Mountains and uplands Books

Book SynopsisWINNER: Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature 1997Paul Pritchard's Deep Play is a unique, stylish and timeless commentary reflecting the pressures and rewards of climbing some of the world's hardest and most challenging rock climbs.Pritchard started climbing in Lancashire before moving to join the vibrant Llanberis scene of the mid-1980s, at a time when the adventurous development of the Dinorwig slate quarries was in full swing. Many of the new slate routes were notable for their fierce technical difficulty and sparse protection, and Pritchard took a full part in this arcane sub-culture of climbing and at the same time deployed his skills on the Anglesey sea cliffs to produce a clutch of equally demanding wall climbs.Born with an adventurous soul, it was not long before Pritchard and his friends were planning exotic trips. In 1987, paired with Johnny Dawes, Pritchard made an epoch-making visit to Scotland's Sron Ulladale to free its famous aid route, The Scoop. Pritchard and Dawes, with no previous high altitude experience, then attempted the Catalan Pillar of Bhagirathi III in the Garhwal Himalaya in India, a precocious first expedition prematurely curtailed when Pritchard was hit by stonefall at the foot of the face. In 1992, Pritchard and Noel Craine teamed up with the alpinists Sean Smith and Simon Yates to climb a big wall route on the East Face of the Central Tower of Paine, Patagonia. Pritchard followed this with an equally fine first ascent of the West Face of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island.Other trips – to Yosemite, Pakistan and Nepal as well as returns to Patagonia – resulted in a clutch of notable repeats, first ascents and some failures. The failure list also included two life-threatening falls (one on Gogarth, the other on Creag Meaghaidh), which prompted the author into thought-provoking personal re-assessments, in advance of his later near-terminal accident on The Totem Pole in Tasmania.A penetrating view of the adventures and preoccupations of a contemporary player, Deep Play stands alone as a unique first-hand account of what many consider to be the last great era in British climbing.Trade Review"It is a remarkable book. It is a love letter to the mountain, an obituary for lost friends, a Joycean study of a community. Most of all, in its roughshod description of thrills and achievement, adventure and comradeship ... it's an explanation of a way of life." (Sabine Durrant, The Guardian.) "Not since The Hard Years has the social background of a leading protagonist been so effectively drawn. Touching on themes of economic deprivation, failing education standards and the brutish myopia that affected Britain, but especially England, in the 1980s, Pritchard illustrates how climbing was, at least then, a rare way to escape from monochrome to glorious Technicolor." (Ed Douglas, Climber Magazine.) "It is bold, experimental, innovative in its narrative and descriptive material in a way which is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the prize." (Peter Gillman, Boardman Tasker Prize Chair of Judges.)Table of ContentsContents AcknowledgementsForeword by John Middendorf Preface to the 2012 Edition Introduction – Playing the System CrackFire-Starter Rubble Merchants, Slateheads and Others Lost in the Broccoli Garden A Piece of Driftwood On the Big Stone Bhagirathi Diary Outside the AsylumCentral Tower of Paine: El Regalo de Mwono Paine North Tower: El Caballo de Diablo Just Passing Through The Doctor and the Witch A Game One Climber Played AdriftHyperborea A Survivor’s Affair Making Castles in the Sand Deep PlayersOn the Shark’s Fin with Philip Lloyd Accidental Hero – Silvo Karo A Lesson in Healing from Andy Parkin Author’s Glossary Notes about the Essays

