<p>‘A charming trayful of historical canapés, always and repeatedly surprising. Sally Coulthard is able to conjure a wonderful sense of intimacy with the lives of the past.’<strong> Adam Nicolson</strong></p>
<p><em>'</em>A really lovely, fascinating book. I dived straight into this clever, joyous, celebration of the countryside.' <strong>Charles Spencer</strong></p>
<p>'An unusual and ingenious collection of objects, each unexpected and always fascinating. Very enjoyable.' <strong>Christopher Hadley</strong></p>
<p>'Beautifully illustrates the challenges people faced and the ingenuity and humour they used to overcome them. Relaxed and conversational, I couldn't put it down.' <strong>Francis Pryor</strong></p>
<p>'Exquisitely detailed and informative. A heady joy that I am delighted to recommend.' <strong>John Wright</strong></p>
<p>‘Explores how the artefacts peasants, farmers and craftspeople left behind, from toys to tools, provide a connection with our rural forebears.’ <strong>CPRE</strong></p>
<p>'Informative and illuminating. A portable museum of a book that I will return to again and again.' <strong>Ruth Allen</strong></p>
<p>'Terrific. Authoritative but very readable.' <strong>Alex Johnson</strong></p>
<p>'Terrific. A tasty box of treats I dipped into a few times every day.' <strong>Jim Leary</strong></p>
<p><em>''</em>Coulthard explores our rural past through a gathered assemblage of wonderful and intriguing objects.' <strong>Rose Ferraby</strong></p>
<p>'Brilliantly off-kilter … Lyrically, succinctly and wittily told, the cascade of object stories creates an ebb and flow of enduring connections to people and land riven with currents of change and danger.’<strong> British Museum magazine</strong></p>
<p>'Truly a wonderful book … definitely on my Christmas present list.' <strong>Time Team Book of the Month</strong></p>
<p>'You'll find it very difficult to put down!' <strong><em>Countryside </em>Magazine Book of the Month</strong></p>
<p><strong>'</strong>Coulthard’s books are both well-loved and wide-ranging. … Eminently readable.' <strong><em>Yorkshire Life</em></strong></p>
<p>'A literary treasure chest.' <strong><em>The Arts Society Magazine </em></strong></p>

A Waterstones Best Book of 2024: Nature Writing

The untold story of rural Britain revealed through its artefacts

'A really lovely, fascinating book. I dived straight into this clever, joyous, celebration of nature, history, and – of course – the countryside.' Charles Spencer, author of The White Ship

For most of human history, we were rural folk.

Our daily lives were bound up with working the land, living within the rhythm of the seasons. We poured our energies into growing food, tending to animals and watching the weather. Family, friends and neighbours were often one and the same. Life revolved around the village and its key spaces and places – the church, the green, the school and the marketplace.

And yet rural life is oddly invisible our historical records. The daily routine of the peasant, the farmer or the craftsperson could never compete with the glamour of city life, war and royal drama. Lives went unrecorded, stories untold.

There is, though, one way in which we can learn about our rural past. The things we have left behind provide a connection that no document can match; physical artefacts are touchstones that breathe life into its history. From farming tools to children’s toys, domestic objects and strange curios, the everyday items of the past reveal fascinating insights into an often-forgotten way of life. Birth, death, celebration, work, crime, play, medicine, beliefs, diet and our relationship with nature can all be read from these remnants of our past.

From ancient artefacts to modern-day memorabilia, this startling book weaves a rich tapestry from the fragments of our rural past.

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<p>The acclaimed history of Britain’s unique rural past, from prehistory to the present day</p>

The acclaimed history of Britain’s unique rural past, from prehistory to the present day

  • 100 b/w, illus

Beautifully illustrated with bespoke linocut drawings by acclaimed artist Neil Gower.

Promotion will target partnerships with organisations like the National Trust, English Heritage, CPRE, National Parks and non-traditional accounts like museum shops, high street heritage shops etc. Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life, The Weald and Downland Museum, St Fagan’s

Covers a vast range of locations and places up and down the country, with plenty of scope to link in region and place-specific talks and promotional activities.

Sally has a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology from Oxford and has brought this to bear in the research.

Endorsements will come from people like James Rebanks, Robert Macfarlane,Oliver Rackham, Lara Maiklem, Simon Armitage and host of other prominent public figures.

Sally also writes a column for Country Living magazine called ‘A Good Life’

She also has a beautiful and high-quality social media presence dedicated primarily to her life on a smallholding in North Yorkshire. On Instagram as @salcoulthard

Competition: The History of the Countryside;Mudlarking;English Pastoral;A Natural History of the Hedgerow;Red Sky At Night;Field Work;Meadowland;The Almanac;The Forager’s Calendar. By;James Rebanks;John Lewis-Stempel;Lara Maiklem;Oliver Rackham;Lia Leendertz;John Wright;Jane Struthers;Bella Bathurst

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780008559458
Publisert
2025-02-13
Utgiver
Vendor
HarperNorth
Vekt
240 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
129 mm
Dybde
25 mm
Aldersnivå
00, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
336

Forfatter

Biografisk notat

Sally Coulthard is an expert in all things nature, history and craft. She has published over twenty-five non-fiction books and her titles have been translated into a dozen languages. She studied Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Oxford and worked in television before becoming a writer. She lives on a smallholding in North Yorkshire with her family and writes a column for Country Living magazine called ‘A Good Life’.