Author:Robert Macfarlane
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE
The original bestseller from the beloved author of UNDERLAND, LANDMARKS and THE LOST WORDS - Robert Macfarlane travels Britain's ancient paths and discovers the secrets of our beautiful, underappreciated landscape
'The Old Ways confirms Macfarlane's reputation as one of the most eloquent and observant of contemporary writers about nature' Scotland on Sunday
Following the tracks, holloways, drove-roads and sea paths that form part of a vast ancient network of routes criss-crossing the British Isles and beyond, Robert Macfarlane discovers a lost world - a landscape of the feet and the mind, of pilgrimage and ritual, of stories and ghosts; above all of the places and journeys which inspire and inhabit our imaginations.
'Sublime... It sets the imagination tingling, laying an irresistible trail for readers to follow' Sunday Times
'Read this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again' Metro
'He has a rare physical intelligence and affords total immersion in place, elements and the passage of time: wonderful' Antony Gormley
In one of the most dramatic episodes of the Olympics, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee secured a place in British sporting history - and legend status in their native Yorkshire. The producers of 'Chariots of Fire' have their 21st Century sequel on a plate
—— Daily MailThere is a golden rule in triathlon: when a Brownlee races, they win. They are incredibly close, do most things together, train as a team, and yet come the big race they are deadly rivals
—— The GuardianUnder the pressure of the biggest race of their lives, they delivered in unforgettable style
—— The TelegraphSport has two new heroes: a couple of nice lads from Yorkshire
—— The TimesBrilliant... The stories of the lanternes rouges that Leonard picks out have real value, because the race's rear view can tell you much more than the angle we're all familiar with
—— Michael Hutchinson , IndependentMakes for oddly inspiring reading. There is an art to losing
—— Jon Day , London Review of BooksAn elegant book... Surprising and illuminating
—— Ian Bell , HeraldThis is a valuable book with some great stories. Deeply-researched and well-written, it’s an enjoyable read that shouldn’t be rushed
—— The Inner RingFascinating… Without losers, there are no winners
—— London CyclistThoughtful, witty
—— Times Literary SupplementIn this lively, rear-view account of largely unsung heroes, and a few villains, Leonard has managed the difficult feat of coming up with an original angle on Le Tour
—— Simon Redfern , Independent on SundayLeonard extracts the dignity that sometimes exists in sporting failure; this is not the world of Armstrong, Keane or Pietersen and all the more appealing because of that
—— Tim Lewis , ObserverCelebratory and hilarious in equal measures, The Last Man revels in the travails of the underdog
—— Ben East , MetroThis book does a great job of revealing some of the less well known stories from le Tour: well written, entertaining, and informative
—— Richard Peploe , RoadThis book is an entertaining account taking in everyone from stage winners and former yellow jerseys who couldn’t hang on, to a breakaway leader who stopped for a bottle of wine and then took a wrong turn, to a doper whose drug cocktail backfired
—— Bike RadarWe know the winners of the Tour de France, but Lanterne Rouge tells the forgotten, often inspirational and occasionally absurd stories of the last-placed rider
—— Miss Dinky