Great Britain

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Great Britain

ISBN 159048133X	Beggars on Horseback, Martin Ross and E. Somerville, with a Foreword by Jean Cunninghame Graham - Incredibly famous in their day, the aristocratic authors of Beggars on Horseback penned a total of fourteen books, including their immortal classic, “Some Experiences of an Irish R. M.” But few realised that “Martin Ross” and “E. Œ. Somerville” were actually the pen names of Violet Martin and Edith Somerville, two fun-loving, hard-riding, co-writing female Irish cousins. This is a real gem of a book, funny and moving by turns, with superb illustrations. The high-spirited young ladies decide to tour North Wales on horseback. Written in the first person, the “author” remains anonymous throughout, while her friend is given the pseudonym “Miss O’Flannigan.” Finding suitable horses was their first task: even in 1894 this was no easy matter, especially when they explained why they needed them: “We were conscious of social shrinkage as the work for which we required the ponies was explained; a fortnight’s road work in Wales, with the proviso that the animals would have to carry packs, held a suggestion of bagmen, not to say tinkers.” They were both avid horsewomen, and in due course they hired two ponies who have pride of place in this enchanting tale. After two wonderful weeks’ riding, the sad day arrives when they have to part with them, and send them back home by train. “When the final moment came, they suffered with dignity the farewell endearments of their aunts… It was impossible to explain to them that we found some difficulty in parting with them, friends but of a fortnight though they were.” This enchantingly funny but forgotten classic has been out of print for far too long, and we are pleased and proud to make it available again to another generation of horse-lovers. Go to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.co.uk
ISBN 1590480155	Bohemia Junction, Aimé Tschiffely - One reviewer described “Bohemia Junction” as ‘Forty years of adventurous living condensed into one book.” It is all that and more! Aimé Tschiffely was the most famous equestrian traveler of the twentieth century because of his legendary 10,000 mile ride from Argentina to Washington DC in 1925. Readers won’t be surprised then to discover that exotic people, faraway places and equestrian adventure make up the background to the explorer’s autobiography. “Bohemia Junction” is packed with the amazing assortment of humanity that Tschiffely met during his lifetime of travel, including cowboys, prize-fighters, writers, Indians, and the eccentric riff-raff of three continents. From Cape Horn to New York, Tschiffely journeyed wherever his vagabond fancy took him. And each region explored had its quota of “bohemians” in the old sense of the word – men and women for whom love of adventure was a reality. “Bohemia Junction” delivers more than just an account of the famous equestrian traveler’s life. It gives the reader an exuberant drama, peopled by the reckless rough-necks of a now bygone age. No equestrian travel collection is complete without this timeless classic. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble
ISBN 1590480139	Bridle Paths, Aimé Tschiffely - What does the world’s most famous equestrian explorer do when he comes home to England after making a 10,000 mile ride from Argentina to Washington, DC? He writes a best-selling book about his adventures, “Tschiffely’s Ride”, then sets off on a new horse to explore rural 1930s Britain. Through the ancient New Forest, over the lonely mountains of Wales, and across the rugged landscape of Scotland, the renowned author investigated the nooks and crannies of this island kingdom. Mounted on his gentle Cob mare, Violet, Tschiffely details the last roving adventure of its kind. “Bridle Paths” is a final poetic look at a now-vanished Britain, as it was before the advent of suburbia changed it forever. This superb book is amply illustrated with Tschiffely’s own pencil drawings. As a bonus, it includes a special appendix listing the equipment used by the mounted traveler, as well as detailed sketches of the method he used to pack his horse. No equestrian travel collection is complete without this classic tale. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble for more details
