In his new book, Darwin and the Queer Origins of Life, historian Dr Ross Brooks finds that Victorian naturalists can teach us a thing or two about the nature of sex

Volunteers painstakingly gather plastic pellets washing up on beaches after ship collision on 19 July

Upcoming history and non-fiction titles that have caught my eye

A revelatory cultural history of our relationship with native wildlife, from newts doing handstands to Mrs Tiggy-Winkle

It’s human nature to trust strongmen, but we’ve also evolved the tools to resist them

Book highlights performer’s wartime contribution and how she used her fame to provide cover and promote equal rights