‘I loved this book. Mike Parker weaves together a great deal of wide reading, hard thinking and soulful tramping in his funny, thoughtful and evocative investigation of the Welsh–English border.’ Jesse Armstrong, creator of Succession and Peep Show

‘Delightful and perceptive … Poses searching questions about identity, culture and political power.’ Waterstones Books of the Year

‘A joyful canter through the Marches. Delightfully engaging. Blending history, literature and personal anecdote, Mike Parker writes with energy and wit.’ TLS

‘No-one maps the secrets of the UK quite like Mike Parker.’ Ayesha Hazarika

‘A brilliant, fascinating book; Parker is funny and lyrical whilst always choosing brutal truth over sentimentality.’ Miles Jupp

'Classic Parker – a delicious, learned tour through a fascinating place.' Tom Bullough, author of Sarn Helen

‘Genuinely great.’ Adrian Chiles

'I gobbled this up.' Jude Rogers

‘A beautifully written journey through the history and landscape of the border country and a clear-eyed analysis of its physical and psychological dividing line – the best kind of travelogue.’ Richard King, author of Brittle with Relics: A History of Wales, 1962–97

‘This enthralling journey beautifully celebrates our ancient frontier land and is a present-day reminder of its’ enduring duty.’ Tudur Owen, BAFTA winning comedian and presenter

‘I was often overcome by “fierce wonder”. Fine writing indeed.’ John Sam Jones, author of The Journey is Home

‘Engaging, entertaining and very readable.’ Nation.Cymru

‘A likeable, highly literate companion.’ New Welsh Review

‘A kind of mini-biography of the British psyche emerges from Parker's work, its learning lightly worn and its tales well told, full of interest and incident’ Horatio Clare