'Utterly fascinating and intriguing' NEIL ANSELL, author of The Last Wilderness 'Captivating' LEE SCHOFIELD, author of Wild Fell 'A joyful celebration' LEV PARIKIAN, author of Into the Tangled Bank 'A perfect mix of whodunnit and wonder' JAMES ALDRED, author of Goshawk Summer To the Victorians, the musk plant was prized for its intoxicating perfume. Yet in 1913 all the musk plants in the world suddenly stopped smelling. Unable to resist the lure of the mystery, Bob Gilbert turns detective. From the London Underground to Scotland's Pentland Hills, from a possibly murderous story to confronting the unsettling silence of the yew tree, The Missing Musk mixes history, nature writing and science to uncover the truth behind six curious phenomena.

Even in the brick and concrete heart of our cities, nature finds a way. Birds and mammals, insects, plants and trees - they all manage to thrive in the urban jungle, and Bob Gilbert is their champion and their chronicler. He explores the hidden wildlife of the inner city and its edgelands, finding unexpected beauty in the cracks and crannies, and uncovering the deep and essential relationship that exists between people and nature when they are bound together in such close proximity. Beginning from Poplar, the East End area in which he lives, Bob explores, in particular, our relationship with the trees that have helped shape London; from the original wildwood through to the street trees of today. He draws from history and natural history, poetry and painting, myth and magic, and a great deal of walking, observing and listening.

The Green London Way is an alternative approach to the exploration of London. The book describes a hundred mile walk circling the capital, but, uniquely, also offers insightful histories of London's people and a commentary on its abundant local wildlife. The walk, divided into manageable sections, each with maps by Graham Scrivener (the 'urban Wainwright'), traverses London's tow paths, woodlands and commons, examining links between local human history and the landscape on which it is founded. This updated version of the text also incorporates discussion of the rapid developments in London in the past twenty years, analysing the features which have recently changed the face of the city. Bob Gilbert provides a wealth of information about the plant and animal life of London, including some surprising instances of rare species. In terms of wildlife, landscape and history, The Green London Way is full of discoveries for any walker or reader, and provides a new awareness of Greater London.

By the end of the first decade of the Victorian era political, religious and social ideas were in a state of flux, and profound, far-reaching cultural changes were taking shape. The spirit of enquiry generated by this upheaval produced both a striking advance in philosophical materialism, and an equally pronounced quest for evidence of a life after death - evidence that would supply proof of the reality of a spiritual world. This quest gave birth to the multi-faceted movement of Spiritualism. Growing out of a complex combination of religious enthusiasm, Mesmerism, and the influence of the New England Transcendentalists, Spiritualism as a movement first appeared in 1848. Its proponents offered what they claimed was verifiable evidence of the reality of the spirit world, and of their ability to communicate with individual, identifiable spirits. Spiritualism was taken up with enthusiasm by all sections of society; institutions to investigate and to promote the new movement were established; its history and pre-history were mapped out, evidence was gathered, sifted and debated; and the theological and philosophical implications were analyzed in depth. In one way or another, Spiritualis

Even in the brick and concrete heart of our cities, nature finds a way. Birds and mammals, insects, plants and trees - they all manage to thrive in the urban jungle, and Bob Gilbert is their champion and their chronicler. He explores the hidden wildlife of the inner city and its edgelands, finding unexpected beauty in the cracks and crannies, and uncovering the deep and essential relationship that exists between people and nature when they are bound together in such close proximity. Beginning from Poplar, the East End area in which he lives, Bob explores, in particular, our relationship with the trees that have helped shape London; from the original wildwood through to the street trees of today. He draws from history and natural history, poetry and painting, myth and magic, and a great deal of walking, observing and listening. Beautifully written, passionate and defiant, Ghost Trees tells the secrets and stories of the urban wildscape, of glorious nature resilient and resurgent on our very doorsteps.

'Utterly fascinating and intriguing' Neil Ansell, author of The Last Wilderness 'A captivating dive into the mysteries of nature' Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell Detective stories from the natural world, from the author of the Wainwright and Rathbones Folio Prize-longlisted Ghost Trees In 1913 all the musk plants in the world stopped smelling. Unable to resist the lure of this mystery, Bob Gilbert turns detective, determined to find the truth in the tale. Mixing history, memoir, science and nature writing, The Missing Musk takes the reader on a journey of discovery, uncovering the truth behind six mysteries and myths from across the natural world. From the darkest corners of Britain's churchyards to Scotland's Pentland Hills, Bob travels the length of the UK, seeking answers to questions that have intrigued him throughout his life. In search of the musk's long-lost fragrance, he discovers a possibly murderous story. Investigating the true origins of 'star jelly' leads to encounters with unexplained sightings and substances. Faced with the urban myth-like stories of mosquitoes thriving in the London Underground, Bob digs deeper. Motivated by the curious, unexplained phenomena found in wild places and on urban streets, Bob peers into microscopes, delves into horticultural archives and chases a glimpse of the strange 'water bear', finding that, when it comes to mysteries, the joy is found as much in the search as in the answer it leads you to . . . 'A joyful celebration' Lev Parikian, author of Into the Tangled Bank