Absolute Press

The Brown Hare is an animal we all know but rather rarely see, even though it is quite common, active by day and lives in the wide open spaces of classic lowland countryside. It can make itself almost invisible, lying still in its form until it takes off suddenly, fleeing at astounding, breakneck pace. Those lucky enough to see a hare in a moment of stillness, may see in its staring golden eyes a strangenes...

For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages of discovery to unknown lands, engagements in war and sea and general trade. Many of their logs, diaries and letters were lodged at The National Archives and give a vivid picture of the situations that they encountered.

The Strange Death of Europe is a highly personal account of a continent and culture caught in the act of suicide. Declining birth-rates, mass immigration and cultivated self-distrust and self-hatred have come together to make Europeans unable to argue for themselves and incapable of resisting their own comprehensive change as a society. This book is not only an analysis of demographic and political realitie...

Cape Horn's fearsome reputation and the price it has extracted from those who venture there derives from a lethal contrivance of geography that unleashes the most powerful natural dynamic forces on the earth's surface. Reaching deep into the Southern Ocean, the Cape intrudes into the flow of the water and weather patterns at the bottom of the world and funnels them into a maritime superhighway a mere 500 mi...

Day Skipper for Sail and Power is a major reference book for anyone following the RYA Day Skipper course. Brought thoroughly up-to-date with new developments and covering all the theory and practical aspects of the RYA Day Skipper Certificate with full colour photography, helpful diagrams and worked examples, it is also a clear and comprehensive manual for anyone intending to make coastal passages in a smal...

During their university holidays in the late 1880s, S.K. Baker and three of his University College friends clad in stripy blazers and boaters spent time sailing and camping on the River Wye. Baker, a keen artist and diarist, recorded their travels in watercolour in two small leather bound books. The result is an entirely charming, funny account along the lines of the legendary Three Men in a Boat with which...

Naming a boat is as personal as naming a baby (even if few male skippers would risk telling the wife that). The culmination of many years of dreaming and penny pinching, the purchase of a boat of any size is a huge event for any sailor, and with that comes serious naming pressure. Many boatowners have a secret fear that someone else got their brilliantly original name first - or ruined it for ever by reduci...

Cities are a big deal. More people now live in them than don't, and with a growing world population, the urban jungle is only going to get busier in the coming decades. But how often do we stop to think about what makes our cities work? Cities are built using some of the most creative and revolutionary science and engineering ideas - from steel structures that scrape the sky to glass cables that help us co...

During their university holidays in the late 1880s, S.K. Baker and three of his University College friends clad in stripy blazers and boaters spent time sailing and camping on the Norfolk Broads. Baker, a keen artist and diarist, recorded their travels in watercolour in two small leather bound books.

It is said that in India a festival is celebrated every day of the year. In this gastronomic celebration of India's festival cuisine, head chef of London's acclaimed Cinnamon Club, Vivek Singh brings his unique touch to traditional festival recipes and gives his insight into the significance of food from a country with a history of such diverse religions and cultures.

The Giro d'Italia is the cooler, tougher brother of the Tour de France. First staged in 1909, and only pausing for two World Wars, its hundredth edition takes place in 2017. Inspired by L'Auto's improved circulation figures after establishing France's Grand Tour, the Gazzetta dello Sport saw an opportunity to outdo its rival paper, the Corriere della Sera, by organising its own race.

The Reeds Western Almanac covers the coastline from Cape Wrath to Padstow as well as the whole of Ireland, and is ideal for any boater lucky enough to cruise and race in the superb waters off the coast of Western Scotland, Ireland or Western England. It offers ready access to essential navigation information by virtue of its clear layout and user friendly format.

Featuring gorgeous artwork from Enid Blyton's illustrator Dorothy M. Wheeler this book of classic nursery rhymes is the perfect gift. Original artwork from 1916 illustrates nursery favourites including Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill and Humpty Dumpty. This stunning hardback is a must-have for Christmas.

Written by a sailing Olympian, this has been the most-trusted reference for racing sailors around the world for over 45 years and has sold 320,000 copies in the English language alone. The unique approach devised by Paul Elvstrom offers bird's-eye views and detailed explanations of how the rules are applied to racing situations, with each cross-referenced to the relevant case studies provided by World Saili...

The dawn chorus: a single voice cutting through the morning mist soon develops into a symphony of different songs hailing the new day. Many of these songbirds are familiar and iconic features of wildlife, and yet much about their lives remains mysterious, even to scientists.

Mars, the red planet, is ingrained in our culture, from David Bowie's extra-terrestrial spiders to Captain Scarlet to War of the Worlds. It has inspired hundreds of authors, scientists and science-fiction writers - but why? What is it about this particular planet that makes it so intriguing? Ancient mythologies defined Mars as a violent harbinger of war, star-gazers puzzled over its peculiar motion, and ast...

Prized for its texture, flavour and versatility, risotto has been part of the Italian diet since the eighth century and is one of Italy's most famous dishes. This revised and updated edition of Valentina Harris' seminal work shows you how to prepare, cook and serve this iconic dish using ingredients from the humble tomato to the much sought-after truffle. With a fully updated introduction and some brand new...

Visitors to South-East Asia are usually astonished at the profusion of marine life that exists in this biodiversity hot-spot. Reef Fishes of South-East Asia is a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide to this rich diversity. Covering the waters off the coasts of Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, this compact book, illustrated with vibrant colour photogra...

One of the greatest pleasures of having a garden is being able to identify the great number of different bird species that may feed, bathe and nest there, or simply fly over, particularly during migration. This bestseller combines full identification and behavioural features of over 70 common garden bird species with detailed information on attracting birds to your garden. The clear illustrations and text a...

We've all got one. A secret, special place. Hidden. Enclosed. A little greener and more fertile than the world outside. Here the birds are slightly more exotic, slightly more confiding, the grass greener and the fruit sweeter. To know such a place, to love such a place, is part of being human.