e. everyone.' Daily Mail 'Highly researched and deeply thoughtful ... Bathurst peers under the bonnet of these lives and reveals things that rarely make it into print.' James Rebanks, The Times 'A fine achievement: describing the indescribable' Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows We think we know what makes Britain's countryside: drystone walls, stiles, sheep on a distant hillside. But for many of us, farmers themselves - the men and women who shape, maintain and care for that land - often remain a mystery: familiar but unpredictable, a secretive industry that's still visible from space. In Field Work, Bella Bathurst journeys through Britain to talk to those on the far side of the fence. From fruit farmers to fallen stock operators, from grassy uplands to polytunnels, she creates a portrait of modern Britain, exposing in the process the inextricable bonds that exist between land and the people who farm it. As farmers find themselves torn between time-honoured methods and modern appetites, these raw, wise and funny accounts reveal an ancient way of life changing beyond recognition.Trade ReviewHighly researched and deeply thoughtful ... Bathurst peers under the bonnet of these lives and reveals things that rarely make it into print. She has a talent for asking the right questions ... Field Work is by turns funny, enlightening, frustrating and deeply sad. -- James Rebanks * The Times *A beautiful hybrid of social history, memoir and nature writing, Field Work manages to bring an entire world out of the shadows. ... Bathurst shows us how interesting all life is if viewed with the correct mixture of sympathy and curiosity -- Alex Preston * Observer *A genuine attempt to get under the fingernails of the people who work in land-based industries and understand why they carry on doing what they do, usually for little financial reward, often in great discomfort and in the face of adversity. And it is a distinguished work of journalism by someone who asks the questions that the reader wants asked [and] sifts the answers perceptively ... This thought-provoking book portrays, with uncomfortable accuracy, life on the green bits beyond the 30-mile limits of Britain's towns -- Jamie Blackett * Telegraph *A priceless portrait of one of the least understood and frequently most vilified of people: farmers. It should really be read by all in this country who buys food - i.e. everyone. If anyone wants to understand farming better, I would press this book into their hands ... The writing is at once tough and lyrical, unsentimental, piercingly truthful and observant ... heart-wrenching as well as dryly funny ... Field Work is a superb testament to that way of life, and richly demonstrates what a terrible loss that would be - for all of us. -- Book of the Week * Daily Mail *A fine achievement: describing the indescribable -- Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of CowsExactly the book I've been longing to read about farming. A proper behind-the-scenes look, fascinating, insightful, compassionate. -- Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley and The Light of Stubborn ThingsA long overdue account of the true nature of farming - written from the ground up. Bella Bathurst really gets under the skin of what it means to farm the land in the 21st century, at a time of unprecedented change. -- Stephen Moss, naturalist and author of Skylarks with RosieField Work is a nuanced book - something that has been lacking in mainstream discussions on food and farming. It's an insightful, compassionate and sometimes funny behind-the-scenes tour of a familiar but little understood world. * Geographical Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor the last thirty years John Lister-Kaye has taken the same circular walk from his home deep in a Scottish glen up to a small hill loch. Each day brings a new observation or an unexpected encounter - a fragile spider's web, an osprey struggling to lift a trout from the water or a woodcock exquisitely camouflaged on her nest - and every day, on his return home, he records his thoughts in a journal. Drawing on this lifetime of close observation, At The Water's Edge encourages us to look again at the nature around us, to discover its wildness for ourselves and to respect and protect it.Trade ReviewJohn Lister-Kaye is one of the most joyful, inspirational naturalists I know. This wonderful collection of wildlife encounters will make anyone want to pull on their boots and re-discover the world on our doorsteps. -- Kate HumbleA book of land-knowing by someone who has spent a gentle lifetime learning the languages of animals. With an untameable enthusiasm and generosity of spirit, Lister-Kaye translates those languages into a kind of inter-species friendship -- Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental JourneyDedicated conservationist Lister-Kaye has spent much of his life in solitary contemplation of his environment . . . This is a quiet but rousing call to action for anyone who loves the natural world and wants to help preserve it. * * Sunday Telegraph * *I'd put it in the hands of anyone who ever enjoyed a day out in the fresh air, even those who don't think they like the countryside: they've got to be seduced by this prose -- Claire English * * BBC Radio Scotland * *A thoughtful analyst of the evolutionary interplay between human being and animal. * * The Times * *Every word of John Lister-Kaye's At the Water's Edge sounds with a long, close knowledge of place, with a profound appreciation and anticipation of each small change brought by the progression of a day or of a season. Beautifully observed and rich in description, the book sounds too with an urgent voice, warning of what will be lost to us should we continue to take too little action to protect the natural world -- ESTHER WOOLFSON * * author of CORVUS * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn adorable collection of the sweetest baby animals you’ve ever seen, brought to exquisitely detailed life by well-loved animal artist Hannah Dale, creator of Wrendale Designs. This beautiful gift book, first published in 2015 but now reissued in a larger size to give even more prominence to the gorgeous illustrations, features over 50 British baby animals that are just starting out in life, painted in the author’s quirky, inimitable style. From the playful fox cub to the tiny fluffy duckling, from the prettiest baby seal to a wobbly thoroughbred foal, everyone’s favourite mini creatures are charmingly brought to life by this award-winning artist - you'll squeal with delight at their cuteness! Each animal portrait is accompanied by informative and entertaining text that will teach you more about how these little creatures will make their way in the world. This truly lovely book is the perfect gift package for nature lovers of any age.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Wilder Wales, writer Julian Rollins and photographer Drew Buckley explore and document the very best of Wales''s landscapes, visiting a dozen of the nation''s key wildlife locations month by each calendar month.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAndrew Bibby walks south from Edinburgh through the Scottish borders to the Cheviots and the English border and then carries on until he reaches North Yorkshire and the river Swale. His journey is one of discovery into the distinctive landscapes of the border lands,

