A thought-provoking and fascinating non-fiction book that’s quite possibly my favourite read of 2021 (and this is really saying something, as I’ve read a sizeable number of truly excellent books to get me through an epically challenging time).
Neil Ansell catalogues his visits throughout the year to the New Forest, with its flourishing plant and birdlife; a forest that’s almost unchanged from its original, planted at the time of William the Conqueror who particularly liked to hunt game.
There are hints of sadness to the book as the author reflects upon the drastic diminishment of birdlife in England during the last few decades, plus the loss of habitat in general for wildlife. He also talks of how the Gypsies dwelt in the New Forest for centuries, living in harmony with the environment, but were then expelled to cities by those who thought they knew better.
Ansell manages to travel quite seamlessly backwards and forwards in time, weaving history, childhood memoir, the present, and the long-term ecological impact of failing to care for the environment.
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About the author: Neil Ansell has been an award-winning television journalist with the BBC and a long-standing writer in newpaper journalism.
You can find out where to buy a copy of The Circling Sky by visiting the publisher’s website https://www.tinderpress.co.uk/titles/neil-ansell/the-circling-sky/9781472272362/
Other books by the same author:
- Deep Country
- Deer Island
- The Last Wilderness (shortlisted in 2018 for Wainwright Golden Beer Prize and the Highland Book Prize)
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Sarah Potter Writes 
Wishing you the happiest of New Years, my friend. Hugs and love heading your way from frigid Olympia, Washington.
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Wishing you the happiest of New Years, too, dear Bill, with love heading your way from the UK’s unseasonably warm, grey, and damp SE coast!
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Interesting book and review Sarah. The Best to you in 2022.https://media.giphy.com/media/g6Xmo9j6U0IhO/giphy.gif
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I think you’d like this book. His descriptions of birdlife in the forest would be right up your street!
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Ooh this must be the book I’m looking for! I’ve been wanting something like Robert Macfarlane’s “Underworld” since I finished it. Thank you and Happy New Year!
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Let me know what you think of it 🙂 I must check out “Underworld” now you’ve mentioned it, although at the moment I’m reading some research books for my planned writing project, so I need to be disciplined. Enough avoidance excuses from me over the last 2 years re novel-writing!
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Thanks for the recommendation Sarah, I read his ‘Deep Country’ and enjoyed that so I think I’d like this one too.
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When I was reading this book, I kept thinking “Andrea would love this”. See, you were in my mind even when not blogging for months! Now I must catch up with your posts as they’re always such a delight to me.
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