The Restless Coast

Beautifully written - a great read. * Stephen Rutt, author of The Seafarers: A Journey Among Birds *
You can almost taste the salt-spray on Roger Morgan-Grenville's words as he simultaneously circumnavigates our coastline and our attitudes to nature in this confident, perceptive and immensely readable book. A journey that - one way or another - we are all on. * Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us *
Beautiful and important, by reading The Restless Coast, we too can collect a pocket full of shells, wisdom and love for our precious island shores. A superb read! * Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Nature Needs You *
The Restless Coast is a wonderful book, an open-hearted merging of astute journalism, gritty endeavour and intelligent, informed wit. Roger approaches every issue with a true love of nature and of people, peeling away the layers of complexity to reveal the heart of salmon farming, plastic pollution, overfishing, tidal barrages and the many other twenty-first century problems that are inexorably changing the very nature of our island. Roger has a restless desire to find the truth about the coastline of Britain, and he has admirably achieved what he set out to do. * Mary Colwell, author of The Gathering Place *
Roger Morgan-Grenville is a nature writer par excellence. His love of nature shines through every page of this book. For this author nature is not simply a means to an end to be exploited or economic growth, nature is life itself. The Restless Coast is a testimony of the intrinsic value of nature. Read it, you may fall in love with the incredible coastline of Britain, as I have! * Satish Kumar, Editor Emeritus, Resurgence & Ecologist magazine *
A wonderful and inspiring book, tuned, especially, to the voices, communities and livelihoods of those who live and work around the coast. Reading it I came away with a much clearer understanding of the issues the coast faces, an admiration for those working to protect it, and, above all, an appreciation of how precious this habitat is. * James Macdonald Lockhart, author of Raptor *
From the gasping exhaustion of salmon rivers to crumbling cliffscapes where entire villages slide into the waves, from faded seaside resorts to seabird cities, Roger Morgan-Grenville takes it all in. His invigorating account of a coast-hugging walk is probingly inquisitive and ever alert, mapping out the scale of human profligacy, not least the prevalence of plastic everywhere while also meeting folk who try to safeguard nature despite a systemic lack of care. As with his other books, he makes for a very amiable companion, whether stopping for a pint on the gentrified banks of the Thames or enjoying the simple pleasures of beach-side ice-cream. A tremendous achievement and so very, very timely. * Jon Gower, author of The Story of Wales *
This book is a great read and it brings together places, people and issues ... I may not read a better book this year. * Mark Avery, author of Remarkable Birds *
Our coast, ragingly beautiful and calmly bounteous, but increasingly de-natured has long needed a human voice. Someone capable of writing the message in the bottle to wake the world. That message is The Restless Coast, and Roger Morgan-Grenville is the merman. Pray, pray to the god of the sea that politicians read it. * John Lewis-Stempel, author of Meadowland *
Whether we realise it or not, we're all influenced by the ebb and flow of coastal life around us - and this book will help us understand just how important our coasts are. * Liz Kalaugher, author of The Elephant in the Room *
A delightful and insightful read. As an incurable lover of the shoreline, this book brought out the wanderlust in me. It had me pulling on my boots, sensing the sea breeze, touching the waves, and hearing the story in the miles that rolled by. All without leaving my armchair. It reminded me that the coast has an undeniable draw for the human spirit. It gave a celebratory front row seat over the waterfront that has provided fascination for a lifetime. * Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming and author, Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat *
Morgan-Grenville is clear-eyed, but not pessimistic ... he's a good listener and communicates hard truths * Times Literary Supplement *
We feel we have walked the journey along with him, and for that we can be full of gratitude. This is a wondrous thrill of a book. * Miriam Darlington, author of Owl Sense *