Books by Simon Cooper

COMING OUT IN MARCH: Tales from The Mill a collection of my short stories and writing that charts the 1,000 years of history of Nether Wallop Mill, but more importantly the tales of the strange lives and antics of the animals, creatures, fish and birds that live in this little slice of my English chalkstream valley.

Order your copy of Tales from The Mill today to guarantee delivery in late February, three weeks ahead of publication on 19th March. All other books are in stock for immediate delivery. Orders of £15 or more qualify for free post and packing to UK addresses. Click here to place your order, request a signed copy or the addition of a message. Overseas delivery available on request.

Life of a Chalkstream

"Beautifully written and steeped in a true understanding of its subject."

Life of a Chalkstreamis the story of a river that I discovered and brought back to life. A beautiful English chalkstream neglected for a generation or more. But perfection comes at a price, and the book charts the highs and lows of the year I took to bring it back from the brink. This is not so much a tale about people (they are mostly bit players as the events unfold) but rather the creatures that make their lives in and around the river and how the changes affected them for better or worse.

Come with me as we see the river fill with salmon and eels, returning from years at sea and a journey of thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Watch as those efficient predators the otters, pike and herons show themselves to deadly effect. Follow the adventures and travails of the fly fishers who take their turn on the river. In the air the swallows mark the changing of the seasons. By night the owls hover over the water meadows, a hunting ground that rarely fails to give up a victim. By day the water voles and tiny mammals scurry in the dry grasses and tall banks, making families that live life on the edge.

This is not just the tale of a river but the community that lives by it. How every creature, however big, small, fast or apparently unimportant has a niche and a role in the life of a chalkstream. But all is not as it should be. After decades of neglect much must be done to prevent the river spiralling towards oblivion. Saving it will be no easy task.

These are just a few of the great reviews:

“If you fish for trout and grayling, or if you love the English countryside, then you'll also love this book which, for me, ended too soon.”

“Pastoral and modern, it will interest naturalists, anglers and daydreamers.”

“Up there with Tarka the Otter for the marvellous river and nature writing.”

The Otters’ Tale

"It is the best popular account of the lives of otters written so far."

Otters hold an almost unique place in the animal kingdom of the British Isles, being one of the very few creatures that give birth once every two years. They are the most secretive yet also the most popular mammals – they are found in every county but are so rarely seen that they have been raised to mythical status.

When I bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalkstream in southern England, little did I know that I would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters. Yet move in they did, allowing me to begin to observe them, soon immersing myself in their daily routines and movements. I developed an extraordinary close relationship with the family, which in turn gave me a unique insight into the life of these fascinating creatures.

I interweave the personal story of the female otter, Kuschta, with the natural history of the otter in the British Isles, only recently brought back from the brink of extinction through tireless conservation efforts. Following in the footsteps of Henry Williamson’s classic 1920s tale Tarka the Otter, you are taken on a journey through the calendar year, learning the most intimate detail of this most beautiful of British mammals.

Here are some of the very kind reviews and comments about The Otters’ Tale:

 “… Cooper knows more about otters than Henry Williamson (Tarka the Otter) or Gavin Maxwell (Ring of Bright Water).”

“…. an amiable story of a family of otters that take up residence in his water mill.”

“Cooper writes in this splendid book about otters in general but particularly about Kuschta a female.”

“Well written and lots of information about otters combined with a story which makes absorbing all the information an interesting read.”

Frankel: The Greatest Racehorse of All Time

“An imaginative retelling of the legendary story ….
Cooper paints a complete picture of Frankel.”

In horse racing greatness is defined by speed. Being the second fastest counts for little. You have to win. And win. And keep winning until every challenger of your generation is put to the sword. Of the twelve horses lined up on Newmarket Heath that 2011 day, one would do just that. And more. To become the greatest racehorse that has ever lived.

Frankel was born three years earlier on 11th February 2008, with four white socks and blaze, from impressive equine lines on both his parents’ sides. Simon Cooper revisits the whole of the horse’s life, giving readers an inside tour of the calm oasis that is life at a stud farm, where a foal will live with his mother for the first year of his life. Next, the atmosphere of heady possibility that marks the early days of training. Breaking in. Gallops. Trials. Turning raw potential into something more. Frankel begins to set himself apart.

A detailed and fast-paced narrative breathlessly recounts the racing career of the horse who, by his retirement to stud at the age of four, would be rated the greatest of all time. Cooper weaves the horse’s tale with his trainer battling cancer, the stable hands who coped with his explosive nature, the work rider who tamed him, the jockey who rode in all fourteen of his races and the owner who saw his potential from the very beginning

The result is a rich and multifaceted tale of modern horse racing, the lives of everyone involved, human and equine, and the unadulterated glory of winning. And winning is everything.

Read the publication day article Racing Post

Read the review Racing Post

Read the review The Independent

Read the review The Field