BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-05)

92 BBC Wildlife May 2020

Thereis somethingdeeply

relaxingaboutJimCrumley’s

writing,andinthisfinalpart

ofhisSeasonsanthology,the

readeris leftbaskinginthe

peacefulabundanceofa

Scottishsummer.Journeyingthroughthe

Highlandsandbeyond,thisis a workof

pureescapismasthethrobofspringgives

wayto thereflectivecalmofourwarmest

months.Crumley’swritingeffortlessly

capturesthemajestyofa goldeneagle

eyrie,themagicofbeaversreturningto

theiroldhabitats,andthejoythatarrives

witha flockofwhooperswansoverhead.

AswiththeotherthreepartsofSeasons,

weareoffereda glimpseintohislifeasa

writer,to seehownatureandcreativityare

wovenintohisdays.Theperfectfinale to

thisevocativeseasonalcollection.

Tiany Francis-Baker Wildlife writer

Personally,thisbookhas

beenlong-awaited.Hardman

canwriteanythingfroma

politicalbriefingto a

descriptionofa wildflower

withclassandflare.Mental

healthandnatureis a populartopic,but

Hardmanbringsa politicalangle.She

discussesseveralmentalillnesses,

includingdepression,PTSDandanorexia.

Thenarrativeis personalandhonest.She

tellsherstoryandthoseofotherswithout

apology,combininga down-to-earthstyle

withwit,authenticity,researchanda touch

ofcampaigning.Thisis a highlyrelatable

bookforanyonewhohassufferedfrom

(orhassupportedsomeonewith)a mental

illness.More,sheprovidesa compelling

argumentforprescribingnature.

Lucy McRobertWildlife writer

NatureofSummer

BOOK

BY JIM CRUMLEY, SARABAND, £12.99

WILD STREAM

DOCUMENTARY

BluePlanetRevisited

Examiningthehealthofour

oceansandtheabundance

oflifefoundthere.

BBC iPlayer, until March 2021

SHORTCLIP

FindingtheWallaceflyingfrog

ZoologistJackRandellgoesin

searchofa frognamedafter

AlfredRussellWallace.

youtube.com/

watch?v=5BDsMPDEf3Q

DOCUMENTARY

TheIncredibleScience

ofTemperatures

Howlivingcreaturesdependon

keepingtheirbodiesattheright

temperaturetosurvive.

BBC iPlayer, until May 2020

TheNatural

HealthService

BOOK

BY ISABEL HARDMAN. ATLANTIC BOOKS, £16.99

Thecomplex

livesofBritish

freshwatershes

Everynowandthen,a bookis
publishedthatis entirely
original.Thisis nota
repackagedexistingbook
squeezedintoa formulaor
re-coveredandpeddledtousinnew
clothing.Hereis a bookonBritish
freshwaterfish,unlikeanyotherI’vecome
across,andit’sonethatis longoverdue.
Wonderfullywritten,it is spawnedfrom
genuinepassion.Evidentat everypage
turn is a life-long, deep love of

everythingpiscatorialandbornofsweet

water.Whatit is notis a dryfieldguide,

nora technicaltomeora bookof

fishermen’stales.

Thisbookplungesyoubeneaththe

surfaceinmorethanonesense.If you’ve

eversnorkelledwithfreshwaterfishyou’re

halfwaythere,butif youhaven’tJack

Perks’amazingphotographsofwildfish

insitutakeyou.Thebookmakesfish

relevantinbothpicturesandwords.

It showsthemasessentialconstituents

ofecosystemsaswellas their

importance to us

economicallywhileat thesametime

revealingtoustheirtruebeauty.

Chaptersexploretheirpersonalities,

biomechanics,culturalhistory,evolution,

economicvalue,sexlives,diet...infact,all

thethingsthattheexistingbooksonthe

subjectleaveuswantingfor.It’sinclusive

too– 10-spinedstickleback,vendaceand

theexcruciatinglyrarespinedloach,to

namea few,allgetfairrepresentation.If

you’vegota thingforfins,thisis foryou.

Nick Baker,TV presenter, author and naturalist

BY DR MARK EVERARD, CRC PRESS, £29.99

BOOK

OURWILD WORLD

Thewelscatfishis
amongthespecies
featured in the book.