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On This Holy Island
- A Modern Pilgrimage across Britain
- Narrated by: Oliver Smith
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
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On This Holy Island
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Summary
Acclaimed travel writer Oliver Smith sets out to radically reframe our idea of ‘pilgrimage’ in Britain by retracing sacred travel made across time, from murmurs of ritual journeys in the depths of Ice Age to new pilgrimages of the 21st century.
He embarks on an epic adventure across sacred British landscapes – climbing into remote sea caves, sleeping inside Neolithic tombs, scaling forgotten holy mountains and once marooning himself at sea. Following holy roads to churches, cathedrals and standing stones, this evocative and enlightening travelogue explores places prehistoric, pagan and Christian, but also reveals how football stadiums and music festivals have become contemporary places of pilgrimage.
The routes walked are often ancient, the pilgrims he meets are always modern. But underpinning the book is a timeless truth: that making journeys has always been a way of making meaning. So often, Oliver finds, “the unravelling of a path goes in tandem with the unravelling of the soul.”
Critic reviews
'Smith is one of the best and most thoughtful travel writers working today. I loved this sensitive, astute, and delicately written account of his journeys to these most sacred places— standing stones and holy islands, crypt-like caves and sports stadia—disparate sites united by their profound effects upon the human psyche. Pilgrimage speaks to something soft and raw and yearning inside all of us, something powerful that goes so often unspoken. Smith bottles it on the page.' (Cal Flyn, author of 'Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape')
'A wonderfully original and engaging exploration of pilgrimage in modern Britain – with all its diversity of motivation and eccentricity of character. Oliver Smith trips lightly along pilgrims’ ways both old and new, with a sharp eye and an open mind.' (Tim Hannigan, author of 'The Granite Kingdom: A Cornish Journey')
'Warm and wise - a thoughtful, hands-on exploration of Britain's most magical places, and the people who come to pay homage.' (Tim Moore, author of 'Vuelta Skelter: Riding the Remarkable 1941 Tour of Spain')
'On This Holy Island offers answers to urgent questions about what unites us and brings us together, and what is dear and special to us all about the British landscape and the marks humans continue to make on it. Whether marooned overnight in a cave on the Gower Peninsula or taking an irresistible drive through the back streets of Letchworth Garden City, Oliver Smith’s lively and ever-enquiring journey makes light work of seeking to understand the places, people and mysteries of our patch of land.' (Tom Hall, Editorial Director at Lonely Planet)
'An illuminating, moving cross-section of past and present pilgrimages, exploring what transforms a trip into a journey of the soul. On This Holy Island is a window to enchantment for those searching for meaning in the modern world. Illuminating some of the holy rites and routes that we pass through unknowingly every day, giving our daily lives a renewed and much-needed sense of meaning. Reassuring the reader that, whatever the century, the possibility of transcendent connection with something greater might be just around the corner.' (Jade Angeles Fitton, author of Hermit: A memoir of finding freedom in a wild place)
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What listeners say about On This Holy Island
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- milesphoto
- 31-03-24
Fascinating stories written with warmth
Smith takes us to places steeped in significance of all kinds, from the most remote pub (that he finds closed) to Stonehenge, exploring what attracts ‘pilgrims’ to visit. He’s a talented travel writer, not over romanticising and with an eye for detail. He brings out the best in those he meets. There’s humour, pathos and a sense of timelessness. Indeed he travels back several thousand years at one point, vividly telling a tale of landscape and people.
I found the story of the battle of the bean field especially interesting and moving; a piece of recent history with which I should’ve been more familiar as it happened in my adult lifetime.
There’s no narrative thread as such so you could pick and choose chapters if you wish.
I was wary of an audio book narrated by the author but he does a good job although sometimes the pauses separating sub headings from narrative aren’t long enough. A very minor gripe. I listened to the whole book in four sittings.
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