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I Bought a Mountain: The Re-discovered Nature Classic
This is the true story of Thomas Firbank who, in 1933 purchased a 2400 acre farm in the shadow of Snowdon, consisting of rock, thin soil, high winds and rainfall. He was 21, newly arrived from Canada and with no experience of farming. For the next seven years Thomas and his wife Esme farmed Dyffryn with dedication and energy, succeeding, against the odds, in winning the respect of their farm-servants and neighbors. Having built up to a healthy stock of 3000 sheep, they made improvements to the house and then rented more land...
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1941
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 2, 2018
Thomas Firbank was born in 1910 in Quebec to an English father and a Welsh mother. Following his father's early death he was raised among his mother's hill-farming community in the Berwyn Mountains of north Wales. I Bought a Mountain describes how, aged only 21, he bought Dyffryn Mymbyr, a 972ha sheep farm in Capel Curig, North Wales, in 1931.
That I should have found it in the Winterton library was apt, I thought. I, too, bought a mountain. In hindsight, that was the easy part — looking after our mountains and making a living from them take years of slog, have steep learning curves, and require constant attention.
Firbank's farm was old — it dated back to 1350 — and the tight-knit community, many of whose members had been there for centuries and a good number of whom barely spoke anything other than Welsh, regarded him with some initial suspicion. He had no previous experience of farming of any kind, let alone of rearing hardy sheep in what was, and still is, often the wettest place in Britain. He met his wife, Esme Cummins, a Surrey-born actress, in 1933, and they married in 1934. As unlikely as it seemed at the time, together they succeeded in winning the respect of their employees and neighbours, slowly building up a healthy stock of 3000 sheep.
The farm included the southern slopes of the Glyderau (a Welsh plural form, known in English as the Glyders), a mountain group that is part of Snowdonia. The name derives from the highest peaks in the range, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach. The Glyderau stretch from Mynydd Llandegai to Capel Curig, and include five of Wales' fourteen or fifteen summits over 3000 feet.
Firbank was a keen mountain walker and the book includes a fascinating account of how he and his companions were possibly the first to ascend all of the Welsh 3000s in less than nine hours.
I found his writing accessible and his imagery finely tuned. Perhaps, like me, you need to be a mountain man to appreciate fully the magic of the story, but perhaps not, so I'd recommend it.
That I should have found it in the Winterton library was apt, I thought. I, too, bought a mountain. In hindsight, that was the easy part — looking after our mountains and making a living from them take years of slog, have steep learning curves, and require constant attention.
Firbank's farm was old — it dated back to 1350 — and the tight-knit community, many of whose members had been there for centuries and a good number of whom barely spoke anything other than Welsh, regarded him with some initial suspicion. He had no previous experience of farming of any kind, let alone of rearing hardy sheep in what was, and still is, often the wettest place in Britain. He met his wife, Esme Cummins, a Surrey-born actress, in 1933, and they married in 1934. As unlikely as it seemed at the time, together they succeeded in winning the respect of their employees and neighbours, slowly building up a healthy stock of 3000 sheep.
The farm included the southern slopes of the Glyderau (a Welsh plural form, known in English as the Glyders), a mountain group that is part of Snowdonia. The name derives from the highest peaks in the range, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach. The Glyderau stretch from Mynydd Llandegai to Capel Curig, and include five of Wales' fourteen or fifteen summits over 3000 feet.
Firbank was a keen mountain walker and the book includes a fascinating account of how he and his companions were possibly the first to ascend all of the Welsh 3000s in less than nine hours.
I found his writing accessible and his imagery finely tuned. Perhaps, like me, you need to be a mountain man to appreciate fully the magic of the story, but perhaps not, so I'd recommend it.
