What do you think?
Rate this book
Seasons
The Nature of Autumn
In autumn nature stages some of its most enchantingly beautiful displays; yet it's also a period for reflection, melancholy even, as the days shorten and winter's chill approaches. Taking in September to November, Jim Crumley tells the story of how unfolding autumn affects the wildlife and landscapes of his beloved countryside. Along the way, Jim experiences the deer rut, finds phenomenal redwood trees in the most unexpected of places, and contemplates climate change, the death of his father, and his own love of nature; thus painting an intimate - and deeply personal - portrait of a moody and majestic British autumn.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published August 25, 2016
14 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Jim Crumley
60 books52 followersJim Crumley is a Scottish nature writer with almost 20 books to his name, mostly on the landscape and wildlife of Scotland. He is renowned for his style - passionate, inspiring, visionary, sensitive, majestic - no work of his should be missed. He is also a columnist and presenter of radio programmes.
He has also received the accolade of '...the best nature writer now working in Great Britain...' from David Craig in the Los Angeles Times Book Review.
He has also received the accolade of '...the best nature writer now working in Great Britain...' from David Craig in the Los Angeles Times Book Review.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 29, 2017
Each season offers its own basket of delights, in winter we have the skeletal trees set against the grey skies, spring brings an outpouring of life and acid greens. Summer, such that it is, is a time of balmy days and abundant food. Before you know it, autumn is upon us once again and nature starts its most dramatic change of all. As the light ebbs, leaves start the process of leaching chlorophyll back into the tree and changing to a fantastic range of colours, the warm days are tempered by sharper mornings and the mists soften the countryside.
Autumn is one of Jim Crumley’s favourite seasons, an emotion triggered after seeing geese flying overhead when he was young. He takes us on a journey around his home country of Scotland travelling from the lowlands up into the Highlands and across to the islands to see the Autumn unfold. His travels take him to see the vast whooper swan flocks that have headed down from the Arctic, the ancient brocks that only exist in this part of the world and he seeks out the Redwoods that grow there. His keen eyes see the golden eagles that float over the mountains, the traces of otters and beavers that live in the rivers, the fleeting glimpses of deer in the woods the blur of a stoat and watching an owl float silently over a field.
There is nothing particularly profound in here, just the stories of a man who takes the time to head out as often as he can to sit and watch the world inexorably grind through the first flush of autumn to the arrival of the snows. He is great at finding the words that fill in the picture of the place that he is visiting; so much so that you feel that you are sitting alongside him at certain points as he takes in the views. As well as being a eulogy to autumn, it is a reflective book too, he takes a moment to celebrate his late father and grandfather and their achievements. It did take a little away from the main point of the book though, but it is still worth reading for his gentle, lyrical language.
Autumn is one of Jim Crumley’s favourite seasons, an emotion triggered after seeing geese flying overhead when he was young. He takes us on a journey around his home country of Scotland travelling from the lowlands up into the Highlands and across to the islands to see the Autumn unfold. His travels take him to see the vast whooper swan flocks that have headed down from the Arctic, the ancient brocks that only exist in this part of the world and he seeks out the Redwoods that grow there. His keen eyes see the golden eagles that float over the mountains, the traces of otters and beavers that live in the rivers, the fleeting glimpses of deer in the woods the blur of a stoat and watching an owl float silently over a field.
There is nothing particularly profound in here, just the stories of a man who takes the time to head out as often as he can to sit and watch the world inexorably grind through the first flush of autumn to the arrival of the snows. He is great at finding the words that fill in the picture of the place that he is visiting; so much so that you feel that you are sitting alongside him at certain points as he takes in the views. As well as being a eulogy to autumn, it is a reflective book too, he takes a moment to celebrate his late father and grandfather and their achievements. It did take a little away from the main point of the book though, but it is still worth reading for his gentle, lyrical language.
May 26, 2017
Another Crumley book well written, and though enjoyable, it does not quite hold together as a concept the way the Encounters series did. Also, I felt there was a little too much promotion of, and quotes from, his earlier books, in the text.
