Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Lost Britain
subtitle
David Long

Michael O'Mara Books
22 October 2015 / ISBN 9781782434399
Non Fiction / Travel / England / History

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde
 

 

As time marches on things that were once important pass into history, and then vanish altogether. If you have ever thought that this was a shame then this is the book for you. The subtitle to this book is

“An A-Z of forgotten landmarks and lost traditions” and this is what you can find within. Discover why Bristol did not produce a fleet of luxury airliners, find out about lost languages like Polari and Norn, lost Roman towns and villages last inhabited during the Black Death, a military canal, the oldest railway tunnel and more

This is the sort of book that is just made for coffee tables and anywhere else you want to put a book that is just asking to be dipped into. Illustrated with many line drawings and filled with short, very readable accounts it is an ideal gift if you can bear to part with it. The topics are presented alphabetically and listed at the front together with the county they can be found in. The cover too gives a hint as to what can be found in here, from duck decoys to lamplighters, Fritchley Tunnel to Woodstock Palace. If you live in the UK many of the topics might already be known to you such as King John’s lost treasure, Borley Rectory, debutantes and Doggerland whereas others have familiar names but less familiar tales behind them. Paying on the nail, the atmospheric railway, knockers up, back to backs and more have explanations (short and to the point) that are fascinating and less well known. Others such as Britain’s largest nude figure, Munitionettes, Phyllis and Ada and West Tofts had eluded me entirely until I opened this book. This is not a book to read in one sitting but it is a lot of fun to dive in, pick a subject and find out about it. I have seen other books offering something similar but this one is free of being overly sensational and just presents the facts, which are interesting enough on their own. A great stocking filler at under a tenner.

 



Reviewed 2015
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