Josh Pons, a third-generation horseman and owner of Country Life Farm, depicts a century of life inside the horse business, written from inside the fences of Maryland’s oldest Thoroughbred farm. In 2016, in the basement of his farmhouse, Josh Pons discovered thousands of letters from his grandfather’s life in the Thoroughbred horse business. The son of a French cook who came to New York City in 1894, Adolphe Pons got his start working in the Fifth Avenue mansion of Gilded Age banker August Belmont II. Adolphe became his personal secretary, and later played a major role in Belmont’s breeding and sale of the most famous horse in history: Man o’ War. During the Great Depression, Adolphe left New York and bought a hundred-acre horse farm in Maryland, naming it Country Life after the station stop on the Long Island Railroad nearest his Garden City home. In serial form, Josh Pons expands on the column he wrote for the leading horse publication The BloodHorse, inviting readers to once more step into the attic garret alongside him as he recovers long-lost voices speaking out of letters, telegrams, and photos. Upon the attic stage appear Gilded Age tycoons from whom the author’s grandfather bought and sold horses against the backdrop of World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. As Josh draws from the farmhouse’s rich archive, he chronicles his grandfather’s life and times and shares his own candid reflections. The result is a fascinating and fresh look at the Golden Age of Horse Racing and how the past influences our present.

A classic of seasonal cookery, these recipes are arranged by month and are profoundly seasonable.

Jane Austen lived for nearly all her life in two Hampshire villages: for 25 years in her birthplace of Steventon, and then for the last 8 years of her life in Chawton, during which she wrote and published her great novels. While there are plenty of books describing her periods of urban life in Bath, Southampton and London, and the summer holidays in Lyme Regis and other West Country seaside resorts, no book has given consideration to the rural background of her life. Her father was not only the rector of Steventon but a farmer there as well, managing a property of some 200 acres. Her brother Edward, in addition, was a large landowner, holding the three estates of Godmersham in Kent, Steventon and Chawton in Hampshire. Agriculture, in all its aspects, was even more important to Jane than clerical life or the naval careers of her younger brothers. This book fills a gap in the Austen family background, discussing the state of agriculture in general in the south of England during the wartime, conditions which lasted for most of Jane Austen's life, and considering in particular the villages and their inhabitants, the weather conditions, field crops, farm and domestic animals, and the Austens' household economy and rural way of life. Apart from these obvious sources, there are other Austen family manuscripts, as yet unpublished, which provide particular and unique information. Richly illustrated with contemporary depictions of country folk, landscapes and animals, Jane Austen's Country Life conjures up a world which has vanished more than the familiar regency townscapes of Bath or London, but which is no less important to an understanding of this most treasured writer's life and work.

Originally published in 1981 by Harper & Row.

What happens when a city woman takes up rural roots and becomes a shepherd? Read "Letters from the Country: From High Heels to Wellington Boots. A Memoir and Survival Guide" and find out. Journalist and broadcaster Marsha Boulton made the leap that so many urbanites only fantasize about. As more and more people today are choosing country life over city life, Marsha's experiences propel the reader into her world with hilarious consequences. Who knew that a hair dryer could become an indispensable farm tool? What lessons are learned when a lawyer buys a farm as a weekend retreat and then buys 10 bulls to breed his 10 cows? Whether in the lambing shed serving as midwife, picking two acres of pickle cucumbers or analyzing the intelligence of turkeys, Marsha's observations on her rural learning curve offer a roller coaster ride filled with bucolic wonder and genuine affection for creatures large and small. A runaway bestseller when first published in Canada, "Letters From the Country" received the Stephen Leacock Award for Humor, prompting one of her neighbors to say: "Don't let that go to your head, girl. After all they nominated a pig named Babe for an Academy Award." Now, for the first time in the United States and around the world, readers can revel in what one reviewer cited as "humor on the lamb." Editorial Reviews "If you're thinking about a move to rural digs, 'Letters From the Country' is must reading." (The Calgary Herald) "An affectionate, humorous and personal account of a city woman's leap into life 'down on the farm' - Boulton's voice of experience makes her book a unique achievement." (David Staines, University of Ottawa) "If nothing else, you'll know why sheep sometimes have crayon marks on their backsides - a sweet collection, sprinkled with insights about the realities of moving to the country." (The Hamilton Spectator) "One of those rare books that will appeal to almost every reader." (The London Free Press) "Boulton's musings are as soft as a lamb's fleece. The 57 pieces in the collection, classified by the four seasons, capture some key elements of rural living ... Another good choice for the humor prize." (The Globe and Mail) Reader Reviews "This is a great book - one you cannot put down. Each chapter is a story of funny and serious antics as a woman who made a major career change. Sure to please anyone who lives in either the city or country." - Babs This is a very pleasant book to pick up and enjoy, a chapter at a time. I am not a wannabe farmer and Marsha Boulton does not paint a perfect picture of farm life. However she does manage to convey the joys and aggravation of life in the country. I wouldn't want to live there but I would certainly like to visit. (As long as I don't need to deal with the sheep!) - Teacher Suzanne "This is one of my comfort books. When I'm feeling down or out of sorts, I take refuge in a hot bath with this book. The book is a collection of stories written by a woman who moves from the big city (the 'big smoke' as her country neighbors call it) to a farm. The stories are arranged by season and there are a good variety of topics. The writing is light but very competently written nonetheless. - John Journalist and broadcaster Marsha Boulton - big city woman - moves to the country and becomes a shepherd. She never dreamed she would do this and how it came about is enjoyable and funny. - Helen "Love the short tales which allow me to read a few chapters before bedtime. I live in a rural area and can identify with the stories in this book." - Patricia

Full of character, gossip and anecdote about literary and theatrical personalities, this biography of publisher and man of letters Rupert Hart-Davis is the story of literary life in the 20th century.