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Bill Bryson
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Book
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Publisher | MacMillan | ||
ISBN | 9781845250546 | ||
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Reviewer
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Jayne
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Synopsis
Following the success of "A Portrait of England", this book focuses on icons that are quintessentially English. Published in association with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and introduced by their President, Bill Bryson, this beautifully designed tome is a a celebration of our shared rural heritage."Icons of England" combines stunning photography and quotes, poetry, reminiscences and celebrity anecdotes. Its highlights include: a full introduction from CPRE President Bill Bryson - A share of the book's profits will go to help support CPRE campaigns; Bill Bryson explains his fascination with Red Telephone boxes; the Iron Bridge, built in the eighteenth century as the first crossing of the Severn Gorge; the life and history of the great oak trees that dominate our countryside; the thatched cottage and it's unique welcoming charm; and, the robin red-breast and friends. Contributors include: David Dimbleby; Griff Rhys-Jones; Ralph Fiennes; Richard Mabey; Prunella Scales; and, Simon Jenkins.
Review
This Book 'Icons of England', shows some of the things that make England Great. This book was edited by Bill Bryson who brought together over 70 contributors to the context of the book. These contributors go from Kate Adie the news correspondent, to Dick Francis the Author and Richard Mabey and Jon Snow with many others.
The introduction by Bill says that he goes from Brighton Pier to Silbury Hill in Wiltshire to search out the beautiful, varied and often rather intriguing qualities that set England apart from the rest of the world. Eric Clapton's contribution is of Newlands Corner, which many who live in Surrey will no quite well. Michael Palin talks about the Derbyshire Crags with a beautiful picture to illustrate his thoughts.
All the different writers have a full size 12 x 12 picture to illustrate their special place. The pictures are magnificant and the write up on each iconic place is well thought out and an interesting insight of why each place has been chosen.
With so many places of England being used for building homes or destroyed by vandalism it is great to see this book, showing many of the icons that will be lost, and by capturing them in this book they are saving them for posterity in such a way that they will never be forgotten.The cover is a post box which sadly with the computor age upon us and not so many people writing letters, may soon become a thing of the past.
For many, the loss of the bright red phone boxes that used to be in every town and city are rarely seen today except in very tiny villages; I know of one in Abinger Hammer in Surrey. But in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey there is a great work of art, which is a stack of ten phone boxes on their sides! When this sculpture was put in Kingston, there was a great hue and cry about the waste of money. But now young people can see them and realise that this is where we used to stand in, and make calls before every home had a phone of its own or 98% of people had a mobile!!
This is a brilliant book with all the contributors and photographers input, and is a wonderful way to keep the old memories alive, especially the younger generation and their future children.
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