June 27, 2021
I loved this, and kept typing out quotes to text them to my sweetheart, as I knew he would love them, too. The region comes alive in the pages. But readers should really understand that there are detailed descriptions of mundane aspects of ranching, including castration of rams, finding dead ewes with their eyes pecked out by ravens, etc. It's all fairly standard stuff, but if you don't want to think about the process your food went through before landing on your plate, you might not look kindly on the author for explaining it. And the book is 80 years old. I did find the end hard, as he's discussing his plans for the newly rented acreage, which will take years to see profit on, and the next five to ten years of his own property. But I know that he went to war, and that upon returning he and Esmé divorced, with him leaving the property in her hands. It's hard to read his hope for the future of Dyffryn, knowing he won't be part of that future in reality.
May 15, 2020
This is a delightful read that tells the story of Thomas Firbank, a Canadian who in 1933 decided to buy a 2,400 acre farm in North Wales without any real experience in actual farming. And so begins a learning curve as step as the mountains around him and his eventual wife, Esme, as they carve out a niche for themselves nestled in the beautiful yet unforgiving Welsh mountains. Told very much in Firbank's own words, this has the feel of fireside reminisces told to pass the hours as the wind and rain pound on the windows. Unsurprisingly, it is a little dated in a number of things but this sort of adds to its charm as much as anything and reflects how things have changed over the intervening decades.
October 29, 2013
Loved reading this account but the mist amazing thing is I got it to read on holiday in Snowdonia. On arriving at the holiday cottage discovered it was in the same valley and the next farm to Dyffen. I read the book looking out onto the very slopes described. Truly magical!
October 23, 2013
Most books in this genre - we bought a farm in the country and met the most unusual people! - are fun but predictable. This one is very serious. I learned a lot about sheep farming in north Wales and enjoyed every minute of it, especially since I had walked near Capel Curig, where the farm was located (it's now owned by the National Trust). His wife Esmé appears partway through without much explanation and turns out to be as intrepid as he. Bought a paperback copy in a used bookstore in Cardiff.
May 1, 2024
First bought this book more than 30 years ago because I was told about the section on the 14 peaks, which I was doing at the time, so only read that bit.
Now with the benefit of age I have read the whole thing and found the details about the ins and outs of sheep farming and the difficulties faced absolutely fascinating. The workings of the farm and sheer effort involved are so outside my experience that I really enjoyed it. Despite the age of the book, it still gives an insight into the world of mountain farming that is probably little changed today.
Now with the benefit of age I have read the whole thing and found the details about the ins and outs of sheep farming and the difficulties faced absolutely fascinating. The workings of the farm and sheer effort involved are so outside my experience that I really enjoyed it. Despite the age of the book, it still gives an insight into the world of mountain farming that is probably little changed today.
November 17, 2016
I believe Thomas Firbank was married to a relation of my Mum's which makes the book all the more poignant. My favourite chapter is the Rock Climbers of course... Some of the book has dated in so far as it has a ring of Victorian snobbery about it, but this is only the style of the time - in deeds Firbank enthusiasticly joins with the local Welsh sheep farmers.
March 9, 2024
The book itself was great. It was super cool reading about how life was conducted in the Welsh sheep farming communities. The author does an excellent job going into detail about every aspect.
The foreword and afterword did not need to be in the book in my opinion. Had I read either looking for a snippet of what the book was like I would not have ever read the book.
The foreword and afterword did not need to be in the book in my opinion. Had I read either looking for a snippet of what the book was like I would not have ever read the book.
