-
Landmarks
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 05-03-15
- Language: English
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Regular price: £20.00
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Old Ways
- A Journey on Foot
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 185
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 183
In The Old Ways, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove-roads, and sea paths that form part of a vast network of routes crisscrossing the British landscape and its waters, and connecting them to the continents beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, of pilgrimage and ritual, and of song lines and their singers. Above all this is a book about people and place.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not easy but worth the effort.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-04-13
-
Wild Signs and Star Paths
- The Keys to Our Lost Sixth Sense
- By: Tristan Gooley
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 9
Tristan Gooley shows how it is possible to achieve a level of outdoors awareness that will enable you to sense direction from stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds and predict the next action of an animal from its body language - instantly. Although once common, this now rare awareness would be labelled by many as a 'sixth sense'. We have become so distanced from this way of experiencing our environment that it may initially seem hard to believe that it is possible, but Tristan Gooley uses a collection of 'keys' to show how everyone can develop this ability and enjoy the outdoors in an exciting way - one that is both new and ancient.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The voice?
- By Gabrielle Dickinson on 05-06-18
-
The Peregrine: 50th Anniversary Edition: Afterword by Robert Macfarlane
- By: J. A. Baker, Mark Cocker - introduction, Robert Macfarlane - afterword, and others
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Despite the association of peregrines with the wild outer reaches of the British Isles, The Peregrine is set on the flat marshes of the Essex coast, where J. A. Baker spent a long winter looking at and writing about the visitors from the uplands - peregrines that spend the winter hunting the huge flocks of pigeons and waders that share the desolate landscape with them. Such luminaries as Ted Hughes and Andrew Motion have cited this as one of the most important books in 20th century nature writing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wrong narrator, but right book.
- By Joey on 25-06-17
-
The Last Wilderness
- A Journey into Silence
- By: Neil Ansell
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10
The experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature rather than outside it. As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.
-
How to Read Water
- Clues, Signs & Patterns from Puddles to the Sea
- By: Tristan Gooley
- Narrated by: Tristan Gooley
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
A must-have book for walkers, sailors and everyone interested in the natural world, How to Read Water unlocks the secrets of water in all its forms. Natural navigator Tristan Gooley imparts knowledge and teaches skills, tips and useful observations to help you navigate the landscape around you.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great read (listen)...
- By CJW on 21-07-16
-
Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Nathan Turner
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk of adventure, and to explore the strange impulses that have for centuries led us to the world's highest places.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator More Suited for Movie Intros
- By A. Clark on 25-08-18
-
The Old Ways
- A Journey on Foot
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 185
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 183
In The Old Ways, Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove-roads, and sea paths that form part of a vast network of routes crisscrossing the British landscape and its waters, and connecting them to the continents beyond. The result is an immersive, enthralling exploration of the ghosts and voices that haunt old paths, of the stories our tracks keep and tell, of pilgrimage and ritual, and of song lines and their singers. Above all this is a book about people and place.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Not easy but worth the effort.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-04-13
-
Wild Signs and Star Paths
- The Keys to Our Lost Sixth Sense
- By: Tristan Gooley
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 9
Tristan Gooley shows how it is possible to achieve a level of outdoors awareness that will enable you to sense direction from stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds and predict the next action of an animal from its body language - instantly. Although once common, this now rare awareness would be labelled by many as a 'sixth sense'. We have become so distanced from this way of experiencing our environment that it may initially seem hard to believe that it is possible, but Tristan Gooley uses a collection of 'keys' to show how everyone can develop this ability and enjoy the outdoors in an exciting way - one that is both new and ancient.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The voice?
- By Gabrielle Dickinson on 05-06-18
-
The Peregrine: 50th Anniversary Edition: Afterword by Robert Macfarlane
- By: J. A. Baker, Mark Cocker - introduction, Robert Macfarlane - afterword, and others
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Despite the association of peregrines with the wild outer reaches of the British Isles, The Peregrine is set on the flat marshes of the Essex coast, where J. A. Baker spent a long winter looking at and writing about the visitors from the uplands - peregrines that spend the winter hunting the huge flocks of pigeons and waders that share the desolate landscape with them. Such luminaries as Ted Hughes and Andrew Motion have cited this as one of the most important books in 20th century nature writing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wrong narrator, but right book.
