Jim Crumley Books

The final instalment in the acclaimed Seasons series, which interrogates how climate change has disrupted the natural rhythm of the seasons. It has attracted widespread praise and prize attention; Jim's passionate stance on climate chaos and the need for rewilding chimes with an increasingly eco-aware public.

During winter, dark days of wild storms can give way to the perfect, glistening stillness of frost-encrusted winter landscapes it is the stuff of wonder and beauty, of nature at its utmost. In The Nature of Winter, Jim Crumley ventures into our countryside to experience firsthand the chaos and the quiet solitude of nature's rest period. He bears witness to the lives of remarkable animals such as golden eagles, red deer and even whales as they battle intemperate weather and the turbulence of climate change. In the snow Jim discovers ancient footsteps that lead him to reflect on the journey of his personal nature-writing life a journey that takes in mountain legends, dear departed friends and an enduring fascination and deep love for nature. Simply, he evokes winter in all its drama, in all its pathos, in all its glory."--Back cover

Spring marks the genesis of nature's year. As Earth's northern hemisphere tilts ever more towards the life-giving sun, the icy, dark days of winter gradually yield to the new season's intensifying light and warmth. Nature responds... Jim chronicles it all: the wonder, the tumult, the spectacle of spring.

An intimate - and deeply personal - portrait of a moody and majestic British autumn.

With a naturalist's eye and a poet's instinct, Jim Crumley traces the Lake District's place in the evolution of global conservation and pleads the case for a far-reaching reappraisal of all of Lakeland's wildness.

"If you have been still enough for long enough, your eyes will have attuned and begun to read the seasurge fluently, so you recognize the blunt curve and flourished tail of a diving otter. Home your eyes in on that portion of the sea, permit nothing else to move, and you will see the otter eel-catching, resurfacing." It is a special privilege and a richly rewarding experience to observe a wild animal hunting, interacting with its young or its mate, exploring its habitat, or escaping a predator. To watch wildlife, it's essential not only to learn an animal's ways, the times and places you may find it, but also to station yourself, focus, and wait. The experience depends on your stillness, silence, and full attention, watching and listening with minimal movement so that your presence is not sensed. With decades of close observation of wild animals and birds, Jim Crumley has found himself up close and personal with many of our most elusive creatures, studying their movements, noting details, and offering intimate insights into their extraordinary lives. Here, he draws us into his magical world, showing how we can learn to watch wildlife well.

In this landmark volume, Jim Crumley lays bare the impact of global warming and urges us all towards a more daring conservation vision that embraces everything from the mountain treeline to a second spring for the wolf.