Wilding

by Isabella Tree

‘A poignant, practical and moving story of how to fix our broken land, this should be conservation's salvation; this should be its future; this is a new hope’ – Chris Packham

In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the ‘Knepp experiment’, a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.

Winner of the Richard Jefferies Society and White Horse Book Shop Literary Prize.

Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs, and deer – proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain – the 3,500-acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade.

Extremely rare species, including turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, lesser spotted woodpeckers, and purple emperor butterflies, are now breeding at Knepp, and populations of other species are rocketing. The Burrells’ degraded agricultural land has become a functioning ecosystem again, heaving with life – all by itself.

Personal and inspirational, Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible.

Highly Commended by the Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize.
This must be the most inspirational nature book of the year . . . a narrative of conservation, courage, vision, and miracles... The story of what happened is thrilling . . . the Knepp Conservation Project is world-famous: a beacon of hope . . . Read this book and marvel.

Bel Mooney, 'The Year's Best Books on Nature', Daily Mail
Particularly timely . . . an excellent primer, and anyone who is interested in how we share the planet — what it looks like, what we eat, and what nature can teach us — should read this book.
Sunday Times

A poignant, practical, and moving story of how to fix our broken land, this should be conservation's salvation; this should be its future; this is a new hope.
Chris Packham, presenter of The Really Wild Show

NOTES FROM A SCEPTICAL GARDENER

by KEN THOMPSON

What is the best way to kill weeds in paving? How scared should we really be of Japanese knotweed? And what is a weed anyway?

Biologist Ken Thompson set out to write a different kind of gardening column, one that tackles what he calls ‘the grit in the gardening oyster’. In this new collection he takes a look at some of the questions faced by gardeners everywhere in a bid to sort the truth from the wishful thinking.
Why are the beaks of British great tits getting longer? Which common garden insect owns a set of metal-tipped running spikes? Why might growing orange petunias land you in hot water? Are foxes getting bigger? How do you stop the needles falling off your Christmas tree?
This expert’s miscellany of (mostly) scientifically-tested garden lore will make you look at your garden through fresh eyes.

LIQUID GOLD

by ROGER MORGAN-GRENVILLE

‘This delightful memoir is an inspiring account of changing direction in mid-life, and a passionate plea on behalf of the honeybee.’ Daily Mail

After a chance meeting in the pub, Roger Morgan-Grenville and his friend Duncan decide to take up beekeeping. Their enthusiasm matched only by their ignorance, they are pitched into an arcane world of unexpected challenges.

Coping with many setbacks along the way, they manage to create a colony of beehives, finishing two years later with more honey than anyone knows what to do with. By standing back from their normal lives and working with the cycle of the seasons, they emerge with a new-found understanding of nature and a respect for the honeybee and the threats it faces.

Wryly humorous and surprisingly moving, Liquid Gold is the story of a friendship between two unlikely men at very different stages of their lives. It is also an uplifting account of the author’s own midlife journey: coming to terms with an empty nest, getting older, looking for something new.

‘A great book. Painstakingly researched, but humorous, sensitive and full of wisdom.’ Chris Stewart, author of Driving Over Lemons

‘A light-hearted account of midlife, a yearning for adventure, the plight of bees, the quest for “liquid gold” and, above all, friendship.’ Sunday Telegraph

Bears of the World

by Vincenzo Penteriani, Mario Melletti

Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in their body parts, including the Asian bear bile market. The IUCN lists six bears as vulnerable or endangered, and even the least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. Covering all bears species worldwide, this beautifully illustrated volume brings together the contributions of 200 international bear experts on the ecology, conservation status, and management of the Ursidae family. It reveals the fascinating long history of interactions between humans and bears and the threats affecting these charismatic species.

BUZZ

by THOR HANSON

‘Popular science at its most accessible: fun, fascinating and full of engaging pen portraits of the scientists and bee enthusiasts he meets in the course of his research’ Melissa Harrison, Guardian

‘A smooth and accessible account of the insects that provide a significant amount of what we eat, introducing their fascinating diversity of behaviour. A reminder of why bees are wonders that we must protect.’ Matt Shardlow, BBC Wildlife

In Buzz, the award-winning author of Feathers and The Triumph of Seeds takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They’ve given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing.

As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you’ll never overlook them again.

REWILDING

by PAUL JEPSON , CAIN BLYTHE

As ecologists Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe show, rewilding is a new and progressive approach to conservation, blending radical scientific insights with practical innovations to revive ecological processes, benefiting people as well as nature. Its goal is to restore lost interactions between animals, plants and natural disturbance that are the essence of thriving ecosystems.

