I thought at first Rory's book was about the French political party, but blow me it is all about our native heath, plus his dad, and is one of the most original books we have had in 33 years of the prize
- Hunter Davies, Lakeland Book of the Year, 2017,
<b>Engaging, intelligent, and ultimately moving.</b>
- Stuart Kelly, Scotsman
<b>Suggests an open-mindedness in Stewart, a tolerance and flexibility that could make him an exceptional politician while it also continues to define him as a writer.</b>
- Andrew Motion, New York Review of Books
<b>[A] bewitching book</b>… The entrancing bond between Stewart and his father brings the book alive.
- Tristram Hunt, Sunday Times
Engaging, intelligent and ultimately moving…in some ways, <b>Rory Stewart resembles a Robert MacFarlane who has chosen geopolitics over metaphysics</b>.
Scotland on Sunday
This is <b>travel writing at its best</b>.
- Katherine Norbury, Observer
Stewart is the nearest person I have identified in real life to Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, the all-seeing, all-knowing man-child of Empire… <b>The heart of the book is about love… He is observant, gently mocking and he writes beautifully.</b>
- Melanie Reid, The Times
He is <b>a gift to literature.</b>
- Sarah Sands, Evening Standard
[Stewart] has a roving, enquiring mind, which makes him on the page…most agreeable company… <b>This roving, discursive book is a delight to read.</b>
- Allan Massie, Literary Review
<i>The Marches</i> is a memoir <b>full of depth and beguiling humour</b>… His prose is captivating and I hugely admired his dedication in getting to know closely the landscape and people he serves in Parliament.
- Charlotte Runice, Prospect
[A] <b>substantial and very impressive</b> book... [a] profoundly moving portrait of Stewart’s father.
- Philip Marsden, Spectator
As a collective portrait of both father and homeland, <i>The Marches </i>is a <b>deeply moving, honest and loving </b>portrait, even if Britain and Brian are seldom what they seem.
- Barnaby Rogerson, Country Life.
The book is held together by Mr Stewart's writing, with his short chapters moving skilfully from history to personal encounter.
- Andrew Lownie, Wall Street Journal
Stewart’s descriptions are moving… This writer refreshes the parts that other writers cannot reach: he has the stamina and interest to investigate the hidden ‘glamour’ behind regions and peoples with unpromising veneers.
- Mary Killen, Lady
The delight of it lies in his encounters with the specific rather than in ruminations about the general. He has an alert eye for the awkward detail – the things that don’t quite fit with the tone of a scene. It makes him <b>an enjoyable and persuasive writer</b>.
- Ian Jack, Guardian
[An] <b>elegantly written</b> account.
- Tom Chessyhre, The Times
Like father, like son, for both come across as <b>hugely talented</b>, hugely driven misfits.
- National,
<i>The Marches</i> marks him [Stewart] out not only as a writer but as a political force rooted in geographies so different to London as to shed new light on politics itself… [A] serious politician, social critic, and practical ethnographer at work. As such <i>The Marches</i> is a book for walkers, for those who love the Borders, and for fathers seeking inspiration in their family responsibilities… <b>If this is the polymath as politician, then we need more of them.</b>
- Frances Davis, Conservative Home
This is so much more than the story of their journey – it’s <b>a superbly written, endlessly fascinating book</b> encompassing history, geology, landscape, family memories, wars experienced and lives well lived.
Choice Magazine
<b>One of the most unexpected and enjoyable reads of 2016</b>… The book <b>fizzes erudition</b> and is delightfully leavened by the companionship of his aged and doughty father.
Guardian, Readers' Book of the Year
THE NO. 1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF POLITICS ON THE EDGE
Combining memoir, history and travel writing, a moving exploration of landscape, identity and the love between a father and son.
Rory Stewart and his father set out on their final walk together along the border between England and Scotland.
On their 600-mile thirty-day journey, the pair relive Scottish dances, talk about Burmese honey bears and the loss of human presence in the countryside around them. Their odyssey develops into story of nationhood and landscape, and an exuberant encounter between father and son. Written with pathos and wit, Stewart’s memoir is a moving, honest and loving portrait of his father and homeland.
‘Travel writing at its best’ Observer
‘Beautifully written… a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love’ Daily Mail
Please note: The book cover received may differ from the cover displayed here.
'This is travel writing at its best.'
Katherine Norbury, Observer
An Observer Book of the Year