Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

An individual and inspiring journey, 01 Jan 2009
Wildwood is a highly individual book, unique even. Ostensibly about various types of trees and their wood, it combines natural history, diary and travelogue, and is written with passion, enthusiasm and personal flourishes which make it impossible not to like it.

Deakin, one of the founders of Friends of the Earth, shift time, location, subject and writing style with each new chapter. He starts off at his home in Suffolk, discussing his hedgerows, the wooden propellor on his desktop, the old railway carriage where he often sleeps. Moving further afield, he roams the Southern half of Britain talking about the willow trees used to make cricket bats, the Celtic tradition of the Green Man, the moths which can be found in a forest at night, and artists who work with driftwood, or who fashion objects from unseasoned oak and then leave it to misshape itself. Finally he roams the world, rambling through Polish forests or tracing the ur-apple and the ancestor of all walnuts to the mountains and valleys of Kazakhstan and Krygestan.

As you might gather, it's a rather random journey, held together only by the common topic of trees, and by Deakin's infectious passion for his subject. Particularly moving are his tales of school camps in the New Forest, where his teacher got the whole class carrying out detailed surveys of the local plant and animal life. You can't help thinking that this inspirational teacher had a huge influence on the course British Natural History, as not only Deakin but several other leading British naturalists graduated through this same teacher's wildlife camps.

A delight, 23 Oct 2008
This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.

In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.

Sadly, this is never to be, so the book is as close as I'm ever likely to get. His atmospheric and loving prose is no poor second.

interesting but smug, 31 Mar 2008
A great read if you can cope with the "heres another one of my friends who owns a wood etc"

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire, 29 Mar 2008
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.



Inspiring, and inspired, 10 Feb 2008
A lovely book. I came upon Wildwood as a novice, never having read anything by Deakin before - but he is good; he is very good. The book comes in four main blocks: Roots, about his home and youth; Sapwood, on British wood, woods and artists; Driftwood, on his travels in Europe, Australia and central Asia; and Heartwood, back to his home area of Suffolk. Each block comes in short chapters, full of information, insight, and excellent writing. He likes sleeping outside or in an old railway wagon, and links this to writings by Jefferies or Thoreau, recites the beams in his house, or starts talking about an ancient propeller hub in his study and diversifies that into walnut and all its applications, down to Jaguar gear knobs. I could have done without the Australian bits - they just don't resonate for me (hence four stars). But the Kazak and Kyrgyz chapters are wonderful, and more than make up for it. He is never dull - the writing is full of links to the familiar, observations on new insights, fascinating snippets. This is an inspiring book, by an inspired writer.

Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

An individual and inspiring journey, 01 Jan 2009
Wildwood is a highly individual book, unique even. Ostensibly about various types of trees and their wood, it combines natural history, diary and travelogue, and is written with passion, enthusiasm and personal flourishes which make it impossible not to like it.

Deakin, one of the founders of Friends of the Earth, shift time, location, subject and writing style with each new chapter. He starts off at his home in Suffolk, discussing his hedgerows, the wooden propellor on his desktop, the old railway carriage where he often sleeps. Moving further afield, he roams the Southern half of Britain talking about the willow trees used to make cricket bats, the Celtic tradition of the Green Man, the moths which can be found in a forest at night, and artists who work with driftwood, or who fashion objects from unseasoned oak and then leave it to misshape itself. Finally he roams the world, rambling through Polish forests or tracing the ur-apple and the ancestor of all walnuts to the mountains and valleys of Kazakhstan and Krygestan.

As you might gather, it's a rather random journey, held together only by the common topic of trees, and by Deakin's infectious passion for his subject. Particularly moving are his tales of school camps in the New Forest, where his teacher got the whole class carrying out detailed surveys of the local plant and animal life. You can't help thinking that this inspirational teacher had a huge influence on the course British Natural History, as not only Deakin but several other leading British naturalists graduated through this same teacher's wildlife camps.

