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sminismoni's review
Not really what I was expecting so DNF at 40%. I thought it was a social and cultural history of England's villages. Instead, this focusses on the geography, architecture and archeaology, and seems very much focussed on the buildings rather than the society that formed these villages. Endless descriptions of ridge and furrow fields, parish church design and decoration, ordinance maps, the Ligar system of topographical assessment. Blah. Reads like an encyclopedia. Not for me
kizzia's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This was so well written and filled to the brim with interesting facts that once I’d finished listening to the audio book I went and found myself a copy of the paper back to make it easier to re-read and take notes. This is not something I normally do (although this is the second audiobook in a row this year, clearly I’m picking them extra well) so that should tell you just how much I found of value in the pages and how much I enjoyed it.
The blurb really doesn’t do justice to just how much information is packed into the 416 pages/12 hours and certainly doesn’t show how well and clearly written it is. Ben Robinson’s ability to talk in detail about the archaeology without making it incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t studied the subject and to ensure he isn’t speaking down to his audience is unparalleled. His deft handling of the chronology and the sheer variety of information that villages can give us was a joy to read and I found some the later chapters about new villages, modern housing issues, climate change and the political, economical, and cultural issues these engenger exemplary.
My only complaint, purely about the audiobook, is that the narrator speaks like a childrens tv presenter on acid and although he did become more bearable the further through the book I got it still grated on my nerves. It did not stop me listening until the very end, which is another indication of how good the book is.
The blurb really doesn’t do justice to just how much information is packed into the 416 pages/12 hours and certainly doesn’t show how well and clearly written it is. Ben Robinson’s ability to talk in detail about the archaeology without making it incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t studied the subject and to ensure he isn’t speaking down to his audience is unparalleled. His deft handling of the chronology and the sheer variety of information that villages can give us was a joy to read and I found some the later chapters about new villages, modern housing issues, climate change and the political, economical, and cultural issues these engenger exemplary.
My only complaint, purely about the audiobook, is that the narrator speaks like a childrens tv presenter on acid and although he did become more bearable the further through the book I got it still grated on my nerves. It did not stop me listening until the very end, which is another indication of how good the book is.
harryclark97's review
4.0
It's a non fiction book looking at the history and development of villages in England over the centuries. It takes a look at how villages changed over time, what a village actually is, the naming of villages, key components of villages and much more.
At first glance it seems like a bit of a dry book, but it is really well written and definitely engaging enough to keep you interested, I particularly enjoyed learning about the names of villages and how different periods of history have impacted naming conventions and how you can often date the origin of a village simply by its name!
At first glance it seems like a bit of a dry book, but it is really well written and definitely engaging enough to keep you interested, I particularly enjoyed learning about the names of villages and how different periods of history have impacted naming conventions and how you can often date the origin of a village simply by its name!
hozza's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
An interesting topic however the book struggles where the subject matter is less interesting and isn’t saved by captivating writing. This history is fascinating but was boring in places
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