Natural History Writing

jenks

thread death
I have just been reading Wildwood by Roger Deakin and have recently finished Nature Cure by Richard Mayby and have Crow Country by Mark Cocker on my to be read pile.

I was wondering a number of things - are we seeing a flowering of decent writing on nature/ the natural world? These are all book I would never have normally picked up but for the marvellous reviews they have received. Maybe the reviewers are more willing to stray out of their History/Biography/Fiction ambit?

The second thought I had was more to do with age - is it one of those things that come with being older - the contemplative study of the natural world being an old geezer's game? I know that some on the list may disagree, the only time I met Craner and Luka was on a walk in Walton on the Naze and they seemed to have a pretty impressive grasp of the natural world.

Finally, what books would others recommend to follow up this trio? I was looking at the FT Saturday mag and there was an article on a five day walk on The Ridgeway from Overton Hill to Ivinghoe Beacon and for the first time in my life I thought 'I'd like to do something like that (without the kids, obviously)'
 

luka

Well-known member
what about the man who wrote after london? or the vicar man who wandered about.
i think the reason theres a flowering of nature writing is simple. theres less nature. and in a few years time they'll be less still. everything is dying.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
This is the most beautifully written nature book I've ever read. It doesn't have a narrative, however. I didn't realise it was so rare. I wouldn't part with it, though, certainly not for £45. I have an old Glamorgan Library copy my mother accidentally stole back in the 80s.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
It's not exactly a leasurely read, I have to say, but it's essential if you know Gower quite well, dig the minituae and cycles of the natural world, and happen to be a severe logophile. Fulfill those criteria, and you'll be holding a great work of art in your hands.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
A mosaic of deep green and blue-grey fescue forms the summit grassland - wind-wisped into tussocky undulations and mixed on the less turbulent end with Yorkshire fog. Lesser celandine and bulbous buttercup supply colour in spring, ragwort and carlile thistle in autumn, but the main burst of flowering is in May, when the varied pinks of a multitude of thrift cushions spreads upwards from the South and West and the north-western turf is starred with the blue of spring squills.

That kind of thing. For hundreds of pages. I absolutely loved it.
 

jenks

thread death
So, I've got all enthused by the idea of nature and have taken my boys out for leafy walks etc only to realise i cannot recognise an Ash from a Beech tree.

Any decent guides that hardy types here could recommend, something portable would be ideal
 

luka

Well-known member
trees are harder than you might think.
i could ask my dad to reccommend a wild flower one for you.
 

craner

Beast of Burden


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jenks

thread death
Thank you

and i believe that is Cacofonix as your avatar

Just finished Crocker's Crow Country - really magnificent and a perfect companion to teaching John Clare
 

craner

Beast of Burden
Jenks, the Collins field guide is a truly magnificent thing, and there is an equivalent for British trees, which is also absolutely lovely and easy to use. It's not pocket size, it's just a bit bigger than, say, your average Picador paperback: easy to fit in a bag. General rule for field guides: if they are illustrated with photographs rather than paintings, stay away.

Peter Scott is quite close to The Complete Man.
 

Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
Haven't read the Deakin mentioned yet, but went through his "Waterlog - A Swimmer's Journey Through Britain" a few years ago and "Haunts of the Black Masseur - The Swimmer as Hero" by Charles Sprawson.

Both great if you like a bit of lidos, cultural history, Byron and swimming.

Think I picked out "Waterlog" based on the reviews and then it was a matter of tracking back to "Haunts" (think Deakins mentions Sprawson in his book and I bought John Cheever's short stories from Abebooks on the back of all this, but still haven't read "The Swimmer" - shame on me). So I guess these sort of books are always there, but I guess the credit crunch and all makes people long for a nature, crafts and "basics". Makes sense.

That "Happy The Man" - will pick it up.
 
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