A delight, 23 Oct 2008
This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.

In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.

Sadly, this is never to be, so the book is as close as I'm ever likely to get. His atmospheric and loving prose is no poor second.

interesting but smug, 31 Mar 2008
A great read if you can cope with the "heres another one of my friends who owns a wood etc"

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire, 29 Mar 2008
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.



Inspiring, and inspired, 10 Feb 2008
A lovely book. I came upon Wildwood as a novice, never having read anything by Deakin before - but he is good; he is very good. The book comes in four main blocks: Roots, about his home and youth; Sapwood, on British wood, woods and artists; Driftwood, on his travels in Europe, Australia and central Asia; and Heartwood, back to his home area of Suffolk. Each block comes in short chapters, full of information, insight, and excellent writing. He likes sleeping outside or in an old railway wagon, and links this to writings by Jefferies or Thoreau, recites the beams in his house, or starts talking about an ancient propeller hub in his study and diversifies that into walnut and all its applications, down to Jaguar gear knobs. I could have done without the Australian bits - they just don't resonate for me (hence four stars). But the Kazak and Kyrgyz chapters are wonderful, and more than make up for it. He is never dull - the writing is full of links to the familiar, observations on new insights, fascinating snippets. This is an inspiring book, by an inspired writer.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Explains the ins and outs of collecting, including relevant UK laws, conservation notes, practical tips and identification techniques. This book includes 72 species we are most likely to come across during forays in Britain's forests and clearings. It als

Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

An individual and inspiring journey, 01 Jan 2009
Wildwood is a highly individual book, unique even. Ostensibly about various types of trees and their wood, it combines natural history, diary and travelogue, and is written with passion, enthusiasm and personal flourishes which make it impossible not to like it.

Deakin, one of the founders of Friends of the Earth, shift time, location, subject and writing style with each new chapter. He starts off at his home in Suffolk, discussing his hedgerows, the wooden propellor on his desktop, the old railway carriage where he often sleeps. Moving further afield, he roams the Southern half of Britain talking about the willow trees used to make cricket bats, the Celtic tradition of the Green Man, the moths which can be found in a forest at night, and artists who work with driftwood, or who fashion objects from unseasoned oak and then leave it to misshape itself. Finally he roams the world, rambling through Polish forests or tracing the ur-apple and the ancestor of all walnuts to the mountains and valleys of Kazakhstan and Krygestan.

As you might gather, it's a rather random journey, held together only by the common topic of trees, and by Deakin's infectious passion for his subject. Particularly moving are his tales of school camps in the New Forest, where his teacher got the whole class carrying out detailed surveys of the local plant and animal life. You can't help thinking that this inspirational teacher had a huge influence on the course British Natural History, as not only Deakin but several other leading British naturalists graduated through this same teacher's wildlife camps.

A delight, 23 Oct 2008
This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.

In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.

Sadly, this is never to be, so the book is as close as I'm ever likely to get. His atmospheric and loving prose is no poor second.

interesting but smug, 31 Mar 2008
A great read if you can cope with the "heres another one of my friends who owns a wood etc"

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire, 29 Mar 2008
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.



Inspiring, and inspired, 10 Feb 2008
A lovely book. I came upon Wildwood as a novice, never having read anything by Deakin before - but he is good; he is very good. The book comes in four main blocks: Roots, about his home and youth; Sapwood, on British wood, woods and artists; Driftwood, on his travels in Europe, Australia and central Asia; and Heartwood, back to his home area of Suffolk. Each block comes in short chapters, full of information, insight, and excellent writing. He likes sleeping outside or in an old railway wagon, and links this to writings by Jefferies or Thoreau, recites the beams in his house, or starts talking about an ancient propeller hub in his study and diversifies that into walnut and all its applications, down to Jaguar gear knobs. I could have done without the Australian bits - they just don't resonate for me (hence four stars). But the Kazak and Kyrgyz chapters are wonderful, and more than make up for it. He is never dull - the writing is full of links to the familiar, observations on new insights, fascinating snippets. This is an inspiring book, by an inspired writer.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Suberb!, 26 Oct 2008
I already owned a number of mushrooming books but, in many instances, they confused more than they helped; this book doesn't. Yes, you'll need some back up books, but this book really is superb and very, very well written, so much so that I read it in a day, just because it was so hilarious and enjoyable to read.

