Reading List

I read as much as I can about the philosophy and experiences of walking. This is a non-exhaustive reading list that has inspired me. I read a lot of science-fiction, history and science too.

  • The Old Ways, The Wild Places, Is a River Alive, Robert Macfarlane โ€“ a few titles, I think I have read all his work
  • The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd โ€“ just astonishing
  • Waterlog, Roger Deakin โ€“ enjoyable nature writing, as are his other works
  • The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton โ€“ it’s not where you go, its why you go
  • Clear Water Rising, Two Degrees West โ€“ Nicholas Crane – my wife would perhaps draw the line at a year away
  • Walking Home, Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic, Simon Armitage โ€“ I need a proper explanation for the ending of his walk on the Pennine Way
  • Map of a Nation, Rachel Hewitt โ€“ awestruck by the determination of the early Ordnance Survey pioneers. Trig pillar collectors bible
  • Art made by Walking in Landscapes, Richard Long. I can’t get enough of his conceptual art
  • Bridget Riley โ€“ her shimmering abstract paintings speak to anyone who has immersed themselves in nature
  • Round Ireland in Low Gear, Eric Newby โ€“ aspirational travel approach
  • Lone Rider, Elspeth Beard โ€“ deeply personal and raw account of travelling around the world on a motorcycle in the 1980s
  • The Peregrine, J A Baker โ€“ at first I thought a work of fiction, later I understood
  • The Refusal of Work, David Frayne โ€“ If you are having a problem finding time to do this stuff
  • One Woman Walks Wales, and One Woman Walks Europe, Ursula Martin โ€“ inspiring, raw and honest writing
  • The Nightingale, Sam Lee โ€“ connecting with nature
  • The Edge of the World, Michael Pye โ€“ How the North Sea shaped who we are
  • Where the Winds Are, Nick Hunt โ€“ story of famous winds
  • The Land of Maybe, Tim Ecott โ€“ insight into the Farne Islands
  • Silence, Walking, Erling Kagge โ€“ when you spend too much time in nature alone, this is how you write
  • Fire Weather, John Valliant โ€“ scary account of Canadian wildfire and the power of nature
  • Affluensa, Oliver James โ€“ depression, addiction, and ennui
  • THE PERIMETER, Quintin Lake โ€“ a photographic collection of the coastline of Britain that could only be taken by a long-distance walker. You have to admire someone who carries several kilos of camera equipment, while cutting the handle off a tick fork to save 1/2 gram.

…other notable titles Coral, the Revenge of Gaia, When the Rivers Run Dry, Five Times Faster, Sea Change, Semiosis, Late Light, The Draw of the Sea….

Plus some backpacking reference books, which only tempt me to spend money, but are very valuable sources of information nonetheless. Reading these led me into the world of the lightweight backpacker, mostly with a US perspective, suited to walking for extended periods in the wilderness. It seems timely that I now have an opportunity to lighten the load for my age, which I hope will extend my walking years.

  • Ultralight Backpacking Trips – Mike Clelland – like the cartoons
  • Lightweight Backpacking – Ray Jardine – serious stuff
  • The Backpackerโ€™s Handbook – Chris Townsend – Pretty much the reference to all aspects of backpacking

All will help you achieve backpacking nirvana and a <10kg total pack weight.  Of course, if you are not camping or backpacking and are using B&Bโ€™s and YHA Hostels, you pack should already be lightweight – right?

Sometimes I think it might be more cost effective to lose some weight.  For that, I need to go walking, Catch 22 eh?

Websites are numerous – Let Me Google That For You

I havenโ€™t really found a definitive accommodation website for walkers.  Booking.com comes close. You have to do your research online using some of the above sites, which takes time. I have mixed feelings about TripAdvisor www.tripadvisor.com. On one hand, I hope it contributes to the improvement of standards, on the other, I prefer the sweet surprise of an undiscovered gem.

Leave a Reply

Scroll to Top