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Book SynopsisNo matter where they are located in the world, communities living in mountain regions have shared experiences defined in large part by contradictions. Trade ReviewGlobal Mountain Regions is an outstanding addition to the inventory of the interdisciplinary field of montology, the study of mountains. For any scholar or student interested in the human dimensions of mountain regions, many if not all of the essays will be valuable references. * American Ethnologist *Table of ContentsContentsSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Hard Times" 1: Introduction: Listening to Voices across Global Mountain Regions Ann Kingsolver and Sasikumar BalasundaramSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Mother Jones' Farewell (I Was There)" 2: After Coal, through FilmTom Hansell and Patricia Beaver Song Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Wigan Pier" 3: Mountains, Coal, and Life in British Columbia and West Virginia Paul S. Ciccantell4: Black Diamonds Crystal Good5: Historicizing Poverty and Marginalization in the Southern Mountain Regions of Malawi Tony MilanziSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Momma Was a Union Woman" 6: Voices for Community Rights in Amazonia Monica ChujíSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Blue Ridge Mountain Refugee"7: Indigenous Social Movements in Mountain RegCarmen Martinez Novo, Shannon Elizabeth Bell, Subhadra Mitra Channa, Annapurna Devi Pandey, and Luis Alberto Tuaza CastroSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "People Like You"8: Rebuilding Mountain Communities after Natural and Human-Made DisastersJude L. Fernando, Lina Maria Calandra, Stephanie McSpirit, Pam Oldfield Meade, Jeremy Paden and Shaunna L. ScottSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "The Border Line"9: Moving Heaven and Earth behind MountainsDaniel JosephSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Black Gold"10: Environment, Health, and JusticeMary K. Anglin, Gregory V. Button, and Dolores Molina-RosalesSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "When the Morning Breaks"11: Circulating News in Rural China and AppalachiaAl Cross and You You12: Thinking About the FutureJane Jensen, Marco Pitzalis, Mir Afzal Tajik, and Alan J. DeYoung13: Jirga: Everyday Peace-Building in Rural Mountain Communities of PakistanSajjad Ahmad Jan14: Mapping and Measuring Digital Divides in Mountain RegionsStanley D. Brunn and Maria ParadisoSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "My Old Times"15: Artifacts of HomeSaakshi Joshi16: Resonating with the TreesJasper Waugh-QuasebarthSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Traveler"17: Appalachian and Carpathian ExchangesJessica Murray and Iryna Galuschchak18: Appalachian and Columbian Connections through Cerulean Warbler MigrationRegina Donour19: Experience and ExpertiseLisa B. Markowitz20: Sustainable Livelihoods in Extreme LandsDipak R. PantSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Aragon Mill"21: Comparing Rural Livelihood Transitions in the Catalan and Sardinian Regions of Europe and the Appalachian Region of the United StatesDomenica Farinella, Ann Kingsolver, Ismael Vaccaro, and Oriol BeltranSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Wild Rose of the Mountain"22: Honey Corridors in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Appalachian Coal Production Areas Tammy Horn Potter and Kunal SharmaSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "The Gap ($8,825) an Hour"23: Agricultural Sovereignty and Arabica Coffee Production in EthiopiaAklilu RedaSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "The Flume"24: Creating Sustainable Post-extraction Livelihoods in the Central Appalachian CoalfieldsNathan HallSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "Gone, Gonna Rise Again"25: Reforestation Can Contribute to a Regenerative Economy in Global Mining RegionsChristopher D. Barton, Kenton Sena, and Patrick N. AngelSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "We're Still Here"26: Palestinian Responsible Tourism for Cross-Cultural UnderstandingAsma Jaber and Michel AwadSong Lyrics by Si Kahn: "A Time for Us All"27: Conclusion: Looking Toward the Future in Global Mountain RegionsFelix Bivens, Sasikumar Balasundaram, and Ann KingsolverIndex

