Merlin Unwin Books

09/12/2024

A review of Jill Mason's book, Everything you wanted to know about the Countryside ... but didn't dare ask by Teme Valley Times.

'In an age when some children allegedly think broccoli are baby trees, or that milk simply comes from a supermarket, without appreciating the role of - usually - a cow... This book could help inform many people about farming and the countryside.'

09/12/2024

Cross Fell from Kirkland. Wherever you go in this area, the North Pennines will deliver unexpected delights and landscapes that surprise you.

Often overlooked by tourists, the North Pennines is properly celebrated here in a stunning collection of images by local photographer and author Helen Shaw. Hadrian’s Wall, wild moorlands, gushing springs, torrential waterfalls, forgotten villages and burial sites, black grouse, curlews and vivid gentians.

09/12/2024

Award-winning photographer Stephen Dalton owns an nine-acre wood in Sussex and for the last 20 years has delighted in improving it, increasing its biodiversity – and simply watching it develop naturally throughout the seasons and the years.

Stephen shows the reader the rich diversity of plants, trees, insects, birds and animals that live there, sometimes using his pioneering high-speed photographic techniques. He captures on film the developments his woodland and pond have undergone over a couple of decades and shares his passion for the woods he loves.

This delightful, informative photographic celebration will appeal to all who regularly walk throughout the seasons in their local woods, those lucky enough to own a small woodland themselves, and all who dream of doing so one day.

08/12/2024

Do you know the collective noun for Owls 🦉

If you don’t then we think you need Steve Palin’s little book, A Murmuration of Starlings to learn and look at all the collective nouns of birds and animals.

A perfect stocking filler this Christmas 🎄

08/12/2024

Spot the match fisher…. End Peg by Peter May is a great present for anyone who enjoys the sport and agrees with Peter that they are often misunderstood, with it being thought as an antisocial sport.

Peter explains why he loves match fishing and the community and friendships it brings.

05/12/2024

Our new books cover broad interests, you can download a copy of our catalogue from the Merlin Unwin Books website to see all our books with a short summary.

Here we have a sporting thriller - perfect to read over the Christmas holidays. A book about the importance of dogs in an owners life, their impact on family life and work. We have a flytying guide from Barry Ord Clarke, with innovative patterns teaching new skills, and online support via QR code to the author's YouTube page.

If you are stumped on what to give this year please call our friendly team, we have books to suit all interests, and it's just £4 postage to a single address, regardless of the number of books ordered. A quick fix for Christmas shopping!

05/12/2024

A galloping loose horse on a dark November dawn threatens trouble for Helen Murray’s thriving livery business. An unknown hand has opened the door of a very special stable and the valuable star of the yard is running wild.

A colourful, characterful parade of horses and riders fills the pages of this action-packed thriller.

https://merlinunwin.co.uk/collections/new-books/products/death-of-a-dealer

05/12/2024

A String of Pearls, Landscape and Literature of the Lake District. This book not only celebrates the magnificent views of the Lake District with Helen Shaw's stunning photographs, but each photo is paired with poetry and prose of writers who were inspired by the region.

Famous poets such as Wordsworth and Simon Armitage, bestselling authors such as Ian McEwan and Bill Bryson, and modern thriller writers such as Val McDermid, have all drawn on the setting.

Short-listed for the Lakeland Book of the Year 2022 and the Latitude Press award for Illustration and Presentation. (Hardback £20)

04/12/2024

Laurence Catlow's new book was reviewed in an author profile in the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald. His new book Testament of a Trout Fisher is a personal, reflective and moving account of what the sport means to him, and his sense of connection to the rivers he fishes.

'Catlow is considered to be one of the finest and most thoughtful writers on flyfishing today... Catlow's writing is littered with lines that sit in the memory long after the page has turned' Cumberland and Westmorland Herald

04/12/2024

Book Review The Scottish Farmer for Rift Valley Fever by Hugh Cran.

'An honest and insightful memoir, Hugh punctuates his account of his professional life with enthralling descriptions of beautiful landscapes and the wildlife surrounding his practice in the Rift Valley in Kenya.

Throughout the book, Hugh’s dedication to his work shines through both the people and the animals he cares for.

The story illustrates first hand what it is to work at the sharp end.