Read more less

Book SynopsisMushrooms, the first of a major new series of books on British natural history, provides a remarkable insight into the natural and human world of fungi.Peter Marren, in his inimitable, relaxed style, guides the reader through the extraordinary riches of this often overlooked group, from the amazing diversity of forms and lifestyles that populate the fungal landscape, to the pursuit of edible fungi for the pot, and the complexities of identification thrown up by our modern understanding of DNA. Throughout the book, the author tells a story rich in detail about how we have come to appreciate and, in some cases, fear the mushrooms and toadstools that are such an integral part of the changing seasons. Marren also provides a refreshingly candid view of our attempts to name species, the role of fungi in ecosystems, and our recent efforts to record and conserve them.Trade ReviewThe biggest attraction of all is Marren’s writing: quirky, trenchantly observant, sometimes hilarious, full of engaging anecdotes and as far from the soulless impersonal tone of a fungi field guide as it is possible to get. Implausible as it may seem, here indeed is a man’s relationship with mushrooms, in fact, his extravagant love affair with them. It is the single best book on the natural world I have read this year. -- Michael McCarthy * The Independent *A wonderfully eclectic book about the strange world of fungi, by one of the best nature writers in Britain today. -- Stephen Moss * The Guardian *Table of ContentsForeword A fungal autobiography Meet the mushrooms What's in a name? Mushrooms on parade What mushroom is that? Natural habitats In our midst: our fungal neighbours Earthtongues, waxcaps and hedgehogs Scarcity and plenty Forays amongst the funguses The good, the bad and the crazy Picking for the pot Saving mushrooms

