Journey Through Britian [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

John Hillaby (Author, Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1994

A title, which was originally published in 1968, and recounts the author's walk from Land's End to John O'Groats.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Describing his arduous walking trip that begins at Land's End, Hillaby includes myriad fascinating details about area history, botanical curiosities, characteristics of the local populace, and local colloquialisms. He philosophizes about human nature, the great outdoors, and the development of language and habits. His comments indicate a basic indifference to domestic and wild animals but a real appreciation for kind, honest, hospitable folk. As reader, Hillaby is easy to listen to and understand. He occasionally uses a uniquely British term, but the meaning can usually be determined by the context in which it's used. Unfortunately, it is hard to follow his journey in a geographical sense; one wishes for a map. Yet, this is not a guide. Basically, this unusual recording about an unusual journey is a diary of his trip, made especially interesting by his beautiful voice, his effective use of inflection, and his rich descriptions that convey strong visual images. This is a good tape for long car rides. Libraries with patrons interested in hiking, traveling, and British history or natural history should consider.
Carolyn Alexander, Columbia Lib. System, Monterey, Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

Hillaby, a naturalist and author of several similar books, describes his two-month walk from the south (Land's End) to the north (John o'Groats) of Britain. He discusses the land, the people and their history. Hillaby reads in a conversational manner, giving vent to emotion at times, and often giving his impressions of the accents of the various regions. While interesting, the story would be more successful on audio if the listener had a detailed knowledge of British geography or a detailed map. Since a map isn't included with the tapes, it's likely that most listeners will come to this title without the references needed to put place names and regional descriptions in context. M.A.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: ISIS Audio Books (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850896836
• ISBN-13: 978-1850896838
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,456,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Walking the length of Britain, May 26, 2002

By 

David W. Nicholas (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey through Britain, (Hardcover)

John Hillaby apparently wished to write about walking, and what you see along the way. Setting out with a backpack and some supplies, he walked the length of Britain the in the late '60s, a time when there were hippies everywhere, and the country was in a bit of turmoil. What he demonstrates by this is that, though the police are more intrusive than they used to be (during the journey they hurried him along out of town for sleeping in the common more than once) the country remains Britain, with all of its strange and eccentric accents, monuments, and customs.

Hillaby walks from Land's End (the southwest corner of Britain) to John o' Groats (the northernmost point of the island), mostly along the west coast. The edition I had of the book (Folio Society 1987) contained several beautiful maps with the author's path traced in meticulous detail, so that the problem detailed by the audio review was replaced a bit by perhaps knowing too precisely where the author had been. It's not really needed. Other than that, though, the book is very fun, and worthwhile, provided you remember that he wrote it almost 35 years ago.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In memory of your feet (remember them?), April 13, 2000

By 

Owen Hughes (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey through Britain, (Hardcover)

This is the classic volume on the art of walking (well, not really the art: Hillaby thought it was a natural function). For those who cannot remember the last time they walked to a corner store, the prospect of actually walking the length of England (not one of the world's longer islands!) may be somewhat daunting. So sit back and let Hillaby tell you what you are missing.

I suppose if there is one thing to lament about North America, it's the culture of the automobile with its concomitant health situation deriving from flabby calves. The English, in particular, are great walkers and have allowed a place of importance for this national pastime, in their towns, villages and countryside. Walking is something one can do in most of Europe, along organised ways, but in England it is something one does do, and both the ways and byways are, in the main, very structured. The old straight track is a term coming from the distant past which refers to a well-trammelled path, usually between the smaller towns. At one time they might have been drove roads for sheep or cattle. At others, Roman legions may have tramped down them widely. In the main, however, the paths across England taken by Hillaby are through farmer's fields and across the high points of various heaths. Go with him for a while and you may just be bitten by a bug which will take you (one hopes it will be on foot) to some of Britain's loveliest spots. They certainly abound.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Companion While Walking the Dogs, October 12, 2000

By 

Andrew S. Rogers (Stamford, Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey Through Britian (Audio Cassette)

I have to say I disagree with the AudioFile review on this page: I don't have a detailed knowledge of British geography, but nevertheless think I know England and Scotland better for sharing this journey with Mr Hillaby. 30 seconds with a decent atlas was enought for me to see that he was journeying roughly up the west coast of Britain, and to put the counties in pretty much the proper order. Nobody should feel the obsessive need to trace his precise route along a map with a finger. That would probably be far more work than is necessary.

I listened to these tapes while walking our dogs in the evenings, and Mr Hillaby was a wonderful and entertaining companion. I sometimes wished he had spoken a little more about the historical significance of some of the landmarks he passed (and indeed, toward the end of the tapes, he does wonder if maybe he should have lingered a bit more at some of the more interesting sites), but on the whole, I found his mixture of history, ethnology and linguistics, botany and zoology, to be just about right. And his observations of the people he met on his trip were about the best part of all.

It's hard to compress two months' walking into several hours of tape, but Mr Hillaby has done a fine job. Whether you're walking yourself, or driving, or sitting at home or on the bus, I recommend taking this trip with him.