Shortlisted for the Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize 2019
A radical examination of Britain's relationship with the land by one of our greatest nature writers.
Environmental thought and politics have become parts of mainstream cultural life in Britain. The wish to protect wildlife is now a central goal for our society,but where did these `green'ideas come from And who created the cherished institutions,such as the National Trust or the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,that are now so embedded in public life with millions of members
From the flatlands of Norfolk to the tundra-like expanse of the Flow Country in northern Scotland,acclaimed writer on nature Mark Cocker sets out on a personal quest through the British countryside to find the answers to these questions. He explores in intimate detail six special places that embody the history of conservation or whose fortunes allow us to understand why our landscape looks as it does today. We meet key characters who shaped the story of the British countryside - Victorian visionaries like Octavia Hill,founder of the National Trust,as well as brilliant naturalists such as Max Nicholson or Derek Ratcliffe,who helped build the very framework for all environmental effort.
This is a book that looks to the future as well as exploring the past. It asks searching questions like who owns the land and why And who benefits from green policies Unflinching,provocative and original,Our Place tackles some of the central issues of our time.
Publisher: Vintage PublishingISBN: 9781784701024Number of pages: 352Weight: 245 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 21 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Essential reading for anybody who cares about the future.'- Henry Marsh,The New Statesman
'A seriously great book,important and urgent... As soon as I finished Our Place,I packaged up my copy and sent it off to Michael Gove... this is the kind of book that demands action.'- Alex Preston,The Guardian
'Impassioned,expert and always beautifully written... Our Place is a sobering and magnificent work.'- Christopher Hart,The Sunday Times
'It is easy to be angry about environmental destruction; easy to demand change without hope but in this potent,elegant and influencing telling of the story of what we have done to England's wildlife,Mark Cocker archives something more: a reasoned tone in a radical cause. If you care about our country,read it.'- Julian Glover,Evening Standard
'What a relief it is to have this subject explored without the usual diatribes and righteous hysteria. Cocker's quiet tone carries great authority and... (Our Place) deserves to command respect and wide attention.'- Tom Fort,The Literary Review
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