DAVID DIMBLEBY: THE SEVEN AGES OF BRITAIN (Hodder and Stoughton HB)

What does the delicate beauty of the Wilton Diptych reveal about medieval Britain? How do Henry Moore's sensuous forms reflect the social upheavals of the twentieth century? Are there any similarities between the minds that produced the Bayeaux Tapestry and Gillray's satirical prints? Why do St Paul’s Cathedral and the Brighton Pavilion look the way they do? From the Iron Age onwards, art has been a mirror to the nation – capturing who we are and heralding the major events of each era. In Seven Ages of Britain David Dimbleby uncovers the fascinating story of how British art reflects our history. Beginning with the mysterious Pictish carvings and Roman mosaics that reveal the legacy of Britain’s many invaders, David Dimbleby guides us through our most dramatic eras. He journeys from the riches of the Middle Ages, to the innovation of the Restoration, the exotica of the British Empire and finally to twentieth-century Modernism. Bringing together leading experts, who vividly capture each period of history, Seven Ages of Britain is a unique exploration of Britain through its most beautiful and influential works of art. DImbleby's passion for history is clear from the reverent way in which he introduces the various items with which he illustrates the BBC1 programme - this book is the perfect compliment to the series, with beautifully reproduced photographs, and plenty more commentary. Hodder have done a brilliant job in combining art and commentary, and the book, though wasted on a coffee table, will enhance and enrich our lives beyond the confines of the TV show. Sumptuous.

CESAR MILLAN: HOW TO RAISE THE PERFECT DOG (Hodder and Stoughton HB)

For the millions of people every year who consider bringing a puppy into their lives – as well as those who have already brought a dog home. Based on Cesar’s own detailed experiences raising individual puppies from some of the most popular breeds, How to Raise the Perfect Dog is like having Cesar right beside you, as your own personal expert, coaching you and your dog from the first day of your life together.

HOW TO RAISE THE PERFECT DOG INCLUDES:
• what to expect from each stage of your puppy’s development
• quick and easy housebreaking
• the essentials of proper nutrition
• the importance of vaccinating – and of not over-vaccinating
• creating perfect obedience from day one through rules, boundaries, and calm-assertive leadership
• how to avoid the most common mistakes owners’ make raising puppies and young dogs
• how to correct any issue before it becomes a problem

Cesar Millan's TV series illustrates the man's natural bond with dogs (and all animals). Who better to tell you how to raise a puppy and integrate it into your life? Cesar's relaxed, informal style translates perfectly from TV screen to book, and you couldn't want for a better teacher or guide. The next series is being filmed in the UK, I believe - I'm looking forward to it immensely, but in the meantime, there are a number of tips and tricks I can apply to my own recalcitrant border collie! There are any number of books available on how to bring up a puppy - maybe it's because of his high profile, but I think this has to be one of the best. The man is a genius!

MICHAEL PEARLMAN: TEAM CALZAGHE (Accent Press PB)

In November 2008, Joe Calzaghe retired undefeated in his brilliant boxing career after his fight against American great Roy Jones at New York's Madison Square Garden. Never beaten in 46 fights, Calzaghe stands tall as one of the greatest sportsman in British history, having been a world champion for over a decade. The man behind his success is father and mentor Enzo Calzaghe, a former busker who became a world renowned boxing trainer, producing four world champions from his tiny South Wales gym. With interviews with the key boxers, "Team Calzaghe" explores the amazing success of the Calzaghes and their boxing family, including Enzo Maccarinelli, Bradley Pryce, Gary Lockett and Gavin Rees. It also lifts the lid on the battles with booze, bulimia and the authorities as the Calzaghes defied their critics to rule the boxing world. I have to admit I wanted the public to vote him off Strictly Come Dancing before they actually did, but there's no denying the charm of the man, and this "quick read" gives you plenty to think about.

DORLING KINDERSLEY EYEWITNESS BACK ROADS GREAT BRITAIN (DK PB)

DK Eyewitness Back Roads Great Britain driving holiday guide will take you via scenic routes to discover charming British villages, local restaurants and intimate places to stay. Unearth the real soul of Great Britain relying on all the practical information you could need, from road conditions and length of drive to parking information and opening hours. Twenty-five themed drives, each lasting one to seven days, reveal breathtaking views, hidden gems and authentic local experiences in Great Britain that can only be discovered by road. Each tour is bursting with insider knowledge and loaded with ideas for varied activities from short walks and longer hikes, days on the beach and children's attractions, to cycling trips and local attractions. Meanwhile, the most friendly, best-value hotels and guesthouses and charming restaurants specialising in regional produce have been selected by expert authors. Full-colour throughout, with a pull-out map of the entire country for easy navigation between tours and even postcode information for use with 'Sat Nav', discover the unexpected on your driving holiday with DK Eyewitness Back Roads Great Britain. So you think you know your own country, then? Think again! This fantastic book prepares to take you on an extended journey of the British Isles, showing you the best places to eat, the best places to stay, peppered with informative snippets of information and detailed instructions on how to find these places on the back roads. The perfect accompaniment to that road atlas.

DORLING KINDERSLEY EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GREAT BRITAIN (DK PB)

DK Eyewitness Great Britain travel guide will lead you straight to the best attractions Great Britain has on offer. Packed with photographs, illustrations and detailed maps the guide explores every facet that makes the country quintessentially charming. The guide provides all the insider tips every visitor needs from taking a 'flight' on the London Eye to punting on the River Cam as well as comprehensive listings of the best hotels, resorts, restaurants, and nightlife in each British region for all budgets. Cutaways and floorplans take you inside the stately homes and palaces whilst street-by-street maps will navigate you around the major cities and towns. DK Eyewitness Great Britain explores historic treasures, thriving cities, charming villages, beautiful national parks and rural landscapes - and still finds room to recommend Victorian beach resorts and where to find the most authentic British pub grub. With up-to-date information on getting around by train, car, walking in cities and all the sights, beaches, and resorts listed town-by-town, DK Eyewitness Great Britain is your indispensable guide to England, Scotland and Wales. Don’t miss a thing on your holiday with the DK Eyewitness Great Britain. Another great volume from DK, this time with as much information as you could possibly want about the many and varied places there are to visit in our little country. Expertly written, beautifully photographed, this is a reference book that gives ultimate pleasure just by opening it.

ITV SPORT GRAND PRIX 2010 (Carlton PB)

No other sport comes close to the drama, risk, technical endeavour or excitement of Formula One, and "The Official ITV Grand Prix Guide" is your essential resource to the season ahead. Now in its 13th year and widely recognized as the world leading preview, "The ITV Sport Guide Grand Prix 2010" not only ensures F1 fans are fully informed with detailed examinations of the 2010 teams, drivers and the tracks, but also reviews the season just completed, highlights changes to the rules and regulations and discusses the talking points of the exhilarating season to come. Complementing the Bruce Jones' insightful text are 100 colour photographs and detailed circuit maps and diagrams, facts, statistics, a comprehensive records section and a fill-in guide for the reader to complete as the season progresses - in short, all the information and detail that Formula One fans crave. All the new teams, details of all the races and tracks - get ready for Grand Prix 2010 - starts in March, and you shouldn't be without this brilliant book if you're at all interested in the sport!

RICHARD FUCHS:HAVE A NICER DAY (Prion HB)

Small chapters each deal with fun, interesting and downright weird ways to make yourself feel happier:; What if you fall ill and die?; What if you die and then fall ill?; Watch out for naked emperors; Lottery tickets and candles; What could it be like?; Avoid TV programmes about crocodiles; Expect nothing; Think first, act later; Act first, think later; The world is full of fools; Be a bit negative; Smile! (but not all the time); Drown your mother-in-law; Only believe amusing rumours; Become a billionaire; Accepting the unacceptable; and more.

JULIAN BELL: A NEW HISTORY OF ART - MIRROR OF THE WORLD (Thames and Hudson PB)

The richest story of art ever told …Both a perfect introduction to wider art history and a glimpse inside the artistic mind, this groundbreaking narrative will become a touchstone for a new generation of readers.