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Book SynopsisStretching 1,200 kilometres across six countries, the colossal mountains of the Alps dominate Europe, geographically and historically. Enlightenment thinkers felt the sublime and magisterial peaks were the very embodiment of nature, Romantic poets looked to them for divine inspiration, and Victorian explorers tested their ingenuity and courage against them. Located at the crossroads between powerful states, the Alps have played a crucial role in the formation of European history, a place of intense cultural fusion as well as fierce conflict between warring nations. A diverse range of flora and fauna have made themselves at home in this harsh environment, which today welcomes over 100 million tourists a year. Leading Alpine scholar Jon Mathieu tells the story of the people who have lived in and been inspired by these mountains and valleys, from the ancient peasants of the Neolithic to the cyclists of the Tour de France. Far from being a remote and backward corner of Europe, the Alps are shown by Mathieu to have been a crucible of new ideas and technologies at the heart of the European story.Trade Review‘In the realm of Alpine history, Jon Mathieu is the leading voice – he knows the mountains as Braudel knew the sea. This compact but comprehensive overview of one of the world’s most famous mountain regions stands out for its sophistication, clarity and wry humour.’Donald Worster, author of A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir​ ‘If I could recommend only one book about the Alps, it would be this one! Jon Mathieu’s book crosses national borders and historic periods with the greatest of ease. It introduces us to cultural and ecological challenges. And – most importantly – it is a great and enjoyable read. A book full of surprises and insights and wonderful illustrations.’Christof Mauch, Director, Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, LMU Munich ‘An engaging, rigorous overview of Alpine history from earliest times to the present. This book represents in some ways the culmination of a life’s work by Mathieu, and offers the most up-to-date account of Alpine history possible, while being at the same time accessible and enjoyable to read.’Tait Keller, Rhodes College ‘Mathieu is a leading authority on the history and culture of the Alps, and it shows.’Stewart A. Weaver, University of Rochester “Mathieu addresses the deep connection between humans and nature in the cultural landscape of the European Alps, ranging from the Mediterranean coast to Slovenia… The Alps is an indispensable book in any Alpine connoisseur’s collection.” Prof. Jörg Balsiger, University of Geneva “Mathieu’s episodic but informative narrative tacks back and forth, from the arrival of hunter-gatherers millennia ago through milestones such as the first recorded ascent of Mont Blanc, in 1786, and wolves’ resurgence in the twentieth century.”NatureTable of Contents Preface Writing a History of the Alps Personal Note and Acknowledgements List of Maps and Figures Timeline 1. The Alps in European History 2. Modern Scholars on the Alps 3. In the Beginning was Hannibal 4. Coping with Life – High and Low 5. Paths to the Nation State 6. Religious Culture, Early Science 7. The Perception of the Alps 8. Which Modernity? 9. Europeanisation and Environmentalism 10. Conclusion Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisOutwardly, 'Britain's most experienced teenage Alpinist' is a brave young mountaineer. But he's not experienced at all, at least not in the way he really wants to be. Behind his death-defying climbs there lurks a great deal of fear - fear of the opposite sex, fear of failure, fear of not being 'man enough'. He seeks manhood in the mountains, yet he believes he will only truly gain it by losing something. Harrowing escapades in Scotland, the Alps and Alaska are interspersed by excruciating sexual encounters and unsettling hitch-hiking rides. When the mountains fail him, he seeks meaning with a religious cult in Colorado. Eventually he succeeds in his quest, only to find that he's lost more than he bargained for. Virgin on Insanity by Steve Bell is a coming-of-age story of high adventure, youthful insecurity and immature love. The situations might be extreme, but the deeper issues will be familiar to many.

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Book SynopsisOn 30 January 1981 Joe Tasker and Ade Burgess stood at 24,000 feet on the West Ridge of Mount Everest. Below them were their companions, some exhausted, some crippled by illness, all virtually incapacitated. Further progress seemed impossible.Everest the Cruel Way is Joe Tasker's story of an attempt to climb the highest mountain on earth – an attempt which pushed a group of Britain's finest mountaineers to their limits. The goal had been to climb Mount Everest at its hardest: via the infamous West Ridge, without supplementary oxygen and in winter. Tasker's epic account vividly describes experiences that no climber had previously endured. Close up and personal, it is a gripping account of day-to-day life on expedition and of the struggle to live at high altitude.Joe Tasker was one of Britain's best mountaineers. He was a pioneer of lightweight, alpine-style climbing in the Greater Ranges and had a special talent for writing. He died, along with his friend Peter Boardman, high on Everest in 1982 while attempting a new and unclimbed line. Both men were superb mountaineers and talented writers.Trade Review'If any writer has expressed the essence of winter climbing in the Himalayas, it is Joe Tasker.' – Reinhold MessnerTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsForeword by Chris Bonington ‘A Great Partnership’Chapter 1 A Step FurtherChapter 2 The Idea and the TeamChapter 3 Going to the Widow MakerChapter 4 Attacking the RampartsChapter 5 The Lho LaChapter 6 Progress and PunishmentChapter 7 ChristmasChapter 8 Grim NightsChapter 9 ‘In the mountains one forgets to count the days’Chapter 10 Attrition and the Turning PointChapter 11 Straight TalkingChapter 12 The Wind Up