"I'm just off mushroom picking" is often the prelude to an obituary but armed with this book I feel I have a decent chance of eating wild mushroom omelettes well into my dotage.

Yes it covers Magic Mushrooms, 30 Jun 2008
This is a great book, it's small enough to carry with you but contains a dizzying amount of information. If you're a beginner I don't think you could find a more witty, informative and genuinely interesting book to get you started. Even though it's not really a cover-to-cover book I did read it all in one sitting anyway.

Sadly, I haven't put the book into practice yet, spore testing is crucial but my colour perception is rubbish so I need to persuade someone to help me. The point this book hammers home very, very clearly is if in doubt, don't eat it or it could cost your life.

Mushrooms Can Save Earth!, 08 Feb 2008
Absolutely Love This Book, And I Love Growing Mushrooms, And According Mushrooms Are Very Good For The Environment;

"Microscopic cells called "mycelium"--the fruit of which are mushrooms --recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What fungi expert Paul Stamets has discovered is that mycelium also breaks down hydrocarbons --the base structure in many pollutants."

Woop!

Keep Recycling! :]]

The only mushroom book!, 07 Jan 2008
I have long been interested in edible fungi, and have always wanted to eat what I have foraged. One thing stood in my way, would I die?
I bought a book on mushrooms, hurried home to read it, only to find out that it was far from reassuring. I have repeated this several times, each book raising more questions than it answered. There always seemed to be room for error, and after all, you don't want to make an error!
I finally bought John Wright's book, it is far and away the best and most thorough book I have read, and he does it in a pleasant and funny manner.
I have since picked and eaten some mushrooms, and am yet not dead! Hooray!

super little book, 08 Nov 2007
This is the perfect book for those interested in identifying all those mushrooms...whether they be in your back garden or out in the forest.
Very cleverly written, easy to read, concise, and excellent discriptions and pictures. The size of the book is also perfect for bringing out in your coat pocket, when you are rambling around doing your detective work.

The author is also very witty and makes the book a really enjoybale read!

Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

An individual and inspiring journey, 01 Jan 2009
Wildwood is a highly individual book, unique even. Ostensibly about various types of trees and their wood, it combines natural history, diary and travelogue, and is written with passion, enthusiasm and personal flourishes which make it impossible not to like it.

Deakin, one of the founders of Friends of the Earth, shift time, location, subject and writing style with each new chapter. He starts off at his home in Suffolk, discussing his hedgerows, the wooden propellor on his desktop, the old railway carriage where he often sleeps. Moving further afield, he roams the Southern half of Britain talking about the willow trees used to make cricket bats, the Celtic tradition of the Green Man, the moths which can be found in a forest at night, and artists who work with driftwood, or who fashion objects from unseasoned oak and then leave it to misshape itself. Finally he roams the world, rambling through Polish forests or tracing the ur-apple and the ancestor of all walnuts to the mountains and valleys of Kazakhstan and Krygestan.

As you might gather, it's a rather random journey, held together only by the common topic of trees, and by Deakin's infectious passion for his subject. Particularly moving are his tales of school camps in the New Forest, where his teacher got the whole class carrying out detailed surveys of the local plant and animal life. You can't help thinking that this inspirational teacher had a huge influence on the course British Natural History, as not only Deakin but several other leading British naturalists graduated through this same teacher's wildlife camps.

A delight, 23 Oct 2008
This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.

In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.

Sadly, this is never to be, so the book is as close as I'm ever likely to get. His atmospheric and loving prose is no poor second.

interesting but smug, 31 Mar 2008
A great read if you can cope with the "heres another one of my friends who owns a wood etc"

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire, 29 Mar 2008
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.



Inspiring, and inspired, 10 Feb 2008
A lovely book. I came upon Wildwood as a novice, never having read anything by Deakin before - but he is good; he is very good. The book comes in four main blocks: Roots, about his home and youth; Sapwood, on British wood, woods and artists; Driftwood, on his travels in Europe, Australia and central Asia; and Heartwood, back to his home area of Suffolk. Each block comes in short chapters, full of information, insight, and excellent writing. He likes sleeping outside or in an old railway wagon, and links this to writings by Jefferies or Thoreau, recites the beams in his house, or starts talking about an ancient propeller hub in his study and diversifies that into walnut and all its applications, down to Jaguar gear knobs. I could have done without the Australian bits - they just don't resonate for me (hence four stars). But the Kazak and Kyrgyz chapters are wonderful, and more than make up for it. He is never dull - the writing is full of links to the familiar, observations on new insights, fascinating snippets. This is an inspiring book, by an inspired writer.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Suberb!, 26 Oct 2008
I already owned a number of mushrooming books but, in many instances, they confused more than they helped; this book doesn't. Yes, you'll need some back up books, but this book really is superb and very, very well written, so much so that I read it in a day, just because it was so hilarious and enjoyable to read.

"I'm just off mushroom picking" is often the prelude to an obituary but armed with this book I feel I have a decent chance of eating wild mushroom omelettes well into my dotage.

Yes it covers Magic Mushrooms, 30 Jun 2008
This is a great book, it's small enough to carry with you but contains a dizzying amount of information. If you're a beginner I don't think you could find a more witty, informative and genuinely interesting book to get you started. Even though it's not really a cover-to-cover book I did read it all in one sitting anyway.

Sadly, I haven't put the book into practice yet, spore testing is crucial but my colour perception is rubbish so I need to persuade someone to help me. The point this book hammers home very, very clearly is if in doubt, don't eat it or it could cost your life.

Mushrooms Can Save Earth!, 08 Feb 2008
Absolutely Love This Book, And I Love Growing Mushrooms, And According Mushrooms Are Very Good For The Environment;

"Microscopic cells called "mycelium"--the fruit of which are mushrooms --recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What fungi expert Paul Stamets has discovered is that mycelium also breaks down hydrocarbons --the base structure in many pollutants."

Woop!

Keep Recycling! :]]

The only mushroom book!, 07 Jan 2008
I have long been interested in edible fungi, and have always wanted to eat what I have foraged. One thing stood in my way, would I die?
I bought a book on mushrooms, hurried home to read it, only to find out that it was far from reassuring. I have repeated this several times, each book raising more questions than it answered. There always seemed to be room for error, and after all, you don't want to make an error!
I finally bought John Wright's book, it is far and away the best and most thorough book I have read, and he does it in a pleasant and funny manner.
I have since picked and eaten some mushrooms, and am yet not dead! Hooray!

super little book, 08 Nov 2007
This is the perfect book for those interested in identifying all those mushrooms...whether they be in your back garden or out in the forest.
Very cleverly written, easy to read, concise, and excellent discriptions and pictures. The size of the book is also perfect for bringing out in your coat pocket, when you are rambling around doing your detective work.

The author is also very witty and makes the book a really enjoybale read!

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

Start beating the credit crunch and digest Food For Free!, 11 Oct 2008
I do like a bit of hedgerow and it's great to enjoy the free gifts from Mother Nature, but until I got my hands on a copy of this pocket sized guide, it was a little unclear.

This book is ideal and helps you understand what's under your nose in the gardens! So many common plants can be used in cooking and yet still we pay mini-fortunes for little bags of this and that in the shops. This book certainly helped me to identify and try some of the more obscure plants that I had absolutely no idea I could eat.

It's clear descriptions of what they look like alongside nice imagery of the plants themselves help you feel brave enough to give them a pluck and cook and the warnings are there to be heeded, particularly when it comes to mushrooms (personally, I'd only go for a puffball, you can't go wrong there)....

Although it's an academic book, it's written in an entertaining style and makes for an enjoyable read too.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who's trying to pull in their belts a bit, not because it will give them 'all' the answers, but it WILL help them to understand that all food doesn't come from the shops and that's a great step forward. As is cooking from fresh which of course this book sings out loud and clear.

There's always a really good reason why a book reprints and there are too many to list for this little fella.

Order it and don't leave it to fester on a shelf somewhere - keep it handy in your bag or coat pocket.

Tracey Smith
Author of 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas'
The Book of Rubbish Ideas: An interactive, room-by-room, guide to reducing household waste.

An excellent little book, 18 Jul 2008
This little gem of a book should be in every backpackers back pocket. Concise, focused and descriptive you'll have no trouble identifying the plants and shellfish. There has been some comments about lack of information on animals to eat, this is probably because rabbits, pheasants and such are classed as game and will belong to the landowner. Whilst it's ok to pick a few plants, mushrooms and shellfish it will probably be frowned on if you start blasting away at the countryside or setting traps!

A Handy Pocket Volume, 13 Aug 2007


Richard Mabey is the author of several books on flora and fauna so he is well qualified to write a book such as this. Over one hundred edible plants are featured together with recipes and other culinary information. There is also information on how to pick and when to pick and the regulations on picking which are very important. As I come from farming stock I have to say that food for free does not mean going into a field and digging up a few potato plants or for that matter cabbages.

There are plenty of hedgerow plants available for free, if you are prepared to look for them and suffer the odd few scratches. There is nothing better than a bowl of freshly picked blackberries or raspberries, if you can get them home before they are all eaten.

Plants that are edible are fully illustrated and described and the recipes are both old and new. Other fascinating information is how the plants have been used through the ages. An ideal book for all those who are nature lovers and like the idea of something for nothing. I think the last part covers 99.9% of the population.

Good Introduction, 02 May 2007
I bought this book recently through a desire to understand the countryside around me and try some of its natural foodstuffs.
The book is very well presented and includes an excellent foreword by the author. It provides a basic explaination of the various flora, a little of their natural and culinary history and there are nice photographs with identification hints.
I think I would like to have seen more recipies and ways in which they might be implemented. In the section dedicated to Spring I think there are only three recipies with much of the other suggestions directed towards salads. On balance a satisfactory purchase but I think that if my interest in wild foods develops I will certainly have to follow up my purchase with something more wholly dedicated to the culinary.

Excellent pocket sized guide, 05 Feb 2006
This is a 2004 version and worthy addition to the very popular and pocket-sized Collins Gem series. ISBN 0-00-718303-8. Food For Free - A Fantastic Feast of Plants and Folklore.

The book starts with an introduction by the author Richard Mabey. It then has short sections titled 'Roots', 'Green Vegetables', 'Herbs', 'Spices', 'Flowers', 'Fruits', 'Making Jellies and Jams' and 'Nuts'. They include general advice, observations and uses. The main section of the book is given over to identification, with at least two pages per entry. An interesting section follows titled ’Picking Rules’ which gives advice on how to pick correctly how to stay safe. The last section before the main body of the book is a summary calendar which groups the picking times for entries into a colour-coded calendar - very useful as a quick reference.

Every entry is accompanied with a drawing. Most of the drawings are excellent, but one or two are a little small and thus less detailed. Fortunately, almost every entry also has a photograph. The combination of colour drawings and colour photographs is what makes this little pocket book a true 'gem'. If the drawing is a little weak, the photo will be excellent and vice-versa. Almost fool proof.

