From the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century, hundreds of British women wrote about and drew from nature. Some--like the beloved children's author Beatrix Potter, who produced natural history about hedgehogs as well as fiction about rabbits--are still familiar today. But others have all but disappeared from view. Barbara Gates recovers these lost works and prints them alongside little-known pieces by more famous authors, like Potter's field notes on hedgehogs, reminding us of better known stories that help set the others in context.
The works contained in this volume are as varied as the women who produced them. They include passionate essays on the protection of animals, vivid accounts of travel and adventure from the English seashore to the Indian Alps, poetry and fiction, and marvelous tales of nature for children. Special features of the book include a detailed chronology placing each selection in its historical and literary context; biographical sketches of each author's life and works; a comprehensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature; and over sixty illustrations.
An ideal introduction to women's powerful and diverse responses to the natural world, "In Nature's Name" will be treasured by anyone interested in natural history, women, or Victorian and Edwardian Britain.

This stunning treasury features full-page plates of the finest works by the famed English artist, Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). A leading figure in the early twentieth century's Golden Age of Illustration, Rackham interpreted scenes from such diverse material as fairy tales, Wagnerian opera, and Shakespearean comedy. His memorable images, which combine whimsy, romance, and sophistication, continue to enchant children and adults alike.
Magnificently reprinted from more than 25 rare early editions, these 86 illustrations were selected from hundreds of possibilities and include many plates that have not been reproduced in decades. They span Rackham's career -- from his landmark 1905 edition of "Rip Van Winkle" to masterworks such as "Undine" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and his final publication, "Wind in the Willows, " in 1939. Art lovers, book collectors, and anyone with an appreciation for imaginative visual storytelling will prize this marvelous treasury.