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Book SynopsisHans Florine embodies the genius of andcollaborative and competitive, fast and safe, audacious and disciplined, visionary and quantitative. The themes that run through Florine''s 101 ascents of Yosemite''s most iconic route can benefit people who will never climb a rock, indeed anyone inspired by the idea of a passionate, lifelong quest of any type. Jim Collins, author of Good to GreatHans Florine is a big-wall climbing legend in his own time. He holds the speed record on the Nose route of El Capitan, a 3,000-foot granite cliff in Yosemite Valley that's considered the Everest of the rock-climbing world. Ascending the Nose takes most climbers anywhere from 12 to 96 hours. Florine, along with climbing partner Alex Honnold, does it in an astounding 2.5 hours.But Florine's story is not one of super-human athletic prowess; it's one of persistence and dogged determination. In 30 years of climbing, he''s ascended the Nose a mind-blowing, death-defying 100 times, more tTrade ReviewHans Florine embodies the genius of "and"—collaborative and competitive, fast and safe, audacious and disciplined, visionary and quantitative. The themes that run through Florine's 101 ascents of Yosemite's most iconic route can benefit people who will never climb a rock, indeed anyone inspired by the idea of a passionate, lifelong quest of any type. -- Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

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Book Synopsis'What a wonderful, honest, refreshing book, full of free-spirited adventure, humour and profound thoughts to provide inspiration to anyone who simply dreams of getting out and doing their own thing' SIR CHRIS BONINGTON'Ernest Shackleton listed those qualities an explorer should possess over a century ago: optimism, patience, idealism with imagination, and courage. Vanessa's qualities are truly akin to these' ALEXANDRA SHACKLETONWhen Vanessa O'Brien was made redundant in 2008 as part of the recession, she moved to Hong Kong with her husband for his career and resigned herself to being 'just the wife'. There she was, aged 46, bored, uninspired, unemployed. Was this going to be how she was going to live the rest of her life?One night in the infamous Kee Club, over shots of tequila, a friend suggested O'Brien climb Everest, and that was the start of an epic journey she never looked back from as she climbed Everest, K2 and many other mountains.This is her inspirational story. As O'Brien says, she couldn't explain to her readers how she got to the top of K2 at the age of 52 without being honest about what came before. In To the Greatest Heights, she reveals the trials and tribulations of her difficult childhood, and the result is a life-affirming book that shows how she achieved these climbs in spite of and because of her past.To read To the Greatest Heights is to know that there is a path to overcoming the worst of what happens to us, a path that helps us reach the summit of our lives too, whatever our age.Trade ReviewWhat a wonderful, honest, refreshing book, full of free-spirited adventure, humour and profound thoughts to provide inspiration to anyone who simply dreams of getting out and doing their own thing * Sir Chris Bonington *Ernest Shackleton listed those qualities an explorer should possess over a century ago: optimism, patience, idealism with imagination, and courage. Vanessa's qualities are truly akin to these * Alexandra Shackleton *O'Brien's story is deep in insight and observation. An impressive read * Peter Hillary, Chairman of the Himalayan Trust *To The Greatest Heights is a modern-day version of Dick Bass's book, but on steroids. A must read * Forbes magazine *

