Underground England - travels Beneath our Cities and Countryside, Stephen Smith - Hardback 302pp - ?18.99 (I will do post free )

UNDERGROUND ENGLAND reveals the caves, tunnels, bunkers and grottoes that riddle the ground beneath our feet. With this book, a follow-up to his well-received Underground London (2004), Stephen Smith, an established journalist and broadcaster, has taken on a rich and various subject. Energetic, curious and attracted by hidden places, legends and dark secrets, he sets out to explore what goes on in caves and grottoes, burial mounds and tunnels, bunkers and earthworks all over England.

It takes an extraordinary and original look at our island nation - from below. Stephen Smith quite literally delves into the unknown country underneath ploughed fields, clifftops and market towns. He  explores rudimentary earth dwellings and hidden Cold War cities; sulphurous natural springs and manmade underground waterways; priest holes and subterranean nooks created with more sinister purposes in mind. The author visits the endless military tunnels built below Chatham since the Napoleonic Wars; and the secret labyrinth quarried out under Liverpool by a religious eccentric. He gets into tight spots with speleologists, and gamely ventures down haunted tunnels and into the mythical resting-places of English kings. A fascinating and eye-opening exploration of the world that lies beneath our feet.

Mike

Is available from usual book sources  including myself http://www.moorebooks.co.uk/shelves/cart.php?target=product&product_id=19105&category_id=249

Its a load of crap.  Full of words like ?ego, prelapsarian, commingled, so-disant? left me searching for my English dictionary.

ego = false self
prelapsarian  = relating to the time before the Fall of Adam and Eve
commingled = mix or blend
soi-disant = no wonder I could not find this in my English dictionary, it is French for so called

Its full of things like Sutton Hoo treasure buried, Silsbury Hill, but my friend Robbie Morgan gets a good mention.  A free miner in the Forest of Dean.

You seem to be underselling this, I have read various reviews in national newspapers and few would agree with you. At least its all original work and he can't be accused of plagiarism.

Mike

AS far as you can tell, Mike, is it factually good, and free of over-dramatic imagery of England's mysterious nether regions? I must admit that talk of "endless military tunnels", and "haunted tunnels" made me slightly wary.

I don?t want to be unkind, but within 20 pages you get 'quaffing', 'forsooth', a reference to the author's 'quest', an encounter with an 'honest fellow', 'zephyr', 'charabancs', 'sojourn' and 'parlour entertainment'. A car is a 'steed'. 'The fairer sex', 'mine host' and 'there's the rub' duly make their appearances, too. Page 139 alone gives us 'the proverbial coil' (he means the mortal one), 'dear old mum' and 'dear old Blighty'.

If a jocular alliteration ? or, even better, two in parallel ? can be erowbarred in, it will be: 'terpsichorean tramplings', 'this Arcadian abandon', 'this subterranean sodality', 'splendidly styled', 'delightfully dubbed', 'the contortionist's conundrum, the human hole-in-one', 'these stalactite Stiltons, these troglodyte truckles'.

Not my kind of book.  Very tiresome to read.

I take it they wouldn't do "somebody" a deal on wholesale rates.

At first sight of a picture and title in a newspaper it appeared interesting. I read the review and it was sounding good, until near the end of the review when, like has been said above, the words and manner in which they are used was mentioned and my interest somewhat waned..
I think for me it might be one to borrow from a library at some point in the future rather than splashing out on my own copy.

rhychydwr1 said:

I don?t want to be unkind, but within 20 pages you get 'quaffing', 'forsooth', a reference to the author's 'quest', an encounter with an 'honest fellow', 'zephyr', 'charabancs', 'sojourn' and 'parlour entertainment'. A car is a 'steed'. 'The fairer sex', 'mine host' and 'there's the rub' duly make their appearances, too. Page 139 alone gives us 'the proverbial coil' (he means the mortal one), 'dear old mum' and 'dear old Blighty'.

If a jocular alliteration ? or, even better, two in parallel ? can be erowbarred in, it will be: 'terpsichorean tramplings', 'this Arcadian abandon', 'this subterranean sodality', 'splendidly styled', 'delightfully dubbed', 'the contortionist's conundrum, the human hole-in-one', 'these stalactite Stiltons, these troglodyte truckles'.

Not my kind of book.  Very tiresome to read.

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Bet thats the last time a publishers sends you a freebie to review!!

Dear Mike

Lets face it you fat wanker, you are trying to push a mediocre book.  Why don?t you admit it is rubbish and concentrate on selling a good caving book by Farr or Waltham et al.

What a rude man!  The quality of a book is very subjective. This might be a brilliantly written book in some people's eyes. You don't have to stock it, Tony, if you don't think many people will buy it.

As one of the few persons who have read the book, am just amazed at its verbosity.  I am not sure if the person who edited the book had an off day, or perhaps he had been thwarted by a higher authority.  I am sure that if were to removed every fifth word or so, it would make the book much easier to read.  Finally, my last comment.  The books does not have any pictures.

Ah, yes. I recall those far-off pre-teenage years when I preferred the illustrated books in the children's library rather than those with long sentences and no pictures. Happy days.  :tease:

rhychydwr1 said:

Dear Mike

Lets face it you fat wanker, you are trying to push a mediocre book.  Why don?t you admit it is rubbish and concentrate on selling a good caving book by Farr or Waltham et al.

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Very christian of you !! :tease: :tease:

Unlike you I don't push lists of books, but draw attention to new things coming out and try not to abuse the free use of this site or for that matter other people. As for this book yes I have a few copies and leave to indviduals to make the choice.


Mike

These squabbles between you two regarding books are becoming very tiresome.

Rhychydwr1,  let the customer decide whether or not to buy such a book....and any more direct personal abuse like that and you get a ban.