Each entry starts with the common English name (Latin is in small type at the top of the page)a colour illustration and description. Taking Beech (at random), it says: 'Widespread and common throughout the British Isles, especially on chalky soils. A stately deciduous tree, with smooth, grey bark, to 40m (130ft). Leaves: bright green, alternate, oval. Flowers: male drooping, stalked heads; female in pairs. Fruit: four inside a prickly brown husk, Sept-Oct. When ripe this opens into four lobes, this liberating the brown, three-sided nuts.' The illustration depicts a leaf, spring twig with unopened buds, an opening husk revealing nut inside and bare nut. The article continues with headings; Harvest/Pick, Uses, Beech Nut, Beech Nut Oil, Beech Leaf Noyau. The photo at the end of the entry is a good close-up of a twig with a cluster of husks. (I didn’t know, for example, that ‘fresh from the tree Beech leaves are a fine salad vegetable, as sweet as a mild cabbage though much softer in texture’.)

The book, in line with its title, covers Plants and Trees, Fungi, Seaweeds and Shellfish. There is a glossary at the end and a page devoted to further reading. There is a List of Recipes and finally an index of entries in common English or Latin.

There aren't that many books devoted to 'British' wild foods so to find one which lists over 100 edible plants, berries, mushrooms, seaweed and shellfish is most welcome. Given the true pocket size measurements of the Collins Gem series of books, the price of a fiver (£4-99) and the quality of each entry, this is as good as it gets. Obviously not a benchmark reference work or field-guide, but at least this fits in the pocket - which is the main purpose of such books, isn't it? Five stars!

An individual and inspiring journey, 01 Jan 2009
Wildwood is a highly individual book, unique even. Ostensibly about various types of trees and their wood, it combines natural history, diary and travelogue, and is written with passion, enthusiasm and personal flourishes which make it impossible not to like it.

Deakin, one of the founders of Friends of the Earth, shift time, location, subject and writing style with each new chapter. He starts off at his home in Suffolk, discussing his hedgerows, the wooden propellor on his desktop, the old railway carriage where he often sleeps. Moving further afield, he roams the Southern half of Britain talking about the willow trees used to make cricket bats, the Celtic tradition of the Green Man, the moths which can be found in a forest at night, and artists who work with driftwood, or who fashion objects from unseasoned oak and then leave it to misshape itself. Finally he roams the world, rambling through Polish forests or tracing the ur-apple and the ancestor of all walnuts to the mountains and valleys of Kazakhstan and Krygestan.

As you might gather, it's a rather random journey, held together only by the common topic of trees, and by Deakin's infectious passion for his subject. Particularly moving are his tales of school camps in the New Forest, where his teacher got the whole class carrying out detailed surveys of the local plant and animal life. You can't help thinking that this inspirational teacher had a huge influence on the course British Natural History, as not only Deakin but several other leading British naturalists graduated through this same teacher's wildlife camps.

A delight, 23 Oct 2008
This is one of those books you can just dip in and out of every time you're feeling a little stressed with urban life. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of the world of wood and trees. Deakin, a true English eccentric, owned woodlands in Suffolk and loved and nurtured them like his children.

In this book he travels the world from the new forests of Hampshire to the Australian outback in search of new woodland experiences and other people as obsessed by wood as he is. The pace is gentle, his love of nature and his ability to write with fluid beauty about it is a joy and even though I am a townie through and through I found myself longing to wander through the woods with him.

Sadly, this is never to be, so the book is as close as I'm ever likely to get. His atmospheric and loving prose is no poor second.

interesting but smug, 31 Mar 2008
A great read if you can cope with the "heres another one of my friends who owns a wood etc"

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire, 29 Mar 2008
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.