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Book SynopsisOn 25 January 2018, Élisabeth Revol and her climbing partner Tomasz Mackiewicz summited Nanga Parbat, the killer mountain. Situated in the Karakoram, the world’s ninth-highest peak is an immense ice-armoured pyramid of rock rising to an altitude of 8,125 metres. Élisabeth and Tomek had completed only the second winter ascent of the mountain, and Élisabeth had become the first woman to summit Nanga Parbat in winter. But their euphoria was short-lived. As soon as they reached the top, their adventure turned into a nightmare as Tomek was struck by blindness.In her own words, Élisabeth tells the story of this tragedy and the extraordinary rescue operation that resounded across the globe as fellow climbers flew in from K2 to help the stricken pair. She confronts her memories, her terror, her immense pain and the heartbreak of having survived, alone. To Live is Élisabeth Revol’s poignant tribute to her friend and climbing partner.Trade Review'First-person accounts of Himalayan ascents by women are few and far between, and To Live is a worthy addition to any mountain literature collection.' – UKClimbing.com

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Book SynopsisPraise for The Weekender Effect: What happens to paradise when you carve it up into lots and sell it? Bob Sandford writes about it with clarity and a deep love of the places he knows so well. Sandford''s story of one town''s mutation from a quiet mountain haven to an overcrowded, generic ''outpost of globalization'' is essential reading for those who care about community and our last few glorious spaces. --Thomas Wharton, author of Icefields, Salamander and The Logogryph Equal parts manifesto, meditation, and love song to mountain communities everywhere, this calmly passionate book belongs in every house, condo, tent and backpack in the mountain West and on university courses on nature writing, the environment, community, citizenship, sense of place, human geography and many more. This is essential reading for anyone who lives in, lusts after or loves the mountains. --Pamela Banting, President, Association for Literature, the Environment and Culture in Canada As cities continue to grow at unprecedented rates, more and more people are looking for peaceful, weekend retreats in mountain or rural communities. More often than not, these retreats are found in and around resorts or places of natural beauty. As a result, what once were small towns are fast becoming mini cities, complete with expensive housing, fast food, traffic snarls and environmental damage, all with little or no thought for the importance of local history, local people and local culture. The Weekender Effect is a passionate plea for considered development in these bedroom communities and for the necessary preservation of local values, cultures and landscapes.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Snowdonia National Park and the Society, dedicated to conserving and enhancing its unique landscape, is one which will fascinate and inform those who live and work within it as well as being of interest to visitors, be they picnickers or sightseers or committed hill walkers, climbers, canoeists and mountain bikers. This book commemorates the fortieth anniversary of the Snowdonia Society and is a record of its sometimes turbulent history and the ever-changing but still inspiring landscape of the National Park. Created in 1951, the Snowdonia National Park is a landscape of rugged grandeur, great natural diversity and cultural associations going back thousands of years. The vision of its founders was that this very special region should be protected from harmful development for all time. From the beginning, however, there were problems? Out of these difficulties grew the idea of an independent society dedicated to conserving and enhancing the landscape. Today the Snowdonia Society has a membership of over 2,500 and has a close working relationship with both the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the Council for National Parks. This lively narrative chronicles the story of the Snowdonia Society ? its successes and failures, its internal conflict and the personalities involved ? as well as discussing the wider issues which have affected this unique landscape over the last forty years. This lavishly illustrated book will appeal to anyone who loves the rugged landscape of Snowdonia, published in dual language text of English and Welsh.Table of ContentsMap of locations 4List of Plates 5Preface by Sir Chris Bonington, CBE 7Early Days 1967-77 12Introduction 12The Society 14Landscape and Planning 18Growing Up 1977-87 30The Society 30Landscape and Planning 36Coming of Age 1987-97 46The Society 46Landscape and Planning 54Enhancement 60Into the Present 1997-2007 66The Society 66Landscape issues 72Enhancement 76Policy issues 82Conclusion 86Postscript by John Disley, CBE 88References 90Acknowledgements 91

