A small treasure. It is sharp, finely written, sometimes very funny, and would move a black-hearted croupier to tears.

There is an appropriate sense of fresh air blowing through the book's prose ... we are given not only new insights into both her father and her daunting mother, we also come to realise how many of their attributes she has inherited ... The book's power, finally is that it is full of life - life regained, and life reaffirmed.

Candida Lycett Green is good, clever and beautiful ... a writer of books about England that look almost too affectionate to be serious, but which, like her father John Betjeman's poetry, turn out to be both ... What brings her and the book its strength ... is her almost total recall of past happiness ... There is much fun in this book, and great anecdotes. Lycett Green has such joy in life - why should it end too soon?

Eloquent, observant, bracingly idiosyncratic and filled, like a really good journey, with worthwhile detours.

Joyful tales from the saddle and the country pub are offset by entries describing the discovery and treatment of Lycett Green's cancer ... bracing, but never bleak and often funny. Neither sentimental nor undignified, it is how you would hope to fight illness ... Lycett Green is always good company.

'A lyrical blend of family reminiscence and a celebration of some of Britain's loveliest countryside.'

'The sheer variety of her life makes it worth recording ... "Only when faced with death does the purpose of being alive become so clear." That's what this book's about.'

'Lycett Green reflects on situations past and present with a delicate touch and great charm ... her childhood ... is best described as idyllic. It's an eccentric blend of Swallows and Amazons, Cold Comform Farm, and Bridehead Revisited.'

'From her father, perhaps, comes the knack of putting what she sees into words. There are marvellous descriptions throughout, amply justifying the book's subtitle, "An English Odyssey" ... There is a lot of joy in this book, and a lot of hope.'

'Passionate about the countryside ... This book is an enjoyable celebration of friendship and the beauty of the English landscape.'

'The scope of this magical book may resemble Cobbet's Rural Rides but the pace is faster and lighter ... eyes wide for architectural or historic detail and for all that is comic, unique or beautiful.'

'A fascinating and remarkable book.'

'In this magic book a profound love and understanding of the beauty of the British Isles and its way of life hit me hard.'

'Touching and frequently sublime.'

'An elegy for so much that is lost, but a celebration too: of wild flowers, old stones, ancient tracks, uproarious memories, family, pubs, ordinary horses with extraordinary qualities, and the heart-stopping beauty of England.'

'I've read it already (it arrived this morning) and am enchanted. A fascinating and remarkable book - what a good writer.'

'A subtle, humorous, life-affirming book.'

'Writes with grace and humour about the places and people that have been at the heart of her life ... the delight in life and in love which shines through these pages in both refreshing and exhilarating.'

His is a funny, harrowing, beautifully written love letter to Africa

In this captivating memoir [Root] documents his brushes in the bush and his passion for wildlife

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Root has written the most extraordinary love letter to Africa – packed with drama and knowledge, tragedy and hope... A completely gripping and important study of this complex and disappearing natural environment

His is an extraordinary story laced with tragedy

[Root's] life story, vividly related here, is crammed with incident and adventure. Curious, creative and fearless, he has diced with death on numerous occasions and been mauled several times in his efforts to capture the daily lives of everything from silver-back gorillas to leopards in the wild on film. A gripping account of a life well lived