Entomologist and TV presenter Dr George McGavin looks at the weird and wonderful world of insects and reveals how they created our world and how they could shape our future. Insects conquered the Earth long before we did and will remain here long after we are gone. They outnumber us in the billions and are essential to keep many of the natural processes that keep us alive and that we take for granted, and every page is a very readable argument that we should appreciate the hidden world of six-legged creatures far more. McGavin takes a deep dive to reveal the unknown truths about the most successful and enduring animal groups the world has ever seen and explores not only the incredible traits that insects have evolved to possess, such as dragonflies that can fly across oceans without resting, or beetles that can lay their eggs exclusively in corpses, but also the vital lessons we have learned from them, including how therapy using maggots can save lives, and how bees can help grow rich tomato yields. The four distinct groups are millipedes and centipedes with elongated bodies and lots of pairs of legs, eight legged species such as mites and scorpions, crustaceans such as shrimp, crabs and lobsters and barnacles with a few terrestrial species such as woodlice and the fourth and by far biggest group are the Insecta, which comprise ¾ of all animal species, and well over half of all known species and their total biomass is at least ten times that of all humans and our livestock combined. Let's let that fact sink in... Crawling with detail and glowing with extraordinary facts and rich with humour and personality. 266pp.

Translated from the French and sub-titled 'A Lifetime Journey to the Sources of Nature's Scents' we have never come across a book quite like this one. 'Reminiscent of the Queen of Sheba, a collector and distiller of resins is smelling the beauty of her frankincense in Somaliland, where the journey of perfume started, 50 centuries ago' it says on the back cover with a photograph in colour. The inspiration of this book sprang from a trip when the author found herself standing next to a frankincense tree in that country. 'The collector had made an incision in the trunk, causing small milky drops to start to bead.' The fruits, flowers, spices, bark, leaves and branches are just some of the natural ingredients from the plant world that are used in the creation of perfume. Roques travels from Andalusia to Somaliland by way of Bulgaria, Laos, El Salvador, Indonesia and Egypt and describes his search to find the best natural ingredients precious to perfumiers everywhere. He demonstrates how the fastidious multi-million-pound perfume industry may begin its life as a single plant harvested by producers surviving on ancestral traditions and techniques, and often risking their lives in the process as the combat the rising threat of climate change. Roques reveals the beauty and mysteries of a familiar trade and 'this book is my homage to the harvesters of the world.' 304pp, photos, line art and maps.

A charming walk through the hidden secrets of each of the 56 British species of trees by botanist and ecologist Ros Bennett. The mother and daughter team burrow into blossoms and berries, the chemistry of plants, the importance of fungi, the history of Britain's forests, why trees and forests are important before looking at identification using leaves, twigs and buds. Part three looks at species profiles of Britain's 52 mostly native trees from the conifers and broadleaf trees like the Scots pine and yew, box and crab-apple, buckthorns, elms, beech, oaks, hazels and hornbeams, wild privet, holly and elder. Daughter Nell's exquisite illustrations help identify each tree simply and confidently, and they are exquisitely detailed artworks in themselves. With tables and diagrams and families, in beautiful clear layout, the book will bring you closer to the natural world around you. 302pp, illus.

Sit still and listen, and open this enchanting book about birds, birdsong and the countryside from the critically acclaimed author of Raptor. Lockhart sets out to write about a series of birds from a nightjar's strange churring song on a heath in the south of England, to a lapwing displaying over the machair in the Outer Hebrides. He writes about eight different and fascinating birds in a journey inspired by a story his granny told him of how she used to relay the songs of birds to her increasingly deaf father, the famous naturalist Seton Gordon. The eight species are all representative of a different habitat. Nightjars on a lowland heath; shearwaters on a mountain overlooking the sea, dippers on a river; skylarks in farmland; ravens in woodland; divers on a loch; lapwings on the coast; and nightingales in dense scrub. Not all of the birds are songbirds in the traditional sense, although each possesses its own distinctive musical voice which can vary from the strange to the joyous - the weird gurgling sound of a shearwater in its burrow to the exuberance of the skylark's song. Each is an audible introduction to the birds and the places where they are found. Poetry, folklore and natural history are woven into the mix and a dipper's stream is painted as vividly as the songbird itself giving a clear sense of the cold running water and mossy banks. 342pp, line art.

Sub-titled 'A Tale of Forgotten Elm Trees, Traditional Craft and Community Spirit' the book calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately. When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire he discovered the unexpected rich landscape with wildlife and elm trees, and this wooded farmland inspired him as a life-long woodworker to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. The book follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined in, inspired to learn the ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods. The opening chapter reads like a prose poem: 'Immediately, in the absence of machine noise, you can hear what is going on as well as see it. You can hear background birdsong or the soughing of the wind in the branches of trees overhead as you work... A craft is more than a hobby or a trade, it is a way of giving life to things.' 'A bond developed between people born of goodwill, without the need for an economic contract.' In the words of Kate Humble 'A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.' 260pp, wonderful line art such as sawing a tenon's shoulder and making mortice lines using dividers plus 16 pages of colour photos and an etching.

