Book recommendations

[Jez]

I have Bob Flowerdew's-Organic Bible. A good start to Organic Gardening. Does Anyone know of other worthy Organic gardening Books? Would be most Grateful!

Jez

P.s would this thread be better off in the Treehouses Sub Forum?

[Jez]

Flora Brittanica

Dan Salter sometime back on another thread suggested i buy Flora Brittanica. I'm interested of having this on my Christmas List!

I would like to know some more about the book and members opinions also. I'm keen learn more about vernacular names which where given to flora in days gone by!

Any help is keenly appreciated-Jez

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Hi Chris,

Most of the wildlife related books I have are about non-British wildlife. One notable exception which I picked up earlier this year is Simon Barnes' How to be a Bad Birdwatcher. This is a delightful little book, amusing, informative and very well written. (ISBN: 1-904095-95-X, published by Short Books).

If you don't mind non-British wildlife then I would recommend:

• Anything and everything by Gerald Durrell (Menagerie Manor, The Drunken Forest and The Bafut Beagles are my personal top three)
• Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine. A look at endangered species around the globe
• Tarantulas, Marmosets and other stories - An Amazon Diary by wildlife cameraman Nick Gordon
• In Trouble Again by Redmond O'Hanlon is an account of a very badly planned and thoroughly disorganised expedition up the Amazon in search of both wildlife and elusive tribes of South American natives

If you want something a bit more serious and scientific but still very readable then all of the David Attenborough TV tie-ins are very good. Also, Richard Dawkins was an evolutionary biologist long before he started beating up religionists - his recent book The Ancestor's Tale is superb and earlier ones like The Selfish Gene or River Out of Eden are very good too.

Finally Last Animals at the Zoo by Colin Tudge is an excellent overview of attempts to save endangered species by captive breeding programmes. However it is even more scientific and academic than the Dawkins books and goes quite deeply into subjects like the genetics of in-breeding and out-breeding depression.

Hope this helps!

Dave P.

You've pretty well got what would have been ALL my suggestions there Dave P! I think our bookshelves must look very similar!
I would add maybe, if you want an interesting in depth, scientific read,
"The Red Queen" by Matt Ridley is superb, but if you are simply looking for a book that is almost poetic and very inspirational, I'd suggest an old book -
"The Peregrine" by J.A.Baker (first published in 1967 I think). Its wonderful - a real classic for anyone into their wildlife and birds in particular...
Doug

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Jez

Flora Brittanica

Dan Salter sometime back on another thread suggested i buy Flora Brittanica. I'm interested of having this on my Christmas List!

I would like to know some more about the book and members opinions also. I'm keen learn more about vernacular names which where given to flora in days gone by!

Any help is keenly appreciated-Jez

A truly beautiful book to dip in + out of. Stunning photos- many by ace naturalist/photographer Bob Gibbons + so much information on cultural associations of plants, folk names, etc. Thoroughly recommended.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

A truly beautiful book to dip in + out of. Stunning photos- many by ace naturalist/photographer Bob Gibbons + so much information on cultural associations of plants, folk names, etc. Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks Aeshna

[ChrisJB]

Can only second what Aeshna says about Flora Britannica. If I could only keep one book from my collection it would possibly be this.

Though I have recently bought another one called 'England in Particular', which celebrates local distinctiveness, with the bulk of the entries being made up of wildlife, natural spectacles and countryside elements. I am very taken with it!

Regards, Chris

[Jez]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Can only second what Aeshna says about Flora Britannica. If I could only keep one book from my collection it would possibly be this.

Though I have recently bought another one called 'England in Particular', which celebrates local distinctiveness, with the bulk of the entries being made up of wildlife, natural spectacles and countryside elements. I am very taken with it!

Regards, Chris

Thanks for your comments Chris

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Just bought a copy of the Ray Mears - Wild Food. Have only read a little and flicked through the pages, wonderful pictures of plants and tree's that can be eaten. Most of the pictures are from Sussex too which is good for me!

Looks a good read though....perhaps one for the xmas list...

