166 WWW.THEFIELD.CO.UK
Points of interest
AlexandraHentonenjoysa handyservice-station
guide and titles on cooking, birds and islandeering
JeremyMynott’snewbookis
byfarthemosteruditebook
onbirdsI haveeverread.It is a
compellingcombinationofthe
historyofbirdsandtheancient
worldthatthrowsbothinto
newrelief.Thebookis formed
ofsixparts,eachwithitsown
introductionandbrimming
withquotesfromclassical
authors,includingHomer,
Ovid,CatullusandAristotle.
Whilethiscouldbe
daunting,it provesfascinating.
Mynott’sfreshtranslations
andthenumerousillustrations
thataccompanythetextkeep
thenarrativebowlingalong
withoutboggingit down.The
bookbeginswith“thefirst
referencetobirdsinthewhole
ofEuropeanliterature”in
Homer’sIliad; theGreeksare
comparedtomigratorycranes.
Fromhere,seasonalmigration
ofbirdsintheAncientWorld
unfolds, there are swallows
ISLANDEERING
Theartofislandeeringcalls
ononetocircumnavigatean
islandbywalking,swimming,
coasteering,kayakingor
similar– nocars,helicoptersor
high-speedboatsallowed.Lisa
Dreweis an‘islomaniac’(the
wordwascoinedbyLawrence
Durrell)andhaschosen 50
islandsinfivegeographical
areasofmainlandBritainfor
theguide:south-westEngland;
southandeastEngland;
northernEngland; Wales;
andScotland.
Drewehasvisitedthese
constellationsofrocky,
flat,marshyandsandy
outposts,anddevotesa
chaptertoeach.A useful
descriptionoftheisland
is followedbynoteson
theterrain,distance
tocircumnavigate,
difficultyrating,howto
getthere,whatnotto
missandspecialnotes.
Eachpathis shownona
mapwithdirectionsand
accompanied by colour
NEARTHEMOTORWAYS
Theonlydecentplacetostop
ona motorway,afterbouts
oftiresomecaravandodging
andovertakingtheless
mechanicallyable,is atthe
wonderfulTebayServiceson
theM6,oritssistersiteonthe
M5atGloucester.But there
areswathesof
countrywhere
thelightof
commonsense
serviceshasyetto
prevail.It is here
thatyouneed
HughCantile’s
genuinelyuseful
handbooktucked
intotheglovebox.
Thebook
providestriedand
testedplacesto
stopjustoffthe
motorways; pubs,
Therearespicemixtures
andpastes– there’sa rhubarb
andgingerpicklethatI am
desperatetorecreate.Tryeggs
andbaconcookedona shovel,
noveltwistsforporridge,
whisky-and-spice-cured
venisonfilletorMaasaiMara,
anArabdishviathesafari
lodgesofKenyathatmarries
wellwitha Glenfarclas15.
Basan finishesherfood
odysseywith
a guideto
thewhiskies
mentionedin
thebook.Her
adventurouslife
is wellreflected
inherrecipes;
herfoodstory
is onebest
enjoyedwith
adram.
ByGhillieBasan
Kitchen Press, £25
hotelsandrestaurantswithsat
navpostcodes,openingtimes,
facilities,contactdetailsanda
short,usefuldescription.Each
entrycomeswitha detailed
smallermapandan illustration
bytheauthor.
It is rareformetoreviewa
furtheredition.
ButNearthe
Motorwaysis now
inits12thedition,
atestament
toitsgenuine
usefulness.The
eightheditionsits
snuglyinmycar
andI recommend
thatCantile’s
updatetakesa
placeinyours.
ByHughCantile
http://www.cheviotbooks.
com, £15
BIRDS IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
SPIRITANDSPICE
Augustis thesignalmonthfor
allthingsScottish,andGhillie
Basan’snewbookis anexotic
Scottishmix.Broughtupin
Africa,Basantravelledthe
worldbeforesettlingdown
ona croftinthemiddleofthe
CairngormsNationalPark.Her
newbookcombinesadventure,
spirit,soulandspice.
A fascinatingintroduction
followedbyerudite essays
onspirit,spice
andflavour
laythe
foundation
fortherecipes
thatfollow
groupedunder:
Breakfastinthe
bush;Wildfood
andforaging;
Feedingfamily
andfriends;
andSweet
contentment.
onillustratedpotteryandthe
‘lamenting’swallow song heard
bySocrates.
Mynott’sguidegoesway
beyondornithologicalinterest.
NominatedfortheWolfson
HistoryPrize,thisoriginalguide
comeshighlyrecommended.
ByJeremyMynott
Oxford University Press, £30
photographs.A ‘bestfor’
sectionatthestartflagsupthe
bestspotsforcontemplation
orskinnydipping,whichever is
mostaptforyourmood.
Thisbookremindsthe
readerofthewildplaceslying
attheedgeofourgeographical
consciousness.Theyoffer
romance,adventure,wildlife
andfreedom.Enjoy a visit
thissummer.
ByLisaDrewe
Wild Things Publishing, £17
COUNTRYESTATE
BOOKS
