Battle Valleys by Ronald Turnbull
'Every valley has its battle, and every stream its song' Walter Scott For three hundred years the reivers' country of the Border was an enclave between England and Scotland with its own laws, its own ethics, and an economy based on theft, blackmail and kidnapping for ransom. Over moorland and bog, through the passes of Cheviot and the fords of the Tyne, the reivers rode 60 miles in an autumn night. A skirmish at dawn with lances and the long-shafted Jedburgh axe; then back again with the stolen cows, with the smoke of burning thatch behind them. This book explores in words and photographs the beauty of the Border - on both the English and Scottish sides - where the memory of those terrible centuries lingers on. As well as its battle, every valley boasts its 'bastle' or fortified farmhouse, its pele tower or grim border fortress. Award-winning writer and local resident Ronald Turnbull transports the reader in history and pictures through Ettrick and Yarrow, Liddesdale and Redesdale, Teviot and Tweed. Along the big rivers, thickets of hogweed spring tall as reivers' lances, and the fields are splashed with lurid gorse. Above are bleak moorlands, and the wild, high Cheviot hills.Highly readable book
[Turnball's] wit, gorgeous photography and colourful insights into history combine to make this a fascinating read
Photographs of lochs, wildlife, scenery and monuments certainly bring the history to life, and all add up to a great read for anyone interested in history
Specialist but nonetheless well researched and an interesting read.
Photographs of lochs, wildlife, scenery and monuments certainly bring the history to life, and all add up to a great read for anyone interested in history
[Turnball's] wit, gorgeous photography and colourful insights into history combine to make this a fascinating read.
Highly readable book
Ronald Turnbull is a geographer and a walker. Author of over a dozen highly regarded walking books and guides, he has won seven awards from the Outdoor Writers' Guild. Ronald lives in Thornhill in Dumfriesshire.
To visit Ronald's website click here
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780711232297 |
| ISBN 10 | 0711232296 |
| Title | Battle Valleys |
| Author | Ronald Turnbull |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Quarto Publishing PLC |
| Year published | 2012-06-07 |
| Number of pages | 112 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |