High Point: A Guide to Walking the Summits of Great Britain's 85 Historic Counties

This is a brave book. Brave, in so far as it launches a foray into a market that might be oversubscribed - many will feel that there is a plethora of walking guide literature. Its bravery is also attested by the resolve and courage of the author, who broke his leg during one of his more remote and hazardous trips, having completed all but three of the eighty nine high points ; he completed his quest one year later.Bravery pays off here : the book works triumphantly.Much hard information is made available to the reader, but this is accompanied by the more subjective themes of the narrative.The author pitches this well when he writes :" This...has been the most fantastic treat, adventure and education...appealing at so many different levels and in so many different ways...."The book lives up to this enthusiastic reflection.You can open it at random, and be informed and entertained in equal measure. There is an exquisite balance to the author's comment on, say, Lincolnshire :" The flat nature of Lincolnshire gives it, in some circles, a reputation for being rather dull, but I must say I found its wide open spaces quite apealing."Inspiration and discernment combine to make this book a " must have" for anyone who seeks to undertake a comprehensive tour of the United Kingdom. The mundane and the grandiose are countenanced with equal candour and insight.The book is enhanced by all necessary ordnance survey maps, distances and timings, along with information about local cafes and pubs. There are some sublime views among the many photographs.One of the most delightful features of the book is " The Honey Project", whereby local honey was purchased from all but eight of the British counties - every single one of those eight being, for some reason, in Scotland.This book will make you realise what you're missing. A guide to walking the summits of Great Britain's eighty five historic counties, and a taste of honey. It is a testament and a treasure.Phil Andrade, an armchair walking enthusiast.

Excellent and most interesting book. Great value for anyone interested in local geography

I've really enjoyed reading this book - clear maps and plenty of images (and humorous asides!). It will be kept in the glove box of my car to aid spontaneous walks wherever I am in Great Britain!

This is a beautifully written and presented book and I was very pleased to receive a copy as a Christmas present. There seems to be a lot more interest and reward in climbing the historic county tops rather than bothering with the trivial hills that make up many of the new Unitary Authority high points.However, at least one reviewer needs to compare it with the previously published book covering (nearly) the same ground, namely Jonny Muir's "The UK's County Tops", Cicerone, 2011, with the same cover price. In my opinion this book is much better written, is more engaging in that it is part travelogue and it has better photos and route descriptions than the Muir book. However, unlike Mr Muir he omits the county tops of Northern Ireland, it has the wrong county tops for Ayrshire and Oxfordshire and also the highpoint of Berwickshire is slightly mislocated. It's nice to have the new highpoints of Lancashire and Yorkshire included and also a guide to the lowest point in Britain (Holme Fen) but to include the highest point in the Western Isles (which was not a historic county) as a ranked summit is just plain confusing.Overall a very nice book but you might want to supplement it with Muir's book and to refer to the hill-bagging.co.uk website for up to date information.

This book was given to me for a Christmas present, and I have very much enjoyed reading through it!The book enables the reader to retrace the steps of the author, providing practical information (including some useful tips!), some history of the county in question, as well as a bit of story telling from the reader's own experiences on walking each high point.The book also offers more than a guide on High Points - some of the books highlights include the author's own 'reflections' of the challenge, the section on 'The hairiest moments' and the rather interesting 'Honey Project'!Beautifully presented with great photos that beckon the challenge, this is a must for any keen walker or someone with a thirst to explore Blighty's wonderful countryside.

A really engaging book of one man's quest to walk the highest point of every county- as so often with a walking book, the journey is as ( if not more) important as the destination. A long walk in the British country side as opposed to "A short walk in the Hindu Kush" , this is a journey that few, if any readers will replicate- but in the journey sone deep insights about Britain are found. Recommended for all walkers- and also those who would rather travel from the comfort of a fireside armchair.

This is the most interesting book I have read all year. It was very practical but not daunting for an ordinary walker. The author writes in a modest and unpretentious style, but clearly is well-informed and well-travelled. I write as a retired Geography teacher, who has enjoyed an armchair tour of Britain.

Wherever you find yourself on holiday, business or visiting family, there's a walk not far away. You'll even be able to impress your friends and colleagues with the quirky facts embedded in each walk. Good quality production. I hope the next book will be the low points for each county - that'll be an easier task for many of us.