With its sense of hope and purpose, rewilding is breathing new life into the conservation movement, and enabling a growing number of people – even urban-dwellers – to enjoy thrilling wildlife experiences previously accessible only in remote wilderness reserves. ‘De-domesticated’ horses galloping across a Dutch ‘Serengeti’; beavers creating wetlands in the British countryside; giant tortoises restoring the wildlife of the Mauritian islands; perhaps one day even rhinos roaming the Australian outback – rewilding is full of exciting and inspirational possibilities.

Tree Magic

by Harriet Springbett

A life fractured into parallel worlds. A quiet magic to accept or ignore. A decision to make.

Escape from difficult family dynamics is teenager Rainbow’s desire. When she discovers a strange gift for communicating with trees, she thinks she’s found her salvation. Even better, a mysterious but gentle man living in her Dorset village helps develop her powers.

But when tragedy strikes, Rainbow’s life is torn apart, creating parallel worlds in the process. In one life, the vulnerable Rainbow strives to salvage her family. In the other, her alter-ego, Mary, flees her past. Over the next few years the two versions of Rainbow follow very different lives. The source of their grief, however, is the same – a confession buried deep within their memories.

Could France offer more than a mere escape? As the two worlds draw closer and memories resurface, Rainbow and Mary’s futures must be determined. Can they receive the healing they need? Or will the renewed pain be too much to bear? Only by risking their lives will they know.

The Biological Universe

by Wallace Arthur

Are we alone in the Universe, or are there other life-forms ‘out there’? This is one of the most scientifically and philosophically important questions that humanity can ask. Now, in the early 2020s, we are tantalizingly close to an answer. As this book shows, the answer will almost certainly be that life-forms are to be found across the Milky Way and beyond. They will be thinly spread, to be sure. Yet the number of inhabited planets probably runs into the trillions. Some are close enough for us to detect evidence of life by analysing their atmospheres. This evidence may be found within a couple of decades. Its arrival will be momentous. But even before it arrives we can anticipate what life elsewhere will be like by examining the ecology and evolution of life on Earth. This book considers the current state of play in relation to these titanic issues.

Discovering the Deep

by Jeffrey A. Karson, Deborah S. Kelley, Daniel J. Fornari, Michael R. Perfit, Timothy M. Shank

The deep oceans and global seafloor are truly Earth’s last frontier. They remain largely unexplored, yet are critical to our survival on this planet. This magnificent, full-color volume transports you to bizarre landscapes hosting exotic life forms that rival the most imaginative science fiction. Starting with a historical summary of seafloor exploration and the developing technologies used to study this extreme environment, it then describes the distinctive geologic components of the Earth’s ocean floor and the unusual biological communities found along the mid-ocean ridges. This is an indispensable reference for researchers, teachers, and students of marine science, and a visually stunning resource that will enlighten and intrigue oceanographers and enthusiasts alike. A suite of online resources, including photographs and video clips, combine with the book to provide fascinating insights into the hidden world of seafloor geology and biology using the latest deep-sea imaging and geological concepts.

Animal Anomalies

by Lewis I. Held, Jr

Among the offspring of humans and other animals are occasional individuals that are malformed in whole or in part. The most grossly abnormal of these have been referred to from ancient times as monsters because their birth was thought to foretell doom; the less severely affected are usually known as anomalies. This volume aims to dig deeply into the cellular and molecular processes of embryonic development that go awry in such exceptional situations. It focuses on the physical mechanisms of how genes instruct cells to build anatomy, as well as the underlying forces of evolution that shaped these mechanisms over eons of geologic time. The narrative is framed in a historical perspective that should help students trying to make sense of these complex subjects. Each chapter is written in the style of a Sherlock Holmes story, starting with the clues and ending with a solution to the mystery.

The Kestrel

by David Costantini, Giacomo Dell'Omo

Widespread across open lands and cities of Europe, Africa, and Asia, the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is one of the most abundant and studied birds of prey. This book brings together and synthesises the results of research on kestrels for professional ornithologists and scientists that seek to consolidate a vast body of literature. It is also a reference for those readers who may not have the depth of scientific knowledge to navigate new fields of scientific enquiry. It examines many aspects of the species’ biology, from the reproductive strategies to the behavioural and demographic adaptations to changes of environmental conditions. It also discusses the roles of physiology and immunology in mediating the adaptability of kestrels to the ongoing environmental changes with a particular focus on contaminants. This volume presents new and exciting avenues of research on the ecology and behaviour of the common kestrel.

Understanding Coronavirus

by Raul Rabadan

Since the identification of the first cases of the coronavirus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, there has been a significant amount of confusion regarding the origin and spread of the so-called ‘coronavirus’, officially named SARS-CoV-2, and the cause of the disease COVID-19. Conflicting messages from the media and officials across different countries and organizations, the abundance of disparate sources of information, unfounded conspiracy theories on the origins of the newly emerging virus and the inconsistent public health measures across different countries, have all served to increase the level of anxiety in the population. Where did the virus come from? How is it transmitted? How does it cause disease? Is it like flu? What is a pandemic? What can we do to stop its spread? Written by a leading expert, this concise and accessible introduction provides answers to the most common questions surrounding coronavirus for a general audience.

Secret Britain

by Mary-Ann Ochota

"A cornucopia of our weirdest and most wonderful archaeological sites and artefacts. They make you feel proud to be a citizen of these gloriously intriguing isles." Sir Tony Robinson

An Ice Age cannibal’s skull cup, a hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold, a seventeenth century witch bottle… anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota unearths more than 70 of Britain's most intriguing ancient places and artefacts and explores the mysteries behind them.

Britain is full of ancient wonders: not grand like the Egyptian pyramids, but small, strange places and objects that hint at a deep and enduring relationship with the mystic. Secret Britain offers an expertly guided tour of Britain’s most fascinating mysteries: archaeological sites and artefacts that take us deep into the lives of the many different peoples who have inhabited the island over the millennia.

Illustrated with beautiful photographs, the wonders include buried treasure, stone circles and geoglyphs, outdoor places of worship, caves filled with medieval carvings, and enigmatic tools to divine the future. Explore famous sites such as Stonehenge and Glastonbury, but also discover:
- The Lindow Man bog body, showing neatly trimmed hair and manicured fingernails despite having been killed 2,000 years ago
- The Uffington White Horse, a horse-shaped geoglyph maintained by an unbroken chain of people for 3,000 years
- A roman baby’s bronze cockerel, an underworld companion for a two-year-old who died sometime between AD 100–200
- St Leonard’s Ossuary, home to 1,200 skulls and a vast stack of human bones made up of around 2,000 people who died from the 1200s to the 1500s
- The Wenhaston Doom painting, an extraordinary medieval depiction of the Last Judgement painted on a chancel arch

Explore Britain’s secret history and discover why these places still resonate today.

A Taste of Scotland’s Islands

by Sue Lawrence

Sue Lawrence has been on a personal odyssey - a trip round some of Scotland's many islands speaking to producers and cooks, gleaning recipes along the way. From islands such as Mull, Raasay, Out Skerries and Luing she has amassed over 100 recipes mainly created from ingredients and produce she came across in her travels.

Some of the recipes are traditional, for example using seaweed or reestit mutton in a soup; others are more contemporary, like Shetland Salt Fish Cakes with Romesco Sauce or Venison Chilli.

This celebration of the landscape and history of the Scottish islands is illustrated with photos of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and with mouth-watering pictures of the islands' best cooking. Keen home cooks will find here a whole new world of delicious but easy to prepare dishes, presented with Sue's trademark warmth and clarity of method.

'This is a celebration of the landscape, the history, and, especially, the people of the Scottish Islands' Daily Mail

'Lawrence's enthusiasm for food, travel, and island life comes across in spades, making the book an enjoyable read as well as an interesting collection of recipes' Shetland Times

'Beautifully illustrated with photos from the isles and delightful portions of narrative - as intriguing to read as it is to use as a cookbook' Ileach

'Opens up a whole new world of cooking' The Dundee Courier

Swimming Wild in the Lake District

by Suzanna Cruickshank

Illustrated with stunning photography, and featuring overview maps, the book has all the practical information you need to plan your wild swimming adventure, including access to the lakes by car or public transport where possible, thorough information about the best wild swimming locations on all the featured lakes and details of the best pubs and cafes for a much-needed post-swim drink or meal. The book is full of useful tips for both new and experienced wild swimmers; it contains sections on getting started in wild swimming, how to look after your own safety and impartial advice on all the essential kit you’ll need, as well as what you don’t need.

THE GRAN TOUR

by BEN AITKEN

One millennial, six coach trips, one big generation gap.

When Ben Aitken learnt that his gran had enjoyed a four-night holiday including four three-course dinners, four cooked breakfasts, four games of bingo, a pair of excursions, sixteen pints of lager and luxury return coach travel, all for a hundred pounds, he thought, that’s the life, and signed himself up. Six times over.

Good value aside, what Ben was really after was the company of his elders – those with more chapters under their belt, with the wisdom granted by experience, the candour gifted by time, and the hard-earned ability to live each day like it’s nearly their last.

A series of coach holidays ensued – from Scarborough to St Ives, Killarney to Lake Como – during which Ben attempts to shake off his thirty-something blues by getting old as soon as possible.

‘Both moving and hilarious’ Spectator, Books of the Year

‘A tale of gloriously eccentric British pensioners. Aitken rivals Alan Bennett in the ear he has for an eavesdropped remark … boy, can he write.’ Daily Mail, Book of the Week

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE ACCLAIMED A CHIP SHOP IN POZNAŃ

Never Leave the Dog Behind

by Helen Mort

Award-winning writer Helen Mort sets out to understand the singular relationship between dogs, mountains and the people who love them. Along the way, she meets search and rescue dogs, interviews climbers and spends time on the hills with hounds. The book is also a personal memoir, telling the author’s own story of falling in love with a whippet called Bell during a transformative year in the Lake District.