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Book SynopsisCompiled and co-authored by veteran climber Grant Farquhar with contributions from a range of voices within Scotland's close-knit climbing community, A' Chreag Dhearg traces the rich climbing history of Angus Glens. Although less frequented than the forbidding ramparts of Glencoe or Skye, the crags and gullies in this unique area of the Cairngorms harbour classic summer and winter lines that have attracted some of Scotland's most respected climbers over the course of a century. In this engaging collection of vignettes and photographs, the origins of many of the glens' best-loved routes are described in intimate detail in an entertaining style that will appeal to both local climbers and those seeking new ventures to explore. The authors have woven the distinctive dialect and humour of this corner of Scotland into the narrative, imbuing it with a quality that is, by turns, both edgy and wistful. Despite the deceptively narrow scope of this story, the breadth with which it is considered here captures the way that climbing has developed in Scotland over time, and how this history is often exceptionally localised. A' Chreag Dhearg is both a tribute to Victorian pioneers and latter-day trailblazers and a poignant reflection on formative, youthful endeavours.

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Book SynopsisTraceless takes inspiration from the Lake District, the Gerry Charnley Round and Gerry Charnley himself. Charnley is little remembered, but was a prolific fell runner, orienteer and climber who founded the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon (KIMM), now the OMM. In his early 50s he tragically died on Helvellyn, his namesake Round was established in his memory by his friends. The ethos of the Round is on self-sufficiency and leaving no trace - the runner is encouraged to plan their own route to visit all the checkpoints, then navigate that route, creating their own line from multiple route choices. Inspired by the concept of the Gerry Charnley Round and its journey over the Lakeland fells, runners Geoff Cox and Heather Dawe have each spent time exploring and running the route. They are poets, writers and artists as well as fell runners and Traceless is a collaboration between them that celebrates their love for the fells and how spending time in them inspires them creatively.Trade Review‘What makes Traceless so special is its collaborative nature, and the way it spans poetry and prose, fact and fiction, cartography and creativity. It is, as a result of these factors, a truly unique fell-running book.’ UKClimbing (December 2020); ‘Geoff and Heather’s tribute to the Gerry Charnley Round mimics the run’s unique nature – not a line on a map, nor a series of fell-tops but a collection of places. Through prose, poetry and artwork, Traceless presents a multi-layered ode to fell-running and “going to the hills”.’Cumbria Life (December 2020)Table of Contents1. Traceless 2. Introduction 3. Borrowdale 4. As Water Flows - Part 1 5. Gerry Charnley Round - Attempt 1 6. Nightfall at Charnley Cairn - A story 7. As Water Flows - Part 2 8. Map Reading 9. Gerry Charnley Round - Attempt 2 10. As Water Flows - Part 3 11. Why Traceless? 12. Traceless Days

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Book SynopsisTwisted Mountains is a collection of short stories set among the summits of England, Scotland and Wales, from Ben Hope to the South Downs. Each tells the story of someone who has their own reasons to be in the mountains. From a vengeful student to obsessive hostel owner, the wannabe biker to the Wainwright expert with a secret. While the stories are varied in their subjects, all have mountains at their heart and a dark humour running through them. Authored by Tim Woods, Twisted Mountains provides a different take on the characters you find in and around the mountains. Tim tells their stories in the characters' varied voices, in ways that are shocking, dark, funny and sad, sometimes all at once.

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Book SynopsisThis book is unique in providing a global overview of alpine (high mountain) habitats that occur above the natural (cold-limited) tree line, describing the factors that have shaped them over both ecological and evolutionary timescales. The broad geographic coverage helps synthesise common features whilst revealing differences in the world''s major alpine systems from the Arctic to the Tropics. The words barren and wasteland have often been applied to describe landscapes beyond the treeline. However, a closer look reveals a large diversity of habitats, assemblages and individual taxa, largely connected to topographic diversity within individual alpine regions. The book considers habitat-forming factors (landforms, energy and climate, hydrology, soils, and vegetation) individually, as well as their composite impacts on habitat characteristics. Evolution and population processes are examined in the context of the responsiveness / resilience of alpine habitats to global change. Finally, a Trade Review[A] Unique global overview of alpine habitats. * Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research *[A] comprehensive introduction into the biology of alpine habitats. * Basic and Applied Ecology2009 *Table of Contents1. Introduction: what is alpine? ; 2. High mountains in latitude life zones - a worldwide perspective ; 3. Elevation gradients ; 4. The alpine environment - energy and climate ; 5. Habitat creating factors: landforms, hydrology, and soils ; 6. Alpine terrestrial habitats and community types / assemblages ; 7. Biogeography, adaptation and evolution of alpine organisms ; 8. Temporal and spatial dynamics ; 9. Global change impacts on alpine habitats: climate and nitrogen deposition ; 10. Land use and conservation of alpine landscapes, ecosystems, and species ; 11. Concluding remarks ; References ; Index

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisLaunching the landmark Performing Landscapes series, Performing Mountains brings together for the first time Mountain Studies and Performance Studies in order to examine an international selection of dramatic responses to mountain landscapes.Trade Review“There is much in this book, and indeed the Performing Landscapes series, that is crying out for further ecocritical discussion.” (Terry Gifford, Green Letters, February 21, 2021)Table of Contents1. Handrail 1: Beginnings: Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle (W#1 and 2/214).- 2. Part 1: Mountain Studies meets Performance.- 3. Part 2: Mountains in Ritual, Drama and Site-related Performance.- 4. Handrail 2: Little Rituals: Bowfell (W#9/214).- 5. Part 2.1: Mountain Rituals.- 6. Handrail 3: Narrative paths: The Fairfield Horseshoe (W#18-25/214).- 7. Part 2.2: Mountain Drama.- 8. Handrail 4: Site, light and a dark memory put to rest: Barrow and Outerside (W#41-42/214).- 9. Part 2.3: Mountain Site-related Performance.- 10. Handrail 5: Stepping up, training and a new urgency: Skiddaw and its neighbours (W#135-140/214).- 11. Part 3.1: Mountains in Microcosm: The Artistry of Training in the Studio and on the Wall.- 12. Part 3.2: Skywalk scenography: stage-managing fear and delight in mountain.- 13. Part 3.3: From Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn: Deep and Dark Play in the Alps.- 14. General Conclusion.- 15. Handrail 6: Endings: Pillar (W#214)

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Book SynopsisLandscape, politics and history: the Italian mountains as a crucible of national and natural identity. This book is part of a wider current in environmental history, that explores the links between nature and nation. It uncovers how Italian identity and mountains have constituted one another. It argues that state regimes since unification in 1861 have made mountains into national symbols and resources, thereby affecting mountain communities and ecosystems. The nationalisation of Italian mountains has been a story of military conquest and resistance, ecological and social transformation, expropriating resources and imposing meanings. The wind of 'big' history was rolling through the Alps and the Apennines: State building and national identities, totalitarianism and democracy, economic development and environmental protection, scientific knowledge and vernacular practices are the substance of this book. The book starts with the revaluation of mountains as the repository of the last Italian wilderness and chronicles the discovery/ invention of mountains as wild, primitive, and rebellious places needing to be tamed. War World I permanently transformed mountain landscapes and people, nationalising both. When the Fascists came to power, the process of politicisation of mountains reached its acme; the regime constructed and exploited mountains both rhetorically and materially, on one hand celebrating ruralism and rural people and, on the other, giving mountain natural resources to large hydro-electric corporations. Having been the sanctuary of Resistance against the Nazi-Fascist occupation, the Italian mountains were emptied by the economic boom of the 1960s; only recently have the green of natural parks and the white of the ski resorts become the distinctive colors of the new, tourist-oriented Italian mountains.Trade ReviewThis is a highly original book that changes the way we think about one of the oldest and most studied nations on earth. Through abundant details and intriguing stories, Armiero convincingly shows how central to Italy's identity its mountains have become. Donald Worster, author of A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir Armiero scales the summits of environmental history, deftly blending cultural and materialist approaches. His book provides a full and fascinating account of the evolving role of mountains in shaping Italian nationalist imagination and the role of nationalism in shaping the mountain landscapes. J.R. McNeill [Armiero] deftly weaves together the varied threads of ecological and socioeconomic connections of mountain country and mountain peoples in the fabric of modern Italian history. The result is a rich and convincing pattern revealing the shapes of mountain images and mountain realities in culture, resistance movements, war, hydropower development, and landscape changes ... a new perspective on Italy. (Donald Hughes, Environmental History) Armiero proves the centrality of the European Alps and the Apennines in the narratives of the nation and its territory from the very beginning of the process of unification, and also in the conception and implementation of major public policies related to forestry, energy, tourism ... he combines, in a very fruitful way, an approach in terms of environmental history and the analysis of the symbolic aspects of the building of the Italian nation, materiality, and narratives. (Bernard Debarbieux, Mountain Research and Development)Table of ContentsCONTENTS: Introduction Chapter 1. Wild Mountains Chapter 2. Rebel Mountains Chapter 3. Heroic Mountains Chapter 4. Dark Mountains Chapter 5. Epilogue

