Horatio Clare Libri

'Deeply moving, darkly funny and hugely powerful' Robert Macfarlane 'A brave, lit-up account of going mad and getting better' Jeanette Winterson After a lifetime of ups and downs, Horatio Clare was committed to hospital under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act. From hypomania in the Alps, to a complete breakdown and a locked ward in Wakefield, this is a gripping account of how the mind loses touch with reality, how we fall apart and how we may heal. 'One of the most brilliant travel writers of our day takes us now to that most challenging country, severe mental illness; and does so with such wit, warmth and humanity' Reverend Richard Coles

A useful companion for those travelling to Sicily, this work is part of a series that is a collection of writing, aiming to invest the traveller with a cultural and historical background to Sicily.

Set against the backdrop of a remote Welsh sheep farm, this evocative memoir intertwines personal experiences with an exploration of the natural world. The narrative captures the essence of childhood adventures and the profound connection to the landscape, offering a vivid portrayal of rural life and the beauty of nature. Through rich storytelling, it reflects on themes of growth, resilience, and the impact of environment on personal development.

Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2017. Aubrey's father, Jim, has fallen under an horrendous spell, which Aubrey is determined to break. Everyone says his task is impossible, but Aubrey will never give up and never surrender - even if he must fight the unkillable Spirit of Despair itself: the TERRIBLE YOOT!

The captivating story of the search through Europe for the Slender-billed curlew which stands on the brink of extinction

'Do you want to spend your whole life on the tube? Wouldn't you rather live somewhere wild and beautiful and free?'

'Magnificent' Robert Macfarlane Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the YearOur lives depend on shipping but it is a world which is largely hidden from us. As the ships cross seas of history and incident, seafarers unfold the stories of their lives, and a beautiful and terrifying portrait of the oceans and their human subjects emerges.

In the winter of 1705 the young Johann Sebastian Bach, then unknown as a composer, set off on a long journey by foot to Lubeck, a distance of more than 250 miles. This journey was a pivotal point in the life of the great composer. In Something of his Art, Horatio Clare follows in his footsteps.

'I'm going to tell the truth', I said suddenly, 'about what we did and why, and what it did to us.'

From the slums of Cape Town to the palaces of Algiers, through Pygmy villages where pineapples grow wild, to the Gulf of Guinea where the sea blazes with oil flares, across two continents and fourteen countries - this epic journey is nothing to swallows, they do it twice a year. But for Horatio Clare, writer and birdwatcher, it is the expedition of a lifetime. Along the way he discovers old empires and modern tribes, a witch-doctor's recipe for stewed swallow, explains how to travel without money or a passport, and describes a terrifying incident involving three Spanish soldiers and a tiny orange dog. By trains, motorbikes, canoes, one camel and three ships, Clare follows the swallows from reed beds in South Africa, where millions roost in February, to a barn in Wales, where a pair nest in May.