Books, VHS videos & DVDs about ‘survival skills, bushcraft, living-off-the-land foraging for wild foods, wild herbs and medicinal plants’ – in Britain & Northwestern Europe – Page Three

“Flora Britannica Book of Wild Herbs”
by

Richard Mabey

“Derived from the author’s “Flora Britannica”, this book takes a broad definition of herbs and includes 100 wild plants of England, Scotland and Wales. As well as describing them, the author gives an account of the role of wild herbs in social life, arts, custom and landscape. These twin volumes represent nature writing at its finest. Like the acclaimed “Flora Britannica”, from which they are drawn, these selections are the result of years of research, including the personal observations, anecdotes, and regional knowledge of people from all over Britain. It features sections on woodland flowers, primroses, and the spring flowers of lanes and fields. The Book of Wild Herbs takes a broad definition of the species and includes 100 wild plants. There are also sections on wild foods, fruits, and kitchen medicines.”

“How to Enjoy Your Weeds”
by

Audrey Wynne Hatfield

“This little book really is a joy for all those interested in gardening and nature. In a delightful manner, the author demonstrates a lifetime’s knowledge of flowers and herbs with her detailed descriptions of each species. She includes a number of recipes for herbal drinks and country wines and also fascinating old remedies for common aches and pains. In addition to this, there are explanations of the folklore and mythology that surround many of the plants included, and the text is complemented by the author’s own superb illustrations. Arranged in alphabetical order, the book is easy to follow and a pleasure to read.”

“Medieval Herbal Remedies: The Old English Herbarium and Anglo-Saxon Medicine”
by

Anne Van Arsdall

“This book presents for the first time and up-to-date and easy-to-read translation of a medical reference work that was used in Western Europe from the fifth century well into the renaissance. Listing 185 medicinal plants, the uses for each, and remedies that were compounded using them , the translation will fascinate medievalist, medical historians and the layman alike. New translation of the Old English Herbarium underscores its importance to the medieval world as well as its similarities to modern herbal medicine. Illustrated with drawings based on the original manuscript. Originally translated into Anglo-Saxon around the year 1000, a welcome contribution to the study of medicine in Anglo-Saxon England and will be very useful for both reference and teaching.”

“Green Pharmacy”
by

Barbara Griggs

“A modern classic that can be consulted by all of those interested in getting a keener insight into the trials and tribulations, the pitfalls and rewards, and the history and future of drug therapy from nature. Probably the most definitive history of the origin and development of herbal medicine in the West. A history of grass-roots medicine, researched to the point where those of us who have dabbled in the subject are left feeling embarrassed at the wealth of source material that we left unread. Griggs is an excellent writer, and she has given a clear and sobering account of mankind’s relationship with medicinal plants from pre-history.”

“The Medicinal Flora of Britain and Northwestern Europe”

by

Julian Barker
&
Chrissie Sloan
(Illustrator)

EU English Edition

“This is a unique book in combining accurate and precise botany with the depth of knowledge of a renowned practitioner. There are 130 botanical illustrations, including many originals, to aid with identification. The therapeutic information is based on more than 20 years of clinical experience and provides a wealth of information on the medicinal use of herbs both internally and externally. Precise information on dosage and preparation is given. The “Medicinal Flora” is an ideal practical reference for herbalists, students, conservationists, teachers and ecologists as well as amateur botanists and anyone with a passion for plants.”

“Memory, Wisdom and Healing: The History of Domestic Plant Medicine”

by

Gabrielle Hatfield

EU English Edition

“The debt owed to botany by medicine is not commonly appreciated. In the past, medicine relied almost entirely on plants, and even today, many western medicines are plant-derived. Historians have largely neglected domestic medicine in favour of ‘official medicine’. Although an impressive amount of information is available in primary sources, both within record offices and in private hands, relatively little has been published on British domestic plant medicine. The author has gathered a wealth of material from manuscripts, letters, diaries and personal interviews. This book brings together this information, using it to produce a vivid and detailed picture of the use of domestic remedies in Britain from 1700 to the present. It draws upon oral history and manuscript sources to record for posterity this neglected aspect of our heritage. Much of this has never been published before, and little modern material has been written down, and is in danger of disappearing altogether when the current generation of elderly people dies.”