May 9, 2013
The book I am reviewing is I Bought A Mountain by Thomas Firbank which is a very good book which I bought from a local secondhand bookstore. This book is autobiographical and takes place around 1931 and was first published in 1940. It's about the author who was from England and he bought a 2,500 acre hill sheep farm which was on one side of one of the highest mountains in Wales. He had very little money to start with and could easily have gone bankrupt but was helped by a lady called Esmee who showed him the ropes. He farmed cows, pigs and sheep. A lot of the locals were prejudiced against him. On one occasion they went to a local fair to buy some pigs and the sellers thought they were tourists trying to buy pigs as pets so tried to overcharge them. Esmee who knew all about what the right price should be told them what similiar animals were selling for at markets like Birmingham & Rugby & they had better stop wasting their time. Another thing is if there was an auction no one would bid against there friends and everyone knew everyone else. Equally if there was a stranger present they would think it was amusing to drive the price up if that person was bidding on anything. Also auctioneers would try and drive prices up by pretending there were bids in the hope other people would join in. There is also an impassioned plea at the end for the government to subsidize the unemployed working on farms. The argument is farmers have it hard and it would help keep food prices down. Also Britain imports more than it exports so if they export more food it would help balance things up. Of course even in 1931 a lot of Britain's income came from the service sector in the form of invisible exports like banking and insurance and nowadays the financial sector is our biggest earner.
November 4, 2012
A college friend learned that my partner was Welsh and she had read this book years ago and kept it, In fact it is the 1978 edition and I thought it was out of print, but maybe not. Anyway, it is a fascinating book and unique in its matter of fact account of everyday life on a Welsh mountain farm. Having said that, I'm sure not many people would be interested, yet it is hard to stop reading. Thomas Firbank and his remarkable wife Esme are the independent, clever, hard-working people so clearly needed in today's world, but so sadly lacking. He was Canadian and the neighboring farmers were justifiably wary when he bought a farm without having been raised in Wales or in a sheep farming family. They were supportive nevertheless as it really does "take a village" to run such a farm in such a wild and inhospitable place. My partner still hasn't read the book, but don't follow his example. You are missing a wonderful book that deserves its description as a classic. It was first published in 1940, reprinted 25 times before 1957 and reprinted 15 times before my copy was published in 1978. I learned a lot about sheep too! I have a vague recollection about seeing a TV show that was remarkably similar to this book. Does anyone know if a movie or documentary was done from the book some time ago?
August 26, 2018
This is a well written book for which I have given it two stars, but there are a number of chapters which deal with the realities of running a meat farm which I found difficult. It is a good book to read for those who are ignorant as to how animals are raised in order to produce the meat on your plate and which I hope ultimately raises compassion and awareness in the heart of the reader.
While this is by no means as appalling a meat producing livelihood as are the huge factory farms, where the conditions and treatment towards animals is truly unbelievably ‘inhumane’, it is nevertheless an eye opener on how mankind has over the centuries come to see both the land and the animal kingdom purely as commodities to be exploited and in the process has lost both dignity and care. We are all too apt to forget that we too are also animals, fellow creatures on this planet. We are permitted to do to other animals what it would be considered criminal were we to do likewise to each other.
You may, however, disagree with me and find this to be an excellent book which highlights the indomitable courage and spirit of mankind at odds against the might of the natural world in which he finds himself. I read this book as a member of a Bookclub which thought this to be the case. My views were a minority of one.
While this is by no means as appalling a meat producing livelihood as are the huge factory farms, where the conditions and treatment towards animals is truly unbelievably ‘inhumane’, it is nevertheless an eye opener on how mankind has over the centuries come to see both the land and the animal kingdom purely as commodities to be exploited and in the process has lost both dignity and care. We are all too apt to forget that we too are also animals, fellow creatures on this planet. We are permitted to do to other animals what it would be considered criminal were we to do likewise to each other.
You may, however, disagree with me and find this to be an excellent book which highlights the indomitable courage and spirit of mankind at odds against the might of the natural world in which he finds himself. I read this book as a member of a Bookclub which thought this to be the case. My views were a minority of one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2016
Not sure how I had missed reading this well known book for so long. It is said to be the first, or one of the first, accounts of an outsider living the rural dream in Wales. It's a bit different from most of those: this is not a middle aged idealist escaping from urban weariness. Thomas Firbank was only 21 when he took on a Welsh hill farm in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia). He doesn't explain why he did it, but he does appear to pitch in to the difficult life with a great deal of confidence and success. By his own account he appears to settle well and be accepted by his neighbours. His innovative hydro-electric scheme is fascinating (Capel Curig has legendary levels of rainfall). The Welsh language is occasionally mentioned but he doesn't say whether he attempts to use it (presumably not). Beautifully written account of the life of the area in the 1930s, delightful depiction of his marriage too. Unfortunately hindsight tells us that it didn't last, as the war and marriage failure carried him away, so the plans he describes at the end were not to be, at least for him (his wife Esme remained on the farm, remarried, and eventually left the property to the National Trust). The title of the book was said to have been ironic.
June 10, 2022
I've just written a review of this book which has vanished into the ether. Sufficient to say it is worth reading, telling the story of the author Thomas Firbank newly come from a Canadian factory and on impulse buying a 2,400 acre farm in Snowdonia. Published in 1940 the battle with the elements must have been even hahrsher when there was no electricity in the house, and he was an incomer speaking a different tongue to the locals.
It was published first in 1940 a surprise best-seller at the outset of WW2. But its story was interrupted by Firbank enlisting in the army for 8 years. The summary of why agriculture could really help Britain at a time when money is still being thrown at industry which is already doomed by international sales and technology succeeding that of the original industrial powers, and how successive governments have made the situation worse by allowing food imports rather than encouraging home agriculture.
I too a long time to read this book, because the copy my sister bought me has a small print size, which is a little tiring to read by lamplight, so that I read it in small chunks alternating with library books with much larger print size. But it is well worth reading.
It was published first in 1940 a surprise best-seller at the outset of WW2. But its story was interrupted by Firbank enlisting in the army for 8 years. The summary of why agriculture could really help Britain at a time when money is still being thrown at industry which is already doomed by international sales and technology succeeding that of the original industrial powers, and how successive governments have made the situation worse by allowing food imports rather than encouraging home agriculture.
I too a long time to read this book, because the copy my sister bought me has a small print size, which is a little tiring to read by lamplight, so that I read it in small chunks alternating with library books with much larger print size. But it is well worth reading.
May 11, 2021
An interesting book by a man, who at the age of 21, bought a Welsh sheep farm in the 1930s and learned how to make it a success. I had thought that it would be along the lines of All Creatures Great and Small, but it’s a good deal more technical, leading readers through the cycle of the year, from dipping the sheep to auction sales. Some of it is quite technical on how many head of sheep are needed to keep in flock, how many to sell, and how many rams to buy. There are some beautiful descriptions of North Wales, since the farm is near Snowden, and an exciting chapter on climbing the nine peaks above 3000 feet in record time which his wife. The end of the book corresponds with the beginning of WWII and Firbank’s thoughts on what Britain needs to do to improve agriculture and the country more generally.
September 11, 2013
Between the World Wars, a young couple learns to work a 2,400 acre sheep farm in the rugged hills of Wales. This is the story of grit, hard work, listening to and learning from the Welsh farmers and herders, and a way of life that was ancient and disappearing, even then. I loved all the details about caring for an essentially wild flock of sheep, free to roam until time for lambing, shearing, dipping, etc. Sheep dogs made that all possible. "Men are loath just now to return to the land. The life is hard, the wage small, and the instinct of husbandry is dead in them. But man was born of husbandry. In the bleak times ahead he may turn again to his only sure help, the soil."
August 10, 2013
Thomas Firbank, a Canadian, bought a 2400 acre sheep-farm in North Wales in the early 1930s. This is his story (published in 1941) of the development of this farm and of rural life in Wales in the 1930s. It is a "good read" that will be of interest not only to residents of Wales, but also to those of us who have traveled, or plan to travel, to Wales. I would also recommend it to anyone who has lived on a family farm. For some photos and additional information about the area where this farm was located, see
www.bmeijer.com/books/i_bought_a_moun....
www.bmeijer.com/books/i_bought_a_moun....
