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Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
by Sharak
Bill Bryson is probably the funniest person alive.
A big statement, I hear you say, but it's so true. I've read this book upwards of ten times now, and every time I find a new part of the book to laugh at (or, more frequently, a bit I've read already makes me laugh out loud). I've had some odd looks while reading this book in ... public due to my uncontrollable laughter.
If you're unaware of the premise of this book, Bill Bryson is an American who (used to) lives in England - this book is his take on the relatively unknown and uncelebrated parts of not just England, but the whole of Great Britain, via the means of a tour on public transport around the whole island (hence the title).
In another author's hands, this would be a dull book full of historical insight and boring interjections on the journey. Bryson, however, while keeping the historical insight - managing to keep it light and airy and easily digestible) includes much more of his personal feelings about the places he goes and how he gets there (and his dealings with English people and terminology) makes this book an absolute delight to read.
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I Know You Got Soul - Jeremy Clarkson
by jj1977
Love him or loathe him, Jeremy Clarkson continues to be succesful in pretty much whatever he turns his hand to. Obviously with a career that began in journalism, it was never going to be too big a stretch for him to turn his hand to writing. This book is different to his usual tomes in that rather than consisting of regurgitating his ... Times column into collected volumes, he instead gives his views on some of his favourite engineering icons.
First published in 2004 in hardback form, Clarkson lists the items he believs that have taken on a quality that goes beyond being just the best in their class. Each machine is the subject of a brief history of how it came to be and then Clarkson pours out his thoughts as to why the particular item goes beyond the norm.
From the SR-71 Blackbird to the SS Great Britain to the USS Dwight DEisenhower and even into the realms of fiction with the Millenium Falcon (described as a cheeseburger which explains its long lasting appeal to the Americans!!) this book will fill the reader with information worth knowing and some not while asking us to think about the value we place on inanimate objects and why they are important to us.
The inspiration for the book is the Concorde, or to be exact the tragedy that befell it in Paris in 2000. Clarkson notes that while feeling saddened for those who died in the disaster and the families affected, there was also sadness for the plane itself. From that point the question of why that was inspired him to look at those other engineering icons that engender those same feelings.
I loved this book. Not only as a fan of Clarkson himself, but also who can understand the appreciation not just for technological achievement, but rather for trying in the first place. Those machines which finacially make no sense and are completely pointless, but yet are attempts by man to do something that pushes the boundaries. This book celebrates that and is a worthwhile read and having been published for a while, you can pick up a copy for around £5. Fans of Top Gear will love it. And while you may not agree with his assesments, you'll think about them at least.
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Walks on the Clwydian Range - David Berry
by markos9
The Clywdian Range is a chain of hills stretching twenty two miles from Prestatyn to the Nant y Garth pass in the south. The range's highest point is Moel Famau, which at 1820 feet high almost qualifies as a mountain.
The area is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; a classification which gives some idea of the ... gorgeous scenery the visitor can expect. Offering a huge diversity of landscapes such as heather moorland, woodland, limestone crags, and rolling green hills, the Clywdian Range is a Mecca for walkers.
Being located close to the population centres of the Wirral, Liverpool and Chester, this is a much visited location, but sixty square miles can hide a lot of people and, as long as one avoids the 'tourist routes', peace and solitude is only a short car journey away.
The Kittiwake guide to walks on the Clywdian Range gives the reader a choice of twenty two walks to choose from, spread across the whole of the range. All walks are circular and between four and seven miles in length. Ranging from easy to energetic, there are walks for almost everyone, described here.
Some walking guide books give extensive descriptions, and marry the text to gorgeous, evocative, colour photographs: this is not one of those books. The guide consists of only forty two pages, so each walk is allocated only one half to two pages. This is not a criticism, however. The descriptions are more than adequate to allow the walk to be undertaken and each page is packed with relevant information on the walk and the local area.
This is a cleverly and thoughtfully designed book. The back page contains a colour map of the area, with all twenty two walks marked on it. The inside cover summarises the walks showing length, difficulty, grid reference/starting point, and brief remarks about the area. These two pages allow a walk to be chosen almost immediately, based on location and interest. All walking guides should have information presented in this way (sadly, they don't).
There is a small information box at the beginning of each walk description. This gives a brief summary of the walk, the start points, length, and suggested time taken.
There is, of course, a map for each walk. Unlike more expensive walking guides, these are not taken from the Ordnance Survey (or equivalent), but are hand drawn. These are perfectly adequate to follow the route, but it is advisable to have an OS map of the area, too.
The route description is divided into sections with 'waypoints'; the text of the route describing each waypoint in turn. The text details not only the route to follow, but describes the local area, too.
The Clywdian Range is steeped in history, with no less than six Iron Age hill forts; one of the highest concentrations in Europe. Industrial history is evident, too, with lead and zinc mines, as well as limestone quarries, dotting the area. Each walk has something of interest to see, and the author has carefully planned the walk to coincide with many of the places of interest on the range.
I find visiting such sites fascinating and the author should be congratulated for informing the reader about the local area, rather than just detailing a walk from A to B.
Many of the walks are adjacent to others in the book, so longer walks can be designed by linking walks together. Where there's a good local pub or restaurant local to the walk, its location and any other relevant information is given.
This is an excellent little guide, and will be invaluable to anyone looking to walk the Clywdian Range. I've been walking here for five years, retreading all the popular routes. Owning this book has allowed me to branch out and see new sites I would not have otherwise known about, enhancing my enjoyment of this beautiful part of North Wales.
At £4.95 from Amazon, this book is a bargain and I highly recommend it to those who want to walk the lovely Clywdian Range.
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