Family isn't just important. It's everything.From lions hunting as a pride to penguins huddling together to keep from freezing in the bitter Antarctic winter, many animals are dependent on complex social relationships for their survival. Powerful dynasties lay claim to vast swathes of territory, fighting off rivals and securing their hunting grounds for generations to come.Dynasties offers an immersive insight into the shifting hierarchies of anima...

Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way?In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters ...

The way birds behave is one of the vital keys to accurate identification and this book provides the experienced instruction needed to understand and get the most out of watching birds.The guide covers all the fundamental types of bird behaviour, including movement, feeding, breeding, migration, navigation, distribution, range, life and death, all of which are illustrated with beautiful photographs.There is a whole section dedicated to the behaviour of diffe...

This collection of essays "gives bird enthusiasts the next best thing to birdwatching, an eloquent and insightful consideration of birds and birding" ( Publishers Weekly).Stephen Moss's collection of Guardian "Birdwatch" columns forms a fascinating picture of one man's birding life: from early coot-watching as a young boy, through teenage cycle trips to Dungeness, to adult travels around the world as a TV producer working everywhere from the Gambia...

A beautifully illustrated celebration of one of Britain’s best-known birds: the familiar, friendly yet fiercely territorial robin – the perfect gift for nature lovers.With its vivid orange-red breast, dark eyes and delicate song, the robin is among the most instantly recognisable visitors to our gardens. It has enchanted generations of writers and artists, inspired myths and nursery rhymes, and become an enduring emblem of Christmas, despite being one of Britain’s ...

Swallow and starling, puffin and peregrine, blue tit and blackcap. We use these names so often that few of us ever pause to wonder about their origins. What do they mean? Where did they come from? And who created them?The words we use to name birds are some of the most lyrical and evocative in the English language. They also tell incredible stories: of epic expeditions, fierce battles between rival ornithologists, momentous...

10 years on from the first, groundbreaking, Planet Earth, we use the most incredible advances in technology and scientific discovery to bring you the most exciting and immersive picture of our world's wildlife yet.With over 250 breathtaking photographs and stills from the BBC Natural History Unit's spectacular footage, this is an extraordinary new look at the complex life of some of the most amazing places on Planet Earth.Each chapter reveals an environment – some never-bef...

‘Stephen Moss delights once more - lyrical and informative by turns, he conjures - with breathless eloquence - another feathered beauty of our skies.’ Benedict Allen'An engrossing compilation of ornithological tidbits, cultural anecdotes, literary quotes and well chosen historical artwork’ BBC Wildlife, *Books of the Year*Uncover the life of starlings through this beautiful guide to these majestic ...

This journey through the world of birdwatchers is "a wonderful book. . . . fascinating, often hilarious anecdotes and information" ( Daily Mail, Critic's Choice).Scholarly, authoritative, and above all supremely readable, Stephen Moss's book is the first to trace the fascinating history of how and why people have watched birds for pleasure, from the beginnings with Gilbert White in the eighteenth century through World War II POWs watching birds from inside ...

From the renowned naturalist Stephen Moss comes the must-have gift for bird lovers this Christmas.'Wherever there is a stretch of water for them to find food and make their nest, you will come across swans'With beautiful illustrations throughout, this eye-opening biography reveals the hidden secrets of one of Britain's best-known birds.The Mute Swan is not so much a bird, as a national treasure: the avian equivalent of Sir David Attenboroug...

A bestselling British birder, naturalist, writer and broadcaster leads us on a springtime journey of discovery through daily walks in the area surrounding his home, highlighting the joys of connecting with wildlife and our environment.As spring arrives, Stephen Moss’s Somerset garden is awash with birdsong: chiffchaffs, wrens, robins and more. Overhead, buzzards soar, ravens tumble and the season gathers pace. But this equinox is unlike any other. As the nation goe...

All six of BBC Radio 4's entertaining and practical guides to the birds of Great Britain, their habitats and their sounds'An absolute joy from start to finish' Jane Anderson, Radio TimesPresenter Brett Westwood joins forces with BAFTA award-winning producer and naturalist Stephen Moss for six delightful and informative series, introducing us to some of Britain's most popular and best-loved birds.Together with wildl...