A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects Audiobook Libro.fm

The untold story of rural Britain revealed through its artefacts

A really lovely fascinating book I dived straight into this clever joyous celebration of nature history and of course the countryside Charles Spencer author of The White Ship

For most of human history we were rural folk

Our daily lives were bound up with working the land living within the rhythm of the seasons We poured our energies into growing food tending to animals and watching the weather Family friends and neighbours were often one and the same Life revolved around the village and its key spaces and places the church the green the school and the marketplace
And yet rural life is oddly invisible our historical records The daily routine of the peasant the farmer or the craftsperson could never compete with the glamour of city life war and royal drama Lives went unrecorded stories untold
There is though one way in which we can learn about our rural past The things we have left behind provide a connection that no document can match physical artefacts are touchstones that breathe life into its history From farming tools to childrens toys domestic objects and strange curios the everyday items of the past reveal fascinating insights into an oftenforgotten way of life Birth death celebration work crime play medicine beliefs diet and our relationship with nature can all be read from these remnants of our past
From ancient artefacts to modernday memorabilia this startling book weaves a rich tapestry from the fragments of our rural past