Customer Reviews

Gypsy Horses and the Travelers Way: The Road to Appleby Fair

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Gypsy Horses and the Travelers' Way
By John Hockensmith
Hockensmith Fine Arts
146 E. Main St.
Georgetown, KY 40324
ISBN: 1599755971
Price: $49.95
Page Count: 184
December 8, 2006
Reviewer: Ann Allyn Slessman

While this is John Stephen Hockensmith's first book, it won't be his last. This beautiful book is what most would categorize as a "coffee table" book with one exception - Hockensmith's brilliant prose. One has to wonder why this man hasn't published before now. He writes as if he is having an intimate talk with his readers. And he hits the mark if this was his intention. I cannot imagine anyone panning this book. If they did so, it would surely be an act of jealousy. You will find after reading and perusing this book that his poems continue to live within your heart and mind.

John Stephen Hockensmith is well known in the Midwest for his photography skills. He has photographed the Kentucky Derby Winners' Print and Winners' Circle prints since the year 2000. He owns an art gallery in Georgetown, KY which exhibits equine and animal images sought after by collectors throughout the world.

This book is a treat for the reader's eyes as well as a great source of information on the Romani Gypsies and their beautifully bred Gypsy Horses. The imagery is without comparison and the prose is well written and quite visual in itself. The quality of this work dictates that it will surely outlive Hockensmith.

As the reader journeys through the images and prose of Gypsy Horses and The Travelers' Way they will find it hard not to be lured by the gypsy way of life. Their mysterious cavalier ways seem quite enchanting when compared to nine to fivers. The test - can a reader find their way back home after visiting this work? Read it and find out!

A superbly presented photographic narrative, "Gypsy Horses And The Travelers' Way: The Road To Appleby Fair" by John S. Hockensmith visually showcases the "mystery and magic" of life as a Romani Gypsy in the northland country of England. Hockensmith has the eye of an artist as expressed through a camera's lens with his full color images of gypsies, gypsy caravans, gypsy life, and a 60-mile, horse-drawn journey through English villages and misty moors, to engage in three centuries of horse trading and communal renewal traditions at the Appleby Fair. Informatively enhanced with an accompanying text that is hallmarked by prose laced with poetry, "Gypsy Horses And The Travelers' Way" is as engaging as it is entertaining and will prove of especial and enduring interest to students of contemporary gypsy life in northern Britain..

Great book I was sad when I finished it. Beautiful photos ans nice description about the journey to Appleby fair. This would make a wonderful
TV special. Beautiful Gypsy Horses. It will be a pleasure to keep this book in my collection forever. This is definitely a coffee table book.
If you love horses you will love this book. Expensive but well worth the cost.

This book is absolutely beautiful! The pictures are incredible and the information about the Romani people is intriguing. Even if you are not a horse lover, you will be awed by the incredible landscapes and beauty of these horses. Beautifully done.

Gypsy Horses and the Traveler's Way: The Road to Appleby Fair is a delightful book. The photographs are superb, and lovers of these gorgeous colored horses will be captivated by Mr. Hockensmith's eye for detail and his ability to capture mood. The horses are heart-stoppingly beautiful and Mr. Hockensmith's portrayals of them reflect his enthusiasm for this lovely breed. The people Hockensmith travels with are presented with respect and a refreshing lack of over-familiarity so often found in the work of those who write about, but cannot really know the Romany people.
The titular road is lovingly described, as is the destination. The burgeoning popularity of the "Gypsy Vanner" has made Appley Horse Fair an increasingly popular tourist destination, and no doubt there is much to see there. Here again, we see flowing manes and tails aplenty, but there is more. The minutia of Appleby is lovingly portrayed - but not varnished with romantic stereotyping,
The book is available in two bindings. There is a slipcased special editon available from the publisher's website, (Fine Art Editions Press), and the edition offered by Amazon which has a beautiful dustjacket and an attractive cloth binding. Either edition is well worth the asking price. Step for awhile into the world of Appleby, the people and the horses there. You will want to visit again and again.

This book was amazing - very interesting and the photos are beautiful. My partner and I are planning a "gypsy caravan" holiday this year - he is building the gypsy wagon during the winter. Although there were no plans for the wagon in this book, the information and photos have been a great motivator for him.

Amazing collection of photos from a era that seems so long ago but still here today. Very well done! Great presentation of the people, horses and caravans.

After being enthralled with this book elsewhere, I knew I had to have it, so of course I checked Amazon, where I found it at an affordable price. The photography in this book of the horses and the travelers in England is unbelievably beautiful! It's a joy to just page through the book. Guests to my home have spent a great deal of time paging slowly through the book enjoying the landscape as well as the animals and people. But it doesn't stop there, the stories associated with the pictures are captivating and entertaining. You can't put it down!

I am so glad I finally got this book. I had been looking at it for months and when I saw it on Amazon at a good price I decided to get it. Lots of beautiful pictures and interesting reading as well.