Description
Book SynopsisIn the abiding light of summer, the nature in Jim Crumley's heartlands of Scotland is burgeoning freely. Seals sing, brown hares bound, dragonflies dance. His silent vigils reveal not only an enchanting account of summer's exuberant profusion, but the unfolding climate chaos. From declining puffin populations to the demise of entire glaciers, this is a world in crisis ... and of everyday miracles on land, mountains, lochs, coasts and skies. Jim Crumley's intimate portraits branch out beyond the heart of the Highlands to memories of summers past: from kittiwake cliffs in far-flung St Kilda to the pure wilderness of Arctic Norway, where sea eagles rule. The Nature of Summer explores what is at stake as our seasons are pushed beyond nature's limits.
Trade ReviewTHE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2020, SHORTLISTED; "[A] beautiful book ... [an] exceptional and intense quality of observation glows from every page ... He finds astonishing beauty in the landscape, and sheer wonder in his encounters ... Nothing can diminish the sharpness of his eye, the ardour of his writing, and the pure wonder at the natural world that shapes every paragraph ... A wisdom that we need now, more than ever before." Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman; "A mesmerising blend of observation and in-depth knowledge about our wild landscapes ... every bit as compelling and thought-provoking as its predecessors ... no better book to lose yourself in." Herald; Praise 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
Table of ContentsPrologue: The Goddess of Small Things; Part One: Everything Else in the Universe; Chapter One: St Kilda Summer, 1988; Chapter Two: Forty Years at Eagle Crag; Chapter Three: You Have Not Seen Her with My Eyes; Chapter Four: She Is of the Woods and I Am Not; Chapter Five: Inside the Arc; Part Two: Song for an Unsung Shore; Chapter Six: Solstice; Chapter Seven: Between a Rock and a Soft Place; Chapter Eight: City of Ghost Birds; Chapter Nine: Bass Notes; Part Three: Smoke Signals; Chapter Ten: Touchstones; Chapter Eleven: The Land of Havørn (1): Under the Blue Mountain; Chapter Twelve: The Land of Havørn (2): Islands of Dreams; Chapter Thirteen: The Climate Imperative; Chapter Fourteen: The Accidental Kingfisher and Other Stories: A Diary; Epilogue: A Daydream of Wolves
