Nature writing, celebrating and meditating on the non-human environment and our relationship with it, has a long literary pedigree, stretching back to the 18th century. Beginning there, Lucy Newlyn discusses William and Dorothy Wordsworth, how brother and sister influenced each other’s writing and their commitment to writing about the every day and the sights and sounds of their environment. Laura Dassow Walls looks at Henry David Thoreau, an early advocate of simple living and ecology. T C Boyle chooses his best books on man and nature, and talks about why the Dodo didn’t have a chance and whether it really matters if lions, tigers and polar bears become extinct (it does).
Our nature interviews cover diverse parts of the world. Sarah Wheeler talks about the polar regions, and Michael Jacobs talks about the Andes. Paul Brassley discusses the English countryside and Hari Kunzru chooses his best books on the American desert.
Robert Macfarlane talks about wild places and Sara Maitland discusses silence. Jeremy Mynott looks at birdwatching and David George Haskell chooses his best books on trees.
More generally, Amy Liptrot chooses her best books on nature writing, Charles Foster his best nature books of 2017, 2018 and 2019, while M G Leonard chooses her the best nature books for kids.
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The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It
by Helen Scales -
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The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier
by Ian Urbina -
3
Mapping the Deep
by Robert Kunzig -
4
Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves
by James Nestor -
5
The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan Casey
The Best Books of Ocean Journalism, recommended by Laura Trethewey
The Best Books of Ocean Journalism, recommended by Laura Trethewey
Humans have mapped only 25 percent of the seafloor, so the ocean is ripe for exploration and investigation. Environmental journalist and author Laura Trethewey recommends five books by ‘ocean journalists’ that explore the life, crime and science of the seas.
The Best Nature Memoirs, recommended by Victoria Bennett
Nature is intrinsic to our experience of being alive and reading about it allows us to connect not just with the natural world but with ourselves. Here Victoria Bennett, author of All My Wild Mothers, a memoir of grief and creating an apothecary garden, recommends five other nature memoirs, highlighting personal and reflective prose by writers including Lauret Savoy, Mary Oliver, and Jamaica Kincaid.
The best books on Sense of Place, recommended by Patrick Galbraith
Novelists, non-fiction writers and poets all attempt to create immersive and atmospheric settings in their books—what is called a ‘sense of place’ in literary terms. Here, the British journalist Patrick Galbraith selects five books that explore and evoke a sense of place—including works by Joan Didion, Mark Kurlansky and John McPhee.
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The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod
by Henry Beston -
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Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
by Annie Dillard -
3
Findings
by Kathleen Jamie -
4
Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australians and the Birth of Agriculture
by Bruce Pascoe -
5
A Natural History of the Future: What the Laws of Biology Tell Us about the Destiny of the Human Species
by Rob Dunn
The best books on Natural History, recommended by David George Haskell
The best books on Natural History, recommended by David George Haskell
Natural history can offer a “portal into wonder and astonishment,” says David George Haskell, the biologist and award-winning author of nonfiction works including Sounds Wild and Broken and The Forest Unseen. But natural history books, in the past, have also been guilty of reinforcing prejudices. Here he recommends five natural history books that celebrate the diversity of life.
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'The Voyage of St Brendan,' in The Age of Bede
edited by J.F. Webb and D.H. Farmer -
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Sea Room
by Adam Nicolson -
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Selkirk's Island: The True and Strange Adventures of the Real Robinson Crusoe
by Diana Souhami -
4
A Woman in the Polar Night
by Christiane Ritter -
5
Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will
by Judith Schalansky
The best books on Islands, recommended by Gavin Francis
The best books on Islands, recommended by Gavin Francis
Generations of writers, explorers and armchair travellers have found a focal point of fascination in the idea of the remote island. Why so? Gavin Francis, the award-winning writer, explains the everlasting appeal of the lonely isle – and why the fantasy is at least as powerful as the salt-sprayed reality – as he selects five of the best books on islands.
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Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape
by Lauret Savoy -
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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer -
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Earth's Wild Music: Celebrating and Defending the Songs of the Natural World
by Kathleen Dean Moore -
4
The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move
by Sonia Shah -
5
Landmarks
by Robert Macfarlane
The Best Books For Environmental Learning, recommended by Mitchell Thomashow
The Best Books For Environmental Learning, recommended by Mitchell Thomashow
We are surrounded by nature but it’s easy to miss it and spend time either in our heads or on screens. Here Mitchell Thomashow, a longtime teacher of environmental learning, picks books to broaden our vistas and help us see the natural world with fresh eyes.
The best books on Summer, recommended by Melissa Harrison
Temperatures ratcheting, tinderbox conditions, a pressure cooker atmosphere… summer is a handy literary shorthand for rising tensions. But in the natural world, summer is a quiet time when the flowers die back and the fruits and seeds are ripening. Here, Melissa Harrison—the novelist, nature writer and podcaster—recommends five of the best summer books, for those who like to read in step with the seasons.
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The Tempest
by William Shakespeare -
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Photographic Guide to the Sea & Shore Life of Britain & North-west Europe
by Alex Rogers, Benedict Hextall & Ray Gibson -
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The Presocratic Philosophers
by G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven & M. Schofield -
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Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot
by P. H. Gosse -
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Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara and other writings
by Tim Robinson
The best books on Tides and Shorelines, recommended by Adam Nicolson
The best books on Tides and Shorelines, recommended by Adam Nicolson
The tidal zone is among the most vital and dynamic environments on Earth, but also one of the least well known. Here, the author Adam Nicolson explores formative works on the subject that have informed his book, The Sea Is Not Made of Water.
Fresh Voices in Nature Writing, recommended by Jessica J. Lee
Writing about nature and landscape need not be stuffy or traditionalist. Jessica J Lee, editor of The Willowherb Review—a literary journal dedicated to diversity in nature writing—recommends five books that offer a breath of fresh air: encompassing the whole of life, from sex in the woods to birding in the city.
The Best of Nature Writing 2019, recommended by Charles Foster
What do we talk about when we talk about nature? Almost everything, says the academic and bestselling author of Being a Beast, Charles Foster. Here he selects five of the best works of nature writing in 2019; books that seek to connect us more deeply with the non-human world.
The Best Nature Books of 2018, recommended by Charles Foster
There has been a rash of books about epiphanic incursions into wilderness—but the best nature writing digs too into the complexities of our relationship with the natural world, says Charles Foster, the bestselling author of Being A Beast. Here, he discusses the best nature books of 2018.
The best books on Predators, recommended by Nick Pyenson
The predators that stalked our ancestors have been marginalised to the brink of extinction, but these animals still fill us with awe, says Nick Pyenson. They play a vital role in life on Earth, and we need to understand them if we are to survive.
The Best Henry David Thoreau Books, recommended by Laura Dassow Walls
Again and again we return to the question: how should we live? To Henry David Thoreau, the 19th-century author, philosopher and naturalist, the answer was simplicity itself. Here his biographer Laura Dassow Walls selects five key texts that explore the Thoreauvian way of thinking.
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Swimming With Seals
by Victoria Whitworth -
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Animals Strike Curious Poses
by Elena Passarello -
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Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and their Effects on our Bodies, Brains and Health
by Rupert Sheldrake -
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Islander: A Journey Around Our Archipelago
by Patrick Barkham -
5
The Seabirds Cry: The Lives and Loves of Puffins, Gannets and Other Ocean Voyagers
by Adam Nicolson
The Best Nature Writing of 2017, recommended by Charles Foster
The Best Nature Writing of 2017, recommended by Charles Foster
Sales of nature books have been booming, but only the most exacting of authors get right to the heart of our own interconnectedness with the natural world, says Charles Foster, bestselling author of Being A Beast. Here, he chooses five of the best books of nature writing published in 2017.
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Ecology of a Cracker Childhood
by Janisse Ray -
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Handbook of Nature Study
by Anna Botsford Comstock -
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The New Sylva: A Discourse of Forest and Orchard Trees for the Twenty-First Century
by Gabriel Hemery & Sarah Simblet -
4
Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters
by David Hinton & Zhuangzi (aka Chuang Tzu) -
5
The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
by Michael Pollan
The best books on Trees, recommended by David George Haskell
The best books on Trees, recommended by David George Haskell
‘The wood that frames our houses, holds up our furniture, and gives us paper arrives with signs of its ecological history purged.’ We’re a long way from the campfire where our relationship with trees got going. Here, David George Haskell takes us back, deep into the forest.
M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids
Author M G Leonard talks about the importance of getting our children engaged with the natural world. She recommends her favourite nature books for kids.
Amy Liptrot chooses the best of Nature Writing
Amy Liptrot, whose bestselling memoir The Outrun won the 2016 Wainwright Prize for nature writing, talks to Five Books about her favourite writing about landscape—and how her immersion in island life helped her recover from alcoholism.
The best books on William and Dorothy Wordsworth, recommended by Lucy Newlyn
William Wordsworth probably did not get his greatest creative impetus from solitude, but from his extremely close relationship with his sister, suggests Oxford scholar Lucy Newlyn
The best books on Silence, recommended by Sara Maitland
Modern Western societies often seem to be intolerant of silence. Why should this be? And is there any alternative? The author of “A Book of Silence” explains
The best books on Wild Places, recommended by Robert Macfarlane
Robert Macfarlane, author of an acclaimed trilogy of books about landscape and human thought tells us about the intrepid, sometimes misanthropic writers who inspired his own investigation of wilderness. He chooses some of his favourite books of nature-writing.
The best books on The American Desert, recommended by Hari Kunzru
The novelist Hari Kunzru explains his fascination with the Mojave desert – a mysterious, forgotten place full of secret military sites where the silence feels like a physical weight on one’s ears
The best books on Man and Nature, recommended by TC Boyle
The novelist and nature lover T C Boyle tells us about delicious dodos, angry tigers, snakes on planes and why Viagra saves rhinos.
The best books on The English Countryside, recommended by Paul Brassley
The English countryside on a sunny summer's day is one of the most beguiling places in the world to be. But how has it changed since the Black Death? Is there still a meaningful difference between urban and rural society? Rural historian Paul Brassley talks us through the best books to get a fuller understanding of England's green and pleasant land.
The best books on The Andes, recommended by Michael Jacobs
The respected author and prominent Hispanist examines the history and people of The Andes. Selects and reviews five great reads, including classics from Isherwood and Hemming
The best books on Birdwatching, recommended by Jeremy Mynott
What drives people’s passion for birds and birdwatching? For Jeremy Mynott, it’s as much about us as it is about them. He recommends the best books on birds and birdwatching.
The best books on The Polar Regions, recommended by Sara Wheeler
The acclaimed author discusses the Polar Regions. She says an African In Greenland is the best book ever written on Greenland – the story of a man from Togo who went there in the 1960s