“Medicinal Plants in Folk Tradition: An Ethnobotany of Britain & Ireland”

by

David E Allen
&
Gabrielle Hatfield

“This book provides the first comprehensive account of medicinal uses of wild plants by the country folk of Britain and Ireland. Two of Britain’s foremost ethnobotanical scholars mined nearly 300 published and unpublished sources, including information gathered by the Irish Folklore Commission in more than 1000 manuscript volumes, to chronicle the fascinating uses of more than 400 plant species. Among the many kinds of plants recorded here are a seaweed used in Scotland against ‘all maladies except the Black Death’, a mushroom stewed in milk in Norfolk to soothe cancer of the throat, a fern identified in Ireland as a ‘herb of the seven gifts’ for its reputed ability to cure diseases, and the remarkable range of benefits attributed to nettles. Such information, in addition to being interesting in and of itself, offers a starting point for phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of plants whose utility may have been overlooked. An appendix of veterinary uses is provided.”

“Medicinal Mushrooms: An Exploration of Tradition, Healing, & Culture”

by

Christopher Hobbs

“Medicinal Mushrooms is a modern handbook for exploring and understanding the rich traditions of healing fungi in Eastern and Western cultures. Author Christopher Hobbs thoroughly documents and details the nutritional and health benefits of over 100 species of edible fungi. Medicinal Mushrooms is the most complete work on the cultural, health-promoting, and medicinal uses of mushrooms ever published. Mushroom toxicity, uses in traditional medicine, and appearances in the human diet are supported by clinical studies and explorations of cultural influences in this technical coverage. Over 100 species of edible fungi are documented in the most complete work on medicinal mushrooms published to date.”

“Country Remedies: Traditional East Anglian Plant Remedies in the 20th Century”
by

Gabrielle Hatfield

“For several years, the author has been gathering information concerning domestic plant remedies used within living memory in rural East Anglia. Informants have been for the most part elderly country people, and in almost every instance, this information has never been written down, but has been preserved orally from one generation to the next. A surprisingly large number of these native plant remedies has come to light, and an analysis of them brings out many interesting points, including the apparent accuracy of oral testimony, when compared with written information on the subject of plant remedies. Another perhaps surprising point to emerge is that new plant remedies are still being developed, some involving the use of widely grown food vegetables. The author was fortunate enough to come across manuscript material of work done by Dr Mark Taylor, a regional health officer in Norwich in the 1920’s, who carried out a similar study of East Anglian domestic medicine seventy years ago.”

“Hatfield’s Herbal: The Secret History of British Plants”
by

Gabrielle Hatfield

“From ivy wreathed buildings to the dandelions growing through the cracks between paving stones, we are surrounded by a wealth of native plants. In the past they were a hugely valued resource: magical, mystical and medical. When Charles I visited Staffordshire his chamberlain wrote to the local sheriff asking him to ensure that no fern should be burnt or cut during the king’s visit, so that the weather would be fine. Puppies were once fed daisy flowers in milk to keep them small while children wore daisy chains to protect against fairy kidnapping. Poachers scattered mullein seed on the surface of the water to drug fish. Chewing bramble leaves alleviates toothache. St John’s Wort was recommended as an antidepressant by St Columba in the sixth century. Packed with stories and memorable information, this book is the highly personal, very readable result of a lifetime spent researching folk cures and the science behind them. Outlining the history and uses of over 150 British plants, Hatfield’s Herbal offers a fascinating history of what life was once like. “

“Culpeper’s Colour Herbal”
by

Nicholas Culpeper
&
David Potterton
(Editor)

“The wisdom and humanity of the great Culpeper are to be found in every page of this beautifully illustrated, classic work. Enjoy his caustic comments and colourful descriptions. But also read the contemporary assessment of his herbs by David Potterton, one of Britain’s leading herbal practitioners. So many of Culpeper’s views are still accepted by modern medicine that it offers some thought-provoking comparisons. Here is plant lore, traditional herbal wisdom and current herbal practice in a superbly presented, classic volume.”