Plant-hunting did not die with Frank Kingdon-Ward in 1958: very important work continues, highly skilled, technical and complex, but brings little or no fame to this intrepid band. We hope t... read more
More reading of natural runes - its subtitle gives the game away: 'How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop'. He doesn't go so far as the use of lak... read more
In praise of curiosity: the author's investigations began when she found herself living next door to its two-acre remnant. Part biography, part memoir, part history of science, this is as in... read more
Three friends move between London, Cap d'Antibes and a re-wilded corner of Sussex. This new departure explores determinism, freedom and the stories we tell to survive.
Nick Hunt has previously walked in the footsteps of Paddy Leigh Fermor, and in search of Europe's great winds. His latest takes him - and us - to the remote and extreme: vestiges of ancient ... read more
A thousand-mile walk that took Martineau from Accra to Ouidah: a spell-binding account of a young man's journey into the world around him as well as himself. Remarkable meetings open doors t... read more
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.
Part memoir of the author's relationship with his father and part natural and cultural history of the world's most mysterious fish. No human has ever seen eels reproduce and we don't underst... read more
Explores what happens to places where people no longer live: Chernobyl, swathes of Detroit, Caribbean volcanoes, Scottish mining regions - redemptive, reflective.