British Nature

For years Charlie Burrell and his wife, Isabella Tree, farmed Knepp Castle Estate and struggled to turn a profit. By 2000, with the farm facing bankruptcy, they decided to try something radical. They would restore Knepp’s 3,500 acres to the wild. Using herds of free-roaming animals to mimic the actions of the megafauna of the past, they hoped to bring nature back to their depleted land. But what would the neighbors say, in the manicured countryside of modern England where a blade of grass out of place is considered an affront?

Sunday Times Bestseller ‘A paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement’ Charles Foster Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month (September) Are trees social beings? How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? In The Hidden Life of Trees Peter...

From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a “splendid” (The New York Times) novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that follows two outsiders—an Indian schoolteacher spying for the British Empire and an English “lady” explorer—as they venture into a...

“In a world of self-help, this is true inspiration, deeply admirable without the distance of heroism, bracing without stridency and, ultimately, generous. The mountain, Shepherd tells us, is ‘a corrective of glib assessment.’ So is its book.” —The New York Times Book Review An...

New updated and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book that ignited a firestorm in the scientific world with its radical approach to evolution Explains how past forms and behaviors of organisms determine those of similar organisms in the present through morphic resonance Reveals the...

THE MULTI-MILLION COPY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING GILLIAN ANDERSON AND JASON ISAACS "Polished, poignant... an inspiring story of true love."—Entertainment Weekly A BEST BOOK OF 2019, NPR's Book Concierge SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BOOK AWARD The true story of a...

'[Morven] Christie's narration keeps listeners rapt while maintaining rhythm with the action, be it a runner's stride, lovers' desire, a child's watchfulness. The result is a memorable marriage of remarkable fiction and outstanding performance." -- AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner The...

A distinguished psychiatrist and avid gardener presents “a truly uplifting book on the power of gardening—and how it can change people’s lives” (Stylist, UK). The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. When...

Haiku Seasons A book for all seasons... Haiku Seasons explores the fascinating changes in nature and wildlife in the Devon countryside throughout the year. There is a haiku for every day. This collection can be enjoyed either as a poetry collection or used as a daily meditation. 'One of the great pleasures of this collection is Reed’s range. While many haiku are calm and reflective, others are lightly humorous or playfully abstract, offering fascinating surprises along the way. She notices everything: a shift in the weather, a slight movement in a garden, light changing across a familiar ...

Brought to you by Penguin This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic...

In a series of solitary journeys on foot the writer and novelist John Bainbridge explores the ethos of rambling and hiking in rural England and Scotland. On his journeys he seeks out the remaining wild places and ancient trackways, meeting vagabonds and outdoors folk along the way and follows in the footsteps of writers, poets and early travellers. This is a book for everyone who loves the British countryside and walking its long-established footpaths and bridleways. And for the armchair traveller... Wayfarer's Dole takes its title from an ancient tradition - In medieval times pilgrims ...

"This deeply personal book is a delight for those who already value our feathered friends and is a perfect introduction for those who are new to birding."—Caroline Quentin Birdwatching is for everyone. Discover how simple, everyday encounters with birds can help you bond with the natural world...

Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2025 A Financial Times best summer travel book of 2024 Travel Book of the Year at the Inspire Global Media Awards 'A powerfully delicate book of love, loss and discovery, along paths of emotional understanding and physical wonder.'...

What makes a boy tick? Has our view of boys evolved as society has changed? Is boyishness in the genes or learned after birth? John Redwood shares with the reader his experiences as a young boy growing up in post War Britain when boys were told to be boys. With an unusually long memory of childhood stretching for him back into the pram he takes us through what it felt like to be a baby then a boy responding to the adult world around him. Sitting on a chair was an exercise in mountaineering. Trying those first steps instead of crawling fast around the floors were dogged by fears of falling ...

“I killed a man.” This confession, blurted out to Bronwyn Cooper by a neighbor’s teenaged son, launches her husband DCI Will Cooper into an investigation that leads to more puzzles than solutions. The boy has only fragmented, but vivid, memories of what happened. The body he describes in graphic detail cannot be found. The distinctive hammer that is the murder weapon has disappeared. No murder site can be identified, no witnesses step forward, and no CCTV cameras captured the crime. The woman who he insists witnessed the event seems not to exist. Just as charges are dismissed for lack...

As the celebrated author of Akenfield, Ronald Blythe, turns 100 this year, Next to Nature brings together a seasonal collection from the very best of a lifetime of writing. Ronald Blythe lives at the end of an overgrown farm track deep in the rolling countryside of the Stour Valley, on the...

'[Day has] succeeded in making that most familiar of birds seem mysterious, almost magical, and illuminated, brilliantly, the urge towards home' Malachy Tallack A feral history of home, and our relationship with that most unloved bird. As a boy, Jon Day was fascinated by pigeons, which he used...

From the award-winning, number one bestselling author of The Cow Book. It is summer, the hay and silage have not yet been made on John Connell’s farm, so he has time to indulge his other great passion: running. John sets off on a marathon run of 42.2 kilometres through his native Longford, the...

Chalkscapes: The Art and Spirit of the Sussex Downs A celebration of England’s rolling chalk downs, dramatic cliffs, and timeless white hills, Chalkscapes explores how these unique landscapes have inspired generations of artists. From the South Downs to the Chilterns, this beautifully illustrated book delves into the art born from chalk country, spotlighting great English artists such as Eric Ravilious, Paul Nash, and contemporary creatives moved by these luminous terrains. A journey through land, light, and legacy—where geology meets genius.

Nobody sees and understands woodland better than Ray Mears. With deep natural history knowledge and practical woodcraft skills, gained over a lifetime of learning from the world's last remaining indigenous peoples, Ray offers a different way to experience our wooded landscapes. He challenges the old concepts. He looks to our ancestors and shows how man's hand in shaping woodland is critical. We are not separate from nature, we just need to ensure that our interactions have a positive impact.