A guidebook to the four seasons, calling attention to the more striking objects and phenomena that reveal themselves to a country rambler. Focus in Spring is on the awakening of nature. In Summer on what can be found in various habitats. In Autumn on fruits, seeds, and preparation for winter. In Winter, on condition of plants, animals, and trees.

The last century has seen a dramatic increase in ramblers, mountaineers, cyclists and hill walkers enjoying the British countryside. This remarkable book charts the history of the outdoor movement from its late Victorian origins to its present status. Harvey Taylor describes how the active participants in the movement combined to create a loosely constructed entity, held together by common areas of interest and shared campaigning concerns. From the formation of Footpath Protection Societies and the development of a Countryside Access campaign in the inter-war years, he emphasises that the movement was very much more than just a 'craze' or a reaction against creeping industrialisation and urbanisation as was portrayed at the time. This is a fascinating introduction to a particularly British recreational phenomenon.

A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK ‘An affectionate and revealing account ... Funny, sad, real, rueful.’ The Times ‘Warm, rambling and self-aware’ Guardian The long-awaited, rambling, tender, and very funny memoir from Adam Buxton

"McNulty delivers an inimitable take on Cajun and Creole Louisiana--the siren call of zydeco dancehalls pulsing in the country darkness; of crawfish "boiling points" and traditional country smokehouses; of Cajun jam sessions, where even wallflowers are compelled to dance; of equine gambits in the cradle of jockeys; and of fishing trips where anyone can land impressive catches. In south Louisiana, distilled European heritage, the African American experience, and modern southern exuberance mix with tumultuous history and fantastically fecund natural environments. The territories McNulty opens to the reader are arguably the nation's most exotic and culturally distinct destinations"--Page 4 of cover.

For at least half a century since the emergence of Country Parks and Forest Parks, countryside services have provided leisure, tourism, conservation, restoration and regeneration across Britain. Yet these services are currently being decimated as public services are sacrificed to the new era of austerity. The role and importance of countryside management have been barely documented, and the consequences and ramifications of cuts to these services are overlooked and misunderstood. This volume rigorously examines the issues surrounding countryside management in Britain. The author brings together the results of stakeholder workshops and interviews, and in-depth individual case studies, as well as a major study for the Countryside Agency which assessed and evaluated every countryside service provision in England. A full and extensive literature review traces the ideas of countryside management back to their origins, and the author considers the wider relationships and ramifications with countryside and ranger provisions around the world, including North America and Europe. The book provides a critical overview of the history and importance of countryside management, detailing the achievements of a largely forgotten sector and highlighting its pivotal yet often underappreciated role in the wellbeing of people and communities. It serves as a challenge to students, planners, politicians, conservationists, environmentalists, and land managers, in a diversity of disciplines that work with or have interests in countryside, leisure and tourism, community issues, education, and nature conservation.