In this wise and lyrical book about landscapes of the desert and the mind, Edward Abbey guides us beyond the wall of the city and asphalt belting of superhighways to special pockets of wilderness that stretch from the interior of Alaska to the dry lands of Mexico.

    Published shortly after his death, and quickly established as a classic of mountaineering literature, it combines the finest of his prose writing with his witty satire and much sought-after songs.Patey's droll, dry-humor approach to stories of first ascents in Scotland, Norway, the Alps, and the Himalayas capture his huge enthusiasm for life and climbing. His experiences and philosophies are universal, ensuring this will remain a mountaineering favorite.Tom Patey was killed in May 1970 rappelling from a sea stack off the north coast of Scotland. His premature death marked the loss of one of Britain's most charismatic and brilliant climbers.

    Although based on East Anglia, this book was and remains of wider interest, for - as the author pointed out at the time - similar changes were occurring in North America, and also happening with remarkable speed in Africa. In chronicling the old culture George Ewart Evans has taken its two chief aspects, the home and the farm. He describes the house with its fascinating constructional details, the magic invoked for its protection, the mystique of the hearth, the link of the bees with the people of the house, and some of their fears and pre-occupations. Among the chapters on the farm is one of Evans's most original pieces of research: the description of the secret horse societies. Beautifully illustrated by David Gentleman, this book is important not only for the material it reveals about the past but for the implications for present-day society. 'As real (and as valuable) as the evidence unearthed by the spadework of archaeology.' Observer