Batsford

Follow Hannah Dale's deeply personal journey as she returns her Lincolnshire farm to nature, celebrating the return of an astonishing variety of wildlife. Hannah Dale, the artist and founder of the award-winning nature-centric gift company Wrendale Designs, takes you through a year on her farm in rural Lincolnshire where, alongside her husband, she has undertaken an ambitious rewilding project. Together, they are attempting to return the land to nature and increase the number of species their land is able to support. A Wilding Year explores how one family have been able to embrace the beauty to be found in untidy landscapes, heralding the return of skylarks, meadow pipits, hobbies, polecats and many more species to their farm. The land was originally claimed from marshy wetlands, and leaning into the land's natural inclination to be wet has also yielded amazing ponds and pond life. This rewilding journey has also provided Hannah with new sources of inspiration for her paintings. A Wilding Year is both a journal and a sketchbook, in which Hannah keeps a visual record of the incredible variety of species she finds on the farm. This fascinating account of a year spent in nature brings to life the beauty and power of wildlife in every season.

This beautifully illustrated book charts the life of one of the world's most beloved authors through the letters, objects, and manuscripts that shaped her life. Published in partnership with the curators of Jane Austen's House, the enchanting Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen's genius flourished that now attracts thousands of visitors every year. Arranged over the course of a calendar year, from snowy scenes in January to festive recipes in December, specially commissioned photography of Austen's home and possessions are brought together with extracts from her books, reproductions of her letters, and stories of her life throughout the seasons. Highlights include the first time Austen read a published copy of Pride and Prejudice to an enraptured audience in her drawing room, affectionate letters to her sister Cassandra reproduced in full and an exquisite miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, the man she nearly married. Read this book for a unique and intimate insight into Austen's world. Dip into it as you will, or visit each month, and enjoy a full year of Austen-her life, works and letters, people and objects she knew, and of course her idyllic, inspiring home.

In this richly illustrated landmark book, author and journalist Will Ellsworth-Jones documents the sold, stolen and destroyed works of Banksy, one of the most renowned and controversial artists of our time. This is a book about what you can’t see: the works that have disappeared entirely, whether destroyed by authorities or whisked into people’s private art collections to languish on walls or in collector’s vaults. These remarkable works are as elusive as their creator, but are returned here for public consumption and enjoyment. A victim of his own success, Banksy is famous the world over and yet more famously disdainful of the spotlight, preferring to remain anonymous. Considered by many to be one of the greatest living artists in the world and to others a rogue vandal with a political agenda, Banksy has scandalised and enlightened the art world since his acts of guerrilla art began to appear on the streets of Barton Hill in Bristol over 25 years ago. His artworks can now be found on streets across the globe, adorning the walls of some of the world's most distinguished galleries and even being sold for millions at private auctions. Works unveiled in Banksy's Lost Works include:• The pieces painted on partially destroyed buildings around Kyiv, Ukraine, one of which has already been cut off the wall by a group of locals. • Valentine’s Day Mascara in Margate that has now been restored and housed in Dreamland after several interventions by Thanet District Council. • Banksy’s disappearing rats, an early symbol of the artist routinely painted over by councils when the name Banksy was more synonymous with ‘vandal’ than ‘artist’. This book, showcasing the often mysterious and occasionally mundane disappearances of works by one of the art world's more elusive figures, is a truly indispensable addition to the library of any Banksy fan. Sold, stolen or destroyed, discover Banksy’s works that have disappeared from the wall.

Chess is fun! This follow-up to the bestselling Batsford Book of Chess for Children is a lively collection of chess puzzles, games and activities, guaranteed to increase your child’s enjoyment of the game while improving their skills and deepening their understanding. In conversational text aimed at children aged 7 and up, meet our two chess-obsessed heroes Jess and Jamie as they address the reader in a straightforward and relatable way, and are this time joined by their friends Harry and Marnie, who love chess just as much as they do! Explore fun problems and puzzles such as the Box ’Em In Challenge, easy chess variants such as Three Check Chess and Progressive Chess, a heap of guess-the-next-move quizzes, and revision pages to help remind children of the chess basics. This book works well as a companion to Chess for Children but also as a standalone activity book. Whether your child is just beginning to learn chess or already gripped by the game, Chess for Children Activity Book will help you encourage their interest and make learning chess a real pleasure.

