From central Glasgow to rural Wiltshire, a husband-and-wife team track down Britain’s rarest and most enigmatic animals. 'Weasely my favourite book of the year.' Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth A COUNTRYFILE AND WATERSTONES BEST NATURE BOOK OF 2023 Britain is teeming with wildlife, often in the most unexpected places. There are quarries where rare bats hang out with pot-smoking teens. In Glasgow’s urban parks water voles are thriving – without water. Our coastlines are bustling with grey and harbour seals. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a quarter of British mammals are at imminent risk of extinction. Tim Kendall and Fiona Mathews take us on a safari unlike any other. Armed with binoculars, a Thermos and, regrettably, an inexhaustible supply of puns, they travel from Scotland to the Isles of Scilly in search of their elusive subjects. You’ll find answers to questions you never thought to ask: Do pine marten droppings really smell like Parma Violets? Should we give squirrels access to family planning? And what do wild boar have in common with a certain royal? Black Ops and Beaver Bombing is a celebration of Britain’s marvellous mammals, and a rallying cry to save them. *** SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 'A cracking book, which shares fascinating stories from the new frontlines of nature conservation... readable and entertaining. The passion and humour of the authors comes through on every page.' Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts 'Elegiac, informative and funny; some truly magical encounters in the wild.' Peter Fiennes, author of Oak and Ash and Thorn 'Spring has barely ticked over into summer, but I’ve already found the book that I’ll be recommending for the rest of the year.' Countryfile 'Packed full of useful information and acutely up to date… As she's one of the ablest mammalogists of our age, it's well worth listening to Fiona Mathews. I would heartily recommend this book to all.' Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver

'Full of joy, pathos, warmth, integrity and intrigue.' AMY-JANE BEER 'A thrilling expedition into a wild, unruly world.' LEE SCHOFIELD 'Gently thought-provoking and beautifully written.' LEIF BERSWEDEN 'A real page-turner.' STEPHEN MOSS After centuries of absence, wild boar are back in Britain. What does this mean for us – and them? Big, messy and mysterious – crossing paths with a wild boar can conjure fear and joy in equal measure. Driven to extinction seven hundred years ago, a combination of the species' own tenacity and illegal releases from the 1980s has seen several populations of this beast of myth begin to roam English and Scottish woods once more. With growing worry over the impacts on both people and the countryside, the boar's right to exist in Britain has been heavily debated. Their habitat-regenerating actions benefit a host of other wildlife, yet unlike beavers, these ecosystem engineers remain unloved by many. Why is there no clamour to reintroduce them across the land? And, with the few boar in England threatened by poaching and culling, why are we not doing more to prevent their re-extinction? In Groundbreakers, Chantal Lyons moves to the boar's stronghold of the Forest of Dean to get up close and personal with this complex, intelligent and quirky species, and she meets with people across Britain and beyond who celebrate their presence – or want them gone. From Toulouse and Barcelona where they are growing in number and boldness, to the woods of Kent and Sussex where they are fading away again, to Inverness-shire where rewilders welcome them, join Chantal on a journey of discovery as she reveals what it might take for us to coexist with wild boar.

Offers detailed accounts of sixty-five poems that span Frost's writing career and assesses the particular nature of the poet's style, discussing how it changes over time and relates to the works of contemporary poets and movements.

Modern English War Poetry ranges widely across the twentieth century, incorporating detailed discussions of some of the most important poets of the period. It emphasizes the influence of war and war poetry even on those poets usually considered in other contexts, such as Ted Hughes and Geoffrey Hill.

A lavishly illustrated companion to The Bedside Book of Birds explores the relationships between predators and prey, drawing on mythology, nature writings, and other sources to provide coverage of both real and fictional creatures.

How the principles of biological innovation can help us overcome creative challenges in art, business, and science In Life Finds a Way, biologist Andreas Wagner reveals the deep symmetry between innovation in biological evolution and human cultural creativity. Rarely is either a linear climb to perfection--instead, "progress" is typically marked by a sequence of peaks, plateaus, and pitfalls. For instance, in Picasso's forty-some iterations of Guernica, we see the same combination of small steps, incessant reshuffling, and large, almost reckless, leaps that characterize the way evolution transformed a dinosaur's grasping claw into a condor's soaring wing. By understanding these principles, we can also better realize our own creative potential to find new solutions to adversity. Ultimately, Life Finds a Way offers a new framework for the nature of creativity, enabling us to better adapt, grow, and change in art, business, or science--that is, in life.