Midges, Maps & Muesli: An Account of a 5,000 Mile Walk Round the Coast of Britain

by Helen Krasner

In 1986/7 Helen Krasner walked nearly 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, taking 11 months and gaining an entry in the "Guinness Book of Records". She thought of it as more of an long amble than a marathon undertaking, imagining herself as some kind of wandering minstrel, strolling along beaches and chatting to locals in pubs and cafes. Of course, it wasn't all that simple and straightforward...

Helen wrote "Midges, Maps and Muesli - a lighthearted account of that marathon walk - soon afterwards. It was finally published in 1998, was extremely popular, and had to be reprinted in 2007.

Here, at last, by request of many people, is the digital edition. And here are some of the comments the printed book received over the years....

I have read Helen Krasner's book twice and I'm sure I shall read it again. Although Helen claims to be an ordinary person, doing something which to her, while she was doing it, became quite an ordinary thing to do, her way of being ordinary is so extraordinary that it makes her book, and her walk, something very different and special. Why did she walk round the island of Britain? One doesn't really know, at the end. But what is certain is that she got a great deal out of it, and much of what she got out of it she has been able to pass on to the reader. Above all this is a book about people - the innumerable people she met in the course of her journey, most of them kind and hospitable, a few impressive, one or two more or less mad. Helen Krasner is not just a long-distance walker - she is also the author of a fascinating book.
Mike Munford, Welshpool, Powys

This book makes a refreshing change from all those well planned, well researched travel books that are ultimately boring. This is how it would be for the likes of you and me. A very readable and interesting account that's often quite funny, for this is a walk for fun, not to beat a record, or raise money for charity. Helen's encounters are always worth reading, especially those with other coastal walkers, like the one who tells her what "a bitch" the Mull of Kintyre had proved, but is nonetheless horrified that she decides she'll skip it then!
Anonymous, review on Amazon website

I love your book! It’s mid-afternoon, I started reading it this morning, and I’m still in my nightdress and nothing has been done in the house. I just couldn’t put it down; I HAD to finish it, and I wanted to let you know.
Anonymous, phone call to the author

Genres: Travel

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 1998

Reviews

[Jessaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snarks

Finally, a book about walking around Britain that isn't filled with jokes or snarky remarks about the people living there. This means that this book was not written by Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux. She was a pretty good writer, But not excellent. And her experiences were not really out of the ordinary, but the book kept my interest, and I'm surprised That there are no other reviews of this book. It is worth reading in spite of some of the things that I have said here. It is just that I like books that are far more exciting, like maybe a snake got into her tent. Now that would have been interesting. But now, maybe I am being a little snarky myself.

[Stephan Gschwind · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natürlich ist die Leistung von Frau Krasner in Bezug auf ihre Wanderung wirklich toll.
Das Buch ist allerdings eher etwas flach. Richtig informativ ist es nicht. Und die persönlichen Erlebnisse sind auch nicht so beschrieben, dass es einem mitnimmt.

[Peter Birbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging story

Highly rated because I enjoyed the book very much. This story is full of many strange encounters and challenges which occurred during a woman's solo journey. There is also a fascinating chapter about the author's life after the long walk.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointed as there was little description of the walk and countryside.