Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past[1] is the fifth book by the British journalist, novelist and cultural historian John Higgs. The book charts Higgs's journey along Watling Street, one of the oldest roads in Britain, from Dover to Anglesey, during which journey he records the so-called hidden history of this ancient path from its first creation up to the present day. As well as recording the historical figures and their stories surrounding the road, Higgs also meets up with and interviews contemporary figures along the way such as Alan Moore and Alistair Fruish. The author describes the history of the road as, "Watling Street is a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth, of Chaucer, Dickens and James Bond. Along this route Boudicca met her end, the battle of Bosworth changed royal history, Bletchley Park code breakers cracked Nazi transmissions and Capability Brown remodelled the English landscape.
Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past
Cover by Steve Marking for the first edition hardback
Described as 'A journey along one of Britain's oldest roads, from Dover to Anglesey, in search of the hidden history that makes us who we are today,' Higgs traces the footsteps of ancient travellers along the full 276-mile length of Watling Street from beginning to end. Higgs attempts to reveal the forgotten stories and hidden histories of the past that have formed and been told along the thoroughfare, as well as relating ancient histories to modern day Britain.[2]
Receptionedit
The book was generally very well received with positive reviews. Caroline Sanderson of The Bookseller wrote, "One of those books where you constantly find yourself underlining pithy quotes, it's a compelling study of the origins of our national identity, at a time when it's becoming more complex than ever"; the Financial Times's Melkissa Harrison said it was "Mischievous and iconoclastic . . . [Higgs's] is a systematising imagination, able to harness disparate elements and find the patterns that animate them; that he does so in a more socially inclusive manner than many enriches his theories enormously";[3] and Ian Samson of Times Literary Supplement called it "A new vision of England . . . full of magic, mystery and bits of William Blake."[4]
It was also named Book of the Day by Ian Thompson in The Guardian,[5] with Thompson describing it: "Higgs, who has previously written about Timothy Leary and the KLF, is drawn to off-piste, countercultural subjects. Watling Street, a hybrid of travel journalism and pavement-pounding sociology, is a journey by car, train and on foot along the ancient Watling Street... In chatty, entertaining pages, he excavates Britain for myths and stories that might “serve us better” as we prepare to leave the EU.... The journey opens near St Margaret’s Bay, where Ian Fleming lived in a cottage he bought in the early 1950s from Noël Coward, and ends in the wilds of Anglesey. Higgs hopes that his journey might provide some insight into the strange, dark mood that 'hangs over our seemingly divided country'."
^Harrison, Melissa (14 July 2017). "Watling Street by John Higgs - before Brexit". Financial Times. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
^Sansom, Ian (7 July 2017). "Whither England? Psychogeography, walking and Brexit". The TLS. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
^Thomson, Ian (31 July 2017). "Watling Street: Travels Through Britain and Its Ever-Present Past by John Higgs review – the road to enlightenment". Retrieved 8 January 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
^"Watling Street by Watling Street on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
^"Watling Street - Book and podcast launch". jmrhiggs.blogspot.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
^"Watling Street Podcast by John Higgs (Podcast Series 1/4)". Retrieved 8 January 2019 – via soundcloud.com.
January 01, 1970
watling, street, book, watling, street, travels, through, britain, ever, present, past, fifth, book, british, journalist, novelist, cultural, historian, john, higgs, book, charts, higgs, journey, along, watling, street, oldest, roads, britain, from, dover, ang. Watling Street Travels Through Britain and Its Ever Present Past 1 is the fifth book by the British journalist novelist and cultural historian John Higgs The book charts Higgs s journey along Watling Street one of the oldest roads in Britain from Dover to Anglesey during which journey he records the so called hidden history of this ancient path from its first creation up to the present day As well as recording the historical figures and their stories surrounding the road Higgs also meets up with and interviews contemporary figures along the way such as Alan Moore and Alistair Fruish The author describes the history of the road as Watling Street is a road of witches and ghosts of queens and highwaymen of history and myth of Chaucer Dickens and James Bond Along this route Boudicca met her end the battle of Bosworth changed royal history Bletchley Park code breakers cracked Nazi transmissions and Capability Brown remodelled the English landscape Watling Street Travels Through Britain and Its Ever Present PastCover by Steve Marking for the first edition hardbackAuthorJohn HiggsCountryGreat BritainLanguageEnglishSubjectHistoryPublisherWeidenfeld amp NicolsonPublication dateJuly 2017Media typeHardcover paperback KindlePages384ISBN978 1 4746 0347 8Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Reception 3 Podcast version 4 Publication details 5 Further reading 6 ReferencesSynopsis editDescribed as A journey along one of Britain s oldest roads from Dover to Anglesey in search of the hidden history that makes us who we are today Higgs traces the footsteps of ancient travellers along the full 276 mile length of Watling Street from beginning to end Higgs attempts to reveal the forgotten stories and hidden histories of the past that have formed and been told along the thoroughfare as well as relating ancient histories to modern day Britain 2 Reception editThe book was generally very well received with positive reviews Caroline Sanderson of The Bookseller wrote One of those books where you constantly find yourself underlining pithy quotes it s a compelling study of the origins of our national identity at a time when it s becoming more complex than ever the Financial Times s Melkissa Harrison said it was Mischievous and iconoclastic Higgs s is a systematising imagination able to harness disparate elements and find the patterns that animate them that he does so in a more socially inclusive manner than many enriches his theories enormously 3 and Ian Samson of Times Literary Supplement called it A new vision of England full of magic mystery and bits of William Blake 4 It was also named Book of the Day by Ian Thompson in The Guardian 5 with Thompson describing it Higgs who has previously written about Timothy Leary and the KLF is drawn to off piste countercultural subjects Watling Street a hybrid of travel journalism and pavement pounding sociology is a journey by car train and on foot along the ancient Watling Street In chatty entertaining pages he excavates Britain for myths and stories that might serve us better as we prepare to leave the EU The journey opens near St Margaret s Bay where Ian Fleming lived in a cottage he bought in the early 1950s from Noel Coward and ends in the wilds of Anglesey Higgs hopes that his journey might provide some insight into the strange dark mood that hangs over our seemingly divided country Podcast version editWatling Street was released with a four part podcast series by John Higgs and the writer broadcaster David Bramwell in which the two revisit places along Watling Street and features talks poetry music performances and conversations with the various guests they are accompanied by and meet up with including Alan Moore Salena Godden Iain Sinclair Miranda Kane C J Stone John Constable Andy Miller Daisy Campbell and Lord Victor Adebowale 6 7 8 Publication details editWatling Street Travels Through Britain and Its Ever Present Past Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 2017 UK ISBN 978 1 4746 0347 8Further reading editAuthor website Publisher website Watling Street Encyclopaedia Britannica Watling StreetReferences edit John Higgs Watling Street Retrieved 8 January 2019 via www orionbooks co uk Amazon Books Watling Street Harrison Melissa 14 July 2017 Watling Street by John Higgs before Brexit Financial Times Retrieved 8 January 2019 Sansom Ian 7 July 2017 Whither England Psychogeography walking and Brexit The TLS Retrieved 8 January 2019 Thomson Ian 31 July 2017 Watling Street Travels Through Britain and Its Ever Present Past by John Higgs review the road to enlightenment Retrieved 8 January 2019 via www theguardian com Watling Street by Watling Street on Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts Retrieved 8 January 2019 Watling Street Book and podcast launch jmrhiggs blogspot com Retrieved 8 January 2019 Watling Street Podcast by John Higgs Podcast Series 1 4 Retrieved 8 January 2019 via soundcloud com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Watling Street book amp oldid 1175122084, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
