Marches: A Borderland Journey Between England and Scotland
Product ID: 515365760
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“An unforgettable tale.” — National Geographic In The Places in Between Rory Stewart walked some of the most dangerous borderlands in the world. Now he travels with his eighty-nine-year-old father—a comical, wily, courageous, and infuriating former British intelligence officer—along the border they call home. On Stewart’s four-hundred-mile walk across a magnificent natural landscape, he sleeps on mountain ridges and in housing projects, in hostels and farmhouses. With every fresh encounter—from an Afghanistan veteran based on Hadrian’s Wall to a shepherd who still counts his flock in sixth-century words—Stewart uncovers more about the forgotten peoples and languages of a vanished country, now crushed between England and Scotland. Stewart and his father are drawn into unsettling reflections on landscape, their parallel careers in the bygone British Empire and Iraq, and the past, present, and uncertain future of the United Kingdom. And as the end approaches, the elder Stewart’s stubborn charm transforms this chronicle of nations into a fierce, exuberant encounter between a father and a son. This is a profound reflection on family, landscape, and history by a powerful and original writer. “The miracle of The Marches is not so much the treks Stewart describes, pulling in all possible relevant history, as the monument that emerges to his beloved father.” — New York Times Book Review Review: A wise and thoughtful meditation on his past, the region’s past, and history’s patchwork influence on the present. - I loved this book and plan to re-read it. It is one of the most thoughtful books I have ever read, full of meditations and thought-provoking passages on the specific history of the border between England and Scotland, with many explorations of the Roman Empire’s mark on the land, which prompt memories of Britain’s own empire, which intertwine with a memoir of his father, who served that empire in Asia for decades. But the author goes beyond recitations of history to reflect on its patchwork influence. Why are some aspects of history still vitally important today and why are some entirely forgotten? Why are some people drawn to preserve a place’s history and culture, while others migrate from it? And so on. As well, he gives the reader a very good feel for the residents of the area and what challenges they face in daily life.All of this organized around a narrative that recounts his walks through the region, reminiscent of The Places In Between, which I also read and loved. This is a wise and thoughtful book that I savored and heartily recommend. Review: Five Stars - Brilliant book interesting historically and as a dedication to his love for his father
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 162 Reviews |
M**7
A wise and thoughtful meditation on his past, the region’s past, and history’s patchwork influence on the present.
I loved this book and plan to re-read it. It is one of the most thoughtful books I have ever read, full of meditations and thought-provoking passages on the specific history of the border between England and Scotland, with many explorations of the Roman Empire’s mark on the land, which prompt memories of Britain’s own empire, which intertwine with a memoir of his father, who served that empire in Asia for decades. But the author goes beyond recitations of history to reflect on its patchwork influence. Why are some aspects of history still vitally important today and why are some entirely forgotten? Why are some people drawn to preserve a place’s history and culture, while others migrate from it? And so on. As well, he gives the reader a very good feel for the residents of the area and what challenges they face in daily life.All of this organized around a narrative that recounts his walks through the region, reminiscent of The Places In Between, which I also read and loved. This is a wise and thoughtful book that I savored and heartily recommend.
G**W
Five Stars
Brilliant book interesting historically and as a dedication to his love for his father
C**S
A great book!
My husband asked for it for Christmas and immediately started reading it as soon as he opened it. It is a captivating book that he could not put down.
C**T
Definitely worth reading
This is a fascinating read. I highly recommend it.
M**H
The Marches and Hillbilly Elegy?
This is a book in 3 parts the first part is short and deals with the early part of Stewart's walk through the Marches (borderlands of Scotland) accompanied occasionally by his aged father. They discuss a number of topics both historical and current. The final third returns, to be again about his relationship with his father. In between (the bulk of his 1,000 mile walk) is a lot of detail about the history of the borderland of Scotland, who lived there and who lives there now. Anyone with Scottish heritage could find it interesting. But as I got close to the final part of the book I thought that I had read something similar and not too long ago. It was Hillbilly Elegy (sic) about the problems of an Appalachian family, in this case an autobiographical novel by C.D Vance. In both instances the industries that the communities relied on closed down, in Scotland those workers moved on and new industries and people moved in. In C.D. Vance's community, it largely froze and decayed, though in the borders community continuity, was also lost but with less damage. I will leave it to readers of both books to conclude why this should be. I have read two other books by Rory Stewart, one is about his walk across Afghanistan, The Places in Between. And the Prince of the Marshes about his year as a regional administrator in Iraq. I recommend both books unless you believe that the west can administer an Arab country, in which case do not read The Prince of the Marshes.
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