Product Description

A new collection of rural writings celebrating the pleasures of the country life - in particular fishing and shooting - by the eminent military historian and former editor of the Daily Telegraph, Max Hastings. Max Hastings is known as a best-selling author of military histories (The Battle of the Falklands, Bomber Command, Armageddon, etc.) and as a former editor of the Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard, but his first loves are the countryside and its pursuits. Whether walking up grouse in Scotland, tramping through snipe bogs in Ireland or catching salmon on the Tweed, this collection of articles and essays will delight all those who share his passions. There are also trenchant essays on some of the big issues facing Britain's' rural areas: intensive farming, gun ownership, access to the countryside and, of course, the controversial issue of fox hunting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #252412 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
Praise for Outside Days: 'A marvellous book, enthusiasm is at a discount in our colourless age. One warms to Hastings because he is an unashamed enthusiast.' Raymond Carr, Literary Review 'A charming celebration of the country pursuits of hunting with rod and gun.' Sunday Times

Sunday Telegraph
'golden moments, vividly captured...impossible not to warm to this elongated, awkward figure...a delight from start to finish.'

Country Life
'...laugh at his lack of skills...can be dipped into at any point, and is perfect for those snatched moments'

Customer Reviews

Great country fare
The only aspect of this collection that I didn't like were the political essays. While I agree with Max Hastings on his views on New Labour and the populist actions of the Scottish parliament, I would rather read about these emotive matters in a magazine or in the paper. Country Fair is ideally a bed side book and I don't like getting upset just before bed. That said, the other pieces are wonderful stories about fishing, dogs, shooting and so on. I throughly reccomend this to anyone with a love for rural England.

Great Read
I loved this book; I chose it as a school form prize due to my enjoyment of Hasting's other country books and my interest in country sports.

I loved the stories about shooting and Kenya, which made me immeadiately look up the estate he talked about.

I do not however think this book is only for lovers of the country, as I have never had an interest in fishing and so considered skipping those chapters, but am now very glad I read them.

I therefore highly recommend it to anyone wanting an easy, enjoyable read.