In Pursuit of Spring

A marvelous read. Brings up memories of Thoreau's travel volumes. It has a charming, settling effect on the reader, opening the eyes, heart, and mind to the pleasures a natural landscape has available to those willing to surrender to its seductiveness.

Loved this book. A beautiful evocation of pre First World War One rural England. As a cyclist who has used many of the routes Thomas did I could identify with his journey through a beautiful part of Southern England. A land much changed but which contains the ghost of past rural glories that Thomas cycled through at his leisurely pace. The best way to do it in my opinion. Damn the Strava age! The fate of Thomas always haunts this book and you cannot help but feel a deep sadness that this gentle lover of the countryside departed this world so prematurely. Beautifully written in a delightfully random manner, which appeals to me. I like Little Toller books who champion these sort of works. Yes, there are times when the proof reading could be better, but it is not something that ever took away the pleasure of reading this little gem. Highly recommended.

As others have said this is an excellent book crying out for a bit more TLC in the preparation. There are scores of typesetting errors throughout the text that indicate this to be a 'cheepo cut & paste edition'. What would be really good would be a thoughtful 'illustrated' edition with maps, photos from the 1913 period and modern day of the places visited and the flora described. All this plus notes and an introduction by, say, Robert Macfarlane wold be capital! The publisher could also chuck in a CD or download of the BBC radio series broadcast in March 2013 to celebrate the books centenary. Sadly the above is unlikely to happen...in the meantime this is better than nothing...

A beloved poet. A major prose work which prompted none other than Robert Frost to suggest to Thomas he may turn his sights toward poetry. Not a travel diary or naturalist study in the traditional sense. Perhaps also a great springboard into his criminally short poetical output. Killed by gunfire exactly four years after this journey on (and off) bicycle began. A great loss to the english language and poetic imagination. Read read read read

There are books which won't allow anything but a speedy reading pace to match their plot, sometimes coming and going in a day. Then there are books like this. At the time of writing I am about half-way through journey and thoroughly enjoying meeting Thomas' gently unfolding narrative in the manner in which it was written; without hurry and savoring every detail. As I read, I am on the lane, in the wood, by the river. The town scenes in which the journey commences navigate within a hair's breadth of purple but with the open country the breathing becomes relaxed and observations of all things natural are never in need of heavy metaphor to allow them to drift from the page and into the senses. Reading this book has produced a strong temptation to retrace the journey but I fear that the passing of a hundred years will have reduced too many of the locations to mere echoes, so I shall remain content with the powerfully evocative writing of a gifted author, sound in the knowledge that at least it was once as described. One minor irritation with this version but one which is surely unnecessary: I have encountered more typos than I care to count, on which I have stubbed my toe as I amble along. A hasty compilation as the centenary approached, perhaps? Never mind, back on the bike!

It is very pleasant to read the words of Edward Thomas in this travelogue which covers much of my own homeland and that of my ancestors. The descriptions of his journey and the many humorous comments he makes on the way bring the early 20th century much closer than one might have expected.

A marvelous read. Brings up memories of Thoreau's travel volumes. It has a charming, settling effect on the reader, opening the eyes, heart, and mind to the pleasures a natural landscape has available to those willing to surrender to its seductiveness.

Loved this book. A beautiful evocation of pre First World War One rural England. As a cyclist who has used many of the routes Thomas did I could identify with his journey through a beautiful part of Southern England. A land much changed but which contains the ghost of past rural glories that Thomas cycled through at his leisurely pace. The best way to do it in my opinion. Damn the Strava age! The fate of Thomas always haunts this book and you cannot help but feel a deep sadness that this gentle lover of the countryside departed this world so prematurely. Beautifully written in a delightfully random manner, which appeals to me. I like Little Toller books who champion these sort of works. Yes, there are times when the proof reading could be better, but it is not something that ever took away the pleasure of reading this little gem. Highly recommended.

As others have said this is an excellent book crying out for a bit more TLC in the preparation.There are scores of typesetting errors throughout the text that indicate this to be a 'cheepo cut & paste edition'.What would be really good would be a thoughtful 'illustrated' edition with maps, photos from the 1913 period and modern day of the places visited and the flora described. All this plus notes and an introduction by, say, Robert Macfarlane wold be capital!The publisher could also chuck in a CD or download of the BBC radio series broadcast in March 2013 to celebrate the books centenary.Sadly the above is unlikely to happen...in the meantime this is better than nothing...

There are books which won't allow anything but a speedy reading pace to match their plot, sometimes coming and going in a day. Then there are books like this. At the time of writing I am about half-way through journey and thoroughly enjoying meeting Thomas' gently unfolding narrative in the manner in which it was written; without hurry and savoring every detail. As I read, I am on the lane, in the wood, by the river. The town scenes in which the journey commences navigate within a hair's breadth of purple but with the open country the breathing becomes relaxed and observations of all things natural are never in need of heavy metaphor to allow them to drift from the page and into the senses. Reading this book has produced a strong temptation to retrace the journey but I fear that the passing of a hundred years will have reduced too many of the locations to mere echoes, so I shall remain content with the powerfully evocative writing of a gifted author, sound in the knowledge that at least it was once as described. One minor irritation with this version but one which is surely unnecessary: I have encountered more typos than I care to count, on which I have stubbed my toe as I amble along. A hasty compilation as the centenary approached, perhaps? Never mind, back on the bike!

A beloved poet. A major prose work which prompted none other than Robert Frost to suggest to Thomas he may turn his sights toward poetry. Not a travel diary or naturalist study in the traditional sense. Perhaps also a great springboard into his criminally short poetical output. Killed by gunfire exactly four years after this journey on (and off) bicycle began. A great loss to the english language and poetic imagination. Read read read read

It is very pleasant to read the words of Edward Thomas in this travelogue which covers much of my own homeland and that of my ancestors. The descriptions of his journey and the many humorous comments he makes on the way bring the early 20th century much closer than one might have expected.