April 7, 2016
A fascinating and enjoyable read with some beautiful passages of writing: "I felt that though I must continue learning till I died, yet I had graduated. I knew now the extent of my knowledge and had taken the measure of my ignorance. The fledgling could take wing. The flight might be shaky, but the goal was known. And in the hills one climbs a range to see anther beyond; one learns how relative is ambition. The sense of values too develops; and this is the most important sense we have - to know what is worth while and what is useless, what is real and what is false."
October 6, 2023
An insightful memoir of life in a rural 1930’s Welsh community. I’d not previously known of Firbank’s story, but enjoyed reading about his adventures at Dyffryn farm with his wife Esme.
The book is quite detail heavy on the trials and tribulations of sheep farming specifically, which I personally could take or leave. I mostly enjoyed Firbank’s journey with navigating the social politics of Welsh farming communities, the record attempt for the Three Thousands, and the hydroelectricity installation scheme at Dyffryn farm - which honestly seemed rather ahead of it’s time.
The book is quite detail heavy on the trials and tribulations of sheep farming specifically, which I personally could take or leave. I mostly enjoyed Firbank’s journey with navigating the social politics of Welsh farming communities, the record attempt for the Three Thousands, and the hydroelectricity installation scheme at Dyffryn farm - which honestly seemed rather ahead of it’s time.
July 27, 2016
It was interesting as I read it as I was about to spend a week on a sheep farm on my holiday (though it was in West Country England and I was told that it was much different from North Wales). I enjoyed the scenery, the relationship between a newcomer and local and longtime farmers and found the details about sheep-farming informative. But I confess I didn't like the farmer's occasionnal support of intensive farming.
October 14, 2023
Well what a wonderful read - what I don't know about sheep farming now could be written on a postage stamp. The autobiography of Thomas Firbank who bought a remote Welsh farm in the 1930s, this is so evocative of the time and scenery. They overcame real challenges and the hero of this story is his dear wife Esme, my goodness has she got some guts and great Ideas! There is some stereotyping which I found cringy and humerous: 'he had the red face of a Shropshire man' in particular!
October 9, 2022
A fascinating read of someone taking over an old Welsh hill farm and their trials and tribulations, highs and lows, as farming goes through fundamental changes, such as mechanisation etc. The thing that stands out for me is that the problems discussed are still around, showing that we never learn from the past.
June 24, 2024
This is the true story of a Canadian who acquired a farm in Wales prior to WWII. The author details sheep farming as it existed during that time period. In addition, he recounts some climbing adventures. But my favorite part of the book was the chapter in which he explains how they converted nearby streams into electrical power so they could have the convenience of an electric stove and lights.
April 6, 2023
Seems an essential read for someone, like myself, who's partner is a farmer. A great look into the lifestyle, eloquently put, the madness involved in people who take on these types of farms was very entertaining. Just a beautiful read
July 16, 2023
I feel like his storytelling attempts to be humble but doesn’t always quite manage it. However, still fascinating reading about farming in the 1930s and seeing how many of the problems are still relevant today.
January 17, 2024
I enjoyed a lot of this book, particularly the parts about the land and farming, but a lot of it was quite dated now. In some respects this added to the interest, but the attitude to women was patronising and some of the political rants showed a very limited perspective.
September 1, 2024
I enjoyed this, but I was a bit put off by his sexualisation of the mountains early on in the book. I'd like to read an account of Welsh farming in Eryri from a native rather than an immigrant, too. That said, it was a very interesting read.
December 15, 2008
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
November 13, 2008
Fascinating non-fiction about a pre-WWII Canadian who becomes a sheep farmer in Wales.
August 14, 2011
Well written and wonderfully descriptive of a beautiful land. Unfortunately it dragged on just a little too long and I struggled to finish it.
February 19, 2011
The book is about Thomas and Esme Firbanks buying a mountain in Wales and raising sheep. Esme was my cousin. You'll learn a lot, not only about sheep farming but also about life in North Wales.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews