The Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lost Rainforests of Britain reveals how landowners wreck the countryside, and how the public can restore it 

 'Brave and brilliant’ George Monbiot

‘Urgent and essential … should be required reading’ Caroline Lucas

For centuries we’ve been sold a lie: that you need to own the land to care for it.

Just 1% of the population own half of England, and this tiny landowning elite like to present themselves as the rightful custodians of the countryside. They’re even paid billions of pounds of public money to be good stewards. But what happens when they just don’t care?

A small number of landowners have laid waste to some of our most treasured landscapes, leaving our forests bare, our rivers polluted, our moorlands burned, and our fenlands drained. Here Guy Shrubsole journeys all over Britain to expose the damage done to our land, and meet the communities fighting back: the river guardians, small farmers and trespassing activists restoring our lost wildlife. Full of rage and hope, this is a bold vision for our nation’s wild places, and how we can treat them with the awe and attention they deserve.

It’s time to demand better for nature. We can start by replacing the lie of the land with a profound truth: that any of us can care for the countryside, regardless of whether you own it.

'The unjust impositions of historic land ownership blight all our lives – here Guy shows why’ Chris Packham

'Both dynamite and medicine' Amy-Jane Beer

The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside?, By Guy Shrubsole, Read by Guy Shrubsole

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*A stunning new unabridged recording, available on audio download*

The acclaimed international bestseller of the Tudor court, during the years of Henry VIII’s pursuit of Anne Boleyn – and the revolutionary sequence of events that followed.


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1521. Young Mary Boleyn arrives at court, maid in waiting and favourite to Queen Katherine of Aragon.

Yet Mary catches the eye of the capricious king and – propelled by the ambitions of the powerful Boleyn family – she betrays her queen, and takes her place as Henry VIII’s new mistress.

But while Mary is in childbed, a rival comes to court – her sister Anne, a young woman ruthless in her drive to become queen.

With her own destiny unknown, and the Boleyn enemies gathering, Mary must defy her family – and command her own fate.

With an exclusive afterword written and read by Philippa Gregory, exploring the inspiration behind Mary’s story.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - Exclusive Extract 2

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Publishers of award-winning fiction and non-fiction audiobooks for adults and children. Listen to exclusive clips from our books and free audioook extracts here on Soundcloud.

The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside?, By Guy Shrubsole, Read by Guy Shrubsole

HarperCollins Publishers

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