The Running Book: A Journey through Memory, Landscape and History

Description

'Sensational! John Connell has done it again' - Dean Karnazes 'Takes the theme of running and opens it out into something much wider' - Irish Times From the award-winning, No.1 bestselling author of The Cow Book In The Running Book, John Connell vividly describes a marathon through County Longford, Ireland, where he lives and farms. Because running is as much about the mind as the body, the book is about more than the physical experience. What John sees on his journey prompts him to contemplate a wide range of things: he's as likely to think about local Irish history, the legacy of colonialism in Australia or the story of Haile Gebrselassie as he is to remember his own past runs in Arizona or Ibiza. After a mental health crisis, John found the simple act of putting one foot in front of another helped him to regain his sense of self and better appreciate the world around him. At its core, The Running Book is a life-affirming read about the nature of happiness - and how for one man it came through the feet. 'Read The Running Book and you see life in every route you run; past, present and future, life is for running' - Sonia O'Sullivan 'Every runner will find something poignant that resonates within this book' - Paula Radcliffe

John Connell's work has been published in Granta's New Irish Writing issue. His memoir The Cow Book was a #1 bestseller in Ireland and won the 2018 An Post Irish Book Award/Ireland AM Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year. He lives on his family farm, Birchview, in County Longford, Ireland.

A compelling insight into the mind of someone who loves to run for running's sake, and who is keen to immerse himself fully into the world around him. * Irish Independent * Takes the theme of running and opens it out into something much wider * Irish Times * In this difficult new world where a walk or a run around the block might be the only respite your mental health gets in a day of isolation, Connell's paean to the activity couldn't be better timed * Sunday Independent * Read The Running Book and you see life in every route you run: past, present and future. Life is for running -- Sonia O'Sullivan A book rich in history, personal reflections and questions . . . a book about life * RTE Culture * This book explores wonderfully the joys and pleasures of running . . . Through running journeys that are interspersed with interesting anecdotes and memories, the history and beauty of Ireland are brought to life . . . Every runner will find something poignant that resonates within this book -- Paula Radcliffe Some books are for runners, some are for history lovers. This charming volume is for both. It has made me vow to keep my eyes more widely open the next time I put my running shoes on - whether the ground beneath my feet is new or familiar -- Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost A celebration of the primal joy of running * RTE Guide * A lovely testimonial to all the seeing to be done by eyes and hearts that hold themselves open. And he shows us that, wherever we run, the world remains with us, to be grasped in all its grief and majesty -- Zia Haider Rahman, author of In The Light of What We Know Sensational! John Connell has done it again! -- Dean Karnazes A thoughtful book that begins with putting one foot in front of the other and opens up to encompass a great deal more * Herald * British colonialism is a topic that demands coverage and I am glad that Mr Connell is approaching it from this new lens -- Shashi Tharoor, author of Inglorious Empire