Enjoyed his book on France, so read this about England - again lots of hype and good reviews, and very readable, with a mixture of personal experience, research, scene-setting and anecdotes. Each chapter covered a different geographical feature - coast, river, heath, etc. Lewis-Stemple is of the view that hunting and shooting are positive things and necessary to maintain the countryside environment, but I just cannot buy that. However it is dressed up, the environment is adapted to suit humanity, and to argue that (for example) grouse shooting is good for birds of prey and biodiversity when it patently isn't is perverse. I get that if grouse aren't being shot there is no incentive for the landowner to maintain moorlands and it could return to woodland in a few generations otherwise, but I'm not sure that is a bad thing, and if moorland is so important it's perfectly possible to maintain it in the greater interest without intensively breeding grouse and then shooting them. Finished this book on holiday in Brixham. Helen had to stay at home and look after the dog, so there was a fair bit of homesickness and grumpiness at being made to walk from the kids, but it was good to get away and it was a lovely spot. It gave Fred some practice for his practice hike this weekend for the Southern 50 competition to. He ended up giving William a piggy-back home from Greenway as poor W was so tired. Well done Fred.
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