Read more less

Book Synopsis'a delightful and funny memoir of her family's crazy life in the English countryside. Perfect escapist reading for these locked-down times.' - SALMAN RUSHDIE'a heartwarming tale of country living' - SUNDAY EXPRESS'a charming memoir and a perfect choice for these unsettling times' - DEVON LIFE'A total joy... enchanting, hilarious and vivid... Beautifully written, richly informative...' - LIZ CALDER'A gem ... A heart-warming memoir of moving to the glorious Cornish countryside and taking up farming is the perfect antidote to city life.' - NIKOLA SCOTT"A love letter to the British countryside...a wonderfully earthy story of fresh Cornish air...an adventure from start to finish." - TOWN & COUNTRY"A light-hearted account of 30 years of trial and error on a Cornish farm...I loved every minute..." - SAGAEver dream of packing up and escaping to a simpler life on the land, just the Cornish landscape and a few cows and goats rising up to greet you each day? When Rosanne and her husband left city life for the Cornwall idyll they knew little of farming, the seasons and milking; but over time they found their way, rising to each new challenge and embracing all that the land gave them.Growing Goats and Girls lovingly and invitingly charts the rural, hardworking and joyfully haphazard lives of Rosanne and her husband as they escape London to live off the land. In their tumbled-down farmhouse in Cornwall, they learn to rear goats, chickens, cows, bees - and two children - get to grips with unruly machinery and cantankerous farmers, and chart the changing seasons in glorious countryside over thirty years.Heart-warming and uplifting in its celebration of the simple things, this earthy portrait of life on the land taps into our collective imagination. After all, who hasn't dreamed of new beginnings, escaping into nature and living more simply. Growing Goats and Girls reminds us to appreciate the fleeting, timeless moments of beauty, nature and the simple comforts of family life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDay Walks in Fort William & Glen Coe features 20 routes between 4.4 and 14.4 miles (7km and 23.2km) in length, spread across the Scottish Highlands. Researched and written by experienced and knowledgeable authors Helen and Paul Webster, founders of the Walkhighlands website, the walks range from gentle rambles to more challenging day walks, all through grand and impressive landscapes.Split into four sections – Glen Coe & Glen Etive; Kinlochleven & the Mamores; Fort William & the Great Glen; and The Road to the Isles – this guidebook explores the best that the Highlands has to offer.Together with stunning photography, each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information.Table of ContentsIntroductionAbout the walksNavigationGPS & mobile phonesSafetyBothiesScottish outdoor accessEstate activitiesHow to use this bookMaps, descriptions, distancesKm/mile conversion chartScottish place namesFort William & Glen Coe Area MapSection 1 Glen Coe & Glen Etive1 The Two Lairigs2 The Pap of Glencoe3 Buachaille Etive Beag4 Buachaille Etive Mòr5 Ben StaravSection 2 Kinlochleven & the Mamores6 Blackwater Reservoir7 Mam na Gualainn8 Binnein Mòr & Na Gruagaichean9 Stob Bàn & Mullach nan Coirean10 An Steall & An GearanachSection 3 Fort William & the Great Glen11 Cow Hill12 Ben Nevis North Face13 Beinn Bhàn14 Sgùrr na h-Eanchainne & Druim na Sgrìodain15a Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track15b Ben Nevis by the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête16 The Grey CorriesSection 4 – The Road to the Isles17 Peanmeanach18 Gulvain19 Sgùrr Thuilm & Sgùrr nan Coireachan20 StreapAppendix

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the story of Alex James's transition from a leading light of the Britpop movement in the 1990s, to gentleman farmer, artisan cheese-maker and father of five.I was hanging around the pigsty in the way I'd previously hung around at The Groucho Club. I felt wonderfully connected, grounded in the real world, standing in pig muck'Following fifteen years in Blur, Alex James did two wild, unexpected things. He fell in love and he bought a farm.Moving into a rambling, chaotic farmstead in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, he decides the best way to learn about farming is the same way he learned most about music: by jumping in and doing it. As his family settles in, he discovers the unexpected joys that country life abounds in: finding the first egg from your very own chicken, coming across a bramble bush laden with blackberries, roasting home-grown pears on an open fire, before stumbling on a new venture making cheese.Wonderfully warm, witty and perfectly observed, this is the storyTrade Review‘James’s prose is clean and poetic. His childlike wonder at the simple things – from herons to heaps of rubble – can be infectious’ DAILY TELEGRAPH ‘A joy to read. Prose flows and weaves and curls itself into pleasing rhythms…(Alex James) can write like a god’ SPECTATOR ‘The upbeat tone matches that of his Blur-era autobiography A BIT OF A BLUR, treating his downsize from rock heart-throb to cockerel-throttling country gent as if cheese contests were Britpop orgies. Riding bikes, the smell of berry bushes, piles of cow dung: all brilliant’ NME

Read more less

Book SynopsisDay Walks on the Isle of Skye features 20 routes between 3.4 and 14.5 miles (5.5km and 23.3km) in length, spread across the Isle of Skye with one walk on the neighbouring Isle of Raasay. Researched and written by experienced and knowledgeable authors Helen and Paul Webster, founders of the Walkhighlands website, the walks explore the rugged mountains and wildlife-rich coastline of the islands.The routes are split into four sections – Trotternish and the Braes; North-West Skye; Glen Brittle and Sligachan; and South Skye and the Isle of Raasay.Together with stunning photography, each route features Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local information.Table of ContentsIsle of Skye Area Map & Route FinderIntroductionAbout the walksNavigationGPS & mobile phonesSafetyBothiesRoads & parkingScottish Outdoor Access CodeHow to use this bookMaps, descriptions, distancesKm/mile conversion chartScottish place namesSection 1 – Trotternish & the Braes1 Ben Tianavaig2 Rubha Hunish3 Quiraing4 The Storr & its Old ManSection 2 – North-West Skye5 The Hoe & Waterstein Head6 Ramasaig to Orbost via MacLeod’s MaidensSection 3 – Glen Brittle & Sligachan7 Rubha an Dùnain8 Bealach Brittle Loop9 Marsco10 Sgùrr na Strì 11 Glamaig & the Red Cuillin12 Bruach na Frìthe13 Sgùrr na Banachdaich14 Sgùrr Dearg & the Inaccessible PinnacleSection 4 – South Skye & the Isle of Raasay15 Point of Sleat 16 Boreraig & Suisnish17 Dùn Caan, Isle of Raasay18 Elgol & Camasunary Circuit19 Broadford Red Hills 20 BlàbheinnAppendix

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA fascinating and hilarious glimpse into Paul''s life at home in the country with his animalsPaul O''Grady''s Country Life for the first time gives a glimpse into the home life of one of Britain's best loved stars, alongside the animals he adores. Sometimes rural idyll, sometimes hell on earth, Paul's life in rural Kent has been shared over the years with some very vocal pigs, a mad cow, various rescued barn owls, the world's most sadistic geese and Christine the psychotic sheep among many other animal waifs and strays. And of course Paul tells the stories of the dogs in his life including the tiny chihuahua/Jack Russell cross with Napoleonic ambitions, Eddie, Miss Olga, Bullseye, Louis, Boycie and, of course, Buster, the greatest canine star since Lassie. In addition, Paul shares some of his favourite recipes, explores country lore and superstitions, and extols the benefits of growing your own vegetables, herbs aTrade ReviewFor the past decade, O'Grady has lived a quiet life in Kent... and he details the change of pace with typical wit and frankness. * Radio Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisEscape to CornwallWonderful. A love story with a mystery at its heart, it will make you laugh, cry and yearn for Cornwall. I loved it!' Miranda DickinsonSummer in Cornwall is the perfect time for a fresh startSeven years ago, Marina Hudson's husband was lost at sea. She vowed to love him forever but when kind-hearted Lachlan arrives in Porthmellow, should she deny herself another chance at happiness?Tiff Trescott was living life to the full as a journalist in London until her boyfriend's betrayal brought it all crashing down. Fleeing to her cousin Marina's cottage, Tiff feels like a fish out of water. And when brooding local Dirk wins a day with her in a charity auction, she's thrown headfirst into Cornish life.This summer promises new beginnings for both Tiff and Marina. But are they too good to be true?Escape to Cornwall with this emotional, uplifting read from the bestselling author of A Perfect Cornish Summer and A Perfect Cornish Christmas. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and TTrade ReviewPraise for A Perfect Cornish Escape: ‘Wonderful. A love story with a mystery at its heart, it will make you laugh, cry and yearn for Cornwall. I loved it! Miranda Dickinson ‘A slice of Cornish sunshine. Gorgeously romantic, with plenty of twists to keep me turning the pages. Absolutely loved it’ Holly Martin ‘Escapist and uplifting’ Woman & Home ‘We love Phillipa Ashley’s books and A Perfect Cornish Escape is full of atmosphere with both familiar and new characters. It was a delight to return to Porthmellow, it made us long to visit Cornwall again! A heart-warming summer read, highly recommended’ Hot Brands Cool Places Praise for Phillipa Ashley’s books: ‘Warm and funny and feel-good. The best sort of holiday read’ Katie Fforde ‘Sparkling and festive – loved it!’ Milly Johnson ‘Filled with warm and likeable characters. Great fun!’ Jill Mansell ‘Deliciously entertaining’ Liz Fenwick ‘One of the freshest voices to emerge in women’s fiction today’ Claudia Carroll ‘A delicious festive treat with as many twists and turns as a Cornish country lane’ Jules Wake

