England
A Natural History
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Publishing:3rd Oct '24
£25.00
This title is due to be published on 3rd October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback - Signed Edition£25.00(9780857526472-S)
England’s landscape is iconic – a tapestry of distinctive habitats that together make up a country unique for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. Concentrating on twelve habitats, John Lewis-Stempel leads us from estuary to park, chalk downland to woodland , river to field, village to moor, lake to heath, fen to coastal cliffs, in a book that is unquestionably his magnum opus.
Referencing beloved great writers in whose footsteps he treads – Gilbert White, John Clare, W. H. Hudson, Richard Jefferies, Edward Thomas – and combining breathtakingly beautiful prose with detailed wildlife observation, botanical fact and ancient folklore, Lewis-Stempel immerses himself in each place, discovering their singular atmosphere, the play of the seasons; the feel of the wind in midwinter; the sounds of daybreak; how twilight settles. Each one – whether managed park or wild moor, plunging cliff or man-made Broads – has also shaped human life, forming our idea of ourselves and our sense of what ‘England’ means.
England: A Natural History is the definitive volume on the English landscape, and the capstone of John Lewis-Stempel’s nature writing.
--
‘No-one comes close to Lewis-Stempel’s ability to paint the English landscape in words. Maddeningly brilliant.’ - Sally Coulthard, author of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects
In an age when it seems that nothing has been left unscathed by our bulldozing technological advances, John Lewis-Stempel offers a breath of fresh (and natural) air. * The Times *
It is now expected of the modern nature writer to draw together landscape, wildlife, history and culture, but few – if any – do it as deftly as Lewis-Stempel does here … There is still a place for this kind of assured and expert countryside writing. Not just a place, but acres of room. -- Richard Smythe * Times Literary Supplement *
A richly enjoyable treasure trove for any nature lover. Gilbert White for the 21st century. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice *
No-one comes close to Lewis-Stempel’s ability to paint the English landscape in words. Maddeningly brilliant. -- Sally Coulthard, author of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects
Lewis-Stempel is the most splendid company as he stomps and meanders through England. He's congenial, lyrical, unsentimental and smart, with a rare eye both for the big picture and the tiny, telling detail. Marvellous! -- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild
ISBN: 9780857526472
Dimensions: 242mm x 165mm x 39mm
Weight: 696g
464 pages