- By Joey on 25-06-17
-
The Last Wilderness
- A Journey into Silence
- By: Neil Ansell
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10
The experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature rather than outside it. As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.
-
How to Read Water
- Clues, Signs & Patterns from Puddles to the Sea
- By: Tristan Gooley
- Narrated by: Tristan Gooley
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
A must-have book for walkers, sailors and everyone interested in the natural world, How to Read Water unlocks the secrets of water in all its forms. Natural navigator Tristan Gooley imparts knowledge and teaches skills, tips and useful observations to help you navigate the landscape around you.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great read (listen)...
- By CJW on 21-07-16
-
Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Nathan Turner
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk of adventure, and to explore the strange impulses that have for centuries led us to the world's highest places.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator More Suited for Movie Intros
- By A. Clark on 25-08-18
-
Ancient Wonderings
- Journeys into Prehistoric Britain
- By: James Canton
- Narrated by: James Canton
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 21
Take a journey into our ancient past. Explore a long-lost landscape and gradually discover the minds, beliefs and cultural practices of those souls who lived on these lands thousands of years before you. Travelling the length and breadth of Britain, James Canton pursues his obsession with the physical traces of the ancient world: stone circles, flint arrowheads, sacred stones, gold, and a lost Roman road.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Ups and Downs like the paths he walks
- By mazc on 07-01-18
-
The Wild Places
- By: Robert Macfarlane
- Narrated by: Nathan Turner
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1
Are there any genuinely wild places left in Britain and Ireland? Or have we tarmacked, farmed and built ourselves out of wildness? In his vital, bewitching, inspiring classic, Robert Macfarlane sets out in search of the wildness that remains.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Worst Narration ever!
- By JulieGibbons on 16-08-18
-
In the Land of Giants
- By: Max Adams
- Narrated by: Phil Fox
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Max Adams explores Britain's lost early medieval past by walking its paths and exploring its lasting imprint on valley, hill and field. From York to Whitby, from London to Sutton Hoo, from Edinburgh to Anglesey and from Hadrian's Wall to Loch Tay, each of his ten walk narratives forms a portrait of a Britain of fort and fyrd, crypt and crannog, church and causeway, holy well and memorial stone.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A brilliant picture of dark age Britain & Ireland
- By Jim on 14-03-16
-
Wonderland
- A Year of Britain's Wildlife, Day by Day
- By: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 21
A life-affirming nature diary - with something amazing to see and experience on every day of the year - from award-winning authors and Springwatch experts Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss. From blackbirds, beavers and beetles to tawny owls, natterjack toads and lemon slugs. Every day of the year, winter or summer, in every corner of the British Isles, there's plenty to see if you know where - and how - to look.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
love nature = love wonderland! & it portrayal here
- By DLC on 30-09-17
-
The Wood
- The Life & Times of Cockshutt Wood
- By: John Lewis-Stempel
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 23
For four years John Lewis-Stempel managed the wood. He coppiced the trees and raised cows and pigs who roamed free there. This is the diary of the last year, by which time he had come to know it from the bottom of its beech roots to the tip of its oaks and to know all the animals that lived there - the fox, the pheasants, the wood mice, the tawny owl - and where the best bluebells grew. For many fauna and flora, woods like Cockshutt are the last refuge. It proves a sanctuary for John, too.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Nice book
- By chris bolton on 29-08-18
-
The Running Hare
- The Secret Life of Farmland
- By: John Lewis-Stempel
- Narrated by: Bernard Hill
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 68
Traditional ploughland is disappearing. Seven cornfield flowers have become extinct in the last 20 years. Once abundant, the corn bunting and the lapwing are on the Red List. The corncrake is all but extinct in England. And the hare is running for its life. Written in exquisite prose, The Running Hare tells the story of the wild animals and plants that live in and under our ploughland, from the labouring microbes to the patrolling kestrel above the corn, from the linnet pecking at seeds to the seven-spot ladybird.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful
- By keren cornelius on 20-03-18
-
The Hidden Life of Trees
- What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World
- By: Peter Wohlleben
- Narrated by: Mike Grady
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 308
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 281
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 277
How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? Research is now suggesting trees are capable of much more than we have ever known. In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben puts groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a language everyone can relate to.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well worth a listen
- By Amazon Customer on 11-10-16
-
Tweet of the Day
- A Year of Britain's Birds from the Acclaimed Radio 4 Series
- By: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Narrated by: Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
Wherever we are, there are birds. And wherever there are birds, there is birdsong. It's always a pleasure (and a relief) to hear sounds that prove the world's still spinning: whether it's the sighing of migrating redwings on a damp October night, the twitter of swallows fresh in from South Africa in April, or the call of the cuckoo in May. Based on the scripts of BBC Radio 4's beloved year-long series, and distilling two lifetimes' knowledge, insight, and enthusiasm into this recording, Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss take you month by month through the year, and the changing lives of our favourite birds.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Buy the hardback, download the original podcasts
- By Rex Schneider on 07-07-14
-
The January Man
- A Year of Walking Britain
- By: Christopher Somerville
- Narrated by: Christopher Somerville
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
In January 2006, a month or two after my father died, I thought I saw him again - a momentary impression of an old man, a little stooped, setting off for a walk in his characteristic fawn corduroys and shabby quilted jacket. After teenage rifts it was walking that brought us closer as father and son, and this ghost of Dad has been walking at my elbow since his death, as I have ruminated on his great love of walking, his prodigious need to do it - and how and why I walk myself.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful!
