In 1915 the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (later to become The Wildlife Trusts) published a list of 284 places in Britain and Ireland 'worthy of preservation' as permanent nature reserves. The list was the brainchild of the Society's founder Charles Rothschild. It included shingle beaches, highland mountains, ancient woods, stretches of coastline, unspoilt heaths and marshes where Rothschild and his colleagues would search for rare insects and plants. It was the first list of its kind and it had a formative influence on nature conservation as we know it in the United Kingdom. Although some of the places selected by Rothschild have been lost and destroyed, many are still protected for wildlife.

In Prophet and Loss Simon Barnes explores the Rothschild List today. He travels to wild places in Scotland, England and Wales - from seabird islands to the fens. He also examines Charles Rothschild the man and reflects on the story of nature conservation and the fight to protect our last wild places. Profits from sales go to The Wildlife Trusts.