Maybe it sounds silly but it really felt like a punch to the gut. We still have so much work to do in this country to reconnect people with nature. How could you look at this amazing little island of biodiversity and think, “nope, that’s got to go”? 😤 (2/2)

Some more recommendations:

George Monbiot - ‘Feral’

Benedict Macdonald - ‘Cornerstones’

Chantal Lyons - ‘Groundbreakers’

Ben Goldsmith - ‘God is an Octopus’

Charles Clover - ‘Rewilding the Sea’

‘Groundbreakers’ by @chantallyons.bsky.social - One of the best books I’ve read about rewilding, up there with ‘Feral’ and ‘Wilding’. I learnt a lot about wild boar, but it’s also beautifully written, and very balanced in exploring conflicts between human and boar.

‘The Places in Between’ by Rory Stewart - Best known as a successful podcaster and not so successful politician, but I think his true calling may be as a writer. Another book about a gruelling journey way off the beaten track - takes a while to get going, but a fascinating insight into Afghanistan.

‘Blood River’ by Tim Butcher - An even more extraordinary African journey into the conflict-riven Congo. A crazy and compelling book, though pretty bleak too.

‘Road to Timbuktu’ by Tom Fremantle - I read a lot of books about Africa this year, and this was the book that sparked that off. Great travelogue about a journey through West Africa in the footsteps of the Scottish explorer Mungo Park.

‘London Clay’ by Tom Chivers - Probably the best book about my adopted city that I’ve ever read. So many fascinating nuggets about the history under our feet.

‘Ravenous’ by @henrydimbleby.bsky.social and Jemima Lewis - I got this for Christmas last year, brilliant book about our broken food system and full of recommendations that still seem to be mostly unheeded by our lobbyist-coddled politicians.