Tag Archives: Non-Fiction

The Deorhord

by Stephen | 2 Comments

Hana Videen. Profile Books. (352p) ISBN: 9781800815803
The Deorhord

The Deorhord

I was originally going to buy this when it came out in hard back but completely missed it, so was really looking forward to it coming out in paperback.

This is a brilliant mix of a couple of things I’m quite fascinated in, beasts and language especially old language and forgotten beasts.

There are a few sections and Hana looks at a variety of beasts that are common (and not so common) in Old English literature from eagles through elephants to stranger beast that defy description.

Each chapter stands alone beautifully and gives various references to literature that include that animal, breaks down symbolism, especially that linked to Christianity, and ends with a glossary of the Old English words used in that section.

Travelling through tales from Beowulf, Alexander (the not-so Great), and various Saints these tales are fascinating and kept me interested from start to finish, great variety and all put together so well.

Thanks to Profile Books for sending this out on its paperback release for me to ogle.

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A Mudlarking Year

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Lara Maiklem. Bloomsbury. (368p) ISBN: 9781526660756
A Mudlarking Year

A Mudlarking Year

I really enjoyed Lara’s first book, Mudlarking and was so pleased when I heard we were getting another from her.

Once again this is written about Lara’s exploration of the Thames foreshore, plus a few adventures further afield.

Lara’s writing as previously is warm and open with a very relaxed conversational feel to it, it was a warm hug that I really needed at this point in time. Getting to see more of her biographically as well was so nice and this mixture made reading this book so pleasurable.

The core of the book though is still about the various areas of the Thames which Lara explores but this time written as a diary showing the trials and tribulations of mudlarking through the various seasons as the year progresses.

It’s also nice to read about all the other people Lara has made connections with through this pursuit and the lives that other people live around the Thames or their personal collections.

Broken down into the four seasons we see which are the best times and weather systems for mudlarking and it is always fascinating waiting to read what finds there were on a particular day, and it scratches an itch for collecting by reading about someone else’s itch as all collectors understand that drive to get out there and find what it is we are collecting.

It’s also fascinating finding out about another discarded/destroyed printing type as this was one of the more fascinating parts of the previous books for me.

As I said I loved the first book so much I bought this one before it had even had a chance to hit the shop floor and I’m waiting for the next with great anticipation.

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The History of Cinema

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Geoffrey Nowell-Smith. Oxford University Press. (144p) ISBN: 9780198701774
The History of Cinema

The History of Cinema

I’ve read quite a few of these ‘A Very Short Introduction…’ books and though I’ve found them informative and useful, I’ve never found them that engaging or particularly enjoyable.

This one though I’ve shot through, not just because it is a small book but Geoffrey Nowell-Smith has made the subject enjoyable and, to a certain extent, exciting.

Taking us on a tour through cinema he initially sets out to come to a definition of the terms cinema and history in the context of each other and explains how both terms are quite fluid and we will look at that fluidity at the same time as the various aspects of cinema.

We then get taken on a tour of various aspects of what makes cinema cinema, and exploring various aspects of its development including, technology, cinema as art, and cinema as business plus more.

Each of these short sections gives enough information to stand alone in explaining the nub of these aspects of cinema history, but also gives a great launchpad and basis for further exploration.

This was a great read though a bit short…

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Supernatural Creatures

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DK. (192p) ISBN: 9780241656938
Supernatural Creatures

Supernatural Creatures

This was such a highlight of a not so great week, opening an unexpected parcel and finding this sumptuous hardback from DK in (I’d forgotten I’d asked for it!)

When I opened it I wasn’t disappointed as each page (double page spread) talked about different mythical beings from around the world. Each entry was accompanied by gorgeous illustrations that really make this book stand out.

I’d read a book earlier this year about supernatural beings from around the world that made out that none of these creatures existed before a person from the colonising nation(s) had seen the creature and that was so wrong and racist. This book acknowledges the cultural and historic background of the myths and creatures that are included.

The information in the book is firmly aimed at children but is so well thought out that it would cover a large age range and even be a great primer for older people who get a new interest in myths and legends.

Set out in chapters that pull the various creatures into a loose classification, it makes it easier if you’re looking for something that you know of, but it also helps show similarities in myth from different timesand cultures.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read, lots of fun information presented in a beautiful format, well worth it for any youngster who is into mythology.

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SmörgåsBOARD

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Josh Sutton. Red Fez Books. (150p) ISBN: 9781838342128
SmôrgåsBOARD

SmôrgåsBOARD

I was asked if I would like to read this much earlier this year and to my shame I’d shelved it and completely forgot I had it (it had sneaked onto a shelve of photography books that were low priority reads).

Once I started reading this I found it hard to put down, it was so fascinating.

A brilliant ‘SmörgåsBOARD’ of genres, photography, cook book, travelogue, and memoir come to mind but like all good recipes the completed item is more than just a list of its ingredients. The finished product is enhanced and becomes a thing of its own.

These different worlds are wonderfully intertwined, some of which like travel and cooking I’m highly familiar as I am with the punk aesthetic of just getting on with it and sharing. Some like the actual skateboarding side I’m decades away from remembering anything about this at all (I remember skating on the Livi park after it was built in the early 80s but stopped pretty much after that).

I also remember the ease of getting labourer work in the early 80s for the exact same reasons as Josh, travel.

The stories of building skate parks across the world is so interesting and shows that people from different parts of the world can have great commonality and bond over the simplest of things, fun and food.

Absolutely fascinating read and showed me things I was completely unfamiliar with, but at its heart this is a book of love, a love of food, skateboarding and the culture that is around it, travel, and a very punk mentality.

You can get this at Red Fez Books

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How to Read a Tree

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Tristan Gooley. Hodder & Stoughton. (320p) ISBN: 9781529339628
How to Read a Tree

How to Read a Tree

I had to pick this up as soon as I saw a paperback copy of it as I always love a good piece of nature writing, especially about trees!

The book is built into chapters that explore aspects of the structure of a tree or how it interacts with its environment.

For example the chapter ‘The Roots’ talks about how roots are influenced by various environmental interactions and how these can be used to navigate using these signs.

This idea of using trees as a navigational aid is the core of the book, but this is always supported with how the tree interacts with its environment and what type of tree it is, tortoise or hare.

Really enjoyed this format for looking at natural phenomena as it worked for my mind, each chapter had fascinating facts which built on and reinforced the facts and ideas from the previous chapters helping to build a complete picture of how to use all this information that was coming in great small packets.

This is a great book to read in a couple of sittings, but is also prefect to dip in and out of when you have five/ten minutes as each chapter is broken down into small sections within it.

Even better as it’s not that heavy a book is to have it with you as you explore trees, looking for the signs that Tristan explains (which is what I’m going to do 😁)

A great addition to any natural history collection which helps to get to know our natural world a little bit better and appreciate out leafy neighbours better.

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