That is Man Shrubsole’s finest e-book but, regardless of the success of his glorious Who Owns England (reviewed right here) and his e-book about soggy, slippery woods, The Misplaced Rainforests of Britain (reviewed right here) as a result of this e-book is about every part! It covers a variety of floor, all of it, as a result of it’s about land use and who will get to determine.
We’re taken via grouse taking pictures, pheasant releasing, land drainage, entry rights, neighborhood possession, Nationwide (unnatural) Parks, river guardians and the case for state possession of extra land as a way to ship public items similar to carbon storage and wildlife. The message of the e-book is that it has proved unwise to swallow the nonsense that land house owners are all guardians of the countryside simply because they maintain telling us that they’re. Properly, they’d say that wouldn’t they? Some are, some aren’t, and to guard the general public curiosity from those that aren’t we should always take again extra energy both individually or (and/or) via the state.
I’m actually happy to see the concept of elevated state possession of land promoted right here to a large viewers and Man is sort sufficient to cite from my e-book Reflections the place I make that case too. I keep in mind that, years in the past, Man and I spoke at an occasion in Bristol the place I stated a lot the identical and he quipped that it was a bit unsettling to search out an ex-RSPB member of workers being extra radical than an ex-FoE member of workers however he has come spherical, as has, in a feeble means, a lot of the conservation institution. With a Labour authorities this have to be the very best alternative to see some change however taking water firms again into public possession has been dominated out in current days and with it the chance to handle massive areas of the uplands for water, carbon and wildlife moderately than burn it or graze it for personal revenue. We are able to’t actually complain as this was not within the current Labour manifesto, although it was within the earlier one, however it could not come again as a possibility whereas Labour is in energy.
There isn’t very a lot right here about farming, which is barely shocking, and little or no as displays for the case for change on the lack of wildlife on farmed land throughout lowland areas. I used to be a bit shocked by that.
I stay agnostic about elevated rights to roam whereas the creator is an advocate of them. However I’m agnostic partly as a result of it isn’t clear to me what the advocates need to see. How a lot do they need? This in all probability wasn’t the place to set out these arguments in full however I really feel I’m nonetheless ready nervously to see what they’re.
I’m barely hampered by working from an uncorrected proof as a assessment copy that doesn’t have the acknowledgements nor, extra importantly, the index in it and there are just a few typesetting errors which have in all probability now been corrected. However that is undoubtedly a wonderful e-book, not as a result of I agree with most of it, however as a result of it’s well-researched, very nicely written and offers with essential points in a persuasive means.
As we get ever nearer to the time after I’ll reveal my books of the yr for 2024, authors like Man Shrubsole simply make the duty tougher but it surely appears inconceivable to me that this e-book received’t be in my prime 5, however conceivably it is perhaps in my prime 1.
The quilt? It’s OK, I initially thought I ought to give it 7/10 however entrance covers which can be designed to accommodate the adverts aren’t that aesthetically pleasing, are they? Essentially the most attention-grabbing a part of this cowl is the attractively depicted panorama, however when the attention is drawn to that, one appears to be like via the title, and the panorama solely occupies half of the duvet house. Think about that panorama stuffed the duvet and the title of the e-book was on the prime and the creator’s title on the foot? That may be moderately standard however way more stunning and would possibly nicely have gotten 9/10 from me, however on mature and lengthy consideration I’d give this cowl 4/10. One may nearly determine that the duvet was wittily allegorical and a touch upon the triumph of the revenue motive over pure magnificence.
The Lie of the Land: who actually cares for the countryside by Man Shrubsole is revealed by William Collins.
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Purchase direct from Blackwell’s – a correct bookshop (and I’ll get a bit of bit of cash from them)
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