Bookseller Reviews
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History told through lost objects from bygone London ……
The author is obviously passionate about the Thames and its history; a Mudlark who has spent the last 15 years combing the Thames for interesting objects d... READ MORE
Fascinating and Poignant
An intriguing read for anyone who's ever wondered about the hidden history of London. Lara Maiklem writes with the passion and expertise of a true mudlarke... READ MORE
A joy
Initially I was concerned that this book was without illustration. How was I to understand what items looked like without pictures??? How wrong I was. Lara... READ MORE
Unclassifiable and brilliant
This book is a challenge to describe – is it history or archaeology; is it a book about walking the Thames, memoir or nature writing about a river landscap... READ MORE
Wish I was there!
Wish I was there with Lara, standing or kneeling in the oozing mud of the Thames looking for finds. A fascinating insight into mudlarking with entertaining... READ MORE
Synopsis
A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
Mudlark (/`mAdla;k/) noun A person who scavenges for usable debris in the mud of a river or harbour
Lara Maiklem has scoured the banks of the Thames for over fifteen years, in pursuit of the objects that the river unearths: from Neolithic flints to Roman hair pins, medieval buckles to Tudor buttons, Georgian clay pipes to Victorian toys.
These objects tell her about London and its lost ways of life. Moving from the river's tidal origins in the west of the city to the point where it meets the sea in the east, Mudlarking is a search for urban solitude and history on the River Thames, what Lara calls `the longest archaeological site in the world'.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- ISBN: 9781408889237
- Number of pages: 336
- Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 24 mm
- Weight: 291g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allPortal Into Another World
Lara Maiklem's "Mudlarking" is a portal into another world- a lost and forgotten world, where she summons forth the ghosts of the past through the everyday... READ MORE
Knee deep in time
Brilliant, must read again another time-pure escapism!
Thoroughly disappointing
Very poor, did not live up to the hype. No pictures and pretty dull overall.
Mudlarking
I was a little sceptical that someone could write a whole book on collecting stuff from the banks of the Thames but they have done so and with pace and cla... READ MORE
Fossicking in the Thames
I’ve always been fascinated by finding things on the shoreline whether they be old things discarded by humans, natural objects shaped by the sea, or eviden... READ MORE
Mudlarking
How can I review a book that I paid for, but never received?
Revelatory
This book was a revelation. I lived by the Thames for nineteen years, but there was so much I didn’t know about, it’s history, secrets, and idiosyncrasies.... READ MORE
A Lark indeed
Takes you down the river from Teddington Lock all the way to the Estuary, weaving you into the past and bringing you back to the present. Specific location... READ MORE
What a joy; a pure delight.
Review of whole book:
Began 8th July 2019.
Finished 5th August 2019.
What a joy; a pure delight.
This is a book of surprising value and lasting w... READ MORE
Interesting quick read
A good quick read with an interesting premise, combination of memoir and a bit of a historical hodgepodge, but if you know a bit about London's history alr... READ MORE
Wonderful book
Wonderful book, very well researched and informative.
Beautifully written - brings the past to life
This is a fascinating book which is brilliantly written. Lara Maiklem is a master storyteller, bringing the past to life through the objects she finds.
... READ MORE
Liquid history
Just finished this book. Fantastic read! As a teenager I spent some happy weekends fossicking around an old Victorian rubbish dump in Bridgwater, Somerset ... READ MORE
Fabulous Read
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s so interesting
Delightful journey down the river
I adored this book. Found the objects discovered fascinating and the port key storytellling accompanying them quite mesmerising. Mostly I found the journey... READ MORE
A Fascinating Book.
I found this to be a fascinating book. Lara Maiklem is absolutely passionate about the Thames, its tides and shores and the treasures to be found there.
He... READ MORE
Interesting
One of my favourite books and given as presents to several friends especially a visiting Australian from Perth!
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