ISBN 1590482123	Eye on the Hill, Richard Barnes, with a preface by Christina Dodwell - There are plenty of thrilling equestrian travel books packed with mounted adventure. But not this book. There are numerous accounts of heroic deeds, brave riders and courageous horses. But not this book. There are a host of exciting tales involving equestrian explorers surviving outrageous events. But there’s only one “Eye on the Hill” ! While you won’t find any blazing adventures within these covers, what you will discover is one of the most captivating books in modern equestrian literature. It is poetry, set to the sound of a horse’s gentle clip-clop. It is a tale of the gradual uncovering of the secrets of back country Britain. It is a sweeping away of pedestrian restraint. It is magical music sung to the tune of the lark singing and the saddle creaking on a warm summer’s day. It is “Eye on the Hill.” Written, and ridden, by the British Long Rider Richard Barnes, “Eye on the Hill” is much more than just a recollection of this noted traveller’s thousand mile journey around England, Wales and Scotland. It’s true that Barnes explains how he and his faithful Cob companion, Remus, explored every nook and cranny of the British Isle, ranging from the Cambrian mountains to Hadrian’s Wall and then on to the sea at Norfolk. But this is no mere bland recounting of geography and campsites. Barnes is possessed with the critical eye of the travelling poet. As Remus takes them further from home, Barnes sees the England he loves threatened by the spectre of an ever more aggressive industrialized society. The author turned Long Rider warns about the loss of Britain’s horse trails and the need to preserve the country’s endangered equestrian culture. Not since William Cobbett rode the back roads of England, has a man noted with such vigour what’s right and wrong with his country from horseback. Not since George Borrow cantered with the gypsies has any-one told the tales of the nomads such as Richard Barnes has done. Amply illustrated with stunning black and white photographs taken by the author during his journey, “Eye on the Hill” is part prophecy, part travelogue, and always engaging. For more information, please go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble.
ISBN 1590480295	My Kingdom for a Horse, Margaret Leigh - In the autumn of 1939 a young English woman faced a difficult choice. Margaret Leigh had just sold her farm in Cornwall and wanted to return to her ancestral home in the Highlands of Scotland. Yet how to get there? The obvious choice would have included either a train or automobile. However Leigh had a strong streak of adventure running through her. She opted for that altar of travel, the saddle, dismissing those nay-sayers who said the deed couldn’t be done in such a modern age. What followed can only be described as one of the most delightful equestrian journeys of the early twentieth century, neither too hot, nor too cold, not too long, nor too short. It was in fact, just right! Though England was rushing headlong into the disaster of the Second World War, Leigh and her mare Ladybird, passed through the countryside unscathed, observing the twilight of a rural lifestyle that had lasted for centuries. “My Kingdom for a Horse” is thus poetic and practical, alternately full of first-hand advice for travelers and keen observations of a rural England that no longer exists. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble.
ISBN 1590480449	Ride a White Horse, William Holt - Equestrian stories are full of adventures, adversities, dangers and drama. Yet the curious story of William Holt and his cart horse, Trigger, is one of the most inspiring equestrian travel tales ever told. After rescuing the gelding from slaughter, and then nursing him back to health, the 67-year-old Holt and his horse set out in 1964 on an incredible 9,000 mile, non-stop journey through western Europe. Holt never ranked himself above his mount. The resultant trip saw them sleeping out in the rough without a tent for more than 400 nights. Together they faced great hardships, suffering through storms, floods and whirlwinds. At one point in their travels the ageing gypsies were even marooned on a ledge and nearly drowned by the raging sea. Because of these shared dangers, Holt and Trigger maintained a legendary bond that touched people’s hearts. An Italian princess had jewels set in one of Trigger’s old shoes. When they rode into London the likeable duo were guests of the Queen of England. Amply illustrated with photographs and drawings by the author, “Ride a White Horse” remains the classic equestrian tale of a man and his beloved horse who embarked together on an extraordinary adventure. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble.
	Rural Rides, Volumes 1 and 2, William Cobbett - William Cobbett (1762-1835) was an essayist, politician, agriculturalist, journalist, and equestrian traveller. The son of a labourer, Cobbett was self taught. He enlisted in the British Army, then fled to Philadelphia to avoid prosecution for demanding a decent wage for his fellow soldiers. After several years in exile, Cobbett returned to England where he became politically active, eventually winning a seat in Parliament. In the early 1820s the new MP set out on horseback to make a series of personal tours through the English countryside. These observations were collected and make up the two volumes of “Rural Rides”. The two books are written in some of the finest prose to grace the English language. Considered one of the best accounts of rural England ever written – they are detailed, factual, filled with shrewd observation and remain enduring classics. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble
ISBN 1590480384	Though the Highlands of Shropshire, Magdalene Weale - It was 1933 and Magdalene Weale was faced with a dilemma. How to best explore her beloved English countryside? A motor car was denounced for its lack of involvement with the landscape. The bicycle, a “useful vehicle,” was nonetheless ruled out as it restricted the traveler to much the same view afforded from a car. Plus walking allowed only a limited degree of rural investigation. It seemed logical therefore to set out on horseback! What better way to do justice to the glorious "Highlands of Shropshire" or experience a sense of wild freedom than from the back of a saddle? A picturesque part of England steeped in legend, Weale discovered that Shropshire hosted ancient stone circles once frequented by sun worshipping primitives, Roman ruins close to their still tightly cobbled roads, and the remains of Saxon, Norman and Viking settlements. “Through the Highlands of Shropshire” is also full of natural beauty with page after page revealing the poetic observations of flora and fauna, birds and wildlife, as seen from the back of Weale’s ambling mare, Sandy. Part historical account, part Edwardian remembrance, it invokes a gentle, softer world inhabited by gracious country lairds, wise farmers, and jolly inn keepers. Complete with pencil drawings and detailed maps, this fine little book begs the reader to follow Weale’s advice. “Go thou and do likewise.” Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble
ISBN 1590480392	Wartime Ride, J. Wentworth Day - It was wartime in England. London was being bombed by the Nazis. Coventry Cathedral was a smoke-filled ruin and a sense of desperation gripped the island kingdom. Yet even though the Second World War was raging all around him, the English country squire J. Wentworth Day decided the time was right for an extended horseback ride through his disaster-torn country! Setting off on his Thoroughbred, Robert, Day began the only wartime ride of its kind, a rural odyssey that took him through Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk. The equestrian journey gave the author a glimpse into the living picture of a mediaeval portion of England which, until 1939, had hardly changed for centuries. Day takes the reader into the countryside and delivers one surprise after another. For while the eastern coast was being ravaged by warfare, the gentleman farmer discovered an inland oasis of mellow harvest fields, birds and badgers, autumn sunshine, moated Tudor farmhouses, peaceful country halls, and fishing villages, all populated by shrewd farmers or slow-talking fisher folk. Amply illustrated with photographs, “Wartime Ride” manages to put into words the charm of a countryside struggling for its very existence. Go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble
ISBN 1590482344	Wild Wales, George Borrow - A much loved and frequently reissued classic, Wild Wales first appeared in 1862. It is George Borrow’s account of a family holiday spent in Llangollen, North Wales, to which are attached two strenuous walking tours in search of the homes and haunts and last resting places of the bards whom he loved. The first tour encompasses much of Snowdonia and Anglesey, and the second takes him the length of the country from Llangollen to Swansea and thence through South Wales to Chepstow. Traveller, linguist and author of The Bible in Spain, Lavengro, and Romany Rye, Borrow explores the often dramatic scenery of Wales, delving into its literary past, its history, myths and legends, and meeting its people along the way, conveying as he does so his enthusiasm for all things Celtic. Wild Wales is much more than a straightforward travel account. It is a book rich with characters, complete with princes, heroes, villains and rogues. In its pages we meet the delightful John Jones and the comical Tom Jenkins, we are introduced to Owain Glyndwr and his struggles against the English Crown. Great poets like Dafydd ap Gwilym share space with robbers like the Plant de Bat and the Robin Hood like Twm Shone Catti. Forbidding monsters, in imagination at least, inhabit the lakes, and the church cat slumbers peacefully in a cottage by the River Dee. Frequently biased and argumentative, Borrow is at all times energetic and readable and remains among the liveliest writers on Wales. His book is still one of the best introductions to the country. For more information, please go to Amazon.co.uk or Barnes & Noble, or visit the George Borrow page on Classic Travel Books.

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