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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Fascinating account of hunting for artifacts along the shores of the Thames at low tide. I'm surprised at how much history can still be found along the river.
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
A fascinating look at the history of London based on the treasures and artifacts found in the foreshore of the tidal Thames River. Lara Maikelm is a mudlarker and shares her finds, insights, and thoughts of London at various points along the Thames. What would have made this book even better is if there were photos of the finds that she discovered. Highly recommend for the history enthusiasts.
One of the most interesting books I've read in a long time and definitely on my "I don't want it to end" list. Lara Maiklem's description of walking the banks of the Thames searching for bits and bobs dropped and lost over the centuries remind me of hours I've spent walking the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico looking for sand dollars and along the shores of the Great Lakes looking for stones. She tells of her searches beginning at the western end of the tidal portion of the river and progresses eastward to the estuary. Besides describing her finds she places them in historical context and explains their use. There are two helpful maps but no photographs in the book. I was pleased to find photos and videos on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
I've been mudlarking a couple of times & I completely see why Maiklem is so obsessed by it. It's amazing to think that (quite literally) pieces of history are just lying in mud on the foreshore of the Thames waiting to be discovered.
Though you do need to know what you're looking for. A random bit of pottery only becomes interesting if you're able to roughly work out when it was made. Plus, you need to be a bit of daydreamer. Maiklem seems to take as much pleasure (if not more) in imagining how the item came to be in the river as finding it.
In fact, Maiklem's enthusiasm for mudlarking is what really makes this book work. Because she gets giddy wondering if the bit of Tudor glass she's found belonged to a window in Elizabeth I's bedroom, you also get excited.
Overall, a fascinating insight into the history of the Thames and by extension, London.
Though you do need to know what you're looking for. A random bit of pottery only becomes interesting if you're able to roughly work out when it was made. Plus, you need to be a bit of daydreamer. Maiklem seems to take as much pleasure (if not more) in imagining how the item came to be in the river as finding it.
In fact, Maiklem's enthusiasm for mudlarking is what really makes this book work. Because she gets giddy wondering if the bit of Tudor glass she's found belonged to a window in Elizabeth I's bedroom, you also get excited.
Overall, a fascinating insight into the history of the Thames and by extension, London.
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
An interesting perspective into mudlarking on the thames foreshore and the stories hidden in everyday items.