Books for Nature Lovers
Welcome to our new book recommendation lists, in this time of lockdown we know many people are missing the opportunity to browse our bookshelves, particularly with Christmas round the corner. So we’re introducing new curated book recommendation lists, to help you find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones.
Buy one of our recommendations today.
Books for Nature Lovers
Greenery : Journeys in Springtime by Tim Dee
Hardback RRP £18.99
One December, in midsummer South Africa, Tim Dee was watching swallows. They were at home there, but the same birds would soon begin journeying north to Europe, where their arrival marks the beginning of spring. Greenery is a masterpiece of nature writing, deeply informed, expansive and often profoundly beautiful.
The Sea Inside by Philip Hoare
Paperback RRP £10.99
Southampton author Philip Hoare takes a dip in the sea at Royal Victoria Country Park every day. Here, he writes beautifully about the sea and our connection to it. Rediscovering the sea, its islands, birds and beasts.
Homing: On Pigeons, Dwellings and Why We Return by Jon Day
Paperback RRP £9.99
A passionate celebration of a bird that has long lived alongside humans, now often maligned as vermin. Jon Day explores the deep cultural resonance of the pigeon and writes with enthusiasm about the traditionally working class sport of pigeon racing.
English Pastoral: An Inheritance by James Rebanks
Hardback RRP £20
A book about cultural heritage and a deep connection to the land that we are close to losing. Rebanks provides an alternative vision of a future that might still be possible if we learn from those who came before us.
The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn
Nature holds the answers for Raynor and her husband Moth.
Hardback RRP £14.99
We loved ‘The Salt Path’ so we’re happy to return to the windswept coast and catch up with Raynor and Moth as they take on the new challenge of a neglected farmhouse in Cornwall. Rewilding the land around it and returning nature to it’s hedgerows.
Our Place: Can We Save Britain's Wildlife Before It Is Too Late? by Mark Cocker
Paperback RRP £9.99
The British love their countryside more than almost any other nation, yet they live in one of the most denatured landscapes on Earth. From the flatlands of Norfolk to the tundra-like expanse of the Flow Country in northern Scotland, Mark Cocker sets out on a personal quest through the British countryside attempting to solve this puzzle. Radical, provocative and original, Our Place tackles some of the central issues of our time whilst mapping out a future in which this overcrowded island of ours could be a place fit not just for human occupants but also for its billions of wild citizens.
The Forager's Calendar: A Seasonal Guide to Nature's Wild Harvests by John Wright
Paperback RRP £12
Look out of your window, walk down a country path or go to the beach in Great Britain, and you are sure to see many wild species that you can take home and eat. Fully illustrated throughout, with tips on kit, conservation advice and what to avoid, this is an indispensable guide for everyone interested in wild food, whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or are happiest foraging from your armchair.
Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm by Isabella Tree
Paperback RRP £9.99
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.
The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines that Divide Us by Nick Hayes
Hardback RRP £20
Brilliant, passionate and political, Nick Hayes will make you rethink the way you see this ‘green and pleasant land.’ The vast majority of our country is entirely unknown to us because we are banned from setting foot on it. By law of trespass, we are excluded from 92 per cent of the land and 97 per cent of its waterways, blocked by walls whose legitimacy is rarely questioned. But behind them lies a story of enclosure, exploitation and dispossession of public rights whose effects last to this day.
Being a Beast by Charles Foster
Paperback RRP £9.99
The British love their countryside more than almost any other nation, yet they live in one of the most denatured landscapes on Earth. From the flatlands of Norfolk to the tundra-like expanse of the Flow Country in northern Scotland, Mark Cocker sets out on a personal quest through the British countryside attempting to solve this puzzle. Radical, provocative and original, Our Place tackles some of the central issues of our time whilst mapping out a future in which this overcrowded island of ours could be a place fit not just for human occupants but also for its billions of wild citizens.
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
Hardback RRP £20
Winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize, Dara McAnulty chronicles the changing seasons of the natural world of his home patch. Filled with awe and wonder Dara, describes in meticulous detail encounters in his garden and the wild, with blackbirds, whooper swans, red kites, hen harriers, frogs, dandelions, skylarks, bats, cuckoo flowers, Irish hares and many more species. The power and warmth of his words also draw an affectionate and moving portrait of a close-knit family making their way in the world.
Back to Nature: How to Love Life - and Save It by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin
Hardback RRP £20
Southampton born and New Forest based Chris Packham and his step-daughter the zoologist Megan McCubbin, write with passion about the importance of nature and how we can connect to it and protect with it.
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
Harback RRP £20
This book will change the way you think about fungi forever. A reminder of how complex and extraordinary the natural world is and how little we as humans have yet to understand. The perfect gift for the ‘fun-guy’ (or girl) in your life.
The Oak Papers by James Canton
Hardback RRP £16.98
Deep breath in…and out. James Canton invites readers to slow down and reconnect with the natural world.
Browse our recommendations and order the books today.
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