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Under Another Sky

Journeys in Roman Britain

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Under Another Sky

By: Charlotte Higgins
Narrated by: Julia Franklin
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About this listen

What has 'Roman Britain' meant to the British people since the Romans left? And what does Roman Britain mean to us now? How has it been reimagined, in story and song and verse? Charlotte Higgins leads us through the history, and by using some of Britain's most intriguing ancient monuments, Under Another Sky invites us to see the British landscape, and history, in an entirely fresh way.

©2013 Charlotte Higgins (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd Europe Great Britain England

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Critic reviews

"An utterly original history, lyrically alive to the haunting presence of the past and our strange and familiar ancestors." ( Sunday Times)
"Mesmerising. Sophisticated and passionate. She personalizes the story in a diaristic, almost poetic tone." ( Guardian)
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Any additional comments?

Charlotte Higgins has written a book which is part history, part historiography, part travelogue, part personal memoir, and on the face of it that shouldn't work nearly as well as it should. But she conjures up the scenes and the experience of visiting these places so vividly that I found myself listening to this more than once, just for the pleasure of the experience. Hearing her impressions of the places I've not seen made me hungry to go there, while the stories of those I have been to made we want to visit them again.

All complemented very well by Julia Franklin's excellent voice work.

Utterly delightful

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I listened to the book while hiking Hadrian's Wall in the hopes that it would help bring some of Roman Britain to life for me as I walked. It did just that. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleased to find that Charlotte Higgins' approach was to take the reader on her own journey around Britain as she explored it's Roman history. Rather than a scholarly writing of facts and dates, she unfolded the Roman timeline through visits to specific sites and the sharing of interesting stories, theories and anecdotes. It was a great way to explore the topic of Roman Britain as an amateur, interested in the broad story rather then focusing too heavily on an academic study of history.

Compelling narrative of Roman Britain

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If you could sum up Under Another Sky in three words, what would they be?

How we endured lost and found the Romans in Britain

What other book might you compare Under Another Sky to, and why?

Mary Beard's fabulous book on Pompeii: just as good though the subject matter is less well known and the archaeology is far less complete.

Have you listened to any of Julia Franklin’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No, but I will look out for her.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Richly textured, colourful, poignant stories about the people and the landscape, and the archaeologists who revealed them to us.

Any additional comments?

I know the Lake District pretty well, but mainly from the perspective of a walker or through the eyes of artists like Wordsworth or Ruskin, but I've never really appreciated the Roman dimension to the area. I shall be taking a paperback edition with me when I visit soon, plus another author whom Charlotte Higgins recommends.

A readable and entertaining guide to Roman Britain

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Wonderfully narrated, the enthusiasm of the author for Roman life and legacy in Britain shines through every page.Wherever she happens to be - travelling to work in London, touring the Hadrian and Antonine walls, visiting a museum or ringing the doorbell at a country house to see if the owners will let her have a look - the Romans somehow appear, touching the present with colours of a mysterious past.

Simply brilliant

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A unique, vivid, lyrical and poetic look at various aspects of Roman Britain, so much in contrast to the often 'dry' historical accounts one reads too often. Beautifully written and beautifully narrated - I have already listened to the audio edition twice and will again, I know.

Brilliant!

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