British Science

Finally, a practical, realistic plan to rescue, preserve and enhance nature. This is an economist's approach to environmentalism, including a summary of Britain's green assets, a look towards possible futures and an achievable 25-year plan to a green and prosperous world. News about Britain’s wildlife and ecosystems tends to be grim. In Green and Prosperous Land, Dieter Helm, a member of the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and advisor to the government, shares a radical but tangible plan for positive change.

TV presenter and all-round car nut Ant Anstead takes the listener on a journey that mirrors the development of the motor car itself from a stuttering 20mph annoyance that scared everyone's horses to 150mph pursuits with aerial support and sophisticated electronic tracking. The British Police Force's relationship with the car started with the chasing of pioneer speeding motorists, who were often caught by policemen on bicycles.

The American Revolution is replete with seminal moments that every American learns in school, from the "shot heard 'round the world" to the Declaration of Independence, but the events that led up to the fighting at Lexington and Concord were borne out of 10 years of division between the British and their American colonies over everything from colonial representation in governments to taxation, the nature of searches, and the quartering of British regulars in private houses.

In Parliament Ltd, investigative journalist Martin Williams reveals the true extent of greed and corruption in Westminster. Containing explosive new revelations about the activities of those at the top, this is a shocking untold tale that goes to the rotten heart of British politics.

For more than a century, police officers used their uniforms to control and bully criminals, which in turn led to wholesale bribery and corruption. From Victorian times up to the 1950s, this crooked atmosphere tainted the UK police image of the 'friendly Bobby'. Then came the 1960s and 1970s when the Great Train Robbery and other bigtime heists changed the rules of the 'game' forever. It was like the Wild West out there. No one knew who the good guys and who the bad guys were anymore.

For an extraordinary love, Emmie Grace has given up her life in the modern world to move to the 16th century and marry the Tudor king she bravely saved from a dreadful fate. However, not everyone is pleased to see the glorious King Nick betrothed to the unknown and uncultured Emmie - especially the noblemen commanded to protect her. As Emmie is drawn deeper into Nick’s sumptuous and savage world - where beheadings are way more popular than time travelers - the Tudor court heads on progress across the country, and a growing rebellion against the promised queen looms.

The British countryside is renowned for its natural beauty and diverse wildlife and any walk, whether it be in woodland, wetland or open country, is always accompanied by the varied songs and calls of our birdlife.

A strong emotional attachment to the memory of empire runs deep in British culture. In recent years, that memory has become a battleground in a long-drawn ideological war, inflecting debates on race, class, gender, culture, the UK’s future and its place in the world. This provocative and passionate book surveys the scene of the imperial memory wars in contemporary Britain, exploring how the myths that structure our views of empire came to be, and how they inform the present.

This audiobook will take the listener on the slow train to another era when travel meant more than hurrying from one place to the next, the journey meaning nothing but time lost in crowded carriages, condemned by broken timetables. On the Slow Train will reconnect with that long-missed need to lift our heads from the daily grind and reflect that there are still places in Britain where we can stop and stare. It will tap into many things: a love of railways, a love of history, a love of nostalgia.

In Colonizing Paradise, historian Jefferson Dillman charts the broad spectrum of sentiments that British citizens and travelers held regarding their colonial possessions in the West Indies. Because British sentiments in the Caribbean located danger and evil not just in indigenous populations but in Spanish Catholics as well, Dillman’s work begins with the arrival of Spanish explorers and conquistadors. Colonizing Paradise spans the arrival of English ships and continues through the early nineteenth century and the colonial era.

Did you know that of all the sea monsters, it’s the Ogopogo that is best documented? This means you could be learning more about it in one go than you would with the Loch Ness monster. Remember that these monsters are myths, and proof of their existence is yet to be found. But wouldn’t it be fun to extend your knowledge beyond what you can see?

This download showcases some of the most exquisite sounds that can be heard in the natural world, from the rich, melodious songs of the Blackbird, Pied Butcherbird and Nightingale that are full of complexity, ingenuity and perfectly arranged phrases, to the breathtaking compositions of the Skylark, Albert's Lyrebird and White-rumped Shama, and the rhythmical variations on a theme from the Chiming Wedgebill and White-browed Robin-chat.

Eerie screams, quiet snuffling and snippets of song are just some of the wildlife sounds that can be heard after dark. While some animals turn in for the night, others are getting ready to begin their 'day' and for some species, such as the Red Fox, Badger, Tawny Owl, and Nightjar, the period from dusk to dawn signifies the peak of their activity. This publication features a selection on the best time to hear them. Use it to identify those mysterious sounds that can often be heard resonating through the night air.

Experience the great wealth of wildlife on our planet through a journey in sound. In partnership with the Wildlife Sound Recording Society, the British Library is proud to present this download of recordings from across the globe. The 22 recordings, all made by WSRS members, come from locations as diverse as Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Cyprus, Sweden, Australia, Borneo, Malawi, Madagascar, Canada and Venezuela.

.Embark upon an underwater adventure with this new download of wildlife recordings from the British Library Sound Archive. Experience the haunting song of the Humpback Whale as it travels through winter breeding grounds in search of a mate, and marvel at the humming courtship calls of the male Haddock. Encounter Dusky Dolphins in the Pacific, Harp Seals in the Arctic and a host of other species including the lovable Bottlenose Dolphin and the mighty Blue Whale.

More than eight million people live in the sprawling metropolis that is London. This vast area is also home to a wide variety of wild animals, from birds and mammals to amphibians and insects. From renowned spectacles such as the Red Deer rut in Richmond Park to more everyday sights and sounds, such as Red Foxes patrolling our streets after dark, London offers a diverse range of potential wildlife encounters.