This book is a geological history of Britain from over 2,000 million years ago to the present day and describes the enourmous variety of rocks, minerals and fossils that form this fascinating island.

This ebook edition does not include illustrations.An awe-inspiring journey through the eons and across the globe, in search of visible traces of evolution in the living creatures which have survived from earlier times and whose stories speak to us of seminal events in the history of life.The history of life on Earth is far older – and far odder – than many of us realise. In ‘Survivors’, acclaimed author Richard Fortey traces this history not through fossil records, but in t...

The epic story of the beginning of life on Earth from the much loved and respected naturalist, writer and broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough.Spanning billions of years, Attenborough's time-travelling narrative brings the reader face to face with the first animals that ever existed. By using the latest technology, we are finally able to see for ourselves how these early animals would have looked like and how they would have lived. Attenborough also shows us how some of the evolutio...

From the Master Geek and National Living Treasure"Dr Karl is Australia's incumbent President of Science" The Age"There's no topic on which Dr Karl does not have an interestingly expressed opinion" The Weekly ReviewFrom things that fall from the sky (great green globs!) to the birth of the moon, exploding stars, wooden spaceships, life in deep space, this bird's eye view of the universe takes us all...

Written by well-known naturalists and photographers, this guide will enable the easy identification of around 1,000 of the more common insects found in the region. The carefully chosen selection represents all insect groups, with a bias towards the more prominent species, so that all the butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, damselflies and dragonflies occurring in Britain have been included. Over 700 colour photographs show the species in their natural habitats, and around 100 line-drawing...

Discover over 1,200 species of animals and plants found in the coastal regions of Britain and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. This is the definitive photographic reference guide for nature enthusiasts.This informative photographic guide will help nature enthusiasts visiting the seashore to discover and quickly and accurately identify the animals and plants commonly found in the coastal areas of Britain.The book is il...

How did life begin? What really was 'snowball earth'? Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Are we all descended from 'African Eve'? Will humans be responsible for the next major extinction? All these are addressed in this fascinating book. The story unfolds with the formation of the earth around four thousand million years ago, though it took until after massive bombardment by asteroids a hundred million years later for life to emerge and another fifteen million years until more complex life ...

Fly-fishing in all its forms is the fastes-growing participatory field sport in the world. Whether you’re hoping to catch trout, tigerfish, yellowfish or queenfish, there is little to match the sheer joy of fishing with a fly rod. Whether you’re standing waist-deep in a raging river estuary fishing the saltwater, or wading slowly into the calm waters of an inland lake, the thrill of casting a perfect line is unmatched. Africa is one of the world’s most exciting fly-fishing destinations. De...

This is a book about an ocean that vanished six million years ago - the ocean of Tethys. Named after a Greek sea nymph, there is a sense of mystery about such a vast, ancient ocean, of which all that remains now are a few little pools, like the Caspian Sea. There were other great oceans in the history of the Earth - Iapetus, Panthalassa - but Tethys was the last of them, vanishing a mere moment (in geological terms) before Man came on the scene. Once Tethys stretched across the world. How ...

Spectacular Snakes of Australia showcases these beautiful creatures which play such an important part in our biodiversity. It portrays most of the species found in Australia, such as tiger snakes, copperheads, brown snakes, death adders and sea snakes, up close and personal. It also includes some unique photographs, such as the hatching of scrub pythons, that offer a rare glimpse into their more intimate lives. The informative text, based on the latest research, describes the reproductive bio...

Springwatch British Wildlife is the perfect year-round countryside introduction to the much-loved wildlife of the popular BBC2 television series.The book guides you through Britain's rich and diverse natural heritage, allowing you to enjoy the nation's wildlife at its finest – learning how the animals live and where to find them, why they do what they do and how we can appreciate them.You will be introduced to the birds, mammals and plants that inhabit our gardens, cities a...

Geology off the beaten track follows on the success of author Nick Norman’s earlier Geological Journeys(co-authored with Gavin Whitfi eld), which has sold more than 20 000 copies in the last 6 years.This new book helps readers understand and interpret the geology along SA’s regional and other less-travelled roads.● It features 13 detailed routes across the country, taking in geologically interesting areas such as the Richtersveld,Cape winelands and the Valle...