Weird Bristol

by Charlie Revelle-Smith

Did you know that a hoard of gold is probably buried somewhere under Bristol? Did you know that a statue in Bristol actually depicts the moment a king is about to die? Based on the popular Twitter feed from acclaimed author Charlie Revelle-Smith, Weird Bristol is an adventure through the dark, mysterious and secret history of an ancient city. From plagues, wars, ghosts and pirates to inventors, fraudsters, suffragettes and radicals. Only one thing is certain, you'll never look at Bristol in quite the same way again...

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2018

Reviews

[Piers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is designed so that you could use it a couple of different ways. Firstly, it's a collection of small stories regarding some of the less well told stories of the people and place of Bristol, through the areas of Old Town, Recliffe, Bedminster, Southville, Hotwells, Clifton and Broadmead. It covers things like ghost stories, urban legends, and folklore alongside historical facts and short biographies. In this way alone it is a treasure trove of delights for anyone who wants to know more about the city.

Better still though, the "chapters" of the book are organised as guided walks through the city, taking in the actual sights as well as the stories. The walks take you through some of the less well trodden areas of the city, but you're rewarded with great stories along the way.

I thoroughly and deeply enjoyed this, and can't wait to read the follow up.

[Kathi Held · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely excellent book for anyone who's interested in Bristol's history. Dividing the book up into a set of walks is a brilliant idea and while I have read the book in the comfort of my home I did employ Google Street View a few times to find some of the landmarks. It's full of interesting stories and facts - most of which I will have forgotten soon again, so next time I will have a wander through town I'll make sure to take it with me. It's also great if you want to show off your knowledge about Bristol (I already told several people about the bodies under the St Mary Redcliffe roundabout as my office is close by 😄).

[Simon Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating tour of Bristol (it’s divided into several walks). I’ve learned a lot about the city that I’ve lived and worked in for 20 years by reading this book. There are so many physical manifestations of the past that it defamiliarises. There are stories of ghosts and many riots as well as explanations for features of the past that would otherwise be hidden in plain sight.
The walks would make great tours of the city that I’d consider doing with my family. Especially as a fair few include pubs!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! I have learnt so much about Bristol!

[Lauren Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed history of bristol, easy read i like that some pages have pictures and it’s like a tour around bristol

[Piotr Michalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed that. Easy to read and learnt many interesting facts about Bristol. Now I will be planning day city tour around all stops from the book.

[Gracie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book, if you need a guide to Bristol look no further!

Broken down into helpful sections (or one long walk) this book guides you through some fantastic secrets of Bristol. The writing is easy to follow and isn’t too convoluted either.

Having lived here for 2+ years now, I returned to a few of the places mentioned in this book to find I had walked past some of these gems!

It also offers a great history behind these secrets, and even if you know them you’ll learn more details about them from this book.

I would highly recommend and I can’t wait to read the next one!

[Leah Sibley-stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Bristol’s lesser known facts

Awesome book well written want more! Can not wait til you do a third lol thanks xxx xx xx x