Description

Book Synopsis

''A heartwarming spectacle of desolation.'' THE SPECTATOR
''Deeply enjoyable ... a celebration of both the ordinary and the extraordinary.'' THE SCOTSMAN

An evocative social history of Europe''s peatlands, moors, bogs and heaths.

Donald S. Murray spent much of his childhood either playing or working on the moor, chasing sheep across empty acres and cutting and gathering peat for fuel.

The Dark Stuff is an examination of how this landscape affected him and others. Donald explores his early life on the Isle of Lewis together with the experiences of those who lived near moors much further afield, from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and even Australia. Examining this environment in all its roles and guises, Donald reflects on the ways that for centuries humans have represented the moor in literature, art and folktale, and he reveals how in some countries, these habitats remain an essential aspect of their industrial heritage and working life today.

On his journey, Donald confronts the unexpected how Europe's peatlands are part of the dark heart of that continent, playing a crucial role in the history of crime and punishment in several countries. He also examines our current perception of moorland, asking how for the sake, perhaps, of our planet's survival we can learn to love a landscape we have all too often in our history denigrated, feared and despised.

The Dark Stuff

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    A Paperback by Donald S. Murray

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      Book details

      Publisher Bloomsbury
      Imprint Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Published 31 January 2025
      ISBN-13 9781399426312
      978-1399426312
      ISBN-10 1399426311
      Also in:
      Social and cultural history

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      ''A heartwarming spectacle of desolation.'' THE SPECTATOR
      ''Deeply enjoyable ... a celebration of both the ordinary and the extraordinary.'' THE SCOTSMAN

      An evocative social history of Europe''s peatlands, moors, bogs and heaths.

      Donald S. Murray spent much of his childhood either playing or working on the moor, chasing sheep across empty acres and cutting and gathering peat for fuel.

      The Dark Stuff is an examination of how this landscape affected him and others. Donald explores his early life on the Isle of Lewis together with the experiences of those who lived near moors much further afield, from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and even Australia. Examining this environment in all its roles and guises, Donald reflects on the ways that for centuries humans have represented the moor in literature, art and folktale, and he reveals how in some countries, these habitats remain an essential aspect of their industrial heritage and working life today.

      On his journey, Donald confronts the unexpected how Europe's peatlands are part of the dark heart of that continent, playing a crucial role in the history of crime and punishment in several countries. He also examines our current perception of moorland, asking how for the sake, perhaps, of our planet's survival we can learn to love a landscape we have all too often in our history denigrated, feared and despised.

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