geological experts , the author ’ s explanation of the geology can sometimes be forensic in its detail . He is much better when he ’ s striding out through the countryside he loves , always ready with an entertaining anecdote or historical story to enliven the journey . Chris Somerville has been justly described as one of the �inest gazetteers of the British countryside , and this exploration of our unique geology puts him up there alongside L Dudley Stamp and W H Pearsall .
The Hidden Fires : A Cairngorms journey with Nan Shepherd Merryn Glover Polygon , £ 10.99 ( pb )
Nan Shepherd ’ s 1977 masterpiece , The Living Mountain , changed the way many people , including some of our most distinguished outdoor writers , regarded mountain landscapes . No longer were they challenges – summits or climbs to be “ conquered ” – they were places for inner re�lection and mindfulness , so beautifully expressed in Shepherd ’ s timeless prose . Inspired by The Living Mountain , this beautiful homage to Shepherd is a deeply personal account of the author ’ s own love of the Cairngorms and manages to capture some of the magic of the original by faithfully retracing her steps into one of the last great wilderness of these islands .
It brings together the physical , philosophical and literary landscapes �irst recorded by Shepherd into a remarkable personal homecoming for the author and deserves to rank alongside the classic work by Nan Shepherd on the bookshelves of Cairngorm a�icionados .
Head in the Clouds
Ed . Andrew Craig and High Miller Cross Country International , £ 28 ( hb )
We are sometimes accused of ignoring some outdoor adventure sports in our columns , but hopefully this review will answer that criticism . Subtitled “ The Best Stories from 50 Years of Free Flying ”, this book claims to capture the heart and soul of free �lying ( ie hang gliding and paragliding ) through 50 short stories told by the adventurers themselves . Edited by two experienced free�liers and journalists it includes such hair-raising adventures as the pilot who crossed the Atlantic in a microlight ; the Canadian paraglider pilot who followed the epic migration of the Monarch butter�ly from Mexico to British Columbia ; the British climber who circumnavigated Nanga Parbat in the Himalaya in a hang glider , and an extraordinary , Touching the Void type experience of a pilot who crashed in the wilderness of the American West . As Miller explains : “ Free �lying is adventure and exploration at its best . These stories represent the very best of our sport ; the heart and soul of free �lying .”
www . pelagicpublishing . com www . doubledaygroup . co . uk www . birlinn . co . uk www . xcmag . com
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