From Aintree to York: Racing Around Britain - Softcover

Cartmell, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553817469 ISBN 13: 9780553817461

Publisher: Bantam, 2006

Synopsis

Updated edition, now including the 'revamped' Ascot and Ffos Las, the new addition to Britain's racecourses.

Writer and psychologist Stephen Cartmell set off to explore Britain using the cultural melting pot of the UK's 60 racecourses as his staging posts. During his travels the author observed the frequent absurdity of the British, the peculiarities of their institutions and developed a satirical critique of one of the country's favourite pastimes. With his acute eye for observation, an appreciation of the ridiculous and the ability to find humor even in the face of petty officialdom, this acclaimed book is not simply a travelogue of racing but a key to understanding Britain and its curiously comical inhabitants. Racegoer, traveler or first time visitor, Stephen Cartmell's colorful stories are sure to entertain.

"A top-notch must-read for gee-gee fans."--Nuts

"This is a practical and (above all) comprehensive work."--Daily Telegraph

About this title

About the Author

Stephen Cartmell is a travel writer, dedicated racing enthusiast and one time university lecturer. In order to give his students a well rounded education, he has been known to announce the result of the 2.30 at Cheltenham in the middle of a lecture on the application of Freudian perspective to a post-modern world (whatever that is). His interest in racing has extended to the ownership of several racehorses, all of which gave him chronic indigestion and a very thin wallet. Contact can be made through his local bookmaker. He is a Lancastrian exiled in Buckinghamshire.

From the Back Cover

With his acute eye for observation, an appreciation of the ridiculous and the ability to find humour even in the face of petty officialdom, Stephen Cartmell s FROM AINTREE TO YORK is not simply about racing but a satirical exploration of quintessential British life.

Whether you are a regular racegoer or first-time visitor, this book will enhance the rich and varied experience of a day at the races. In this highly entertaining travel guide, Stephen Cartmell chronicles his expedition around the British Isles, using the cultural melting pot of its sixty racecourses as his staging posts. During these journeys, the author observed the frequent absurdity of the British, the peculiarities of their institutions and developed an irreverent critique of one of the country's favourite pastimes.

Cartmell is afraid of offending no one he peppers his droll prose with some scathing criticism. A kind of Rough Guide counterpoint to the glossy and over-polite Travelling the Turf annual Racing Post

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553817469
• ISBN 13: 9780553817461
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496