Summer

"A lovely jewel of a book ... wherever you land in the text, there will be something of interest and it won't disappoint. Beautifully observed ... a book to treasure" - jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk; "A remarkable anthology of abundance capturing both the physical wonders and the psychological enchantments of this glorious season, this book conjures summer in the senses as potently as a field of freshly cut hay. Featuring some of the greatest writers on landscape as well as fantastic new voices, it is a collection that will trigger the memory, evoke new places and people, and help you see afresh the preciousness and precariousness of our natural world." -- Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground; "A delightful miscellany of reflections on that loveliest of seasons, summer - packed with insights and encounters with nature from a wide range of authors from Gilbert White and George Eliot to a bevy of young contemporary naturalists" - Stephen Moss, author of Wild Hares and Hummingbirds and Wild Kingdom: Bringing Back Britain's Wildlife; "This book will convince you that summertime is where we truly belong - not through overindulgence in nostalgia, but through realisation of our core values and roots. It will take you home" -- Matthew Oates, author of In Pursuit of Butterflies: A Fifty-year Affair; "Lavishly capturing the nature of the season in all its slow, sensual splendour, Summer is a potent reminder of the riches that surround us, and a poignant evocation of all that we cannot bear to lose" - Sharon Blackie, author of If Women Rose Rooted and editor of Earthlines; "I've been dipping in and out of this beautiful anthology for some time but didn't want to post a review until I had read every entry. There are poems, extracts and essays spanning several centuries, so that there is something for every reader in this celebration of the season ... There's a beauty to this book - from the glorious cover to the simple illustrations like that of the swallow that adorn the inside pages. The writings are all evocative, enlightening, entertaining or thought provoking ... I shall treasure it and return to it again and again ... A perfect gift for any lover of words or nature." -- Linda's Book Bag blog; "Taken together, these pieces truly give the feeling of an English summer. The older writing is remarkably undated, which contributes to a sense of continuity across the centuries ... These are really rather lovely books. Summer is a perfect bedside companion to dip into as the days warm up. Impossible not to covet the whole four-season set." - BookishBeck blog; "There are so many lovely things that I could pull out from this book ... I know that I will enjoy revisiting this beautifully produced anthology" -- Beyondedenrock.com