W. G. Hoskins (1908–1992)

Would it be sad to say that one of my 'comfort' books is 'The Making of the English Landscape' by W G Hoskins. I think I read in the flyer that one critic said that it was rare that a single book comes along and heightens your consciousness of your surroundings. That's why every now and then I have to dip back into it to bring me back to that ethereal state of awareness - or else I'm in danger of being numbed by the effects of today's busy and stressful lifestyle.

I think the book was show more originally written in the 1950's but it is still revolutionary in its outlook - with its main tenet that even the wildest moors of Britain have been shaped by the hand of man. Even more remarkable is the fact that with a little insight you can still see the marks that our ancestors left over 10,000 years ago. show less

As a keen student of local history, I am used to looking at history post industrial-revolution, along with a smattering of older items, such as castles and the like. I also had a basic knowledge of the development of green roads, and later turnpikes, and other forms of transportation. But Hoskins looks far deeper than that, at the way that towns developed and why they differ so much, at field history, and at the abandonment of some townships. If I were to criticise the book at all (and it is show more something that the author himself admits to), it is that his best examples all tend to come from the same parts of the country. For much of the book, it is the making of the Cornish and East Midlands Landscape. That said, it is well worth anyone reading, whether they have an interest in, or a love of, the English countryside, or local history. And the Folio Society edition which I read is in itself a beautiful version. show less

Rightly regarded as a classic in its field an early pioneer in the field of landscape studies. First published in the mid-50s and only now beginning to show its age. A meta-study bringing together many strands to help us interpret and understand what we see around us. Using not only the obvious sources of old maps and records but also poetry and landscape painting. In the sixty years since its first publication there are changes to the landscape that we can all see. The industrial north has show more been de-industrialised and cleaned up. Slag heaps from coal mines can only be seen in old photographs. And the network of six and eight lane motorways has carved new marks into the land. What will the next half century bring? show less

This thorough and thought-provoking book has sent me back to my local history books. A good thing.