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Book SynopsisLandscape, politics and history: the Italian mountains as a crucible of national and natural identity. This book is part of a wider current in environmental history, that explores the links between nature and nation. It uncovers how Italian identity and mountains have constituted one another. It argues that state regimes since unification in 1861 have made mountains into national symbols and resources, thereby affecting mountain communities and ecosystems. The nationalisation of Italian mountains has been a story of military conquest and resistance, ecological and social transformation, expropriating resources and imposing meanings. The wind of 'big' history was rolling through the Alps and the Apennines: State building and national identities, totalitarianism and democracy, economic development and environmental protection, scientific knowledge and vernacular practices are the substance of this book. The book starts with the revaluation of mountains as the repository of the last Italian wilderness and chronicles the discovery/ invention of mountains as wild, primitive, and rebellious places needing to be tamed. World War I permanently transformed mountain landscapes and people, nationalising both. When the Fascists came to power, the process of politicisation of mountains reached its acme; the regime constructed and exploited mountains both rhetorically and materially, on one hand celebrating ruralism and rural people and, on the other, giving mountain natural resources to large hydro-electric corporations. Having been the sanctuary of Resistance against the Nazi-Fascist occupation, the Italian mountains were emptied by the economic boom of the 1960s; only recently have the green of natural parks and the white of the ski resorts become the distinctive colors of the new, tourist-oriented Italian mountains.Trade Review[Armiero] deftly weaves together the varied threads of ecological and socioeconomic connections of mountain country and mountain peoples in the fabric of modern Italian history. The result is a rich and convincing pattern revealing the shapes of mountain images and mountain realities in culture, resistance movements, war, hydropower development, and landscape changes ... a new perspective on Italy. (Donald Hughes, Environmental History) Armiero proves the centrality of the European Alps and the Apennines in the narratives of the nation and its territory from the very beginning of the process of unification, and also in the conception and implementation of major public policies related to forestry, energy, tourism ... he combines, in a very fruitful way, an approach in terms of environmental history and the analysis of the symbolic aspects of the building of the Italian nation, materiality, and narratives. (Bernard Debarbieux, Mountain Research and Development)Table of ContentsCONTENTS: Introduction Chapter 1. Wild Mountains Chapter 2. Rebel Mountains Chapter 3. Heroic Mountains Chapter 4. Dark Mountains Chapter 5. Epilogue

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Book Synopsis'When a man is conscious of the urge to explore, not all the arduous journeyings, the troubles that will beset him and the lack of material gains from his investigations will stop him.' Nanda Devi is one of the most inaccessible mountains in the Himalaya. It is surrounded by a huge ring of peaks, among them some of the highest mountains in the Indian Himalaya. For fifty years the finest mountaineers of the early twentieth century had repeatedly tried and failed to reach the foot of the mountain. Then, in 1934, Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman found a way in. Their 1934 expedition is regarded as the epitome of adventurous mountain exploration. With their three tough and enthusiastic Sherpa companions Angtharkay, Kusang and Pasang, they solved the problem of access to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. They crossed difficult cols, made first ascents and explored remote, uninhabited valleys, all of which is recounted in Shipton's wonderfully vivid Nanda Devi - a true evocation of Shipton's enduring spirit of adventure and one of the most inspirational travel books ever written.

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