New Year cheer

Alexandra Henton selects books on great shoots, racing, the natural world – and the obligatory diet

THREE MEN ON A DIET

If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a middleaged man, the classic clubbable, shooting bon viveur with some extra poundage, then this book offers a notable insight. That man might be you, so if you do see some parallels, and feel like making January the time to kick the paunch into touch, then this brilliantly frank and funny book is the one to buy.

One of the trio of the title, George Courtauld, charts their encounters with the Atkins plan, Banting, fasting, feasting, calories and cynicism with a sharp eye, good humour and appealing style.

Like Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat, these three are afloat in a somewhat uncomfortable landscape but together they navigate their way through with enough anecdotes to make it worthwhile.

With a target of 3st to lose over five months, the three pursue their mission while attempting to retain their joie de vivre. As the New Year dieter knows, that can be jolly hard, especially when the next shoot lunch beckons.

This book is a funny inspiration to change just enough to temper the snoring and rekindle the sex lives. Not a promise but it’s worth a go.

By George Courtauld Constable, £13

A NATURE POEM FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

How delightful to end, or start, each day with a poem that reminds us of the sheer marvellousness of our natural world. We are a nation long obsessed with the changing of the seasons, the weather and the countryside around us. And Jane Mcmorland Hunter has shaped the 365 nature poems she has chosen to reflect the changing seasons and our pastoral yearnings.

Starting at 1 January, work from poets traditional and new marks the passing year, from John Clare and Emily Dickinson, to John Milton and Ted Hughes. Many poems are not given in their entirety, an extract or a verse capturing an observation of the natural world. But each offers the reader a glimpse of a world we too often forget about.

With the dawn of the new year, let nature be your guide, and keep this charming volume on the bedside table. Discover new poems and renew your appreciation of our green and pleasant land.

Edited by Jane Mcmorland Hunter Batsford, £19

A YEAR IN THE FRAME

We all have our favourite moments of the racing year. It may be the November meeting at Cheltenham (a personal highlight) or the thrill of April at Aintree, perhaps Kempton on Boxing Day or splendid Ascot in June, the thundering of hooves at Chantilly or on the snow of St Moritz.

Award-winning photographer Edward Whitaker presents his third collection of exquisite racing imagery, with an introduction by ITV Racing’s Ed Chamberlain.

The books runs in month order, from January to December, each month a separate chapter. Here we see disconsolate jockeys and victorious ones, flying horseshoes, the string on the gallops and the racetracks and the crowds. Whitaker’s eye captures the magic of the world of the turf and the everyday life of those who inhabit it.

The photographs are well presented on the page and beautifully edited. The best-turned-out prize is a shoo-in. Whitaker’s book makes it first past the post and should find itself on any racing enthusiast’s coffee table.

By Edward Whitaker Racing Post Books, £30

THE GREAT SHOOTS

It is sometimes worth reminding ourselves of the sheer shooting bounty we enjoy within the British Isles. Yes, today it often seems as though we are under attack, but we have an extraordinary sporting heritage, one that is very much worth fighting for.

Brian Martin’s revised book has become a part of our shooting heritage, well known and much loved as a guide to how the sport developed in this country and the fabled names that became part of its fabric. This version is fully revised and updated 10 years on from the previous imprint.

After a decent, wellresearched section on the bare bones of the sport – the whys, hows and wheres – the best shooting estates are given their dues, area by area. The estates echo to the bangs of long-established sporting prowess: Elveden and Holkham, The Grange and Long Mountain, Coombe Sydenham and so on.

Martin adeptly catalogues the history, shooting and social lives of these great shoots. They are the fascinating highlights that can punctuate your season – if you’re lucky enough to receive an invitation.

By Brian P Martin Quiller, £35