Author:Laurie Lee
A moving portrait of the landscape that shaped the life of Laurie Lee, the beloved author of Cider With Rosie
'Before I left the valley I thought everywhere was like this. Then I went away for 40 years and when I came back I realized that nowhere was like this.'
Laurie Lee walked out of his childhood village one summer morning to travel the world, but he was always drawn back to his beloved Slad Valley, eventually returning to make it his home.
In this portrait of his Cotswold home, Laurie Lee guides us through its landscapes, and shares memories of his village youth - from his favourite pub to winter skating on the pond, the church through the seasons, local legends, learning the violin and playing jazz records in the privy on a wind-up gramophone.
Filled with wry humour and a love of place, Down in the Valley is a writer's tribute to the landscape that shaped him, and where he found peace.
It is a fine thing to revisit this writer's landscape and hear his amiable voice in it again.
—— Michael Caines , Times Literary SupplementDown in the Valley is truly evocative of time and place. A beautiful illustration of how, in some way, we are all indelibly influenced by the landscape of our childhood.
—— Raynor Winn, author of The Salt PathA cartographer and scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, Fretwell has created 70 new maps each revealing different aspects of the icy continent. We learn the locations of the "pole of ignorance", the world's driest place, and the largest penguin colonies, but also about the human history and politics of the region and - alarmingly - what Antarctica might look like once all the ice is gone.
—— Financial TimesShows Antarctica in wonderful detail ... Peter Fretwell tells the tale of Antarctica through a collection of carefully constructed maps setting out the continent's geology, people and nature
—— Gege Li , New ScientistA collection of maps and data from a leading cartographer seen in a new and fresh way ... really informative
—— Sandra Pereira , Portugal NewsFull of courage, camaraderie and daring escapades, this reads like a Boys' Own adventure.
—— Daily MirrorExhilarating
—— Good HousekeepingIt's an exciting story that will inspire young people to pursue their wildest ambitions, no matter how impossible they may seem.
—— S MagazineA riveting read from start to finish
—— TruckingCompelling
—— Choice MagazinePacked with bizarre, thrilling, stomach-churning anecdotes[...] gives an incredible insight into the mind of an adrenaline junkie, test pilot, father and astronaut which many more than just spaceflight enthusiasts with enjoy
—— BBC Sky at Night MagazineExhilarating
—— Sunday ExpressAfter the year we've had on Earth, the prospect of an extended sojourn in space might seem more appealing than usual. Who better to guide us into the cosmos than Tim Peake? [...] Awe-inspiringstuff
—— Evening StandardAn inspiringread about reaching for the stars
—— News LetterTim...shows how an ordinary boy from Chichester can achieve extraordinary feats through limitless willpower and ambition
—— Sussex LifeThe story of an unremarkable British boy who became a remarkable British astronaut and role model. It's an insight into the hows and whys and wherefores of European spaceflight, with some fun anecdotes of how NASA and the Russian do it as well.
—— The Unconventional GardenerFull of escapades, Peake's autobiography reads like a Boys' Own adventure
—— The Daily MirrorHis observations are unmatched among his peers . . . listen to what your body and your brain are telling you: thank goodness for Dara
—— Big IssueWise, lyrical and well-researched . . . [Dara's] candid enthusiasm, his powers of observation, his passion for nature - all are being rediscovered by a world population forced to stop short and take stock
—— The Irish TimesA torrent of pure, unmediated fervour . . . an extraordinarily accomplished work for any writer, let alone one who is still a teenager . . . This is writing at its wild and unruly best
—— Dr Rachel Clarke , The LancetAn extraordinary diary . . . it's a powerful pitch for why the school curriculum needs to be wilded and a reminder of the value of neurodiversity in literature
—— The Times