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Walking to Camelot: A Pilgrimage along the Macmillan Way through the Heart of Rural England
John Cherrington and his 74-year-old walking companion set out one fine morning in May to traverse the only English footpath that cuts south through the rural heart of the country, a formidable path called the Macmillan Way. Cherrington’s walking partner is Karl Yzerman, an irascible “bull of the woods,” a full 20 years his senior and the perfect foil to the wry and self-deprecating author. Their journey begins at Boston on the Wash and takes them through areas of outstanding beauty such as the Cotswolds, Somerset, and Dorset, all the way to Chesil Beach. Their ultimate destination is Cadbury Castle, a hill fort that many archeologists believe to be the location of King Arthur’s legendary center of operations in the late fifth century when he — or some other prominent British warrior chieftain — made his last stand against the Saxons. Along the way the unlikely duo experiences many adventures, including a serious crime scene, a bull attack, several ghosts, a brothel, and the English themselves. The historical merges with the magic of the footpath, with Cherrington making astute, often humorous observations on the social, cultural, and culinary mores of the English, all from a very North American perspective.
- GenresTravelNonfictionWalking
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 16, 2026
If you have a hobby of reading walking books this is a really good one, especially ones that quote all the right books. As Tolkien says, “you never know what will happen when you walk out the front door.”
The author reminds us along with Tolkien that we are all connected to the paths outside our doors.
The author reminds us along with Tolkien that we are all connected to the paths outside our doors.
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April 26, 2021I had heard about the walking trails that go throughout England, even through people's property like farmers and cattle ranches, and they sounded so quaint.So, this book was a great find.
To wonderful and delightful men decide to hike 300 miles How long these trails and into the various villagers that they find..For me there was not a boring moment in this book and it was actually a restful read.I give it 5 stars
To wonderful and delightful men decide to hike 300 miles How long these trails and into the various villagers that they find..For me there was not a boring moment in this book and it was actually a restful read.I give it 5 stars
June 27, 2021
How a book about a walk that spans almost 300 miles can feel so stationary is beyond me. But each time the author begins discussing the current historical background to wherever he is or whatever he's looking at, everything stops. It's like he's leading a tour group through the English countryside but just as you get going, he halts the group in order to point out and lecture on a point of interest. Once he's done you start moving again but soon he's stopped everyone to discuss something else. Start, stop. Start, stop. Start, stop.
Much of what Cherrington talks about with respect to points of interest never gets any deeper or insightful than a Wikipedia entry. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can recreate this entire book just by using Google Maps and Wikipedia. The tone throughout seems to be rather flat and near emotionless, whether the author is describing the interior of a pub, complaining for the umpteenth time about the lack of heat in the B&B's, or relating the discovery of a pile of women's clothes and a note that suggests a woman had been raped in a cab. He just notes it, maybe expands on it a bit, then moves on to the next thing.
Cherrington conveys nothing about a sense of time or distance. He leaves one place and ends up at another, and you never really know how long it took or how far along in this journey he is. It's like he just appears at the places he talks about. I guess he was saving his efforts for one of his weird tangents, such as when he uses an encounter with a man out walking his dog to start talking about the state of parenting in Britain, how "the Victorian notion that 'children should be seen and not heard' still holds traction in large swathes of English society" and noting that the author of "The Wind in the Willows" had a very dysfunctional relationship with his own son (who ended up committing suicide at age 19). All this from observing how the man was very affectionate with the dog and that he said he was out that weekend walking the dog "to get away from the kids". From this Cherrington wonders "how much coddling and cooing he gives to his children or, for that matter, his wife." I mean, come on.
By comparison, Jane Christmas's "What the Pilgrim Told the Psychic: A Midlife Misadventure on Spain's Camino de Santiago" is a much richer telling and exploration of a similar type of journey. Both her experience and the story itself is much more dynamic in that you feel the energy of the people on the trip, you imagine the landscape moving past as if you're there, and you're invested in what Jane is going through, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She is able to tell you about the places she sees as well as the experience of being there. Most importantly, you feel the weight of the route itself - a good month of serious walking should be enough to give anyone pause, and you'd expect a lot of feelings to come up over the course of those weeks out on the trail, whether that's Spanish countryside or English countryside. Christmas really gets that across and I finished her book wanting to go on the Camino. I ended Cherrington's thankful I made it through without falling asleep.
You could probably sift through this book for some tips and suggestions on places to stay or eat, but that's about it. That the author came across as somewhat clueless with respect to some English customs around lodgings or pubs, like the above-noted heat situation, became really irritating. I could only wonder if he even bothered doing cursory research on the Internet on what to expect when travelling through England. I guess he was too busy making notes from Wikipedia.
Much of what Cherrington talks about with respect to points of interest never gets any deeper or insightful than a Wikipedia entry. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can recreate this entire book just by using Google Maps and Wikipedia. The tone throughout seems to be rather flat and near emotionless, whether the author is describing the interior of a pub, complaining for the umpteenth time about the lack of heat in the B&B's, or relating the discovery of a pile of women's clothes and a note that suggests a woman had been raped in a cab. He just notes it, maybe expands on it a bit, then moves on to the next thing.
Cherrington conveys nothing about a sense of time or distance. He leaves one place and ends up at another, and you never really know how long it took or how far along in this journey he is. It's like he just appears at the places he talks about. I guess he was saving his efforts for one of his weird tangents, such as when he uses an encounter with a man out walking his dog to start talking about the state of parenting in Britain, how "the Victorian notion that 'children should be seen and not heard' still holds traction in large swathes of English society" and noting that the author of "The Wind in the Willows" had a very dysfunctional relationship with his own son (who ended up committing suicide at age 19). All this from observing how the man was very affectionate with the dog and that he said he was out that weekend walking the dog "to get away from the kids". From this Cherrington wonders "how much coddling and cooing he gives to his children or, for that matter, his wife." I mean, come on.
By comparison, Jane Christmas's "What the Pilgrim Told the Psychic: A Midlife Misadventure on Spain's Camino de Santiago" is a much richer telling and exploration of a similar type of journey. Both her experience and the story itself is much more dynamic in that you feel the energy of the people on the trip, you imagine the landscape moving past as if you're there, and you're invested in what Jane is going through, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She is able to tell you about the places she sees as well as the experience of being there. Most importantly, you feel the weight of the route itself - a good month of serious walking should be enough to give anyone pause, and you'd expect a lot of feelings to come up over the course of those weeks out on the trail, whether that's Spanish countryside or English countryside. Christmas really gets that across and I finished her book wanting to go on the Camino. I ended Cherrington's thankful I made it through without falling asleep.
You could probably sift through this book for some tips and suggestions on places to stay or eat, but that's about it. That the author came across as somewhat clueless with respect to some English customs around lodgings or pubs, like the above-noted heat situation, became really irritating. I could only wonder if he even bothered doing cursory research on the Internet on what to expect when travelling through England. I guess he was too busy making notes from Wikipedia.
January 17, 2021
If you’re reading this in 2021, you, like I, may be interested in reading travel memoirs at this time as a way to mentally escape to other lands when we can’t physically visit them. That was my intention in picking up “Walking to Camelot”. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this as much as I’d hoped.
I appreciated the book design, some of the descriptive writing, and some of the historical explanations and stories. The author himself also seemed like an intelligent and kind hearted person. Soon after starting, however, I realized that this book is around 300 pages while the trip itself was only around 300 miles. Surely, not every individual mile of the journey would be worth writing over a page about, would they? How then to fill that many pages with material?
This is where my main critique of the book began to form: there is just too much dense historical information about some of the smallest parts of his trip, it seems, and we move from one topic to the next, with no break in between. It made me wonder if not much exciting really happened on this trip and so the author perhaps needed to create a lot of filler on the smaller details to make it into a sizable book. The reader is inundated with multiple paragraphs about the history of rapeseed, the history of burrs that happen to stick to his shorts, the history of badgers, of cheese, tea, coffee, wood pigeons, larks, etc. There are so many mundane histories here that one is honestly flabbergasted at times to see what is talked about in length.
This started to feel more like a guidebook to Britain than a travel memoir. I was craving any sort of angst, real feeling of adventure, longing, introspection, character building, etc. Some real feelings about the trip and any interactions with the people there (that weren't just complaining to the owner of the place they were staying about the heat being off, etc.). And not just tons and tons of pages about species of flowers or whatever, you know?
Normally, when I finish one of these memoirs, I have an urge to go online and find out more about the author; maybe take a look at what he’s written since or what he is up to on social media. I don’t really have that urge here and it is not because he didn’t seem like a nice person, but there just wasn’t enough about him in here for me to really connect with him or his friend he traveled with. And because I couldn't connect with him, I didn't get the pleasure of living vicariously through him on this journey which is what I really wanted.
I’ll be honest, I ended up heavily speed reading for a lot of the latter half of the book. It honestly made me question, should I give it a one star rating? I went with two stars because I did learn some things and discovered some new places I might want to see when I visit there again. And again, he seems like a good person who got a lot out of this trip for himself and his friend and that’s awesome and commendable and I am happy he shared this with the world. I know other people will dig this kind of writing. It just wasn’t jiving with me right now, and that’s okay.
I appreciated the book design, some of the descriptive writing, and some of the historical explanations and stories. The author himself also seemed like an intelligent and kind hearted person. Soon after starting, however, I realized that this book is around 300 pages while the trip itself was only around 300 miles. Surely, not every individual mile of the journey would be worth writing over a page about, would they? How then to fill that many pages with material?
This is where my main critique of the book began to form: there is just too much dense historical information about some of the smallest parts of his trip, it seems, and we move from one topic to the next, with no break in between. It made me wonder if not much exciting really happened on this trip and so the author perhaps needed to create a lot of filler on the smaller details to make it into a sizable book. The reader is inundated with multiple paragraphs about the history of rapeseed, the history of burrs that happen to stick to his shorts, the history of badgers, of cheese, tea, coffee, wood pigeons, larks, etc. There are so many mundane histories here that one is honestly flabbergasted at times to see what is talked about in length.
This started to feel more like a guidebook to Britain than a travel memoir. I was craving any sort of angst, real feeling of adventure, longing, introspection, character building, etc. Some real feelings about the trip and any interactions with the people there (that weren't just complaining to the owner of the place they were staying about the heat being off, etc.). And not just tons and tons of pages about species of flowers or whatever, you know?
Normally, when I finish one of these memoirs, I have an urge to go online and find out more about the author; maybe take a look at what he’s written since or what he is up to on social media. I don’t really have that urge here and it is not because he didn’t seem like a nice person, but there just wasn’t enough about him in here for me to really connect with him or his friend he traveled with. And because I couldn't connect with him, I didn't get the pleasure of living vicariously through him on this journey which is what I really wanted.
I’ll be honest, I ended up heavily speed reading for a lot of the latter half of the book. It honestly made me question, should I give it a one star rating? I went with two stars because I did learn some things and discovered some new places I might want to see when I visit there again. And again, he seems like a good person who got a lot out of this trip for himself and his friend and that’s awesome and commendable and I am happy he shared this with the world. I know other people will dig this kind of writing. It just wasn’t jiving with me right now, and that’s okay.
August 27, 2018
A very enjoyable read. Particularly from my viewpoint as an English expat now living in Canada reading a Canadian’s impressions of the English countryside.
The references to classic English authors and their immortal characters and poems woven through the text really enhanced the sense of place. I felt as if I were travelling with them along the country lanes, bridleways and hopping stiles in the hedges. I could also quite picture all the interesting characters who crossed their paths either in the local pubs, as fellow ramblers, or the quirky B&B hosts.
As the author talked about the thatched cottages, superstitions and folklore, bluebells, and the locally brewed ciders, I yearned for home and wished that I had walked the 300 mile historic Macmillan Way whilst it was on my doorstep, and also realised that I have never sampled a Dorset knob!
“Seek me no more where men are thick,
But in green lanes where I can walk
A mile, and still no human folk
Tread on my shadow.
W.H.Davies - Return to Nature
The references to classic English authors and their immortal characters and poems woven through the text really enhanced the sense of place. I felt as if I were travelling with them along the country lanes, bridleways and hopping stiles in the hedges. I could also quite picture all the interesting characters who crossed their paths either in the local pubs, as fellow ramblers, or the quirky B&B hosts.
As the author talked about the thatched cottages, superstitions and folklore, bluebells, and the locally brewed ciders, I yearned for home and wished that I had walked the 300 mile historic Macmillan Way whilst it was on my doorstep, and also realised that I have never sampled a Dorset knob!
“Seek me no more where men are thick,
But in green lanes where I can walk
A mile, and still no human folk
Tread on my shadow.
W.H.Davies - Return to Nature
October 24, 2016
As an English degree graduate, a walker in England, and the reader of literature, I don't know when I have enjoyed a book more; brilliantly written to combine a walking experience with history, poetry and prose.
October 31, 2021
This is an excellent account of a walk by two Canadians on “The Macmillan Way.” The walk begins in Boston. Lincolnshire and ends at Chesil Beach on the English Channel.
It passes through the village of Cherrington where the author, John A. Cherrington’s forebears lived “as early as the Domesday Book of 1086” and Cadbury, the site of the legendary Castle Camelot, reputed to have been the site of King Arthur’s hill fort.
There is a first-class map on the inside covers of the book. (I have previously read similar books where the maps were less than acceptable, and impossible to decipher.)
The Macmillan Way is a 290-mile route. Nowhere else in the world can one walk on footpaths over private land throughout the entire country.
The author, John, was fifty-four and not a skilled walker, whilst his walking partner, Karl, was seventy-four years old and “could keep walking pace with most Olympic athletes”.
Karl always charged ahead, even with two twisted ankles, so John had to trail after him.
Their goal was to cover twelve to fourteen miles a day.
The author has a good grasp of English history, and/or has done considerable research into the history of the area traversed; we’re often informed of events that date back to the 13th century or before, and also of relevant contemporary events of interest, such as Madonna’s fight against the planned opening of walking paths on her huge country estate.
The two overnight in B&Bs (Bed & Breakfasts), booked ahead. Often the landlady is somewhat stringent, or worse, and in one case she’s a madam, in that the B&B doubled as a brothel,
Often, after having been caught in a rainstorm, they were totally drenched and in need of a hot bath and the heat being turned on,but these privileges generally had to be fought for and paid extra for.
After their evening meal they enjoy a drink or two (a double Scotch for Karl and half a pint of lager for John); Karl in particular was always focused on these pub visits; though on one occasion there was no local pub.
Once they had to climb over an electric fence and several times, as far as I recall, they had to avoid potentially harmful bulls, in fact Karl got butted by one but lived to tell the tale (not all do).
Bulls are apparently aggressive in the mating season when no cows are at hand.
They pass the village of Greatford where in 1788 King George III was “cured” of his madness. However, after three relapses he remains completely mad.
They are close to Fotheringhay, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned and tried before being beheaded on February 8, 1857. The main staircase of a certain hotel is the very one Mary descended at Fotheringhay Castle on the way to her death; her ghost is still seen retracing those final steps.
To sum up, I found the book immensely readable, entertaining and vastly informative as regards the history of the area. I highly recommend it. As well as historical and current information, the book contains multiple literary references; one of the author’s favourite books is apparently Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind in the Willows”.
It passes through the village of Cherrington where the author, John A. Cherrington’s forebears lived “as early as the Domesday Book of 1086” and Cadbury, the site of the legendary Castle Camelot, reputed to have been the site of King Arthur’s hill fort.
There is a first-class map on the inside covers of the book. (I have previously read similar books where the maps were less than acceptable, and impossible to decipher.)
The Macmillan Way is a 290-mile route. Nowhere else in the world can one walk on footpaths over private land throughout the entire country.
The author, John, was fifty-four and not a skilled walker, whilst his walking partner, Karl, was seventy-four years old and “could keep walking pace with most Olympic athletes”.
Karl always charged ahead, even with two twisted ankles, so John had to trail after him.
Their goal was to cover twelve to fourteen miles a day.
The author has a good grasp of English history, and/or has done considerable research into the history of the area traversed; we’re often informed of events that date back to the 13th century or before, and also of relevant contemporary events of interest, such as Madonna’s fight against the planned opening of walking paths on her huge country estate.
The two overnight in B&Bs (Bed & Breakfasts), booked ahead. Often the landlady is somewhat stringent, or worse, and in one case she’s a madam, in that the B&B doubled as a brothel,
Often, after having been caught in a rainstorm, they were totally drenched and in need of a hot bath and the heat being turned on,but these privileges generally had to be fought for and paid extra for.
After their evening meal they enjoy a drink or two (a double Scotch for Karl and half a pint of lager for John); Karl in particular was always focused on these pub visits; though on one occasion there was no local pub.
Once they had to climb over an electric fence and several times, as far as I recall, they had to avoid potentially harmful bulls, in fact Karl got butted by one but lived to tell the tale (not all do).
Bulls are apparently aggressive in the mating season when no cows are at hand.
They pass the village of Greatford where in 1788 King George III was “cured” of his madness. However, after three relapses he remains completely mad.
They are close to Fotheringhay, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned and tried before being beheaded on February 8, 1857. The main staircase of a certain hotel is the very one Mary descended at Fotheringhay Castle on the way to her death; her ghost is still seen retracing those final steps.
To sum up, I found the book immensely readable, entertaining and vastly informative as regards the history of the area. I highly recommend it. As well as historical and current information, the book contains multiple literary references; one of the author’s favourite books is apparently Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind in the Willows”.
March 27, 2025
Things I liked:
The cover - so green and pretty. And the book felt nice in my hands.
The location - 300 miles on the MacMillan Way. And part of it goes through the Cotswold, of particular interest.
The maps in the front and back covers - all books should have maps, my personal rule.
The descriptions of history, culture, and local festivities, although they were a bit too frequent and became rote
Things I disliked:
The author - I never understood his purpose or motivation for the walk. The cover calls it a pilgrimage, but other than getting moved to tears by the possible location of the Camelot castle and imagining England as part of The Lord of the Rings, I never heard from HIM. After spending 300 pages with him, I had no idea who he was, other than a lawyer.
His companion - ditto the above point. Who was this person? The author’s friend? Relative? We never hear any of their history together, again no motivation for the walk and spending this time together. I know he liked walking fast and drinking.
Every encounter they had with a woman - every middle-aged woman was described as “frumpy,” a woman getting trafficked by her husband was a joke, and it was more than okay to ogle school girls in their uniforms (editor? Hello?)
The dialog: so stilted, so false feeling, and was it really necessary to address the person being spoken to in every conversation? “Where’s the next beer, John?” “Coming soon, Karl!”
I was never transported - thank goodness for the map(s), because oddly enough for a book of this genre, I never felt like I was moving, either through space or time. Rarely did the author even mention the number of miles walked in a day.
There was no transformation - why did they bother?
The cover - so green and pretty. And the book felt nice in my hands.
The location - 300 miles on the MacMillan Way. And part of it goes through the Cotswold, of particular interest.
The maps in the front and back covers - all books should have maps, my personal rule.
The descriptions of history, culture, and local festivities, although they were a bit too frequent and became rote
Things I disliked:
The author - I never understood his purpose or motivation for the walk. The cover calls it a pilgrimage, but other than getting moved to tears by the possible location of the Camelot castle and imagining England as part of The Lord of the Rings, I never heard from HIM. After spending 300 pages with him, I had no idea who he was, other than a lawyer.
His companion - ditto the above point. Who was this person? The author’s friend? Relative? We never hear any of their history together, again no motivation for the walk and spending this time together. I know he liked walking fast and drinking.
Every encounter they had with a woman - every middle-aged woman was described as “frumpy,” a woman getting trafficked by her husband was a joke, and it was more than okay to ogle school girls in their uniforms (editor? Hello?)
The dialog: so stilted, so false feeling, and was it really necessary to address the person being spoken to in every conversation? “Where’s the next beer, John?” “Coming soon, Karl!”
I was never transported - thank goodness for the map(s), because oddly enough for a book of this genre, I never felt like I was moving, either through space or time. Rarely did the author even mention the number of miles walked in a day.
There was no transformation - why did they bother?
September 13, 2020
I've been on a medical leave & ordered not to read, due to a head injury. So, my darling hubby has been reading aloud this lovely little amble through England -- excellent relaxation and opportunities for visualization.
We lived nearly ten years in England, and meandered on many bucolic pathways, over stiles, refreshing our thirsty walker selves in charming, historic pubs, throughout the British Isles. However, we did not know the Macmillan Way -- a shame!
Spoiler alert: this book is not a pilgrimage, really...not in the reverential sense of other books/journeys. (I'm an academic who's taught pilgrimage classes and walkd the Santiago de Compostela trail.) Nonetheless, it is very good fun, informative and a charming way to get an authentic taste of England. Having also lived a while in Canada, the book offers a delightful and authentic taste of Canadian humor/humour.
Danger: you'll want to go walk it yourself. We do!
We lived nearly ten years in England, and meandered on many bucolic pathways, over stiles, refreshing our thirsty walker selves in charming, historic pubs, throughout the British Isles. However, we did not know the Macmillan Way -- a shame!
Spoiler alert: this book is not a pilgrimage, really...not in the reverential sense of other books/journeys. (I'm an academic who's taught pilgrimage classes and walkd the Santiago de Compostela trail.) Nonetheless, it is very good fun, informative and a charming way to get an authentic taste of England. Having also lived a while in Canada, the book offers a delightful and authentic taste of Canadian humor/humour.
Danger: you'll want to go walk it yourself. We do!
September 2, 2016
I tried. I really did.
Why is it that when Americans write travel books, there is a sense of discovery and adventure, but when Canadians do, there is a certain smug superiority and disparagement towards the subject matter?
Perhaps the Americans who ARE travelling do so with a greater sense of adventure, but the Canadians just can't find anything to measure up to home.
Of course this is a scathingly broad generalization, and perhaps it is only when Canadians write about the British Isles (there was a book some years ago about a Canadian travelling through Ireland that I had great difficulty with as well).
At any rate - after looking forward to this book since it came out, I was disappointed.
And I didn't finish it.
Why is it that when Americans write travel books, there is a sense of discovery and adventure, but when Canadians do, there is a certain smug superiority and disparagement towards the subject matter?
Perhaps the Americans who ARE travelling do so with a greater sense of adventure, but the Canadians just can't find anything to measure up to home.
Of course this is a scathingly broad generalization, and perhaps it is only when Canadians write about the British Isles (there was a book some years ago about a Canadian travelling through Ireland that I had great difficulty with as well).
At any rate - after looking forward to this book since it came out, I was disappointed.
And I didn't finish it.
August 22, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable travel essay of walking the McMillan Way, a public English footpath that goes from the North Sea to the English Channel. Full of history, geology, village tales, and even a few ghosts. Armchair travel of the best kind! I love that it was written by an author local to me, it felt like having a good friend over to dinner, in order to hear stories of a recent adventure.
October 29, 2024
This had promise, but there was no plot and no tension and no emotional engagement with anything besides, surprisingly, the arrival to Cadbury-Camelot, so I found it difficult to finish. It was all walking interspersed with facts of historical interest. It is peculiar how a book about the Macmillan Way, a very specific route through very specific countryside, can feel so floaty and untethered. The author is a kind man who is interested in people and history, but that is really all you get to know about him over the course of 300 pages, and there wasn't any overarching momentum or plot to make up for the shallow characterization. I even like historically interesting facts.
A little free library find - this one will go back from whence it came ;)
A little free library find - this one will go back from whence it came ;)
February 28, 2024
I like the whole idea of walking through a great swath of England with a friend, then writing about it. Cherrington does a good job of laying out the history and context of the places they pass through in their 300+ mile walk along the Macmillan Way; perhaps too good a job as the villages began to blend together; I skimmed the last 100 pages. I enjoyed the relationship between the author and his friend Karl, and the cover design by Natalie Olsen is very appealing.
January 11, 2018
John's writing style brought me into the voyage as if I was participating in the walk. His intercourse with Karl added a human flavour to the manuscript. The historical references and stories were very informative and added substance to the narrative.
January 21, 2018
Loved it. I soon found that I looked forward to my evening read, feeling like I was sharing anecdotes with an old friend. Learned a little along the way, too.
January 26, 2023
Trite and cliché-ridden, relying too much on quotes from other sources, the icing on the cake was his nasty way of describing other people. Ditched.
September 20, 2016
My bucket list is not long-- I'm not ambitious for adventure or experience in the wide world. But when I heard about this book, and the very fact that there are walking trails (sorry-- paths) all over England, I knew that this book, and indeed this adventure, should be on my list. I enjoy getting around on foot, and this just seems like the most idyllic set of walks imaginable. This particular walk, the Macmillan Way, is especially so. Along the way the author and his companion encounter local wildlife (of both the vaguely domesticated animal and human varieties), all manner of weather, historical artifacts innumerable, and seem to achieve an enviable sense of calm and wonder. He says near the end, "Walking along the Macmillan Way, one can almost believe that this rural idyll is the true reality and the M1 is just an aberration." Make no mistake, I'm an urban dweller through and through and I'm devoted to my mod cons, but I grew up on tales of King Arthur and Bilbo and the Shire, and those images are invoked over and over during this narrative. It seems remarkable that this land of which practically every inch (he also notes at some point) has been inhabited sometime in its millennia of history, can still be traversed, for weeks on end, without encountering any significant markers of the modern world more high tech than a phone booth or a beer tap. This is a vivid narrative, lovingly told, and I hope to find myself on that path one day.
March 12, 2018
The author and his friend Karl are both Canadians exercising the UK's famed 'right to roam' on one of England's public footpaths that traverse the country: the Macmillan Way. It takes them from Lincolnshire to Dorset and takes about a month to walk, although it's difficult to get a real sense of the passage of time from the book.
It was interesting to read the author's observations on England as he trekked through the country, as he provided a lot of historical information and factual titbits about each area that he travelled through. As much as I enjoyed some of the tangents, it sometimes felt like the author got a bit too into them and was distracted from the main narrative, especially as many of the tangents were more speculation on the author's part than factual information. That being said, it was an enjoyable read and a fun trek through the English countryside.
It was interesting to read the author's observations on England as he trekked through the country, as he provided a lot of historical information and factual titbits about each area that he travelled through. As much as I enjoyed some of the tangents, it sometimes felt like the author got a bit too into them and was distracted from the main narrative, especially as many of the tangents were more speculation on the author's part than factual information. That being said, it was an enjoyable read and a fun trek through the English countryside.
January 8, 2017
A very engaging travelogue of the Macmillan Way in England. The Canadian author is not nearly as humorous as Bill Bryson, he doesn't try to be. Interspersed all along the tale are rich historical details that show the long history of England and the towns on the trail. The author has tendency to use large or "intellectual" words like loquacious, execrable, ochre, fetid, herbaceous and others. Lovers of Bryson may find the author a bit snobbish. I also highly doubt he uses "bollocks" in his daily life in Canada. Despite these small issues, the travels are well-detailed, engaging, and entertaining. The author and his travel companion thoroughly enjoy their room through the countryside and stops in villages.
February 1, 2017
I started reading this book in part because I had vaguely known the author at university, several decades ago, but also because I really enjoy books about travelling through unfamiliar places. And it was a wonderful journey--I loved this book and was sorry to see it end. The descriptions, the literary connections, and the humour were all there. Just 2 suggestions: the inset quotes from John's diary and various other sources, the print is so faint as to be almost invisible to aging eyes. And (p. 34) surely Wordsworth did not write "To A Skylark"--it had to have been Shelley! But other than that, I have nothing but praise for this book.
September 4, 2016
A fantastic read! If you're looking for a smart and witty book that not only entertains but teaches a history lesson, than this is the one! Having been to England many times myself as a born Canadian, I couldn't help but chuckle at a lot of the anecdotes and clever observations about the English way of life. The author is very meticulous in describing every scene as well as the history that surrounds it. I do miss there not being any sketches or photographs to depict the scenes but I understand that this is the modern way of writing non-fiction travel novels.
August 3, 2016
A beautifully written book about two friends who spend a month walking Britain's famed Macmillan way. Packed with wonderful descriptions, interesting historical details and all sorts of fascinating trivia this book is a great read. If you've loved Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island" or "Road to Little Dribbling" you'll definitely love this too.
August 9, 2016
I loved the information provided along the journey, the little historical tidbits and anecdotes. It made me feel like travelling to some of those towns, but as for the whole McMillan trail, I'd rather be an armchair traveller!
August 21, 2016
A great read! I loved the way the author interspersed tidbits of history and current goings-on in with a wonderful description of the Macmillan Way itself. That, put together with the banter between the two walking companions, made this a terrific read.
January 24, 2017
A wonderful tale of two men walking the Macmillan Way. It was a very inspiring journey; however, the author seemed to get lost in his tangents, providing too much 'extra' detail. Nevertheless, a fun read and one day I hope to walk this route.
May 24, 2016
Detailed, thoughtful, well-written, and thoroughly enjoyable. Need I say more?
August 28, 2016
Not just a good read - a great read! 272 pages of charming adventure through the English countryside narrated with the wit and dry humour of the author. Loved it.
April 30, 2017
Interesting at times, but a slog at other times.
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