- By Hari on 17-05-17
-
Raptor: A Journey Through Birds
- By: James Macdonald Lockhart
- Narrated by: Dugald-Bruce Lockhart
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
Winner of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction in 2011 and the Authors' Foundation Roger Deakin Award in 2011. A stunning debut in the tradition of Robert Macfarlane and Helen Macdonald. Of all the birds of the British Isles, the raptor reigns supreme, sparking the imagination like no other. In this magnificent hymn to these beautiful animals, James Macdonald Lockhart explores all 15 breeding birds of prey on these shores....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating
- By Tim Perkins on 17-08-17
-
A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion
- By: Simon Barnes
- Narrated by: Simon Barnes
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 54
Simon Barnes is one of Britain's leading bird writers and humorists. His weekly column in The Times (London), his essays for the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) magazine, and his two books on bad bird-watching have made him one of the characters of the bird world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great birdwatching book!
- By j f wilson on 15-02-15
-
The Seabird's Cry
- The Lives and Loves of Puffins, Gannets and Other Ocean Voyagers
- By: Adam Nicolson
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14
We have lived with seabirds for at least 300,000 years. From the beginning our view of them has been double, as creatures that are both deeply distant and yet strangely connected to us, both oceanic in what they represent and a mirror of what we are. They stand in for our relationship with nature as a whole. We use them and love them, nurture them and destroy them, revere them and make toys and hats and dinner out of them. It is a pattern that has evolved over history, and our relationship with seabirds has moved through these phases like steps in a game of hopscotch.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Like a huge wave crashing on me head!
- By Scallywag on 16-11-17
Summary
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Landmarks, a fascinating exploration of the relationship between language and landscapes by Robert Macfarlane, read by Roy McMillan.
Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to describe land, nature, and weather.
Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd, and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape and a vital means of coming to love it.
The audiobook version contains an exclusive bonus chapter - a recording of Finlay MacLeod (novelist, historian, broadcaster, archivist, and one of the dedicatees of Landmarks) reading words and definitions from his Peat Glossary for the Isle of Lewis.
This hoard of rare and evocative terms was one of the inspiring documents for the book.
Finlay's voice is also used as a divider between chapters, and the other glossaries in the text are bracketed with appropriate sound effects.
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars111
-
4 Stars42
-
3 Stars20
-
2 Stars7
-
1 Stars1
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars110
-
4 Stars39
-
3 Stars10
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars2
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars92
-
4 Stars41
-
3 Stars20
-
2 Stars4
-
1 Stars3
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Coffee snob
- 09-09-15
Love it, but it's costing me a fortune!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. The author effortlessly takes you into his subjects. His writing is taut, precise and evocative.
What did you like best about this story?
Each chapter is dedicated to a different author/topic. Some reviewers didn't like this, but I loved it. It allowed for journeys into particular words and stories associated with the underlying topic that I found fascinating.
