Product Description

Conservationist and naturalist John Lister-Kaye, founder of the Aigas Field Centre, writes about his life in the glens, the wildlife that surrounds him and the primeval magical exchange that takes place between man and nature once so central to ancient civilisations. He describes finding the ruined nineteenth-century estate that is to become Aigas, taking it over and turning it into a going concern as an Educational Centre, and his own personal motivation, following the Torrey Canyon oil spillage and natural disasters in the 1960s, to become a conservationist. Interspersed within the narrative detail are engaging and enlightening descriptions of flora and fauna. John Lister-Kaye carries the reader very effectively into the minute worlds he observes and backs up keen scrutiny with facts and figures. SONG OF THE ROLLING EARTH is a notably entertaining and enlightening addition to the canon of naturalist writing that includes Gavin Maxwell's RING OF BRIGHT WATER, Henry Williamson's TARKA THE OTTER and the works of Gerald Durrell.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25215 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'A wonderfully lyrical book surging with the sheer joy of nature, from Scotland's premier nature writer.' Magnus Magnusson; ' An environmental classic', SPECTATOR; 'Lister-Kaye establishes himself as one of the finest nature writers in the language', SCOTSMAN; 'Wonderful and evocative', GLASGOW EVENING NEWS; 'A masterful piece of storytelling', COUNTRY LIFE

Christopher Smout, Historiographer Royal in Scotland
'A personal, finely poetic book, an odyssey of people, places and wild things.'

Virginia McKenna, President of the Born Free Society
'John Lister-Kaye's remarkable gift as a storyteller holds one spellbound. The book is a little masterpiece.'

Customer Reviews

Prepare for uplift
“The Bone People” has for a long time been my all time favourite book. It must now move into second place- Song of the Rolling Earth is now No 1. “Charlottes Web” moves to No 3.

This book will connect you with the nature on your doorstep in a way which is life changing. It is a read but it is also an experience, a journey and a revelation. You will start to see and feel the nature all around you, and of which you are part, in new ways. It will, quite plain and simply, do you so much good as it is so full of hope. As a read it will have the same, exciting impact as any documentary which David Attenborough brings you from the across the globe AND, on this occasion the subjects are down your way. You just have to step outside your door or look out your window. I think that the unique gift which Sir John Lister- Kaye has is that he is deeply rooted in nature and also deeply rooted in being a human being. That, I feel is why he can communicate so well with you and me. He is a story teller and he reveals his, your world and my world, through these stories.

I have struggled to put this book down, yet not wanted to read on and on unless I was wholly attentive to what might be around the next page, ever frightened of missing something. It is also the first time that I did not want a book to come to an end and I delayed reading the final pages, as someone holding on to the last 24 hours of their holiday! Prepare also, to need space before taking up another book, once you have finished this read. It is an impossible act to follow and you need time to cherish its riches .

Everyone I know who connects and seeks a deeper connection, with nature, like my mum, our daughters' godfather,etc will receive Song of the rolling earth for Christmas and I just cannot wait to share it with them.

If you live on this planet, you will enjoy this book!
It is one thing to have knowledge and it is another to be able to communicate it. Lister-Kaye wins top marks for both - a profound and unusual insight matched with the skills of a true wordsmith. His description of a fish is just astoundingly graceful and I'll never look at a tree again without recalling the ash tree at Aigas. Mesmerising and imaginative writing without a cliche in sight. Strangely, for a book about nature, history and the future, it seems to be especially relevant to those living in urban environments. Reading this is like permission to enter a magic kingdom. So switch off your computers and T.V.'s, leave the shopping malls, even if it's just for a moment to look up at the sky.

A highland odyssey indeed
This is an outstanding book - a must for any lover of nature writing that will deliver surprises and delight on every page. It's also an intriguing view of Highland life (& wildlife) and history from someone who is so obviously part of that whole environment. The book will make you both laugh and cry at times.

John Lister Kaye writes in an almost poetic fashion at times and draws you into the many experiences he has shared with the wildlife and people of the highlands....ranging from his perspectives on the Torrey Canyon disaster to absolutely breathtaking narratives on Ospreys fishing and an unforgettable tale about Wrens.

It is an absolute must-read. A gem.