This charming travelogue from William Henry Hudson, expert birdwatcher and renowned chronicler of English country life, gives readers unparalleled access to the quaint rhythms of village existence at the turn of the twentieth century. These essays and observations will please readers who have a love for English culture and the great outdoors.

Afoot in England is a classic English bird watching volume by W.H. Hudson. Mr. Hudson is a nature lover, especially, a bird lover, and it was his quest for the bird life of the English Countryside that led him "afoot" on many of these birding pilgrimages through un-frequented England, of which he gives us such attractive glimpses.

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Book Excerpt: That the tradition is not true no one can say. We know that the memory of an action or tragedy of a character to stir the feelings and impress the imagination may live unrecorded in any locality for long centuries. And more, we know or suppose, from at least one quite familiar instance from Flintshire, that a tradition may even take us back to prehistoric times and find corroboration in our own day.But of this story what corroboration is there, and what do the books say? I have consulted the county history, and no mention is made of such a tradition, and can only assume that the author had never heard it--that he had not the curious Aubrey mind. He only says that it is a very early church --how early he does not know--and adds that it was built "for the convenience of the inhabitants of the place." An odd statement, seeing that the place has every appearance of having always been what it is, a forest, and that the inhabitants thereof are weasels, foxes, jays and such-like, and doubtless in forRead More

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight to investigate Victorian England, a world where crimes large and small abound and where dark corners and well-lit drawing rooms alike hide villainy. Through the enduring eye of Sherlock Holmes, noted historian Jeremy Black traces how Holmes and his milieu evolved in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s books and how Holmes continues to resonate today. Black explores the context of Doyle’s ideas and stories and why they struck such a chord with readers in London, and ultimately the world. He portrays a complex man with eclectic interests, from soccer to spiritualism, from cricket to divorce law reform. Standing twice for Parliament, Doyle was a committed meritocrat whose political experiences and values were expressed through his writings. Reading the Holmes stories through the lens of Doyle’s multifaceted career, Black throws fresh light on the values expressed in them and how Holmes would have been perceived at the time. He traces the imperial strand in the Holmes stories and Doyle's treatment of America and Europe. Drawing on a masterful knowledge both of Doyle’s era and his writings, this entertaining and wide-ranging book uses the Holmes stories to bring Victorian England to vibrant life, a world where crimes large and small abound and where dark corners and well-lit drawing rooms alike hide villainy. Holmes was a hero and an inspiration for many a character who redefined the idea of detection and the detective, a private man of great public importance. Here is his story.

Just in time for Sherlock Holmes's 166th birthday, the fifth installment in national bestselling author Vicki Delany's Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery takes Sherlockania to the max with a Holmes convention and historic 221 Baker Street. Gemma Doyle and her friends travel to London for a Sherlock Holmes convention--but will Gemma's father take the fall for a felonious forger's fatality? The 6th of January is Sherlock Holmes's birthday, and lucky for Gemma Doyle, January is also the slowest time of the year at both the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. It's a good time for Gemma and her friends to travel to England for a Holmes Convention. For Gemma, the trip provides an opportunity to visit her parents, Jayne Wilson is excited about seeing all the sites London has to offer, and Ryan Ashburton just wants to spend some time with Gemma. But the trip is immediately derailed when Gemma's father Henry recognizes his brother-in-law Randolph Denhaugh, who disappeared more than thirty years ago on the night he stole a valuable painting from his own parents. Henry, a retired detective with Scotland Yard, has been keeping tabs on the man's career as a forger of Old Masters and he warns Randy to stay away from his family. It's up to Gemma, with the help of her friends, to plunge into the "lowest and vilest alleys" of London to save her father from prison.

WALKING tours are popularly supposed to be feasible chiefly for those to whom this method of travel is incidental to their occupation-timber cruisers, landlookers, prospectors, game wardens and trappers of the North-men who daily match themselves against the forces of Nature. To the average city man rarely does it occur that by substituting walking, our most natural means of locomotion-even if carried no farther than the daily to and from business trip-for the rapid transportation perfected in our modern industrial life he can attain better business efficiency and an increased physical and mental well being.

The remarkable classic of nature writing by the first man ever to have walked the entire length of the Grand Canyon.

In a remarkable and flowery language, Hudson has captured the essence of the natural beauty of England. A highly satisfying work that depicts a country through the eyes of a naturalist. His experiences and observations inspire and touch the soul. Captivating!