The Sacred Combe
We’ve all got one. A secret, special place. Hidden. Enclosed. A little greener and more fertile than the world outside. Here the birds are slightly more exotic, slightly more confiding, the grass greener and the fruit sweeter. To know such a place, to… [Read More]
Ten Million Aliens
Life on Planet Earth is not weirder than we imagine. It’s weirder than we are capable of imagining. And we’re all in it together: humans, blue whales, rats, birds of paradise, ridiculous numbers of beetles, molluscs the size of a bus, the sexual gladia… [Read More]
Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed
Learning birdsong is not just a way to become a better bird-spotter. It is tuning in: a way of hearing the soundtrack of the planet earth… Why do birds sing? What are they trying to say? Birdsong is not just about natural history. It is also about our… [Read More]
A Book of Heroes
You might say that the provision of heroes is the basic point of sport. If sport didn’t provide heroes, sport wouldn’t command our imaginations… In this gripping new book, Simon Barnes brings together his 50 sporting heroes of the last 50 years and loo… [Read More]
My Natural History
In My Natural History Simon Barnes, like a modern-day Gerald Durrell, weaves together the story of his life via the animals and the natural encounters that have shaped it. From the greater horseshoe bat that transported Barnes from the dull classrooms… [Read More]
The Horsey Life
“All I can say is that there was something – right from the first. A stubby little mare, bright bay with remarkably large ears. A white star on her forehead shaped like Madagascar, and a huge arse…” This is the story of an extraordinary relationship –… [Read More]
The Horse
The fascinating history of humanity’s bond with the horse is spectacularly brought to life in this beautifully illustrated volume. With over 100 giant images from the extraordinary Parthenon Frieze to the thoroughbred portraits of Stubbs; and from the… [Read More]
How To Be Wild
As everyone who has patted a dog, smelled a rose, taken a walk, or even had a drink in the garden well knows, humans have a soul-deep need for non-human forms of life. This book is about pushing our birthright of wildness just that little bit further…. [Read More]
How to be a Bad Birdwatcher
Anyone who has ever gazed up at the sky or stared out of the window knows something about birds. In this funny, eye-opening book, Simon Barnes paints a riveting picture of how birdwatching has framed his life and can help us all to a better understandi… [Read More]
A Bad Birdwatcher’s Companion
Simon Barnes is one of Britain’s leading bird writers and humorists. His his essays for the RSPB magazine and his two books on bad bird-watching have made him one of the characters of the bird world. Here he reads his own illuminating introductions to… [Read More]
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