Description

England’s landscape is iconic – a tapestry of distinctive habitats that together make up a country unique for its rich diversity of flora and fauna. Concentrating on twelve habitats, John Lewis-Stempel leads us from estuary to park, chalk downland to woodland , river to field, village to moor, lake to heath, fen to coastal cliffs, in a book that is unquestionably his magnum opus.

Referencing beloved great writers in whose footsteps he treads – Gilbert White, John Clare, W. H. Hudson, Richard Jefferies, Edward Thomas – and combining breathtakingly beautiful prose with detailed wildlife observation, botanical fact and ancient folklore, Lewis-Stempel immerses himself in each place, discovering their singular atmosphere, the play of the seasons; the feel of the wind in midwinter; the sounds of daybreak; how twilight settles. Each one – whether managed park or wild moor, plunging cliff or man-made Broads – has also shaped human life, forming our idea of ourselves and our sense of what ‘England’ means.

England: A Natural History is the definitive volume on the English landscape, and the capstone of John Lewis-Stempel’s nature writing.
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‘No-one comes close to Lewis-Stempel’s ability to paint the English landscape in words. Maddeningly brilliant.’ – Sally Coulthard, author of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects

Publisher Review

In an age when it seems that nothing has been left unscathed by our bulldozing technological advances, John Lewis-Stempel offers a breath of fresh (and natural) air. * The Times * It is now expected of the modern nature writer to draw together landscape, wildlife, history and culture, but few – if any – do it as deftly as Lewis-Stempel does here … There is still a place for this kind of assured and expert countryside writing. Not just a place, but acres of room. — Richard Smythe * Times Literary Supplement * A richly enjoyable treasure trove for any nature lover. Gilbert White for the 21st century. — Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice * No-one comes close to Lewis-Stempel’s ability to paint the English landscape in words. Maddeningly brilliant. — Sally Coulthard, author of A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects Lewis-Stempel is the most splendid company as he stomps and meanders through England. He’s congenial, lyrical, unsentimental and smart, with a rare eye both for the big picture and the tiny, telling detail. Marvellous! — Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild