BINOCLARITY: A travel along the length of the River Thames and into the heart of the British psyche

by Thomas Newport

Camping out in the woods, in fields and even in an old WWII pillbox are just some of the things that the entertaining and tenacious Thomas Newport gets up to in his quest to study the British people. Amongst the questions he ponders are: how did we become so powerful; exactly who are we, and what will we become? His journey of over 300 miles takes him down the entire length of The River Thames from its source in the Cotswolds to the end of the path at the Thames Barrier in London. Many an entertaining detour is made along the journey, all in the quest to get inside the complex British psyche.

Eccentricity, humour, famous witticisms and anecdotes, generosity, local legends, the north-south divide, ethnicity, hidden histories and many a hidden cave, crime, decline, unsavoury characters and corruption are just some of the themes he discusses during his travels. He also makes some very surprising discoveries along his journey. Perhaps most surprising is how the quintessentially British town of Henley-on-Thames, recently became the 'small town and village murder capital of the UK'. Newport investigates how many of Reading's houses could collapse at any time and delves into the often murky business dealings and disasters overseen by some of the Thames Valley's leading business barons.

The wry wit of the author is always heard as he ponders on his subjects. Add to this: a wealth of notable facts and figures about Britain and the Thames Valley; cave dwellers; caped crusaders; swingers; unsung heroes, highwaymen and dim-witted robbers, and you have yourself one of the most enjoyable romps through Britain ever written.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2018

About the author

I am an author from Reading, Berkshire, in Great Britain. My book, Binoclarity, is all about an exciting journey I made through Great Britain investigating its places and people. Some have called Binoclarity a book about crime and certainly on account of its grim findings (over 100 murders and drownings are mentioned in the book), they would be partly right. Some say that the book is about eccentricity and entrepreneurs and there is certainly a lot about the psychology of eccentricity, business and success. The book is about many things - some inspiring, some shocking. If you are a fan of fascinating facts, true crime, history, modernity, technology, comedy, hilarious happenings and famous British wit then this book is also for you. I think the best way to sum up my book is by simply looking at what is written on the back cover:

Camping out in the woods, in fields and even in an old WWII pillbox are just some of the things that the entertaining and tenacious Thomas Newport gets up to in his quest to study the British people. Amongst the questions he ponders are: how did we become so powerful; exactly who are we, and what will we become? His journey of over 300 miles takes him down the entire length of The River Thames from its source in the Cotswolds to the end of the path at the Thames Barrier in London. Many an entertaining detour is made along the journey, all in the quest to get inside the complex British psyche.

It soon becomes apparent to Newport that Britain is a shocking place as much as an amazing one. Britain and her dependencies are famous for their tax havens. The streets of Britain have recently been plied by murderous warlords, shady Sultans, murderous spies and billionaires on the run. Some of the scams and cons of British confidence tricksters are truly shocking. Britain is home to of some of the most extreme serial killers the world has ever known and Newport makes some very surprising discoveries all of his own along his journey. Perhaps most surprising is how he discovers that the quintessentially British town of Henley-on-Thames, recently became the 'small town and village murder capital of the UK'. Newport investigates how many of Reading's houses could collapse at any time and delves into the often murky business dealings and disasters overseen by some of the Britain's leading business barons.

Eccentricity, humour, famous witticisms and anecdotes, generosity, local legends, the North-South Divide, ethnicity, hidden histories and many a hidden cave, crime, decline, unsavoury characters and corruption are just some of the themes the author discusses during his travels. There are elephants and wallabies charging along the streets of Britain's towns and villages and Newport takes a good look at notorious highwaymen and a Lord and his entourage who once rode roughshod through a quiet village whilst firing pistols at inn signs and smashing windows with their whips. Today this village is home to nothing more edgy than an alleged bevy of swingers!

Reviews

[Jill Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When and where did Thomas Newport get the idea to write a book that could be labeled “Jill’s Total Wheelhouse”?
1) long distance walking 2) in England 3) discussing Jerome K Jerome and 4) his grave in Ewelme 5) drinking pints of real ale, 6) bringing up random bits of a) history, b) pop culture, and c) serial killers.

I’m going to tell people about it but they can’t borrow my copy... I want this in my sights at all times. 😁😁

[Phil Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cleverly written entertaining book packed with interesting information. We’ll worth a read