New non-fiction for July 2023
by Brandon King
Take a look at our latest non-fiction titles for July 2023.
Looking for something new to read? Browse our recommendations.
A Fenland Garden: Creating a Haven for People, Plants & Wildlife, by Francis Pryor
Here is the story of how Francis Pryor created a haven for people, plants, and wildlife in a remote corner of the fens. 'A Fenland Garden' is the story of the creation of a garden in a complex and fragile English landscape - the Fens of southern Lincolnshire - by a writer who has a very particular relationship with landscape and the soil, thanks to his distinguished career as an archaeologist and discoverer of some of England's earliest field systems. It describes the imagining, planning and building of a garden in an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile place, and the challenges, setbacks and joys these processes entail.
Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life & Sudden Death, by Laura Cumming
On the morning of 12th October 1654, in the Dutch city of Delft, a sudden explosion was followed by a thunderclap that could be heard more than seventy miles away. Carel Fabritius - now known across the world for his exquisite painting, The Goldfinch - had been at work in his studio. He, along with many others, would not survive the day. In 'Thunderclap', Laura Cumming reveals her passion for the art of the Dutch Golden Age and her determination to lift up the reputation of Fabritius.
She reveals the Netherlands, where - wandering the narrow streets of Amsterdam, driving across the flatlands, or pausing at a quiet waterfront - she encounters the rich reality behind the shining beauty of Vermeer and Rembrandt, Hals and de Hooch. This is a book about what a picture may come to mean: how it can enter your life and change your thinking in a thunderclap, a sudden clarity of sight.
The Green Lady, by Sally Bayley
In the style of her memoir 'Girl with Dove', this book explores a child's search for artistic education and a sense of self. Lyrical and playful, Sally Bayley's writing transports the reader into an eccentric world of teachers, guardians and guiding spirits of place. Moved by her female teachers, and guided by the artist J.M.W. Turner, Bayley's protagonist goes in search of her maternal ancestors, in particular her grandmother, Edna May Turner. Following the narratives of other women in history who have taken different routes to independence and artistic freedom - including the educational suffragist Mary Neal, actress Margaret Rutherford, and poet Stevie Smith - Bayley considers the paths to happiness and the limitations social convention imposes.
Behind These Doors: Stories of Strength, Suffering and Survival, by Alex South
The men I have worked with and the staff I've worked alongside over the last ten years in prison have taught me strength, compassion, courage, and fundamentally, the need to talk, the need to share and the need to tell these stories. These are the stories of lives lived, lost and taken, behind walls so high we can pretend they hide another world entirely. But at what cost? 'Behind These Doors' is a provocative, insightful and illuminating interrogation of what it is to live and to work in the UK's most infamous prisons. The individuals Alex introduces us to are, for the most part, living on the margins of society and the impact of the cycles of violence that so often accompany those lives is clear to see.
All Up in My Space: Discover Your Own Interior Design, by Robyn Donaldson and Emma Hopkinson
You've just got the keys, unpacked the boxes and officially moved into your new apartment. Or maybe you have lived in your home for a couple of years, and it is in need of some extra love and care to make it into the place you always dreamt it would be. But where do you start? In this book, creators of the award-winning blog 'All Up In My Space', Robyn and Emma, share their abundance of knowledge on interior design to help you figure out how to make your space your own. Learn about how to decorate a rental property without losing your deposit, discover how to switch things up in your home without having to change everything, and identify what type of interior design style suits you.
Older and Bolder: My A-Z of Surviving Almost Everything, by Esther Rantzen
Multi-award-winning broadcaster, founder of Child Line and Silver Line, campaigner, journalist, author, not forgetting mother and grandmother, joyous life force of our times Dame Esther Rantzen dazzles in the glory of getting older and ever bolder. And now. in this life-affirming book, she looks back from her ninth decade, and shares her most significant memories, from meeting Princess Diana to creating a national outrage with a short film about a driving dog, and reflects with candour and humour on the lessons she's learnt, revealing the hints, hacks and personal philosophies that have been her secrets of surviving almost everything.
High Caucasus: A Mountain Quest in Russia's Haunted Hinterland, by Tom Parfitt
On the 1 September 2004, at the Beslan siege in Russia when Chechen terrorists took more than 1,000 people captive at celebrations held to mark the first day of the school year. Lasting three days, the siege reached a bloody climax when two bombs exploded inside the school and Russian troops stormed the building, sparking a fire in the gymnasium where the captives were held. In the chaos, 334 hostages, more than half of them children, died. Never a war correspondent, Tom was emotionally pulverised, and his solution was to turn back to his lifelong love of walking, to a nature cure of sorts. Having long loved the Caucasus, he also wanted to understand why the mountain peoples there, people like the Chechens, were so angry at Russia. That was how Tom came to walk 1,000 miles across the North Caucasus.
The Art of Winning: Lessons in Leadership, Purpose and Potential, by Dan Carter
Ten timeless truths on leadership, purpose and potential - from the unique culture of the All Blacks, and the mind of a living legend. You might think success at the highest level insulates you from pressure and doubt.But nothing could be further from the truth. In this book, I take you inside a journey that has forced me to look inwardly in a way I've never had to before. It's been challenging, frustrating, rewarding and left me full of gratitude. Whether you're a business looking to work on your culture, a leader on a steep learning curve, a person navigating change in their life or just someone of any age trying to get that little bit better every day, I hope that my experience can spur you on to greater heights, and master the art of winning. For the first time, sporting legend Dan Carter distils his two decades at the frontiers of high-performance into his 'perfect ten' lessons.
A Life Worth Living, by Tommy Jessop
Tommy Jessop is a multi-award winning actor, theatre performer, and campaigner. Tommy has been at the vanguard of bringing awareness of the potential of people living with Down syndrome to the media, and to government. 'A Life Worth Living' will be Tommy's story - from his journey into acting and campaigning while showing his unstoppable determination, charisma, and love for life. Tommy's natural instinct to help others leaps out from the pages, as does his wish to make people aware that those with learning disabilities just want to be treated like everybody else.
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds, by Jennifer Ackerman
From prehistoric cave paintings to the prints and etchings of Picasso, owls have captivated and inspired us for millennia. Whether they appear as ancient Athenian symbols of wisdom, ghostly harbingers of death, or the cuddly sidekicks of Harry Potter and Winnie the Pooh, these birds have continued to fascinate and disturb us in equal measure. Through revelatory new behavioural research, Jennifer Ackerman provides an intimate glimpse into these magnificent creatures' lives. From the evolutionary quirks behind their silent flight and rotating heads, to their romantic relationships and parenting styles, 'What an Owl Knows' brings the rich natural history of owls to life.
Sitdowns With Gangsters, by Shaun Attwood
Infamously known for his time as the head of an international ecstasy ring in Arizona, Shaun Attwood has since turned to gaining the trust of some of the world's most dangerous people, interviewing and questioning them about their stories. Collated from the many hours of interview material, and containing additional content exclusive to the book, he brings together ten powerful conversations with the most gruesome and deadly gangsters of recent years. Filled with truthful, brutal, and often redemptive stories, Shaun's interviews feature international smugglers, mafia enforcers and a man who escaped from Thailand's most notorious prison. 'Sitdowns with Gangsters' is an unputdownable read that offers a glimpse into the lives and inner workings of some of the world's most fearsome gangsters.