Never Mind the Quantocks

Book excerpt: In this hilarious and heart-warming collection of essays, the bestselling author reflects on a life spent exploring the British countryside on foot. From the splendor of the Pennines and the Lake District to the drama of the Dorset coast; from the canals of the Midlands to wildest Scotland, this book is an attempt to explain a passion for walking and the delights it can bring. Culled from Stuart Maconie’s monthly column in Country Walking, it’s full of the beautiful places, magical moments and wonderful characters he has encountered on his travels. It discusses such intrepid adventures as taking on the famous “Wainwright” fells of the Lake District, walking Hadrian’s Wall with colleague Mark Radcliffe, and why the most important things to carry in a rucksack are a transistor radio and a small bottle of red wine. Praise for Stuart Maconie “Maconie makes a jovial, self-deprecating narrator. Sharp and funny.” —The Guardian “He is as funny as Bryson and as wise as Orwell.” —The Observer “Stuart Maconie is the best thing to come out of Wigan since the A58 to Bolton.” —Peter Kay “An heir to Alan Bennett . . . stirring and rather wonderful.” —The Sunday Times