Planning a late-summer, early-autumn break now that the new school term has begun and your favourite destinations have quietened down a bit? You’ll want a good read to bring along with you! This edition, we present five fascinating accounts of the ocean – from Rewilding the Sea – an optimistic telling of how we might rescue our beleaguered ocean ecosystems, to Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales – a passionate deep dive into the world of whales and their migrations…
1. The World of Tides by William Thompson
William Thompson takes readers on a mesmerising journey through the waters of the world. Setting out with his surfboard and tidal compass, he charts his most extraordinary sights and experiences. With the enticing combination of William’s passionate text and mapping illustrations, this book is for anyone who feels the pull of the tides and the call of the sea. Explore the whirlpools of the Artic circle, the world’s biggest ever surfed wave off Portugal, and the most dangerous rapids in Australia.
2. Rewilding the Sea: How to Save Our Oceans by Charles Clover
Charles Clover chronicles how determined individuals are proving that the crisis in our oceans can be reversed, with benefits for both local communities and entire ecosystems. Rewilding the Sea celebrates what happens when we step aside and let nature repair the damage: whether it is the overfishing of bluefin tuna across
the Atlantic, the destruction of coral gardens by dredgers in Lyme Bay or the restoration of oysters on the East Coast of America.
3. Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham
From the lagoons of Mexico to Arctic glaciers, grey whale mothers are swimming with their calves, past predatory orcas, through a warming sea. For ten thousand miles, they endure one of the longest mammalian migrations on the planet. Following them, by bus, train, and ferry, are Doreen Cunningham and her young
son Max, in pursuit of a wild hope: that their family of two can make it by themselves. Cunningham’s beautiful volume is a shining testament to the healing properties of the natural world.
4. The Draw of the Sea by Wyl Menmuir
Placing the Cornish coast at the heart of this book, Wyl Menmuir meditates on the fishermen, surfers, swimmers, sailors, and conservationists that make their living from the sea. This book is a meaningful and moving work on how we interact with our environment and what draws us to the waters edge. Menmuir also writes about his own moving connection to the sea – telling heartfelt personal anecdotes about what it has come to mean to his and his family’s lives.
5. Life Between the Tides by Adam Nicolson
Few places are as familiar as the shore – and few as full of mystery and surprise. In Life Between the Tides, Adam Nicolson explores the natural wonders of the intertidal and our long human relationship with it. The physics of the seas, the biology of anemone and limpet, the long history of the earth, and the stories we tell of those who have lived here: all interconnect in this zone where the philosopher, scientist and poet can meet and find meaning. An eloquent tribute
to the intertidal wonders of the sea, this is a lovingly written volume about the creatures beneath the waves.