November 17, 2017
Jim Crumley’s first memory is of geese flying over his parents’ garden in Dundee one September. Although he was born in midsummer, he likes to think of himself as a “child of autumn” due to how much he loves the season and all it evokes for him, including the magic of leaves and acorns, and unforgettable encounters with birds and other wildlife: “autumn, in my mind, is a tapped kaleidoscope, a shifting sorcery of shapes and shades, a revitalising of the wild year after the too-long dirge of late summer, a maker of daring moods.”
In 2015 Crumley set off from his home in Stirling on a series of journeys to trace the coming of autumn and revisit some of his favorite subjects to write about. “It is always the air that announces the change,” he notes: “It sharpens, cools and gently startles. It smells of hedgehogs.” He explores reed beds, sandbanks, marshes and stands of redwoods; he spies on seals and golden eagles. Green woodpeckers, kingfishers and whooper swans are his familiars in this quest for wonder.
Storm Abigail and an appearance at Wigtown Book Festival punctuate his wanderings, while memories of his grandfather, a famous footballer, and his father, who died 40 years ago, form a human counterpart to the natural world’s mixture of beauty and sadness. Crumley’s goal is always to wait and watch for long enough that special moments come to him: “a gift for stillness has been my saving grace[;] … once in a while the quality of the watching rises above the norm on a buoyancy of accumulated experiences, and briefly achieves a kind of perfection.”
I occasionally found this book a bit overwritten. It seemed odd to me that the author kept quoting from his previous works, and I wasn’t sure how a chapter on Robert Burns was meant to be relevant. However, I think this should appeal to your average reader of UK-centric nature and travel books. Crumley certainly makes a good case for the necessity of paying attention to the natural world: “If we as a species cannot recover the art of listening to the lost speech of the land, we are on a short road to nowhere at all.”
Originally published at Nudge.
In 2015 Crumley set off from his home in Stirling on a series of journeys to trace the coming of autumn and revisit some of his favorite subjects to write about. “It is always the air that announces the change,” he notes: “It sharpens, cools and gently startles. It smells of hedgehogs.” He explores reed beds, sandbanks, marshes and stands of redwoods; he spies on seals and golden eagles. Green woodpeckers, kingfishers and whooper swans are his familiars in this quest for wonder.
Storm Abigail and an appearance at Wigtown Book Festival punctuate his wanderings, while memories of his grandfather, a famous footballer, and his father, who died 40 years ago, form a human counterpart to the natural world’s mixture of beauty and sadness. Crumley’s goal is always to wait and watch for long enough that special moments come to him: “a gift for stillness has been my saving grace[;] … once in a while the quality of the watching rises above the norm on a buoyancy of accumulated experiences, and briefly achieves a kind of perfection.”
I occasionally found this book a bit overwritten. It seemed odd to me that the author kept quoting from his previous works, and I wasn’t sure how a chapter on Robert Burns was meant to be relevant. However, I think this should appeal to your average reader of UK-centric nature and travel books. Crumley certainly makes a good case for the necessity of paying attention to the natural world: “If we as a species cannot recover the art of listening to the lost speech of the land, we are on a short road to nowhere at all.”
Originally published at Nudge.
November 4, 2019
My first book of nature writing. I think it's bizarre that the author quotes himself so much. I'm also not down with the ungodly amount of orthographical errors. Does this quality come with the territory of the genre?
November 11, 2025
What a lovely lovely book. I truly felt like I was meeting a friend through this book. It re-awakened my childhood dream to be a naturalist and just soak in God's creation until I burst with wonder and worship. I also fed my always present but hibernating desire to live in Scotland or Scandinavia - someplace dark, cold, harsh, and beautiful. There is a bit of hobbitness and elvishness mixed in this book, in the love of trees and birds. Crumley is a kindred spirit.
The writing in this book is excellent and intoxicating. It made me want to get more of his books and the books he spoke highly of. His love and awe and wonder at nature is such as to make you look at your humdrum corner of the world, your oak tree, with a fresh gaze. I loved the September section best, probably because it matched November in Texas best.
So why only 4 stars?
He got into a bit of environmentalism and since the book is now 10 years old, it comes across a bit hysterical. I don't think any of his panicked fears have materialized, or not in the "the world is ending" why it's described. It was a bit obnoxious in such a beautiful book. Thankfully it wasn't too heavy handed, but it did taint the October and November section. So there are points where he couldn't resist getting a little preachy. I get it. It would be hard not to, but it did make you move from awe and wonder to feeling like child with a disappointed parent shaking his finger at you.
Other than that, great book! I do plan to read it again next year.
The writing in this book is excellent and intoxicating. It made me want to get more of his books and the books he spoke highly of. His love and awe and wonder at nature is such as to make you look at your humdrum corner of the world, your oak tree, with a fresh gaze. I loved the September section best, probably because it matched November in Texas best.
So why only 4 stars?
He got into a bit of environmentalism and since the book is now 10 years old, it comes across a bit hysterical. I don't think any of his panicked fears have materialized, or not in the "the world is ending" why it's described. It was a bit obnoxious in such a beautiful book. Thankfully it wasn't too heavy handed, but it did taint the October and November section. So there are points where he couldn't resist getting a little preachy. I get it. It would be hard not to, but it did make you move from awe and wonder to feeling like child with a disappointed parent shaking his finger at you.
Other than that, great book! I do plan to read it again next year.
January 29, 2022
Updated rating after second read (2 to 4*). I was a bit prejudiced the first time around, because of a certain opinion of the author. But this book perfectly captures the images and colours of autumn.
October 25, 2021
A very enjoyable read and one I flew through. You can’t go wrong with Crumley, particularly when he is talking about my favourite time of year. Crumley speaks about the trees, the leaves, geese, swans, sparrowhawks, deer, beavers, badgers, and the lack of ancient predators driven to extinction in Scotland. Reading it autumn definitely helped, but although it isn’t my favourite Crumley book, was so entranced by this all the same.
October 30, 2017
From September through tom the last day of November. and Autumn, Jim Crumley has painted a beautiful landscape pf colours and hues, one that will live with the reader for a long tome after closing the book.
Set in Scotland, , the reader is transported to Scotland, where, we thanks to the poetical writing , we can feel the cold crisp air , see the colours of the leaves as they fall to the ground, making , homes for the Mice and Hedgehogs, hear the clash of antlers as the rutting Deer.
As the days shorten and the nights lengthen, we from the comfort of our armchairs get to see the wonderful changes that Autumn brings,
This is the first book I have read of Jim's , but it will not be the last, a must read for all Nature lovers.
This is one to treasure, one to re read, as the first leaf falls...
Set in Scotland, , the reader is transported to Scotland, where, we thanks to the poetical writing , we can feel the cold crisp air , see the colours of the leaves as they fall to the ground, making , homes for the Mice and Hedgehogs, hear the clash of antlers as the rutting Deer.
As the days shorten and the nights lengthen, we from the comfort of our armchairs get to see the wonderful changes that Autumn brings,
This is the first book I have read of Jim's , but it will not be the last, a must read for all Nature lovers.
This is one to treasure, one to re read, as the first leaf falls...
October 26, 2019
3.5 stars. A pleasant book of musings by Crumley as he goes on nature walks and birdwatching excursions in Scotland during the autumn season. He has a knack for describing the natural environment so you feel transported to the places he's visiting and the animals he is observing. But I would have enjoyed it even more if alongside Crumley's reflective observations of nature, he had also provided some scientific information about autumn nature.
November 29, 2022
What a disappointment! Excepting the first few chapters, what this book really is is more of a collection of random nature-related (and sometimes not) musings written down during autumn rather than an exploration of, as the title says, the nature of autumn. Add to that the author's bizzare (and overused) practice of quoting from his earlier publications, and it's just too much.
October 14, 2019
Jim Crumley is a prolific author of natural history books. This book is a meditation on what autumn means to the author, it doesn't try to give an overview of autumn or look in any detail about the specific events of autumn in the UK. Rather Crumley wanders round the hills, lochs and coasts of Scotland and observes nature.
There are some wonderful pieces of description here. He recounts with detail wildlife encounters such as an encounter with a hunting sparrowhawk; a moment when he was surrounded by a flock of long tailed tits, and an entertaining argument between a herring gull and two ravens over a piece of fish:
'one of (the ravens) moved towards the gulls tail in a series of small, sideways hops, a few furtive steps at a time, carefully out of range. The gull was disconcerted, curved its body towards its tail and snapped at the raven. In the two seconds that manoeuver occupied, the first raven darted in, speared a mouthful of fish and jumped backwards.'
The encounter ended with the gull being totally defeated and the ravens winning most of the fish.
Crumley offers some useful insights into how to watch nature and how to best approach writing about nature. He tends to seek too often to mention other books he has written, but is generally an interesting writer and readers will find themselves enjoying the atmosphere of the season.
There are some wonderful pieces of description here. He recounts with detail wildlife encounters such as an encounter with a hunting sparrowhawk; a moment when he was surrounded by a flock of long tailed tits, and an entertaining argument between a herring gull and two ravens over a piece of fish:
'one of (the ravens) moved towards the gulls tail in a series of small, sideways hops, a few furtive steps at a time, carefully out of range. The gull was disconcerted, curved its body towards its tail and snapped at the raven. In the two seconds that manoeuver occupied, the first raven darted in, speared a mouthful of fish and jumped backwards.'
The encounter ended with the gull being totally defeated and the ravens winning most of the fish.
Crumley offers some useful insights into how to watch nature and how to best approach writing about nature. He tends to seek too often to mention other books he has written, but is generally an interesting writer and readers will find themselves enjoying the atmosphere of the season.
December 5, 2025
I didn't realise there was a Scotland focus prior to reading, but this worked. I was introduced to various environs and a range of animals and birds that share this planet with us. The author has a great local and working knowledge and is very patient to watch eagles watch for hrs! I'll - no doubt - pick up one of the other three (in the series) and continue to enjoy the outdoors. And as I write, the skyline and horizon are a deep blue / purple while the birds twitter away. Aha, the natural world.
September 12, 2022
This short book beautifully sums up the nature of autumn , the wild life , the flora and the sense of winter approaching . It is set in a number of beautiful locations within Scotland , not always the most obvious places , mostly around Stirling where the author lives . He writes well and guides you into November . A chapter on Robert Burns jars as it doesn’t quite fit but Otherwise a gentle read and I look forward to reading his musings on the other seasons
May 9, 2019
This book is as beautifully crafted as the matter Crumbley so passionately delves in. A really indepth meditation on the world of nature, which moves through a season which doesn't so much mark the death of an era, as humans tend to percieve it, but heralds in the birth of a new one. Made me look at Autumn in a new light.
January 10, 2021
Probably 3.5. I wonder why he quotes himself from previous works so much.
Read
October 25, 2021DNF @ 96 pages
January 2, 2023
Lovely book, nicely written, poetic and melancholy at parts - overall a beauty of a book. One of my favourites!
October 17, 2024
Dnf sipmly duevto running out of library time. But enjoyed it, including bits of poetry.
September 22, 2025
A meander through autumn in Scotland, this book made me wish to create and know my own patch and to long for nature to take the central place it deserves in decision making.
February 4, 2017
No me gustó mucho porque se me hizo muy "random", aunque trata de darle el hilo de los días de otoño que llegan y se van, lo sentí muy por todos lados y con poca información, pero está bien escrito y me dieron ganas de leer otros libros del autor ya que al parecer ha escrito muchos más y sobre muchos temas (siempre sobre observación de la naturaleza). Este lo escribió al sentirse en el otoño de su vida y piensa mucho en su papá y la muerte.
Me gusta el vínculo profundo de ciertas culturas con su tierra y en este caso, lo escocés del autor y la tierra que conoce mejor. Pensé en los libros de outlander que estaba leyendo y dejé porque no podía con el drama y fue refrescante leer de la Escocia natural como tema principal en lugar de ser solo el "backdrop" para una historia romántica.
Me gusta el vínculo profundo de ciertas culturas con su tierra y en este caso, lo escocés del autor y la tierra que conoce mejor. Pensé en los libros de outlander que estaba leyendo y dejé porque no podía con el drama y fue refrescante leer de la Escocia natural como tema principal en lugar de ser solo el "backdrop" para una historia romántica.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews