Celebrate the environmental restoration of the Meadowlands. For decades, New Jersey's Meadowlands have been known as mostly the home of the NFL's Giants and Jets, the place where Jimmy Hoffa is purportedly buried, or a wasteland that you passed through on your way somewhere else. Until recently, that reputation was deserved. The land was blighted with unregulated landfills and the Hackensack River so polluted that barnacles couldn't survive. Today, though, the 30.4-square-mile region has made a remarkable comeback. Located in Bergen and Hudson Counties and just five miles from Manhattan, the Meadowlands is a prime destination for birders, kayakers, and other nature lovers. In words and images, The Nature of the Meadowlands illuminates the region's natural and unnatural history, from its darkest days of a half-century ago to its amazing environmental revival. This is a great resource and beautiful keepsake for residents and visitors, tourists of New Jersey, nature lovers, and history buffs.
The history of the Meadowlands, from its pristine state, to its gradual transformation by European settlers, to the pollution caused by industrialization, and the changes brought by environmental organizations striving to protect it.
Imagine a grungy north Jersey version of John McPhee's classic The Pine Barrens and you'll get some idea of the idiosyncratic, fact-filled, and highly original work that is Robert Sullivan's The Meadowlands. Just five miles west of New York City, this vilified, half-developed, half-untamed, much dumped-on, and sometimes odiferous tract of swampland is home to rare birds and missing bodies, tranquil marshes and a major sports arena, burning garbage dumps and corporate headquarters, the remains of the original Penn Station--and maybe, just ,maybe, of the late Jimmy Hoffa. Robert Sullivan proves himself to be this fragile yet amazingly resilient region's perfect expolorer, historian, archaeologist, and comic bard.
_________________ 'BRITAIN'S FINEST LIVING NATURE WRITER' - THE TIMES WINNER OF THE THWAITES WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2015 What really goes on in the long grass? Meadowland gives an unique and intimate account of an English meadow's life from January to December, together with its biography. In exquisite prose, John Lewis-Stempel records the passage of the seasons from cowslips in spring to the hay-cutting of summer and grazing in autumn, and includes the biographies of the animals that inhabit the grass and the soil beneath: the badger clan, the fox family, the rabbit warren, the skylark brood and the curlew pair, among others. Their births, lives, and deaths are stories that thread through the book from first page to last.
An illustrated biography of the ornithologist James Bond, the author of the book Birds of the West Indies and the namesake of Ian Fleming's fictional British spy.
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature In an astonishing book-length sequence, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Louise Gluck interweaves the dissolution of a contemporary marriage with the story of The Odyssey. Here is Penelope stubbornly weaving, elevating the act of waiting into an act of will; here, too, is a worldly Circe, a divided Odysseus, and a shrewd adolescent Telemachus. Through these classical figures, Meadowlands explores such timeless themes as the endless negotiation of family life, the cruelty that intimacy enables, and the frustrating trivia of the everyday. Gluck discovers in contemporary life the same quandary that lies at the heart of The Odyssey: the "unanswerable/affliction of the human heart: how to divide/the world's beauty into acceptable/and unacceptable loves."
Wild New Jersey brings the reader on a real-life safari through the Garden State's wildlife and natural wonders."-Tom Gilmore, President, New Jersey Audubon Society.
Tall green grass. Subtle melodies of songbirds. Sharp whines of muskrats. Rustles of water running through the grasses. And at low tide, a pungent reminder of the treasures hidden beneath the surface.All are vital signs of the great salt marshes' natural resources. Now championed as critical habitats for plants, animals, and people because of the environmental service and protection they provide, these ecological wonders were once considered unproductive wastelands, home solely to mosquitoes and toxic waste, and mistreated for centuries by the human population. Exploring the fascinating biodiversity of these boggy wetlands, Salt Marshes offers readers a wealth of essential information about a variety of plants, fish, and animals, the importance of these habitats, consequences of human neglect and thoughtless development, and insight into how these wetlands recover. Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler shed ample light on the human impact, including chapters on physical and biological alterations, pollution, and remediation and recovery programs. In addition to a national and global perspective, the authors place special emphasis on coastal wetlands in the Atlantic and Gulf regions, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, calling attention to their historical and economic legacies. Written in clear, easy-to-read language, Salt Marshes proves that the battles for preservation and conservation must continue, because threats to salt marshes ebb and flow like the water that runs through them.
A young woman is forced to question everything she thought she knew, when a family tragedy leads to a series of startling revelations ... and dark secrets. A stunning and emotive psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Cliff House and The Storm. 'Beautiful, seamless writing, Jennings has a magic warmth and addictive quality that keeps you reading on and on' Lucy Atkins 'Hauntingly beautiful' Clare Mackintosh 'Thoughtful, atmospheric and deeply immersive, it wields an almost mesmeric power over the reader' Hannah Beckerman ––––––––––––––––––– A perfect life ... until she discovered it wasn't her own. A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella's comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where hidden truths, past betrayals and a 25-year-old mystery threaten not just her identity, but also her life. Chilling, complex and profoundly moving, In Her Wake is a gripping psychological thriller that questions the nature of family – and reminds us that sometimes the most shocking crimes are committed closest to home. ––––––––––––––––––– 'A gripping concept powers this emotional, sinuous thriller in which one woman's life is played out against what might have been' Fanny Blake, Woman & Home 'Heartbreaking and emotionally stunning ... one of the most mature genre novels I've read for a long time' Scottish Herald 'This mesmerising and haunting thriller is a true literary beauty' Heat 'Delicately weaves loss and grief in a very human story with a strong heart' Sarah Hilary 'Enough twists and turns to give you whiplash' Tammy Cohen 'A writer of rare and exceptional talent' Steve Cavanagh 'A gripping and powerful read ... will keep you turning the pages' Simon Kernick 'Beautifully written and emotionally charged, Amanda Jennings has created compelling exploration of self, memory and the slippery bonds that tie a family together' Eva Dolan 'An assured, evocative, rites of passage tale that will captivate readers of psychological suspense' Mari Hannah 'I have fallen head over heels in love with this compelling and beautiful book. Already one of my favourite authors, Amanda Jennings has created something outstanding ... one of my favourite reads of all time' Louise Douglas 'Moving, perceptive and beautifully written story with a devastating conclusion that will stay with you' Howard Linskey 'Gripping and hauntingly beautiful, with a totally unexpected twist in the tail, In Her Wake is simply brilliant – I loved it' Jenny Ashcroft 'A beautifully written, emotionally charged novel that stays with you long after you read the last page' Jane Isaac 'A haunting and compelling read, charged with perfectly observed emotion and a poetic gift for language' Iona Grey 'One of those novels that you know is going to stay with you for a very long time after you finish it' Louise Voss'Mesmerising storytelling' Mel Sherratt 'Amanda Jennings propels herself into my list of favourite writers' Luca Veste
"August, 1914. The silver wedding celebrations of Sir George Barsham, MP, and his wife, Lady Adelaide, are overshadowed by the declaration of war with Germany. Over the following months, as the male estate workers head for the Front and the maids disappear to work in the newly-opened munitions factory, the Barsham family's comfortable, aristocratic lifestyle is set to change forever"--Amazon.com.
