A Nature Book ReaderGARRET FALLONGarrett Fallon is founding editor of Fallon’s Angler, a fishing magazinechampioning long-form angling writing.The Outdoor Handbook HamlynI believe I pinched this bookfrom my elder brother whenhe departed for boardingschool. It has his initials onthe fore edge, yet my nameand address are carefullyinscribed inside. However itfound its way into my hands,it remains on my bookshelf tothis day.I grew up in a ruralhousehold surrounded bybooks, but this is the first thatI called my own, despite itsnefarious beginnings.It was the bible for aninnocuous pre-teen—anowhere boy from the back ofbeyond—intent on exploringevery inch of the surroundingcountryside to push his ownboundaries.I devoured each chapterand immediately put it intopractice—hiking, camping,44fishing, conservation, fossilhunting, bird watching—allfanning the flames of aburning passion for naturethat still smoulders nicely,nearly forty years later.Something in thegentle instructional styleengrossed me, embellishedwith evocative illustrationsechoing the ubiquitousLadybird books of the time,and I was always learning.But its most importantgift was that it shifted myfocus from the environmentimmediately around me,as it subtly panned out toreveal the wider world.Initial chapters introducedme to the Great Outdoors,and advised me how to existwithin and alongside it, butthe final few chapters helpedme appreciate that I was no
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