Inspiring, and inspired, 10 Feb 2008
A lovely book. I came upon Wildwood as a novice, never having read anything by Deakin before - but he is good; he is very good. The book comes in four main blocks: Roots, about his home and youth; Sapwood, on British wood, woods and artists; Driftwood, on his travels in Europe, Australia and central Asia; and Heartwood, back to his home area of Suffolk. Each block comes in short chapters, full of information, insight, and excellent writing. He likes sleeping outside or in an old railway wagon, and links this to writings by Jefferies or Thoreau, recites the beams in his house, or starts talking about an ancient propeller hub in his study and diversifies that into walnut and all its applications, down to Jaguar gear knobs. I could have done without the Australian bits - they just don't resonate for me (hence four stars). But the Kazak and Kyrgyz chapters are wonderful, and more than make up for it. He is never dull - the writing is full of links to the familiar, observations on new insights, fascinating snippets. This is an inspiring book, by an inspired writer.

First class guide to birds found in the British Isles, 29 Jun 2008
I read the reviews and decided to buy the book based on the high proportion of 5* ratings. I was not disappointed!

The book is the size of an average paperback, has a protective clear plastic sleeve, glossy pages, stunning photographs & great summaries on key facts of interest about each bird - definitely the best £7.99 I've spent in a long time!

This is the book you are looking for, 26 Nov 2007
I purchased this book along with the RSPB one .
however the Collins book was more descriptive with full coulour photo's and not drawings as the rspb's it also shows the birds in flight which helps you if you are a beginner less you might not be so quick with the binocc's
So well worth the pounds and five stars

Terrific Photography, 08 Aug 2007
If truth be told most of the birds books for sale these days are excellent for identification purposes. Printing techniques, particularly with the use of colour have improved dramatically and a book that would have cost £100 not many years ago, can now be purchased for a tenth of the price.

This book is full of good quality colour photographs that are ideal for identification. The book also tell you where in the British Isles a particular species is usually to be found. Whether the bird is to be found all year round or whether it is just a visitor to our shores. It also shows the birds in their different plumage: Male and female, juvenile etc.

Modern bird books consciously do not show photographs of eggs and I must admit it is something I miss, although I totally understand the reasoning behind it. All in all this is another of a number of books that are well worth purchasing if you have either a passing interest in birds or are more serious about bird watching.

Highly readible and excellent photographs, 10 Jul 2005
Collins Complete British Birds Photoguide has everything you would ever need in a bird book. It gives a very detailed introduction to British birds and a highly useful section on bird habitats, plumage, migration and movements and conservation at the start of the book without making the text sound too boring.

The photographs in the book are absolutely superb and show birds in every plumage; male and female, adult or juvenile, summer or winter and they are very clear. Each species account gives a description of plumage patterns, voice, where the bird is likely to be found and its status in the country at large, and also (which I found very useful) a bit on where the best place to find the bird is and at what time of year, the distribution maps are very clear and include a calendar bar to show if the bird in question is a year round resident or a visitor.

I found the text very easy to read (unlike most bird books which tend to be very scientific and hard to understand) and is a great book to have. Buy it, I guarantee you will not be wasting your money.

Excellent bird guide, 07 Jan 2005
This is the best bird indentifying book I've seen.
A great layout. Photos (not sketches) of each bird including male, female, juvenile....It also includes information on each bird size, voice, migration, habitat and areas. Also there are pictures of 'uncommon' visitor birds at the back and a lovely general introduction of habitats at the front of the book.

Suberb!, 26 Oct 2008
I already owned a number of mushrooming books but, in many instances, they confused more than they helped; this book doesn't. Yes, you'll need some back up books, but this book really is superb and very, very well written, so much so that I read it in a day, just because it was so hilarious and enjoyable to read.

"I'm just off mushroom picking" is often the prelude to an obituary but armed with this book I feel I have a decent chance of eating wild mushroom omelettes well into my dotage.

Yes it covers Magic Mushrooms, 30 Jun 2008
This is a great book, it's small enough to carry with you but contains a dizzying amount of information. If you're a beginner I don't think you could find a more witty, informative and genuinely interesting book to get you started. Even though it's not really a cover-to-cover book I did read it all in one sitting anyway.

Sadly, I haven't put the book into practice yet, spore testing is crucial but my colour perception is rubbish so I need to persuade someone to help me. The point this book hammers home very, very clearly is if in doubt, don't eat it or it could cost your life.