Read more less

Book SynopsisBowen's Court describes the history of one Anglo-Irish family in County Cork from the Cromwellian settlement until 1959, when Elizabeth Bowen was forced to sell the family house she loved.Trade ReviewInteresting, beautiful and important * New Statesman *She startles us by sheer originality of mind and boldness of sensibility into seeking our world afresh -- V.S. PritchettThrillingly convoluted * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn exploration of the hidden history of camping in American life that connects a familiar recreational pastime to camps for functional needs and political purposes.Camping appears to be a simple proposition, a time-honored way of getting away from it all. Pack up the car and hit the road in search of a shady spot in the great outdoors. For a modest fee, reserve the basic infrastructure--a picnic table, a parking spot, and a place to build a fire. Pitch the tent and unroll the sleeping bags. Sit under the stars with friends or family and roast some marshmallows. This book reveals that, for all its appeal, the simplicity of camping is deceptive, its history and meanings far from obvious.Why do some Americans find pleasure in sleeping outside, particularly when so many others, past and present, have had to do so for reasons other than recreation? Never only a vacation choice, camping has been something people do out of dire necessity and as a tactic of political protest. Yet the dominant interpretation of camping as a modern recreational ideal has obscured the connections to these other roles. A closer look at the history of camping since the Civil War reveals a deeper significance of this American tradition and its links to core beliefs about nature and national belonging. Camping Grounds rediscovers unexpected and interwoven histories of sleeping outside. It uses extensive research to trace surprising links between veterans, tramps, John Muir, African American freedpeople, Indian communities, and early leisure campers in the nineteenth century; tin-can tourists, federal campground designers, Depression-era transients, family campers, backpacking enthusiasts, and political activists in the twentieth century; and the crisis of the unsheltered and the tent-based Occupy Movement in the twenty-first. These entwined stories show how Americans camp to claim a place in the American republic and why the outdoors is critical to how we relate to nature, the nation, and each other.Trade ReviewYoung deserves praise for creating fertile ground for historians of the environment, race, class, and gender to further complicate the narrative of camping in North America, as well as demonstrating how others can critically engage with conceptions of government responsibility and public nature. * Jessica M. DeWitt, Western History Quarterly *A rich and compelling book that follows two intersecting paths through the history of camping. The most obvious path is that of recreational camping....The second path is the history of protest camping, from Civil War veterans to Occupy protesters.... While Camping Grounds centers on the practices of camping, as recreation and protest, it situates this analysis in the broader overarching concept of 'public nature.'...[Its] concern, one with implications for the future, is that other forms of camping-such as a mode of protest or as a matter of necessity-are delegitimized, as a market-based recreational ethos crowds out the potential for camping to yield broader public goods....This concept of public nature will serve historians well as they wrestle with how we use, govern, and consume nature to reflect, shore up, and challenge hierarchies of power in the United States. * James Morton Turner, Journal of American History *Recreational camping and political camping, two voluntary but contrasting activities, and functional camping, an involuntary activity, are the three forms of American camping explored in this excellent, well-researched book. Most camping scholarship...concentrates on the first of the three forms while neglecting the other two. Young's...demonstration of the interrelatedness of and shaping interactions between the three forms makes it exceptionally revealing and valuable....Young convincingly demonstrates that camping today is complicated, contains multiple meanings, and can be both a highly popular form of leisure and the justification for an arrest by law enforcement. In addition to being a revealing analysis, Camping Grounds is an engaging narrative....I strongly recommend Camping Grounds to readers who wish to better understand how America came to include an everyday activity that is both praised and condemned, often by the same people. * Terence Young, H-Environment *This is a magnificent study of camping in the US, from the mid-19th century to 2019. Camping has had significantly different meanings at different times in US history, and Young explores three different eras. Early camping was primarily a way of sheltering while traveling, or while in a state of military transition, with emphasis on organizing people....Camping as a choice and pastime emerged later and played a role in changing views of class and race in the US....In the late 19th century, camping became an alternative to resort vacations, taking on social and economic implications. The camping equipment industry and planned campgrounds emerged. The popularity of camping in the second half of the 20th century created environmental and institutional problems, resulting in a wilderness ethic and economic opportunities....Relevant to social and environmental studies and law....Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals.A varied and comprehensive overview of modern camping with ample detail and sociological perspective on the origins of camping and its roles in war, protest, consumerism, and class discrimination. * Zebulin Evelhoch, Library Journal *Young, an environmental historian, traces "camping" back to the Civil War and explores its implications for social justice and political discourse—beyond its more obvious role as a mere diversional outdoor activity. * Lela Nargi, The Sierra Club *In Camping Grounds, Phoebe Young presents the surprisingly political history of sleeping outside, in which veterans, vagrants, migrants, recreationists, protestors, bureaucrats, officials, police, and others have fought over the meaning of public nature, with profound implications for American life and the American social compact. Artfully written, creatively researched, a tour de force that will change the way you see your country. * Louis S. Warren, University of California, Davis *In this brilliant new book, Phoebe Young asks a seemingly simple question: 'What does it mean to camp and why does it matter?' The answer is strikingly complex and in its pursuit Camping Grounds offers a radically inclusive vision of America's public nature and environmental culture. * Char Miller, author of Not So Golden State: Sustainability vs. the California Dream *Phoebe Young strips the innocence from sleeping under the stars, revealing this quintessential American pastime as a precarious practice — one long bedeviled by class tensions, legal wrangling over the definition of camping, and ever-shifting claims on public nature. * Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash *My recommendation?: gather 'round the campfire with a s'more, and read this smart, engaging book. Young exposes the 'simple life' of camping as a complex set of negotiations historically about your environments, your government, your fellow citizens...and yourself. * Jenny Price, Stop Saving the Planet!: An Environmentalist Manifesto *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Public Nature Part One: 1850s-1880s Ch. 1. Saving the Union Ch. 2. Seeing the Country Part Two: 1890s-1940s Ch. 3. Tramp Style Ch. 4. Campers' Republic Part Three: 1950s-2010s Ch. 5. The Back to Nature Crowd ch. 6. Tents and Public Statements Epilogue: "We MUST Camp" Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wonderful meditation on the English landscape in wet weather by the acclaimed novelist and nature writer, Melissa Harrison.Whenever rain falls, our countryside changes. Fields, farms, hills and hedgerows appear altered, the wildlife behaves differently, and over time the terrain itself is transformed.In Rain, Melissa Harrison explores our relationship with the weather as she follows the course of four rain showers, in four seasons, across Wicken Fen, Shropshire, the Darent Valley and Dartmoor. Blending these expeditions with reading, research, memory and imagination, she reveals how rain is not just an essential element of the world around us, but a key part of our own identity too.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAccompanied throughout by the author's evocative hand-drawn illustrations, Deeper Into the Wood is a lyrical and inspiring story; a potent reminder of nature's delicate balance and our responsibility toward its preservation.Trade Review‘A wonderfully personal evocation of the joys, hard work and meaning of creating a wood for wildlife, written with sensitivity and care. A delightful read’ Stephen Moss, author of The Robin: A Biography‘A rare treat of a book that warms as it informs and leads us deep into the character of one small pocket of England. Ruth Pavey writes with wit, passion and precious little sentimentality' Tristan Gooley, author of The Secret World of Weather‘Wonderful... how love for a small woodland and respect for its local history can enhance wildlife and enrich the human spirit’ Nick Davies, author of Cuckoo: Cheating by Nature‘Ruth Pavey spins a delicate web between the many branches of her little Somerset wood. Her closely observed changes of wildlife and the changing seasons, echo a growing awareness and concern for life on Earth itself. The author’s growth and metamorphosis into an amateur naturalist who has learnt to read the language of trees is profoundly inspirational’ Gabriel Hemery, author of The New Sylva‘Inquisitive and generous. Pavey shares the love of her wood, past and present, through a fascinating weave of its natural and cultural histories. This book is as companionable as it is interesting' Patrick Baker, author of The Unremembered Places

