Watkins – The Bell Bookshop

The ultimate unofficial guide to Tolkien’s world

Emma — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The One Ring contains the entire epic and famously labyrinthine history of Middle Earth, taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, as well as all the lesser known volumes), broken down into easy-to-absorb chunks, arranged in chronological order and fully explained. For the first time ever, fans of the films, TV series and books can benefit from:

All the events of all Tolkien’s books slotted into a timeline from the very start to the very finish, with narrative arcs outlined
Easy-reference lists of the players, places, gods, weapons, magical tools, creatures – and much more.
Explanation of why certain actions were highlighted in the narrative, for example how Gimli the Dwarf being given three strands of golden hair by the Lady Galadriel would have sent shockwaves through the elven community
Resolution of confusing issues, eg multiple names in different languages being given to the same characters and places
Around 140 full-colour illustration details, diagrams and graphics to help make concepts clearer.

Offering the complex history, mythology and geography of Middle Earth in bite-sized super-accessible form, this is an unusual and compelling approach to Tolkien’s work and a must for all his fans.

Weird walk

Emma — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In this book is a radical idea. By walking the ancient landscape of Britain and following the wheel of the year, we can reconnect to our shared folklore, to the seasons and to nature. Let this hauntological gazetteer guide you through our enchanted places and strange seasonal rituals:

SPRING: Watch the equinox sunrise light up the floating capstone of Pentre Ifan and connect with the Cailleach at the shrine of Tigh nam Bodach in the remote Highlands
SUMMER: Feel the resonance of ancient raves and rituals in the stone circles of southwest England’s Stanton Drew, Avebury and the Hurlers
AUTUMN: Bring in the harvest with the old gods at Coldrum Long Barrow, and brave the ghosts on misty Blakeney Point
WINTER: Make merry at the Chepstow wassail, and listen out for the sunken church bells of the lost medieval city of Dunwich

The Tree Forager

Emma — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Foraging is one of the fastest-growing nature-related pastimes in the UK and US. There are many books about foraging but this is the only one that focuses on what is arguably everyone’s favourite plant – trees! It profiles 40 incredible trees from the UK and US – from apple, ash and bay to walnut, willow and yew, gorgeously illustrated with watercolour, pen and ink botanical illustrations. In her humorous, inspiring and warm text, Adele explains how we can forage from our trees, not only for food, but also for home remedies, for ingredients to use in cocktails and ferments, and for materials to make toys, musical instruments and other useful things.

Did you know that you can grind acorns into flour to make pancakes, for example, or use oak galls for ink? Or that Willow can be used for weaving; ash, hazel and oak are all good for making charcoal. Packed full of recipes and things to do, there is also a sprinkling of folklore and superstition, as well as helpful recognition tips. Overall it traces the fascinating story of the intimate relationship between humankind and our trees.