Never Leave the Dog Behind is a compelling account of mountain adventures and misadventures, and captures the unbridled joy of heading to the hills with a four-legged friend.

The History of England's Cathedrals

by Nicholas Orme

England's sixty or so Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals are among its most iconic buildings and attract thousands of worshippers and visitors every year. Yet though much has been written about their architecture, there is no complete guide to their history and activities. This book provides the first rounded account of the whole of their 1700 years from Roman times to the present day. It explains the layout of their buildings, the people who ran them, their worship and music, their links with learning and education, and their outreach to society. It relates their history to the history of England and shows how they adapted to change and weathered disasters to survive as great repositories of our national history.

THE 50 GREATEST CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS OF GREAT BRITAIN

by SUE DOBSON

Britain is well-known for its churches and cathedrals; buildings of great architecture and religious grandeur that form many of our recognisable skylines. But these grand structures are also full of facts, histories and stories that you may not have been aware of.

Did you know that there are only three cathedrals in Britain without a ringing bell? Or that St Davids Cathedral, nestled away in a Welsh valley, has a very unique choir, where the top line is sung only by female choristers, aged eight to eighteen? How about that the Great Pyramids in Egypt were the world’s tallest structures for over 3,870 years, until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in 1311?

Award-wining travel writer and editor Sue Dobson takes us on a journey around the United Kingdom, showing us her highlights while providing fascinating details and stories along the way.

Sue Dobson is an award-winning travel writer and magazine editor with a passion for discovering the world, its art, music, religions and cultures. Her love of cities is balanced by the joy of landscapes as diverse as deserts and mountains. She is the author of The 50 Greatest Churches and Cathedrals of the World

PINT TO PINT

by THE TELEGRAPH

For the dedicated pub-goer and the armchair drinker, here is an enticing selection of ‘proper’ pubs to gladden the heart and slake the thirst.

All of these pubs get the basics right: they focus on the beer (though the food and wine may also be excellent) and on conversation rather than piped music. They may have a roaring fire in winter and a pleasant beer garden in summer. You can probably bring your dog. Above all, they have a notable character that raises them above the bland corporate pubs that blight the land. It can be hard to say exactly why – but you just know a good pub the moment you enter.

Trusted Telegraph reviewers have made their selection for you, based on highly personal but well-informed criteria, resulting in a nationwide pub crawl like no other. This is the perfect book for anyone who considers a good pub to be a British birthright.

Great British Bike Rides

by Dave Barter

Great British Bike Rides brings together forty of the best road rides in England, Scotland and Wales, searching out the country’s most celebrated routes, toughest climbs and most scenic roads. Each ride is accompanied by detailed route information, bespoke mapping and a statistical breakdown including every detail the committed cyclist requires. The book is complemented with a set of downloadable GPX files to further aid navigation.

Scottish Island Bagging

by Helen Webster, Paul Webster

Scottish Island Bagging by Helen and Paul Webster, founders of Walkhighlands, is a guide to the magical islands of Scotland. Focusing on the ninety-nine islands that have regular trips or means of access for visitors, plus fifty-five other islands which have no regular transport but are still of significant size or interest, the authors have described the best ways to experience each one.

The Headscarf Revolutionaries

by Brian W. Lavery

In the harsh seas of 1968, three trawlers from Hull sank in just three weeks. 58 men died. That broke the heart of many in the city. One fishwife put down her filleting knife, picked up some sheets of paper, and stormed into action. Lilian Bilocca started with a petition, took her battle to the docks at dawn, and then led a raid on Parliament. Lilian and her team of women changed the Shipping Laws. In just a few days of action, the lives of thousands of seamen were made much safer. She became a TV star and an international celebrity. It is hard to live down fame like that in the back streets of Hull. It was harder still for the one man who battled the storms as the trawlers sank to be the lone survivor. The Headscarf Revolutionaries thrills with the dangers of the high seas; inspires with the passion of women who changed their world; and reveals the vivid life inside one of the most vital communities of recent history.
'A powerful book that gives full voice to the grief and determination of the women who fought trawler owners and forced them to put men's lives before profit.' - Socialist Review

Traffic Free Cycle Trails

by Nick Cotton

Traffic-Free Cycle Trails includes a great variety of routes on former railway paths, canal towpaths and forest trails in England, Scotland and Wales – and every ride is away from traffic. For that safe and peaceful bike ride, increasingly the target of families and leisure cyclists alike, Nick Cotton’s guidebook has proven invaluable.