The January Man

A Year of Walking Britain

By: Christopher Somerville

Narrated by: Christopher Somerville

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

Random House presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of The January Man by Christopher Somerville, read by Christopher Somerville.

In January 2006, a month or two after my father died, I thought I saw him again - a momentary impression of an old man, a little stooped, setting off for a walk in his characteristic fawn corduroys and shabby quilted jacket. After teenage rifts it was walking that brought us closer as father and son, and this ghost of Dad has been walking at my elbow since his death, as I have ruminated on his great love of walking, his prodigious need to do it - and how and why I walk myself.

The January Man is the story of a year of walks that was inspired by a song, Dave Goulder's 'The January Man'. Month by month, season by season and region by region, Christopher Somerville walks the British Isles, following routes that continually bring his father to mind. As he travels the country - from the winter floodlands of the River Severn to the lambing pastures of Nidderdale, the towering seabird cliffs on the Shetland Isle of Foula in June and the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest in autumn - he describes the history, wildlife, landscapes and people he encounters, down back lanes and old paths, in rain and fair weather.

This exquisitely written account of the British countryside not only inspires us to don our boots and explore the 140,000 miles of footpaths across the British Isles but also illustrates how, on long-distance walks, we can come to an understanding of ourselves and our fellow walkers. Over the hills and along the byways, Christopher Somerville examines what moulded the men of his father's generation - so reticent about their wartime experiences, so self-effacing, upright and dutiful - as he searches for the man inside the man that his own father really was.

©2017 Christopher Somerville (P)2017 Random House AudioBooks

Heartfelt, intensely personal and often beautiful

More of a memoir and nature documentary than the walking travelogue that I had expected, but none the worse for that.

The author's heartfelt, intensely personal and often beautiful writing and narration make for a rewarding listen.

Wonderful!

This is a book to savour and cherish, to return to many times. It's really wonderful.

Listened 3 times in a row, loved how it made me feel & appreciate countryside & simple things

Loved it

Full with so much meaning, and extreme well spoken feeding emotion into each chapter

Can't recommend enough

Wonderful

Loved it, read it many times..I felt I was with the narrator on his walks.

Depressing

I found this very depressing and only got as far as March before deciding I could not bear it any longer,so, it was a waste of a credit for me.

personal and moving

beautifully read. interesting walks and landscapes. poignant story of a son's reflections on his father through his journeys.

A very impressive book

A cliche then to begin this review. A book that has everything. There is humour here and pathos. Some interesting walks well described and with a touch of family life as well. Actuallly there is one thing missing. No spying on nature by capture and ring which is a good thing in a world continuually more obsessed with the invasion of privacy of that which can’t say no. There is history too in this book and you get to see the British Isles as you’ve never seen them before or at least you might not have. On an island often accused of being overcrowding it’s noce to know there are still some places you can waalk that are truly right away from busy motoreays and the invasion of life. I’d recommend it to all purist nature lovers not wanting to be crushed by a world of curiosity and name dropping.

The January Man.

A book about love, walking, family, countryside; woven together in calendar months. By the time I got to listen to it, I’d forgotten ordering it or even why it had appealed to me on the Audible site. It is most sensitively narrated by the author and makes you wish more authors narrated their own works.

Charming

Would you listen to The January Man again? Why?

Yes once finished I went straight back and read it again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The January Man?

Wit and wry humour

A walk that challenges every stride opens visions

Once you start you can't stop for the whole year, so get started right now