The Making of the British Landscape: How We Have Transformed the Land, from Prehistory to Today

Description

'Reading this sweeping account of the making of the British landscape I found myself thrilled' CLIVE ASLET, COUNTRY LIFE 'Compelling, deeply rewarding and hugely impressive . . . pull on your boots and coat, go out into the open' PHILIP MARSDEN, SUNDAY TIMES 'Taking an encyclopaedic sweep through our archaeological story, Francis Pryor covers everyone from the first Neolithic farmers to the architects of Spaghetti Junction. From canals to windfarms, from dukes laying out their estates in the 18th century to commercial firms expanding the popularity of the golf course, he shows us the human race attempting to shape the landscape of the British Isles' A. N. WILSON, FINANCIAL TIMES 'Under his gaze, the land starts to fill with tribes and clans wandering this way and that, leaving traces that can still be seen today. Pryor feels the land rather than simply knowing it' KATHRYN HUGHES, GUARDIAN 'The British landscape is as rich a source of inspiration as ever and this book makes an excellent companion guide' MARGARET DRABBLE, DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A rollercoaster across a hundred centuries ... Pryor clearly loves this country in the marrow of his bones' ADAM NICOLSON, SCOTSMAN 'A galloping good read' DAVID MUSGROVE, BBC HISTORY, BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Francis Pryor is a distinguished archaeologist whose career has included the discovery, in 1982, of Flag Fen, one of the best-preserved Bronze Age sites in Europe. His books include his Britain series (for HarperCollins)- Britain BC, Britain AD, Britain in the Middle Ages and The Birth of Modern Britain, two of which were filmed for Channel 4. In 2010 he published (with Penguin) The Making of the British Landscape. He has appeared frequently on Time Team and has presented a number of programmes for Radio 4. The Lifers' Club is his first work of fiction.

Pryor is that rare combination of a first-rate working archaeologist and a good writer, with the priceless ability of being able to explain complex ideas clearly. This is popular archaeology at its best. * Times Higher Educational Supplement * Under his gaze, the land starts to fill with tribes and clans wandering this way and that, leaving traces that can still be seen today... Pryor feels the land rather than simply knowing it -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian * I guarantee you'll enjoy it * British Archaeology * Compelling, deeply rewarding and hugely impressive ... pull on your boots and coat, go out into the open -- Philip Marsden * Sunday Times * A rollercoaster across a hundred centuries ... Pryor clearly loves this country in the marrow of his bones -- Adam Nicholson * Scotsman *