Mushrooms Can Save Earth!, 08 Feb 2008
Absolutely Love This Book, And I Love Growing Mushrooms, And According Mushrooms Are Very Good For The Environment;

"Microscopic cells called "mycelium"--the fruit of which are mushrooms --recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What fungi expert Paul Stamets has discovered is that mycelium also breaks down hydrocarbons --the base structure in many pollutants."

Woop!

Keep Recycling! :]]

The only mushroom book!, 07 Jan 2008
I have long been interested in edible fungi, and have always wanted to eat what I have foraged. One thing stood in my way, would I die?
I bought a book on mushrooms, hurried home to read it, only to find out that it was far from reassuring. I have repeated this several times, each book raising more questions than it answered. There always seemed to be room for error, and after all, you don't want to make an error!
I finally bought John Wright's book, it is far and away the best and most thorough book I have read, and he does it in a pleasant and funny manner.
I have since picked and eaten some mushrooms, and am yet not dead! Hooray!

super little book, 08 Nov 2007
This is the perfect book for those interested in identifying all those mushrooms...whether they be in your back garden or out in the forest.
Very cleverly written, easy to read, concise, and excellent discriptions and pictures. The size of the book is also perfect for bringing out in your coat pocket, when you are rambling around doing your detective work.

The author is also very witty and makes the book a really enjoybale read!

Perhaps the best value book ever!, 24 Dec 2008
If you buy this book you will be delighted you made such a great choice. For me this book represents one of the greatest things of our age; fabulous coverage, excellent photos, brief written detail, durable plastic cover, glossy pages and all for the cost of a packet of fags and a pint of beer. Superb book and astounding value DO NOT HESITATE.

Useful reference guide, 17 Oct 2007
This is a really useful book and is well illustrated throughout with photos to help you identify what you're looking at. Until recently this was the only book I'd take with me when out and about exploring nature, but lately I've taken the Armchair Naturalist by Johnson P. Johnson as well (a beautiful book with some more obscure facts and a wry sense of humour). If you're interested in British nature at all, get both!

A superb one stop guide to UK Wildlife., 04 Oct 2007
I bought this book after watching countless Nature programs on TV and wanting get out an discover for myself. All I can say is this book as unlocked a new world to my family with my two young boys suddenly taking an interest in the trees, bird and general wildlife around us.

Belive me, for cost of this book you will get alot of pleasure if you just step out of your home and visit your local park be that in a city, town or the middle of nowhere.

FABULOUS! * * * * *, 08 Nov 2006
This is a beautiful photoguide which has proven really useful in identifying insects, animals and plants that i see on my travels. I keep it in my car's glovebox so that where ever I am I have access to it.

There are over 150 double page spreads with a full page of wonderful, bright, close up photos on the right and names and a short description / habits of all the creatures/plants shown on the left.

I am always getting phone calls from my friends asking to borrow it to find out what they have seen.

A really enjoyable buy!

wot no midge, 07 Sep 2006
looks good apart from the tree section not being brilliant for field identification but imagine my surprise when I looked up the index for the entry on one of the most notorious British species - Culicoides impunctatus - the Highland midge. It isn't there and it definitely should be in a book of that title.

A real gem, 25 Apr 2008
This book is fascinating for any tree enthusiast.
It is the perfect tool you can use to identify different tree types.
The writing style is concise and in-depth.
A sheer masterpiece.
Picture quality is high definition. Images are portrayed in vivid detail.
This book is fantastic.
If you are even slightly interested in trees or want to expand your knowledge of trees buy this book.



A dream publication - Sheer quality, 10 Apr 2008
This publication just oozes quality from the high definition colour photography to the research and layout. I have several reference books relating to British trees and this one stands tall above all the others. The number of quality colour photographs is staggering.

If you are seeking a complete reference this book does exactly what it says on the cover, if I could have given it six stars I would have.