What does Roy McMillan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
He reads beautifully; with him the stories come alive. You are climbing the mountain with him, swimming in icy water alongside him, clambering into caves as he explores. It's a full on sensory experience.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yes. It made me furious to learn nature related words were being removed from children's dictionaries as they were "no longer deemed relevant". It also created a burning desire to get out there and experience some of the places or things discussed.
Any additional comments?
I couldn't tear myself away from this recording. The only downside..I became so caught up in the books and authors described in each chapter that I've had to buy many of them AND a hard copy of Landmarks so that I have easy access to the glossaries!
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Roderic
- Victoria Park, Australia
- 08-06-15
Enjoy listening... then buy the book
I have listened to over 100 audiobooks in the last three years. Only once did I buy a book after listening to it. That book was Robert Macfarlane's "Old Ways" and the reason I bought the book was because Macfarlane's text is a reference to several worlds of interest and erudition. I knew I would go back to it and explore other avenues that it presented.
I will also buy "Landmarks" when it appears in paperback, for the same reasons. Even though many chapters are glossaries -- and not as well suited to listening as to reading -- the remaining chapters are chiefly an exposition of the writing of other "Nature" writers such as Nan Shepherd, J A Baker, Macfarlane's friend Roger Deakin, the American John Muir and others.
The result is an impassioned and expert dissertation on the rich language used in the past to define Nature, focussing on English, its dialects, and the Celtic languages of Britain.
The historical vignettes presented, such as the interaction between John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt resulting in the creation of Yosemite National Park, were fascinating and the final chapter, Childish, was a brilliant expansion of the theme.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrea
- saltash, United Kingdom
- 06-01-16
Smoose?
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would, and I have. I chose it for our audible club after seeing Robert Macfarlane on "Springwatch".
I just think that so much goes on in the world, at such a hectic pace, it is worth taking some time out to slow things down.
I learnt so many interesting things, some of which I had no intention of learning but have ended up feeling richer for the experience.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Landmarks?
I loved the readings from the dictionary definitions, with the appropriate backing sound effects. one moment you were in a cave, the next sitting beside a stream or walking in scree.
Have you listened to any of Roy McMillan’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I haven't, so unfortunately I have no comparison here. I wil say, however, that he has a very soothing voice which suits this book perfectly.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
"You've got mail!....ignore it, and do something else"
Any additional comments?
I read, many moons ago, a book called "The Song of the Rolling Earth", having visited the areas in Scotland in which the book is set.
This was, though set against a broader canvas, a similar book in many ways.
If you seek a little solice and refuge from emails, texts and general pestering, immerse yourself in this this.......and find out what a smoose is!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- nick day
- 27-06-15
Loved it.
Living on the isle of Lewis and hearing our mother tongue makes me feel so proud of our country
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue Shepherd
- 04-06-15
A taster for many other wonderful authors!
Would you consider the audio edition of Landmarks to be better than the print version?
Roy McMillan's voice is certainly a reason to choose the audio version.
What other book might you compare Landmarks to, and why?
The Old Ways also by Robert Macfarlane and read by Roy McMillan.
What about Roy McMillan’s performance did you like?
Brilliant!
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Laugh and cry out loud!
Any additional comments?
Because of this book I have now read other books that were superb. J A Bakers The Peregrine will now be one of my favourite books ever... it would be a brilliant audio book but I'd have to think hard about who could be the voice.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zen Kite
- 03-05-15
Beautiful
A magical evocation of landscape and language, history and heritage. Eloquent, lyrical and poetic. Endlessly fascinating and charming. Buy it!
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Welsh Mafia
- North Cornelly
- 28-02-16
Routed in the land...flies in the mind.
The idea of this book is very attractive, to collect and collate the various terms that define our understanding of the old/current world around us through the peculiarities of language passed down in near history.
I was very happy with this and very interested - although not entirely satisfied in the way in which the promise was delivered through. The ‘falling short’ for me was that the individual characters who were used to deliver the message - a Lancastrian musician being one example - seemed to lack depth of characterisation and, where offered, their link with the land seemed at times tenuous. This, of course, from me as anything but a son of the land - albeit, a Welsh and Irish heritage does give one a sense of entitlement when it comes to the wide-open spaces in the world of nature-spirituality.
What was enlightening, was the worrying news that so many common-place words now have no place (and are they so common?) with the youngest literate generation that we currently have in our care. If nothing else, the stir that this caused me was justification enough to read this work - but, to be fair there were lots of small pleasures along the route (Tyneside to South Shields, south along the river on a daily commute as it happens).
