Single Swallow, A Following An Epic Journey From South Africa To - Hardcover

Clare, Horatio

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0701183128 ISBN 13: 9780701183127

Publisher: Chatto & Windus, 2009

Synopsis

A journey of 6,000 miles across two continents and fourteen countries is nothing to swallows: they do it twice a year. But for a writer and birdwatcher, this is the expedition of a lifetime. By trains, cars, buses, motorbikes, trucks, canoes, planes, one camel and three ships, Horatio Clare followed migrating swallows (Hirundo rustica) from reed beds outside Bloemfontein, where millions roost in February, to a barn in Wales, where a pair nest in May. From the slums of Cape Town to the palaces of Algiers, through Pygmy villages where pineapples grow wild, to the Gulf of Guinea where the sea blazes with oil flares, "A Single Swallow" is a journey through the modern world to the tune of an ancient rhythm.It is a story of old empires and modern tribes, of the horrors of power and the wonders of kindness. It includes a witch-doctor's recipe for stewed swallow, explains how to travel without money or a passport, describes a terrifying incident involving three Spanish soldiers and a tiny orange dog, betrays several swallow secrets and proves that Wales exists only because of Ryan Giggs. It also tests the wisdom of an ancient piece of hearsay: the Zulus say that those who follow the swallows never come back ...Magical, inspiring, beautifully written with passion and purpose, "A Single Swallow" is a thrilling book about the intersection of the natural and the human worlds, sending shivers down the spine and lifting the heart.

About this title

About the Author

Horatio Clare is the bestselling author of numerous books including the memoirs Running for the Hills and Truant and the travel books A Single Swallow, Down to the Sea in Ships, Orison for a Curlew, Icebreaker and The Light in the Dark. His books for children include Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot and Aubrey and the Terrible Ladybirds. Horatio's essays and reviews appear on BBC radio and in the Financial Times, the Observer and the Spectator, among other publications. He lives with his family in West Yorkshire.

From the Back Cover

Running for the Hills

'The prose equivalent of Ted Hughes - or even Wordsworth... The joy of Running for the Hills lies in its seemingly effortless richness... Heartening, raw, tender.' John Carey, Sunday Times

'So beautifully written that you almost hold your breath.' Daily Mail

From the Inside Flap

This thrilling, seductive book combines the best of travel and nature writing, as one man follows the migration of the swallow from South Africa to South Wales, and finds much more than he was looking for.

A journey of 6,000 miles across two continents and fourteen countries is nothing to swallows: they do it twice a year. But for a writer and birdwatcher, this is the expedition of a lifetime. By trains, cars, buses, motorbikes, trucks, canoes, planes, one camel and three ships, Horatio Clare followed migrating swallows (Hirundo rustica) from reed beds outside Bloemfontein, where millions roost in February, to the eaves of a barn in Wales, where a pair nest in May.

From the slums of Cape Town to the palaces of Algiers, through Pygmy villages where pineapples grow wild, to the Gulf of Guinea where the sea blazes with oil flares, A Single Swallow is a journey through the modern world to the tune of an ancient rhythm. It is a story of old empires and modern tribes, of the horrors of power and the wonders of kindness. It includes a witch-doctor's recipe for stewed swallow, dragons in Namibia, Americans in Brazzaville, explains how to travel without money or a passport, describes a terrifying incident involving three Spanish soldiers and a tiny orange dog, betrays several swallow secrets and proves that Wales exists only because of Ryan Giggs. It also tests the wisdom of an ancient piece of hearsay: the Zulus say that those who follow the swallows never come back . . .

Magical, gripping, beautifully written with passion and purpose, A Single Swallow describes a life-changing journey through the human and natural worlds.

Edition details

• Publisher: Chatto & Windus
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0701183128
• ISBN 13: 9780701183127
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336