In Downstream, Fort sets out by punt to explore what he describes, in a characteristically lovely phrase. as 'the concealed dimension' of water. Fort is a quintessentially English guide. A pleasingly unstructured ramble through the history of the Midlands.

For the river-lover, who likes to pause and look over bridges to see what is going on beneath (and alongside), and who likes to think of the past and the present continually flowing into the future, this book will be a delight.

The story of the river that bubbles up throughout the narrative is told with the quiet authority of one who knows about the hidden flow beneath the riverbed. Well-referenced scholarship lies behind Fort's lively accounts of the history of this part of Middle England. Erudition with a light touch, cleverly interwoven with stories of pints downed, clean sheets and greasy breakfasts appreciated and characters met; what fun it all is and how impressive is the learning that lies behind it.

Sitting contentedly in a backwater with a glass of Rioja or a fishing line, Fort bestows an almost lyrical beauty on rivers both actual and archetypal, whether explaining the carved intricacies of the watercourse of simply peering deep into its "flickering being".

It is difficult not to like Fort, if not simply for his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things fluvial then for his wit and irony too. Once engaged it is difficult to escape. He has stirred a latent fondness for oxbow lakes and wandering streams.

A well-observed travelogue. [Fort] has cleverly constructed the book to reflect the river's characteristics. Tom has written a charming book that cannot fail to give pleasure.

Fort is an amiable companion, whether investigating the river's pubs, observing its wildlife or finding an enviable freedom camped out on its banks

A jolly, colourful, well-written travelogue, it is a good read

Downstream is a double delight; a celebration of the River Trent itself and a humourous exploration of its historical, geographical, industrial and cultural curiosities.

A superb account of life on the grisly front line of the operating theatre

This slender, elegantly written memoir by a female surgeon, Gabriel Weston, is a fascinating, no holds barred account of life in the operating theatre

Through this insightful book, Weston succeeds superbly in communicating the fascinating brutal reality of a surgeon's life

Gabriel Weston's story succeeds better than any I have known...more riveting and thought-provoking than any fiction

Glinting like a tray of instruments, her prose is satisfyingly precise

A curiously thrilling read, written with an elegance heightened by its clarity and economy

A valuable and unflinching account, since it so clearly tells the truth

This book is mesmerising

Her description of the struggle to remain individual and hence moral is her real achievement. This, to me, is what female writing has to do, and she does it with style and humour and beauty

This much appreciated book should be a must-read for everyone who likes to travel, and should be translated into the languages of the world's tourism champions. It should also be a must-read for politicians and decision makers in development agencies to finally understand that tourism has lost the 'virginity' of a harmless leisure sector to develop into a dangerous global driving force which needs to be regulated and restricted.