This is the perfect gift for anyone interested in the true stories from those working in agriculture internationally, providing a true comparison of life in Scotland to life in Kenya.'

Discover imaginative gift ideas for book lovers—from cosy must-haves to intriguing reads. Perfect presents that show you know their passion!

04/12/2024

Mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes… but do you know which species are edible?

Alex Schwab’s book Mushrooming without Fear tells you just that, focusing only on the edible, safe species, and how to identify and harvest them. A great gift for walkers who are keen to improve their foraging skills.

04/12/2024

A view all Ludlovians know well, the church tower at .

04/12/2024

Wild World by Richard Barrett is a hardback book that explains how to take better photos of animals. Richard traveled with BBC photographer and conservationist .

He explains where to travel, what species you can see, and when you get there how to take better photos of the wildlife in front of you. A blend of stunning photography and facts, with practical advice and camera tips.

This book is being stocked at this year if you are in Pimlico, London. It is also available to order to your local bookshop - please support them this Christmas.

It's a big book that is full of information for a keen photographer, or anyone planning a holiday in 2025 and looking to improve their photography skills (£30).

03/12/2024

A video review of End Peg by Peter May. This is a great book for anyone who is a keen match fisher, or would like to better understand the sport. There is more to it than meets the eye; the skills, tactics, the camaraderie.

This book contains an insight into what it is to love fishing, and to spend an afternoon with companions by the waters edge. The authors reflection on the changing river, on life, and the natural world that pass by during the quieter moments... then there is the joy of securing the end peg, and the thrill of a fish on the end of your line!

All book royalties are donated by the author to Alzheimer's Research UK

A great read is Peter May's book END PEG The Highs and Lows of Match Fishing with all royalties going to a great cause Alzheimer's Research UK

03/12/2024

Our most eccentric author, Maynard Davies, the last of the traditional bacon curers.

Maynard tells his intriguing story in his own distinctive style.

Always one to turn a challenge into an opportunity, Maynard took pleasure in learning the skills of the old master curers of the Black Country and he shares with the reader the secrets of top quality bacon, learnt over a lifetime: the methods, recipes, smoking and curing. His passion for, as he puts it, 'good food for good people', is his motivation - made by experts, using the best ingredients, and cutting no corners.

Funny, wise and very human, Maynard's unsentimental tale will remind readers that old fashioned virtues of pride in one's profession, hard work, an open mind and a lot of optimism go along way.

A very different book to enjoy this Christmas.

Maynard, Adventures of a Bacon Curer / Manual of a Traditional Bacon Curer / Maynard, Secrets of a Bacon Curer.

03/12/2024

My friends who don't have dogs... don't have a constant companion, always by their side when they are home.

'My Friends who don't have Dogs' is a neat little hardback book by Anna Levin, an ode to man's best friend.

This giftbook makes a nice alternative to flowers if you are taking a gift to friends, a great birthday present for dog lovers, or stocking filler this year.

Remind yourself of the many reasons a dog fills your life... the muddy paws, the morning walks, the constant companionship and knowing looks.

Photo: Archie Dovey 🐾 .anna

02/12/2024

Listen to Michael Brown on BBC Shropshire speaking about his unexpected career change from freelance travel writer to eel enthusiast and entrepreneur - having set up a successful eel smokery in Somerset.

Michael's book, Moonlighting, explains their unusual life cycle, traditional fishing techniques, their culinary delights (forget jellied eels!) and his passion for the species that has never faded.

A more unusual gift for your Christmas list...(Hardback £15.99)
https://merlinunwin.co.uk/products/moonlighting

28/11/2024

If you are thinking of a gift or inspiration on where to explore in 2025 look no further than the dramatic North Pennines.

The stunning landscape and rich ecology is celebrated in Helen Shaw's book. A place of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling upland rivers, expanses of woodland. The wilderness is interspersed with beautiful towns and villages and welcoming communities. The land also shows intriguing remnants of a once thriving industrial past.

The North Pennines (£20 hardback) is an excellent gift this Christmas, or will instantly transport you back if it is a landscape that you know and love.

The book is available online, or support your local bookshop.

The North Pennines are full of beauty, interest and importance says photographer and author Helen Shaw