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In “Lost Realms,” Thomas Williams focuses on nine kingdoms representing every corner of the island of Britain.
From the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coastline, from the Welsh borders to the Thames Estuary, Williams uncovers the forgotten life and untimely demise of realms that hover in the twilight between history and fable.
This is a book about those lands and peoples who fell by the wayside: the lost realms of early medieval Britain.
Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature’s pharmacy to heal themselves.
“Doctors by Nature” reveals what researchers are now learning about the medical wonders of the animal world. In this visionary book, Jaap de Roode argues that we have underestimated the healing potential of nature for too long and shows how the study of self-medicating animals could impact the practice of human medicine.
E.B. White’s 1941 essay “Once More to the Lake” (from his collection “One Man’s Meat”) is a masterclass in how nostalgia can warp our grip on time.
Returning to a childhood vacation spot in Maine — now with his son in tow — White confronts a haunting truth: Places outlive people, even as they mirror our mortality.
At its heart, the essay is about doubling. Watching his son fish and swim in the same waters, White slips into a surreal haze torn between seeing himself as father and child. The lake’s stillness tricks him into believing nothing has changed — until modernity intrudes.
Those once-quiet mornings? Now punctured by motorboats, their “restless” engines churning the peace he remembers.
What makes the essay unforgettable is its quiet dread. White’s prose drips with tactile details: The “sweet chill” of a dawn swim, the scent of pine needles and the creak of old rowboats.
But this vividness sharpens the sting of his realization. In the final lines, a sudden rainstorm snaps the illusion. As his son buttons a raincoat, White feels time’s verdict: “Suddenly my groin felt the cold chill of death.”
Stylistically, White avoids grand pronouncements. Instead, he lets small moments — a dragonfly’s hover, the click of a fishing rod — carry the weight of existential awe.
Decades later, the essay still resonates. Why? Because we have all clung to a memory-place, willing it to defy time. White’s genius lies in showing how that very act binds us to life’s fleetingness.
For me, the most haunting takeaway is this: We are all temporary visitors to “fade-proof” landscapes. The lake remains. We do not.
Ian Leslie’s “John and Paul” traces the shared journey of John Lennon and Paul McCartney before, during and after The Beatles, offering us both a new look at two of the greatest icons in music history, and rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration, and human intimacy.
The two shared a private language, rooted in the stories, comedy and songs they both loved as teenagers, and later, in the lyrics of Beatles songs.
Author: Dan Edelstein
Political thinkers from Plato to John Adams saw revolutions as a grave threat to society and advocated for a constitution that prevented them by balancing social interests and forms of government.
“The Revolution to Come” traces how evolving conceptions of history ushered in a faith in the power of revolution to create more just and reasonable societies.
Taking readers from Greek antiquity to Leninist Russia, Dan Edelstein describes how classical philosophers viewed history as chaotic and directionless, and sought to keep historical change, especially revolutions, at bay.
Author: John McWhorter
This concise overview of English pronouns covers various linguistic topics in an accessible manner. Author John McWhorter maintains a straightforward approach but incorporates engaging elements to keep the book captivating.
McWhorter’s writing style is consistently enjoyable.
He possesses a talent for simplifying complex concepts through humour and relatable examples from popular culture.
A prolific author of books on language, McWhorter continues to captivate readers with his trademark humour and flair. In this book, the renowned linguist and professor debunks myths and illuminates the history of the most contentious language topic: pronouns. McWhorter‚ presentation of linguistics and language evolution is clear, entertaining, and persuasive.
