Mushrooms

Peter Marren

A remarkable insight into the natural and human world of British fungi.

The first volume of the British Wildlife Collection, Mushrooms, is a remarkable insight into the natural and human world of British fungi by Peter Marren. Written in his own inimitable style, it is a refreshingly candid view of the diversity of fungi and our relationship with this intriguing group, exploring such subjects as; the naming of fungi, their importance in natural ecosystems, fungus forays and our ambivalvalent attitude to edible fungi, as well as recent efforts to record and conserve vulnerable species. Copiously illustrated with beautiful colour photos.

"'Mushrooms' is my personal take on the world of fungi in Britain, about the pleasures of searching for mushrooms and toadstools, and why they matter. I have written it as a narrative, in current TV parlance as a 'journey', beginning with the extraordinary diversity of fungi and the ways in which they exploit the natural world to the history of the fungus foray and the controversy over gathering wild mushrooms for the pot. In the process I zoom in on the nature of names, both Latin and English, at the places which hold the greatest diversity of fungi, and our attempts to conserve rare and vanishing fungi. It is, I hope, a refreshing and amusing look at this 'third world' of life, written without jargon and in lively style. I hope it can be read with pleasure by anyone. It is full of lovely colour photographs."

 - Peter Marren

272 pages.

Hardback £35.00 £29.99