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2021* 'A wholly original, semi-autobiographical book on how to live, how to be calm and content with only a little, in a quietly humming garden' Daily MailBeautifully illustrated, Seed to Dust is a reflective and restorative account of a life lived in harmony with nature. Marc Hamer has nurtured the same twelve acres of garden for decades. It's rarely visited so he is the only person who fully knows its secrets. But it's not his garden, and his relationship with its owner is at once distant and curiously intimate. In Seed to Dust, Marc takes us month-by-month through his experiences both working in the garden and outside it. We encounter new plants and wildlife, gardening folklore and the joys of manual work; we learn, too, about Marc's path from homelessness to family contentment, and the cycles of change that run through both the garden's life and our own.'An absorbing combination of memoir, gardening folklore and natural history' Country Life'Life-affirming... Absorbing' Sue Stuart-Smith, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Well-Gardened MindTrade ReviewWritten as a monthly journal, this is more memoir and philosophical meditation than gardener's manual... Hamer uses the material all around - robins and crows, beeches and cherry trees, jasmine, daffodils and soil - as the springboard for reflections on how to live a small-scale, spiritually aware life. ...making the case for seeing our place within nature, and relishing our contact with it. * Herald *Hamer takes the reader through his gardening year... Marc Hamer's gardening memoir offers an insight into what it is like to tend somebody else's plot, and how an unusual relationship blossomed...Seed to Dust is a bodily book. Hamer lets us in; we learn what his tools feel like in hands hardened by decades of manual labour...But it is also an unlikely love story: Hamer is happily married to Peggy, who we hear about, too, but his affection for Miss Cashmere, his elderly employer, is clear - and infectious. * Telegraph *[A] life-enhancing book * Eastern Daily Press *Inspirational... An invaluably original view of one man in his garden...noticing the tiny things that the busy world ignores... A wholly original book on how to live, how to be calm and content with only a little, in a quietly humming garden * Daily Mail *Seed to Dust draws on Hamer's deep sense of connection with plants and the earth as well as a lifetime of experience. Beautifully observed and quietly reflective, this is an absorbing and life-affirming read -- Sue Stuart-Smith, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Well-Gardened Mind

Read more less

Book SynopsisEverything you wanted to know about the countryside, but were too afraid to ask 'A joyful companion with surprises and delights on every page' Tristan Gooley, author of The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs 'Highly readable and scrupulously balanced' John Wright, author of The Forager's Calendar 'Lovely, luminous' Bella Bathurst, author of Field Work Need advice on how to raise a chicken or pluck a pheasant? Wondering how to train your dog, catch a mole or sneak through a field of cows? Perhaps you're after the secret to the fattest pumpkin, the wormiest compost, the classiest snowdrop? Or are you simply in love with our captivating landscapes, keen to unlock the history and culture of our woods and fields, our footpaths and boundaries, our meadows and moors? In this delightful and eye-opening book, Meg Clothier and her father, Jonny, combine decades of practical know-how with a passion for literature and lore - braced up by a keen understanding of the conundrums of the contemporary countryside. From hedges and holloways to henges and ha-has, Country Matters brings the world beyond our towns and cities - its pleasures and perplexities, its dilemmas and delights - to entertaining and illuminating life.Trade ReviewCountry Matters is a witty and often sharp celebration of the countryside, and reading it is like spending time with a favourite and well-read aunt (or uncle) whose wardrobe consists entirely of moleskin and waxed jackets. Here, the Clothiers have produced a highly readable and scrupulously balanced account of country life which this countryman found difficult to put to one side. -- John Wright, author * The Forager's Calendar *Praise for Sea Fever: 'What a fun book! Reading Sea Fever is enticing and intriguing, like watching floating treasure bob past your nose. -- Tristan Gooley, author * The Natural Navigator *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAuthor Jamie Blackett arrives home from the Army to take over a small family estate on the Solway Firth in Dumfries and Galloway, and finds a rapidly changing countryside. In a humorous and occasionally moving tale, he describes the return of the native to grapple with the intricacies of farming, conservation and estate management, telling the story of founding a pack of foxhounds and a herd of pedigree beef cattle. Part childhood memoir, part biopic of rural life, readers are transported to a remote and beautiful part of Scotland and acquainted with its wildlife, its people and its customs. One minute he is unblocking his septic tank, and the next he is watching Glenn Close film a sex scene in his bedroom. The book follows in the tradition of countryside classics by John Lister-Kaye, James Herriot and James Rebanks. Set over the first two decades of the twenty-first century, through the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and the hunting ban, the result is an enlightened review of the challenges threatening a vulnerable way of life and an emerging philosophy about the directions Scotland, farming and the countryside might take in the brave new world of Brexit.Trade ReviewApropos reading, may I recommend two recent discoveries. The second is Red Rag to a Bull, by Jamie Blackett. Also beautifully written, there is no better one-volume guide to rural matters. Every politician should read it, as should anyone who cares about the countryside. It is a pleasure from first page to last. -- Bruce Anderson * The Spectator *Jamie Blackett's new book is a bracing breath of Borders air. Not an angry caricature nor a blinkered polemic, Blackett has delivered something else entirely. And something rather valuable. Funny, well-considered and engagingly written, Blackett's book is one that encapsulates a moment in time. -- Alexandra Henton * The Field *This book is a reflection, by turns poetic and gritty, on two decades of life at what Jamie Blackett calls 'the silage-pit face'... He has to cope with the Scottish Government, unsafe trees and the implementation of the hunting ban. He's literally living the dream, given that dreams are generally odd, disconcerting and irrational, as well as, in recollection, at times very funny. -- Clive Aslet * Country Life *What a brilliant, enlightening and amusing book, about the real countryside. It should be read by politicians, bureaucrats, ramblers, wildlife-lovers, townies, blow-ins and bumpkins like me. What a read! -- Robin PageBlackett has written an entertaining and engaging book on a subject that will resonate strongly with those who live and work in rural Britain. An enjoyable book that does so much to educate. -- Paul de Zulueta * Guards Magazine *...Blackett provides a passionate plea that the livelihoods dependent on the Scottish countryside are as important as the growing generation of urbanites focused predominantly on the tech and service industries. An enlightening read for everyone from the true country bumpkins to the modern city slicker. * Scottish Field Magazine *This book should be compulsory reading for all those townies who long to live in the country after a week in a holiday cottage... Wildlife, hunting and much hilarity pack this volume, perhaps best described as James Herriot meets the Irish RM.In this wonderful, humorous book, beautifully observed and written book, Blackett tells us something of the tribulations of a farmer in these benighted times. -- James Stevens Curl * The Jackdaw *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Prologue Coming Home Summer Autumn Winter Spring Epilogue

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Like many a Highland glen, the Fathan Ghlinne should be wooded but isn't. But I have sat long and often and listened to the ancient river speech, to the windsong of three birches and a rowan, the rowan above a meeting of waterfalls which should be a portentous place. And the word on the wind and in the speech of the river is that the trees and wolves and the people will be back.' Thus Jim Crumley concludes this remarkable book of nature writing. The setting is largely Highland Perthshire (there are startling asides to Mull and Alaska), the author's home for several years, and where, having 'chased a rainbow' that faded early he stayed on and put down a root that nourished his nature writer's instincts. Something Out There is Jim Crumley's account of his quest to rediscover something of the ancient bond between man and nature. It is told in prose that is three-quarters of the way to poetry, and in the process gives the art of nature writing a bold new standard bearer for the 21st century.Trade Review'...Jim Crumley, the best nature writer now working in Great Britain...' David Craig in the Los Angeles Times Book Review

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less