Cheers Jacob

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by Kerry

If anyone ever wants a book but can't afford it (lets face it, there are so many to buy we could be bankrupt in a month!) or if they are not sure if it is worth the money, then head to your local library. They have a facility where they will buy in books that members request, as long as they feel that other members would be interested. The more people doing this with books on the countryside and photography, then the better selection there will be for all those interested in this subject who use the library. And of course the more they see people asking for books on these subjects, the more likely it is that they are going to buy them in. I have done this with books on several topics that interested me and I have also done it to get books into a library that I think are must reads on a topic for other people to benefit from.

and just to add to that if your county libraries are just plain useless then look on the public catalogue on the British Library web page - note the ISBN numbers and then get your local library to get it from there. They seem to charge £2.50/book for doing this and you get it for the standard amount of time with chance of renewing, however the downside is it can take up to 6 weeks to get to you.

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by Jez

Has anyone any books they could recommend on Native Grasses of UK. To be honest i could appreciate my meadows a whole lot more! Thanks

Guide to Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Ferns of Britain and northern Europe by Fitter and Fitter.

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by Jez

I have Bob Flowerdew's-Organic Bible. A good start to Organic Gardening. Does Anyone know of other worthy Organic gardening Books? Would be most Grateful!

Jez

P.s would this thread be better off in the Treehouses Sub Forum?

Not really organic but there's a great book called Plants For a Future; they have a website as well.

The only other thing I can suggest is to look on the HDDA website - they have a good organic seed shop linked to them too.

[tufftie]

A few others might be the David Attenborough Zoo Quest books; A Handmade Life by Bill Coperthwaite - not what it sounds like as it covers all sorts of topics and has some very good thoughts about eduction; The Orkney Story - covers wildlife and landscape too; Monica Shortens Squirrels and Plants for a Future. I think someone has already mentioned Rackham - A History of the British Countryside?

[crispy]

Originally Posted by Jez

Has anyone any books they could recommend on Native Grasses of UK. To be honest i could appreciate my meadows a whole lot more! Thanks

During the summer i bought -> Collins - Grasses, Sedges, Rushes And Ferns of Britain and Northern Europe together with - Field Studies Council - Grasses identification chart both of which i was really impressed with and enjoy using whenever i can.

For anything else other than trees, grasses, sedges and ferns ive been learning to use - The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) - by Francis Rose and Clare O'Reilly, fantastic book! With this i also use Roger Philips - Wild Flowers which has actual pics and slightly different descriptions.

Another by Roger Philips that i enjoy using is -> Mushrooms.....fantastic pics and text about fungi (although some have said the colours of the pics arent as good as the first edition!?).

I have seen Flora Britannica although i havnt much of an oppertunity to have a really good look at it but it does look like an amazing book. Ive heard it is slightly cheaper nowadays too, hopefully i will be able to buy my own copy sometime soonish

[crispy]

Originally Posted by poschiavanus

One more recommendation, as I've just been reading it: Britain's Rare Flowers by Peter Marren. Good mix of history, people, flowers, conservation, disasters & triumphs. Nice pictures as well.

poschiavanus

Ive just recently borrowed this book from a friend and am enjoying every minute i get to read it. Its also a good book to use for ideas on were to go during the summer since theres loads of place names and ideas for trips out into britains beautiful countryside.

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

......I've just bought and read The Wild Places, by Robert Macfarlane and I have to say I was quite disappointed with it, despite favourable reviews in the press. Regards, Chris

I'm reading this at the moment and although a little disappointed with it initially I'm now about a third of the way through it and warming to Macfarlane's writing style. It's rather more 'flowery' than my usual taste but, in my humble opinion, it is very well written and he does paint pictures with words very well indeed.

Jeff

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by JeffH

I'm reading this at the moment and although a little disappointed with it initially I'm now about a third of the way through it and warming to Macfarlane's writing style. It's rather more 'flowery' than my usual taste but, in my humble opinion, it is very well written and he does paint pictures with words very well indeed.

Jeff

I agree, it is a beautifully written book, but it was the overly floral style that became a bit of a chore to plough through after a while. However, I can see why many readers would enjoy it.

I quite fancy reading 'How to be Wild', by Simon Barnes. What I have read of his pieces in The Times, I really enjoy. Can anyone recommend this or otherwise?

Regards, Chris

[wyevilla]

Originally Posted by pressld2

Hi Chris,

Most of the wildlife related books I have are about non-British wildlife. One notable exception which I picked up earlier this year is Simon Barnes' How to be a Bad Birdwatcher. This is a delightful little book, amusing, informative and very well written. (ISBN: 1-904095-95-X, published by Short Books).

I was going to nominate this book myself - had it for Xmas. Top book.