{"product_id":"watling-street-9781474603485","title":"Watling Street","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e''A bravura piece of writing - Bill Bryson on acid'' Tom Holland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinding its way from the White Cliffs of Dover to the Druid groves of Anglesey, the ancient road of Watling Street has gone by many different names. It is a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth, of Bletchley Park codebreakers, Chaucer, Boudicca, Dickens and James Bond. But \u003ci\u003eWatling Street\u003c\/i\u003e is not just the story of a route across our island. It is an acutely observed exploration of Britain and who we are today, told with wit and an unerring eye for the curious and surprising.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'In \u003ci\u003eWatling Street\u003c\/i\u003e, an exploration of modern Britain and what it means to be British today, Higgs offers a more nuanced understanding of the national psyche . . . \u003cb\u003ea book for our times\u003c\/b\u003e' -- Ian Thomson * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eMischievous and iconoclastic\u003c\/b\u003e . . . [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' -- Melissa Harrison * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e'A new vision of England . . . \u003cb\u003efull of magic\u003c\/b\u003e, mystery and bits of William Blake' -- Ian Samson * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003ebravura\u003c\/b\u003e piece of writing - \u003cb\u003eBill Bryson on acid\u003c\/b\u003e' -- Tom Holland\u003cbr\u003e'It has been said by the old magicians that Watling Street was created in a single night. Or revealed to us between sleeping and waking - a potentiality that is always there but which we have to learn to read. John Higgs does just that:\u003cb\u003e a bright necklace of recoveries and collisions and remarkable witnesses\u003c\/b\u003e. A tale-telling pilgrim to entertain and inform as we jolt along the way' -- Iain Sinclair\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003ehumorous and thoughtful\u003c\/b\u003e guide' -- Huston Gilmore * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003e'Myths combine with \u003cb\u003estaggeringly fascinating\u003c\/b\u003e facts, while Higgs' take on our national imagination and the nature of history is \u003cb\u003erefreshingly original . . .\u003c\/b\u003e [A] mad, but \u003cb\u003ebrilliant\u003c\/b\u003e, odyssey' -- Rebecca Armstrong * I Paper *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003ci\u003eWatling Street\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003eunusual, original and strangely beautiful\u003c\/b\u003e. It's \u003cb\u003efull of wonderful stories\u003c\/b\u003e about this remarkable road, \u003cb\u003eexpertly brought to life\u003c\/b\u003e by Higgs. And even though it's a travel book, it has more to say about the current climate than most political books' -- Jamie Bartlett, author of \u003ci\u003eRadicals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'On a long drive like this, your companion matters as much as the route, of course - and Higgs is an \u003cb\u003eentertaining\u003c\/b\u003e one, \u003cb\u003egarrulous\u003c\/b\u003e but disinclined to hector' -- Tom Sutcliffe * Mail on Sunday Event *\u003cbr\u003eA very interesting book . . . great fun and many surprises. One of its glories is that you feel you are in the company of a real person - this is somebody talking to you on a walk, and that's a great feature -- Alexander McCall Smith, BBC Radio 4's A Good Read\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003etruly fascinating\u003c\/b\u003e book . . . from one of the best writers on cultural history we have'\u003cbr\u003e'In these divisive times, when British identity is so much discussed, \u003ci\u003eWatling Street\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ea rich and relevant work\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003emaking a compelling case\u003c\/b\u003e that our truest heritage is simply the spirituality of the land and the vast, vibrant patchwork of our individual stories' * The Lady *\u003cbr\u003e'One of those books where you constantly find yourself underlining pithy quotes, it's a \u003cb\u003ecompelling\u003c\/b\u003e study of the origins of our national identity, at a time when it's becoming more complex than ever' * The Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003e'A \u003cb\u003efascinating, erudite and esoteric\u003c\/b\u003e portrait of Britain . . . \u003cb\u003eCliche-free and engrossing\u003c\/b\u003e, this is a wonderful book' * New European *\u003cbr\u003e'Juggling \u003cb\u003ewit and wisdom\u003c\/b\u003e, [Higgs] brings a lively twist to a thoroughly British story' * Choice *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eWry and thought-provoking\u003c\/b\u003e. Higgs expresses a history that is not simply that of kings or victors, but of the British people who have shaped the Britain we know' * Who Do You Think You Are? magazine *\u003cbr\u003e'The range of reference in this book makes for \u003cb\u003ean inspiring \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eread\u003c\/b\u003e, and anyone with an interest in British history or identity will find something to learn, and something to think about' * Your Family History *\u003cbr\u003e'In the same way that Watling Street slices through the UK, Higgs's trademark \u003cb\u003ecrystal clarity\u003c\/b\u003e of thought slices through this country's nationalistic hysteria. We owe it to ourselves to join him on this \u003cb\u003evital and endlessly insightful\u003c\/b\u003e journey'\u003cbr\u003e'It is an \u003cb\u003eambitious\u003c\/b\u003e attempt to find a grassroots British identity that eschews the political, and one that ultimately succeeds' * Big Issue in the North *\u003cbr\u003e'One of the best books I've ever read . . . \u003cb\u003eaddictively illuminating\u003c\/b\u003e in these turbulent times'\u003cbr\u003e'It's \u003cb\u003eerudite, funny, philosophical, often wildly esoteric\u003c\/b\u003e and packed with factual asides . . . Above all \u003ci\u003eWatling Street\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003eprovokes a new and exciting discourse\u003c\/b\u003e on national pride and identity. You can hear the singing of our ancestors in a chorus of shared heritage whose melody is steeped in the land' * New European *\u003cbr\u003e'[A] \u003cb\u003edelightful \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003einventive\u003c\/b\u003e contemplation of the way history has shaped Britain, and vice versa' * Geographical *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eFascinating \u003c\/b\u003estuff' * History Revealed *\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003etimely \u003c\/b\u003elook at national identity and how it forges the world around us. * WANDERLUST *","brand":"Orion Publishing Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851817107799,"sku":"9781474603485","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781474603485.jpg?v=1710645740","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/watling-street-9781474603485","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}