England: A Natural History

By our very finest nature writer ... a pastoral symphony, a masterpiece, and a very English love letter. -- Christopher Hart * Daily Mail * Britain's finest nature writer -- Boudicca Fox Leonard * Telegraph * 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 * BOOK OF THE MONTH: erudite and highly informative …packed with humorous, quirky details…a brilliant gift for anyone who loves the countryside. -- Martin Chilton * The Independent * Full of evocative detail, this celebration of nature and place is bursting with historical details and lyrical observations of wildlife and landscape. * Countryfile magazine * He combines Jefferies’s way of looking closely with W. H. Hudson’s wide-roaming curiosity. That he champions them and the likes of ‘BB’ and the Revd Gilbert White in these pages is no surprise. All of them, like the author, were true country souls. This is a book to sit on the shelf beside theirs and not be overshadowed. -- Jack Watkins * Country Life * This extraordinarily fine writer tours England with an eye for every living thing. A work of beauty, deeply informed, a fantastic gift. -- Rose Shepherd * Saga * What we have here is the best of John Lewis-Stempel and the best of his vision of England. -- John Tulloch * The Tablet * A richly enjoyable treasure trove for any nature lover. Gilbert White for the 21st century. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice *