Sophie Yeo's Ten Books on the History of the Landscape
By HarperCollins UK
Sophie Yeo's Ten Books on the History of the Landscape
By HarperCollins UK
The Missing Lynx: The Past and Future of Britain's Lost Mammals
Ross Barnett
£11.99 £11.39An informative and engaging encyclopedia of the megafauna that went extinct towards the end of the Pleistocene. Ross Barnett is a joyful example of an academic who can barely contain his enthusiasm for his subject – this book is both rigorous and delightful.
Hidden Histories: A Spotter's Guide to the British Landscape
Mary-Ann Ochota
£19.99 £18.99If you want a practical guide for interpreting the history of the British landscape, this book is for you. Whether you are interested in the mysterious markings of ancient times or the hidden histories of pub names, Mary-Ann Ochota has it covered.
Rebirding: Restoring Britain's Wildlife
Benedict Macdonald
£10.99 £10.44Rebirding is the essential book on rewilding. There is plenty to debate in here – as with any work on such a controversial topic – but when it comes to understanding the ecological theory as it applies to Britain, there is nothing better.
The Tale of the Axe: How the Neolithic Revolution Transformed Britain
David Miles
£14.99 £14.24It could be argued that the Anthropocene really started in the Neolithic. David Miles’ book is a detailed account of the origins of farming and the unnamed humans who sparked an ancient revolution. Not a light read, but one that leaves you feeling thoroughly informed.
Along the Enchanted Way: A Story of Love and Life in Romania
William Blacker
£12.99 £12.34A sparkling account of William Blacker’s time in Transylvania – and an insight into a world of rich pastoral traditions that have been almost entirely lost elsewhere across Europe. I went to Transylvania a long time ago, and this book momentarily transported me back.
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art
Rebecca Wragg Sykes
£11.99 £11.39Nothing intrigues me more than the Neanderthals – a human species so like our own, and yet ultimately unknowable. In Kindred, Wragg Sykes compiles scant evidence into a surprisingly clear window into that very distant time.
The Once and Future King
T. H. White
£12.99 £12.34When researching my book, I wanted to know what people of the recent past thought about landscapes of the distant past. The Once and Future King contains beautiful – if fanciful – descriptions of the wildwood that supposedly surrounded the Arthurian court.
The Making of the British Landscape: How We Have Transformed the Land, from Prehistory to Today
Francis Pryor
£19.99 £18.99Francis Pryor’s account of the history of the British landscape begins after the last Ice Age and ends in the future. Nicholas Crane’s book of the same name covers similar ground. Together, these books will leave you feeling like you understand this island’s topography and how it came to be.
Woodlands
Oliver Rackham
£16.99 £16.14If I ever have a question about woodland ecology, it is to this book I turn – and almost inevitably it contains the answer. Oliver Rackham is the unsurpassed authority on historical ecology. Reading this book feels like you have downloaded a small portion of his magnificent brain.
Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain
University of Bristol) Hutton Professor of History Ronald (Professor of History
£15.99 £15.19Understanding the history of the landscape is hard, but understanding how people engaged with their surroundings is even harder. Stations of the Sun looks at the rituals of the past, many of which hinged upon the changing seasons, providing a glimpse into a way of life now lost.