A fascinating collection of some of the most significant, interesting, and groundbreaking letters ever written. The written word has the power to inspire, astonish, and entertain, as this collection of 100 letters that changed history will show. Ordered chronologically, the letters range from ink-inscribed tablets that vividly describe life in the Roman Empire to remarkable last wills and testaments, passionate outpourings of love and despair, and succinct notes with deadly consequences. Entries include: A job application from Leonardo da Vinci, with barely a mention of his artistic talents. Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn, which eventually led to the dissolution of the monasteries. The scrawled note that brought about Oscar Wilde’s downfall. Emile Zola’s “J’accuse!” open letter, in support of an alleged spy and against anti-Semitism. Beatrix Potter’s correspondence with a friend’s son that introduced the character of Peter Rabbit. A last letter from the Titanic. Nelson Mandela’s ultimatum to the South African president. A stunning new edition with an elegant new cover, this fascinating book is perfect both for reading cover-to-cover and dipping into to discover the delights within.

A thought-provoking chronological timeline of the world’s most influential books. Many books have become classics, must-reads, or overnight publishing sensations, but how many can genuinely claim to have changed the way we see and think? In 100 Books that Changed the World, authors Scott Christianson and Colin Salter bring together an exceptional collection of truly ground-breaking books—from scriptures that founded religions, to scientific treatises that challenged beliefs, to novels that kick-started literary genres. This elegantly designed book, first published in 2018 but updated with an exciting new cover, offers a chronological timeline of three millennia of human thought distilled in print, from the earliest illuminated manuscripts to the age of eBooks and audiobooks. Entries include: The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer (750 BC) Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623) A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank (1947) Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (1958) A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking (1988)

12 classic Celtic fairy tales and their history, from mermaids to dragons. The Celtic cultures of the British Isles—Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—have produced some of the richest traditional tales in Europe. Three words best sum up their themes and flavor: adventure, enchantment, and romance. In this book, Rosalind Kerven has revived the best Celtic fairy tales for a new generation. The stories are sourced from old folk tale collections from all three regions, alongside selected medieval Welsh and Irish texts. This book complements the stories found in English Fairy Tales & Legends. Stories include: The Eagle and the Owl, King Cormac and the Golden Apples, The Hunter and the Seals, The Daughter of King Under-Wave, The Swan Princess, and The Red Etin’s Riddles. The book also includes notes on each story: the history and where it came from, its development, and short summaries of many related or similar stories.

Fully illustrated with beautiful photographs, this special commemorative book by royal biographer Brian Hoey - who had the privilege of meeting Diana on several occasions - pays tribute to the life of this remarkable young woman. Diana, Princess of Wales was admired throughout the world for her vitality, compassion, determination and beauty. When she first came on the scene, she brought a new dimension to the Royal Family and quickly became regarded as one of the most glamorous women in the world. Yet she remained very much her own person: tough but touchingly vulnerable, self-willed but compassionate to a degree that was unprecedented in one of her generation and background. Her tragic death in 1997, in the prime of her life, shocked the world and unleashed a tide of public grief rarely seen. More than a quarter of a century later, her worldwide popularity remains as strong as ever: she is the unforgettable Diana.

The new book by the author of the Sunday Times bestseller, Millie Marotta's Animal Kingdom. Enter Millie's wonderful world of treetop treasures and discover the birds nesting and flying high up in the treetops, and the myriad creatures found among the branches. The enchanting illustrations to colour in range from birds such Major Mitchell's cockatoo and rose robins, to the magnolia warbler, silver-eared mesia and whiskered treeswift. As well as the beautiful birds of the world, Millie's intricate designs show the more unusual creatures residing in the treetops, such as the Amazonian milk frog, the sugar glider or the tree-kangaroo. Millie's inimitable style is treasured by thousands around the world and in this new, exciting book there are all sorts of creatures and fauna waiting to be coloured in, from tiny insects to winged beasts and scaled reptiles to buds and blossoms. The world's rainforests, woodlands and thickets are teeming with life and this book guarantees hours of relaxation and colouring fun.