• Charts the whole history of art from the earliest carved stone to the latest media
• Takes a truly global picture, connecting different cultures across time and space
• Hundreds of works are discussed and illustrated, showing how art uniquely reflects the world in which it was produced

Julian Bell has excitingly chosen a global perspective, setting up juxtapositions that will challenge and enlighten readers: dancing bronze figures from southern India, Romanesque sculptures, Baroque ceilings and Persian manuscripts are discussed side by side as extraordinary testaments to our universal creative instinct. With an insider’s knowledge and an unerring touch, Bell draws these diverse strands into a beautifully written, lucid and compelling account.  Julian Bell has taught art history for many years and is also a practicing painter. He writes widely on art for magazines, including The New York Review of Books. I'm with Julian Bell right up the advent of modern art - I was watching the TV piece on Henry Moore sculptures yesterday (Feb. 24th) and wondering why such grotestque monstrosities were accepted and revered. It seems to me to be just another example of the Emperor's new clothes - if enough people say it's good, the rest will believe it. I hate them, and I'm afraid I have a closed mind to modern art. If it doesn't look like something I can recognise, rather than a series of childish daubs on a canvas that fool people into parting with extraordinary amounts of money, I don't really want to know. When I was studying with the OU, I was taught that I could dislike anything in the art world as long as I could come up with a valid reason for my disliking it. OK, fair enough, it's facile, infantile, unattractive, gharish, horrible, unrepresentative, untalented. Rant over This is an excellent book with a terrific choice of beautifully printed works of art, and a really good commentary. Sorry, Julian, I got carried away there! For a brilliant introduction to art, try this for size, excellent value and very well printed, which is essential for those sumptuous paintings and artefacts.

POCKET NATURE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS (Dorling Kindersley PB)

From the Short-tailed Blue Butterfly to the Winter Moth, discover over 325 species of butterflies and moths with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering both anatomy and identifying marks will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what butterflies and moths to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. This and the five pocket volumes below are reissues, but that takes nothing away from them - once again DK bring you the ultimate library of just about everything you need to know about the natural world we live in. The photographs are, as always, stunning, and the text is exemplary. Everyone loves butterflies, and the ability to identify quickly the one you just saw in your garden is invaluable. Fabulous.

POCKET NATURE FUNGI (Dorling Kindersley PB)

From the familiar toadstools with cap and stem to stranger fungal forms with spines, tubes or wrinkles, discover over 450 varieties of fungi with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering species, type, colour and anatomy will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what fungi species to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. Even though you may not have an equally soft spot for fungi, it's hugely entertaining leafing through this wonderful volume and spotting the ones you've seen during your last walk through the woods.

POCKET NATURE INSECTS AND SPIDERS (Dorling Kindersley PB)

From an Oriental Cockroach to a Firefly, discover over 700 species of insect and spider with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering anatomy and classification will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what insects and spiders to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. Keep this one away from anyone who's "bugged" by creepy crawlies, but keep it handy for reference - terrific photography make this the essential guide to insects and spiders.

POCKET NATURE TREES (Dorling Kindersley PB)

Discover over 300 varieties of tree found in Britain and Europe with this new edition, in association with the RSPB.  From a Black Locust to a Downy Oak, discover over 300 varieties of tree, arranged by family and genu, with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering anatomy and classification will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what trees to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. How many times have you been walking through the woods and wished you'd known what a particular species of tree was? This wonderful pocket guide answers all your questions, and it's good to look at, too.

POCKET NATURE WILD ANIMALS (Dorling Kindersley PB)

From the Fire-bellied Midwife to the Bison, discover over 325 species of wild animal arranged in conventional taxonomical order with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what wild animals to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. Not a comprehensive guide, of course, as there are far too many species to cover in a pocket book; but this little guide to wild animals is fantastic, both entertaining and informative in a way that only Dorling Kindersley can do it.

POCKET NATURE WILD FLOWERS (Dorling Kindersley PB)

From orchids to cowslips, discover over 450 species of wild flowers, arranged by colour and family, with this pocket-sized guide. In-situ photographs and no nonsense notes covering anatomy will help you identify them in the field quickly and accurately. Maps show you what wild flowers to find where so you can plan your spotting and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. An ideal guide for all the family. The world of wild flowers is as fascinating as the world of cultivated plants, sometimes more so, because they achieve their natural beauty without human intervention. Once again, the photographs in this book are stunning, and the information is second-to-none, the perfect starting place for anyone interested in wild flowers, or something to delve into and marvel at the beauty and variety that are available to all of us.