Overview

Tales of escape and adventure on Britain's waterways; In The Pull of the River two foolhardy explorers do what we would all love to do: they turn their world upside down and seek adventure on their very own doorstep.; In a handsome, homemade canoe, painted a joyous nautical red the colour of Mae West's lips, Matt and his friend James delve into a watery landscape that invites us to see the world through new eyes.; Over chalk, gravel, clay and mud; through fields, woodland, villages, towns and cities, they reveal many places that otherwise go unnoticed and perhaps unloved, finding delight in the Waveney, Stour, Alde/Ore, upper and lower Thames, Lark, Great Ouse, Granta and Cam, Wye, Otter, Colne, Severn and the Great Glen Trail.; Showing that it is still possible to get lost while knowing exactly where you are, The Pull of the River is a beautifully written exploration of nature, place and friendship, and an ode to the great art - and joy - of adventure.

Full Product Details

Author:   Matt Gaw
Publisher:   Elliott & Thompson Limited
Imprint:   Elliott & Thompson Limited
ISBN:  

9781783963348

ISBN 10:   1783963344
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   05 April 2018
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contents; Prologue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix; 1. A secret world.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1; 2. Escape routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29; 3. Abuse and misuse.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63; 4. Spirit of the river . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91; 5. A world transformed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111; 6. Tales of adventure.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137; 7. River seekers.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165; 8. Alone on the water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189; 9. Shaped by the river. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211; 10. Into the wild.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231; Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259; Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

Reviews

Gaw is an excellent writer ... [his] spirited book will encourage others to seek out such waterways, and to appreciate the importance of conserving them - Nancy Campbell, Times Literary Supplement; Engaging and beautifully written ... Gaw's nature writing scintillates - The Countryman; It's just glorious ... a marvellous book ... it really put me in a good mood - Georgey Spanswick, BBC Radio; Beautifully written and highly engaging ... it cries out with a message from its pages - a message that life is an adventure and, if you have the physical capacity to do so, it's best spent out of that armchair - outdoors, active and immersed in nature - East Anglian Daily Times; Just started this and already have a hankering for a canoe and a long weekend on the river... - EspressoCoco book blog; Seen from the water, Britain's familiar landscapes are made mesmerisingly new. The Pull of the River is a hugely satisfying work of exploration and reclamation, and one that will have you itching to cast off on your own riparian adventure - Melissa Harrison, author of Rain: Four Walks in English Weather; Following in the long and distinguished tradition of The Wind in the Willows and Three Men in a Boat, Matt Gaw spends his time `messing about in boats'. In doing so, he entertains not only himself but us, in this delightful account of exploring the wonder of our waterways -- Stephen Moss, author and naturalist; A Lark for the soul - Paul Evans, author of Field Notes from the Edge; A joyful and beautifully written account ... if it doesn't make you want to pick up a paddle and head to your nearest river, you're reading it wrong - Waterways World magazine

Engaging and beautifully written ... Gaw's nature writing scintillates - The Countryman; It's just glorious ... a marvellous book ... it really put me in a good mood - Georgey Spanswick, BBC Radio; Beautifully written and highly engaging ... it cries out with a message from its pages - a message that life is an adventure and, if you have the physical capacity to do so, it's best spent out of that armchair - outdoors, active and immersed in nature - East Anglian Daily Times; Just started this and already have a hankering for a canoe and a long weekend on the river... - EspressoCoco book blog; Seen from the water, Britain's familiar landscapes are made mesmerisingly new. The Pull of the River is a hugely satisfying work of exploration and reclamation, and one that will have you itching to cast off on your own riparian adventure - Melissa Harrison, author of Rain: Four Walks in English Weather; Following in the long and distinguished tradition of The Wind in the Willows and Three Men in a Boat, Matt Gaw spends his time `messing about in boats'. In doing so, he entertains not only himself but us, in this delightful account of exploring the wonder of our waterways -- Stephen Moss, author and naturalist; A Lark for the soul - Paul Evans, author of Field Notes from the Edge

Seen from the water, Britain's familiar landscapes are made mesmerisingly new. The Pull of the River is a hugely satisfying work of exploration and reclamation, and one that will have you itching to cast off on your own riparian adventure - Melissa Harrison, author of Rain: Four Walks in English Weather; Following in the long and distinguished tradition of The Wind in the Willows and Three Men in a Boat, Matt Gaw spends his time `messing about in boats'. In doing so, he entertains not only himself but us, in this delightful account of exploring the wonder of our waterways -- Stephen Moss, author and naturalist ; A Lark for the soul - Paul Evans, author of Field Notes from the Edge

Author Information

Matt Gaw is a writer, journalist and naturalist who lives in Bury St Edmunds. His work has been published in the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Times. He works with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, edits Suffolk Wildlife, currently writes a monthly country diary for the Suffolk Magazine and is a director of the Suffolk Festival of Ideas. This is his first book.

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