The Pebbles on the Beach - Softcover

Ellis, Clarence

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571347932 ISBN 13: 9780571347933

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2018

Synopsis

With a foreword by Robert Macfarlane

Pebble-hunting is a pleasant hobby that makes little demand upon one's patience and still less upon one's physical energy. (You may even enjoy the hunt from the luxurious sloth of a deck chair). One of the true delights of the pebble-seeker is to read the stories in the stones - to determine whence and by what means they came to be there. We must always bear in mind that a pebble is a transient thing. It is in the half-way stage of a long existence . . .

This is a spirited guide to the simple pleasure of pebble spotting. Clarence Ellis is a charming, knowledgeable and witty guide to everything you didn't know there was to know about pebbles. He ruminates on what a pebble actually is, before showing us how they are formed, advising on the best pebble-spotting grounds in the UK, helping to identify individual stones, and giving tips onthe necessary kit. You'll know your chert from your schist, your onyx from your agate and will be on your guard for artificial intruders before you know it. Understanding the humble pebble makes a trip to the beach, lake-side or river bank simply that little bit more fascinating.

A handy illustrated guide to identifying pebbles is included on the reverse of the book jacket

About this title

Review:

An illuminating, summery and delightfully schoolmasterish guide. Written by a history teacher who had served on the Western Front, and later became a pebble-collecting enthusiast, it answers all life's important questions. Where do pebbles come from? What are they made of? And how do you find a really rare one?... Inspiring ... A rare find ... Some of its charm derives from the sheer fascination of the subject, some from the period tone, but a lot reflects the author's personality. Ellis comes across like a reserved but eccentric uncle ... Republishing this book was a brilliant idea ... [it] deserves to be a huge summer bestseller. (Sunday Times)

I love this book. Like all the best nature books it is alchemical, sparking wonder in the mundane. (Tristan Gooley)

There's nothing quite like the thrill of hunting for treasure on the shingle-studded beaches of Britain ... This classic Fifties book on pebble-collecting has just been re-published, in the hope of reigniting enthusiasm for this great British tradition ... The book was a roaring success ... the staple companion to the British seaside experience: a wonderfully therapeutic form of escapism and free fun, whatever the weather. Today, Ellis' guide, with his thoughtful, almost poetic descriptions, is just as useful almost 65 years on - and perhaps it has never been more necessary ... Utterly enchanting. (Daily Mail)

Fascinating ... A pebble-hunting family could be most united and happy for hours ... Charmingly illustrated ... Ideal seaside companions. (The Spectator)

Ellis broke open the language of stones for me . He clearly loved language for its capacity to grade and sort perceptions but also for the poetry it carried. As an ordinary looking pebble could be sliced and polished to reveal dazzling patterns, so could a word. --(Robert Macfarlane)

I've fallen rather in love with this charming and erudite pebble spotter's companion, first published in 1973 and now unearthed again by those champions of old gem polishing, Faber . . . This year's The Secret Life of Cows? --(The Bookseller)

So sweet. Ellis is a passionate pebble collector who tells you how to recognise all the different types of pebbles and where they came from. --(Radio 5 Live Phil Williams show)

Book Description:

'The ideal beach walker's companion.' - Robert Macfarlane

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0571347932
• ISBN 13: 9780571347933
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240