Dubbed the 'Radical Rewilder' by The Times, Gow's book is sub-titled 'Turning My Farm into An Ark For Lost Species'. He recounts how he raised a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, transported a raging bison bull across the UK, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, and restored the ancient white stork to the Knepp Estate with Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. After a Shetland ewe captured young Derek's heart, he grew up to become a farmer with a passion for ancient breeds, but when he realised how many of our species were close to extinction, even on his own land, he tore up his traditional Devon farm and transformed it into a rewilding haven for beavers, water voles, lynx, wildcats, harvest mice and more. The story of his amazing work at Broadwoodwidger is highly entertaining and inspiring as tells his riotous adventures rescuing threatened species and he really knows how to get things done. 200pp, line art.

Sub-titled 'Adventures on A Scottish Highland Croft', this is the enthralling true story of Lynbreck Croft, a regenerative Scottish farm rooted in local food and community. And it is the dream of two women in search of a new, wilder existence. Lynn and Sandra left friends, family and jobs in England and travelled to Scotland to find a small piece of land they could call their own. With no money, plan or farming experience, they thought they would keep a few chickens, a kitchen garden and rent out some camping space. Instead they fell in love with Lynbreck Croft, 150 acres of wild Scottish Highlands, filled with opportunity and beauty, shrouded by the Cairngorm mountains. The intrepid pair embarked on restoring the ancient crofter buildings, creating a kitchen garden as well as taking on livestock for the first time. They began to understand what being farmers really means as they watch their hens form a pecking order, while Ronnie, a shy, scraggy heifer, became the leader of their Highland cattle. The women become part of the crofting community and see how farming in harmony with nature and people around them made them a dream life on the land. Often funny, the two women met as rangers for the National Trust. 212pp, eight pages of colour photos and endorsed by Kate Humble as an 'inspiring story of two courageous women.'

From piddocks and lynchets to Witch's Broom, this book was voted the Best Nature Book of 2021 by Countryfile. Beautifully illustrated, practical and entertaining, one of Britain's best-known naturalists John Wright introduces us to the natural and unnatural mysteries of the countryside. He gives us the tools to identify Robin's Pincushion, Dew ponds and Hollow Ways, to find a flower with black pollen rather than yellow, stranded ponds on grassy hilltops or even pottering on our own back garden encountering things that make us stop and wonder. John reveals the histories and practicalities of those that are man-made and the astounding and intricate lives of the natural mysteries as he illuminates the oddities that pepper our landscape. Funny whimsical observations and dozens of colour photographs throughout, the book is organised by the field, the wood and the seashore. 240 beautiful pages.

In Animals, we discover a different side to the famed photographer who skillfully explores animals' complex relationship with humans and the environment. Tenderness abounds, particularly in scenes of unkempt street dogs sleeping contentedly next to a human. But there's also a kind of essential solitude, with animals belonging to no one and simply wandering through life with only their survival instincts to guide them. See the goat balanced on his owner's back, a wild horse at dawn beside a lake-filled canyon, family pets and cheeky otters and chimps, a beautiful Arabian woman in Dubai with her hawk, an Ethiopian tribe dancing with the dog and a Tibetan monk holding his goose. We witness camels caught in the crossfire during the first Gulf War, a shepherd from Northern Pakistan tenderly feeding his goats, Beverly Hills designer dogs, racehorses on a Hong Kong rooftop, elephants in Thailand and more images selected by ace photographer Steve McCurry from his vast archives. From an elephant resting with his master to a dog led through the rubbles of Kabul, these images by Steve McCurry tell a thousand stories, each a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet. The photographer presents his favourite shots of animals in this collection ranging from many images from Afghanistan, Asia to South America, the United States to Europe. This kaleidoscopic collection is at once a beautiful travelogue and a touching tribute to the creatures who share our planet. Compact 14 x 19.5 cm, 192 pages, stunning colour. New from Taschen.

The complete definitive encyclopaedia is now available for the first time in large softback, and Bibliophile is the first to acquire copies. It provides meanings, powers, facts and folklore for over 1,001 flower species organised by both scientific and common names, along with a beautiful colour visual depiction. The characteristics, historic meanings and powers from mythology, medieval legends, folklore and flower poetry, symbolic flower meanings have fascinated readers, writers, poets and romantic couples alike for centuries. Extremely popular during the Victorian era, these floriographies blossomed whether helping create a bespoke wedding bouquet or planning stunning garden planting combinations. The use of one particular plant over any other in any working is dependent on its ability to boost confidence in the possible inherent power of that plant and its potent magical elements such as the dandelion puff. Sunflowers represent ambition, constancy and devotion; the daisy childlike playfulness and beauty; the amaryllis adventurousness, passion and the purple tulip eternal love, the Salix or pussywillow illness recovery or receiving a blessing, the petunia creativity and a settled lifestyle, and the rose of Sharon hibiscus persistent love and protection. Four to six entries per page, each with a beautiful colour artwork, Latin and alternative names, symbolic meanings, folklore and facts. 256 large pages, 15.4 x 19cm approx. Colour throughout.