A Review by Keith Smith

I ordered this book as a sample really to see what The New Naturalist series from Collins was like. And exceptionallygood it is too. With a claim to being the longest-running and arguably the most influential natural history series in the world, with over 100 volumes published in over 60 years, if this volume is typical of the rest it is a magnificent achievment.

Regarding ‘Dartmoor’, focusing not only on its extensive history and physical landscape, but also its cultural place within Great Britain, this is a really detailed and inspiring look at the wild and rugged landscape that has inspired poets, painters and musicians over countless centuries. It is a favourite place of mine and so it is wonderful to read an account of the area from one so well qualified to write it. Ian Mercer has not only been the Dartmoor National Park’s Chief Officer, but is also a distinguished naturalist in his own right.

Spanning miles of open moorland, whilst also hiding small secluded river valleys, rare plants and endangered birds, Dartmoor is a place of variety, and has evolved in the public’s mind from a forbidding place to one of romance and mystery. And the great thing is that the author guides us not only through its history and natural landscape, but also looks at its cultural place within Britain, its contemporary usage and its future. This is certainly not a tourist’s guide to the area, unless one of very serious bent, but it is something to which those who love the area and want to know a lot more about it will turn again and again.

A Review by Keith Smith

A cartoon collection from Dave the Vicar. And very funny it is too. In it he reveals: the five worst places to sit in church, reasons to shut your eyes during a sermon, what the church can learn from the retail sector, clergy washing lines – what you can discover from them, sharing the peace – a handy mathematical formula, a tried and tested reality tv method for appointing a new vicar, a guide to deciding whether to go to church or watch the football. Delightful quirky stuff!

This wonderful book will be our bestseller over October, November and December. And deservedly so. Indeed no-one with an interest in Warwickshire can afford to be without it. For not only is it a delight to dip into, as I have found out, but it also repays close study if you want to know more about Warwickshire’s environment let alone it’s wildflowers. It explains how the local landscape has come to look the way it does, and how wildflowers have adapted to the challenges and opportunities associated with some six thousand years of local human activity. Whether it’s a section on the history and structure of the county’s arable farmland or one on where to find wetlands of all kinds and what you will find there, you’ll never be short of something to add to your knowledge, and above all make you want to get out and about. For the expert the information contained in the book is obviously incomparable, but for someone like myself it will continue to add interest and enjoyment to my own casual forays into the countryside. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to buy this book. The photographs are magnificent, and at just £15.95 it’s terrific value.