A gorgeous, illustrated study of the ways in which shells were circulated, depicted, collected and valued during a time of remarkable global change, by aristocrats and apothecaries, scholars... read more
Cumbrian farms from the Lake District to the Solway Marches: magnificent photography and compelling conversations about contemporary agricultural issues.
An account of farming in Britain today - from sheep farming to polytunnels. Bella Bathurst's previous subjects have included the Lighthouse Stevensons, so she gets our vote.
Our use of birds is well-known - feathers for hats as well as for nests, birds deified, personified, caged, used for food and for hunting. Less well know is how birds interact with us. (Not ... read more
A selection of the Venerable Blythe's columns, with contributions by Rowan Williams, Richard Mabey, Julia Blackburn, Ian Collins et al. Inquisitive, gentle and modest, but surprising and fun... read more
A cultural history of twelve flowers - but this is not a flimsy loveliness but full of fascination and bite. Radioactivity, the slave trade, global warming, that old charmer Henry VIII, all ... read more
Tree-poaching and the ownership of wildnernesses from Sherwood to the Amazon: a well-researched study of the black market for timber and its wider implications.