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Esther
- Wales
- 07-12-15
A wonderful book
I have listened to this book on many occasions and love it. It celebrates writers who are in touch with specific aspects of the landscape or its wildlife - Cairngorm mountains, open water, peregrine Falcons etc. The writing is lyrical and it is beautifully read by Roy McMillan whose command of Gaelic names and words is stunning. My only reservation as an audio book is the many pages of glossary. It works for me as I listen in bed and regard this as a kind of soporific chant, although sometimes I get frustrated that by the time I hear a definition and realise I'm interested I have forgotten the word! I guess the answer is to buy it for kindle as well.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alice
- 24-11-15
Fascinating
Would you listen to Landmarks again? Why?
Absolutely. This is such a fascinating and detailed text, with a wonderful form of construction. Fabulous work from Macfarlane.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I am absolutely amazed by this book. It demonstrates such a fantastic body of research, and so wonderfully written together, it was an absolute joy to experience.
Any additional comments?
Anyone interested in space and place, in people, in language, in literature, could hardly fail to enjoy this book!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- maggy cairns
- 23-07-15
This book is a poem
Where does Landmarks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I love Robert MacFarlane's books. His ideas about landscape and our relationship to it are endlessly stimulating. For me, because this is not a narrative as such, I sometimes had to rewind to pick up the thread of the thoughts.
Any additional comments?
The glossary of words for landscape features, beautifully read, is poetry and made me want to buy the physical book so I could browse at my own pace but the physical book is printed on such nasty paper I didn't.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 08-08-17
Buy the book
What would have made Landmarks better?
The book version is the way to read this. Words in numerous languages and unique meanings simply must be read, not followed at speaking speed. Audible did not describe this adequately.The book is good.
What other book might you compare Landmarks to and why?
Na
What aspect of Roy McMillan’s performance would you have changed?
Nothing.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
The book is good; in the Audible version the text is difficult to follow.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dayle
- 06-02-17
mesmerizing
Would you consider the audio edition of Landmarks to be better than the print version?
I sure the written word version of this book is good, but the audible version is outstanding!
Background ambient sound, this background "native voice" adds a ghost-like background as a transition change. The readers voice is gentle, yet dramatic. Highly recommend
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- V
- 05-04-15
Perfection.
What a wonderful, stirring, enriching and delightful experience this book this is to listen to.
It is a forever book.
The narrator is a pleasure to listen to, and perfectly matched here.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- KiraNyres
- 03-05-17
Must Read/Listen
This book I own in all it's formats, Roy McMillan takes the work to a new level with his narration. Landmarks is the story of lost language lost culture in the age of tech we've lost our children have lost their natural abilities and this work seeks to point out the fallacy of losing our natural side. For any language lover, nature poet or outdoorsman, you'll find this book full of treasures hiding in each chapter and new each time you read or listen. Robert MacFarlane's talent for word and observation would make even the most treasured authors green with envy.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miriam
- 16-05-18
McMillan narrating Macfarlane is a treat
I purchased a print copy to go with the audio because I wanted access to the list of words, but the narrator is fabulous and I've really enjoyed listening to this one -- so if you can swing it, it's worth getting both.
Watch out, my book collection increased substantially after listening to this.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- FlyGuy
- 04-05-18
A Treasure
Robert Macfarlane is a treasure!!!! what an erudite outdoorsman, as come on the heath as in a Cambridge college library. Astounding!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 22-08-17
Great book. Great narrator.
This is a wonderful book, and not an easy one to pull off as an audiobook in that fully half of it is a glossary! The narrator obviously did his homework with pronunciation of words in many different languages and dialects. In addition, each area of quotation seems to be in the distinctive voice of that quotation's author.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Peter MacLeod
- 25-04-15
Could be and was said in the first few pages
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Flogs the loss of words to death. Languages are living things that reflect life as it is lived where it is lived. Words come and go. Do we need another book to tell us the obvious?
What could Robert Macfarlane have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Not written the book
Would you be willing to try another one of Roy McMillan’s performances?
He was fine with the material he had to use.
Could you see Landmarks being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
Never, please
Any additional comments?
move on.
2 of 11 people found this review helpful