A love of landscape and countryside lies at the very heart of British life, yet most of us have long lost touch with our rural roots. In this heart-warming and affectionate celebration of the countryside, cousins Sir Richard Heygate (the Bart) and Mike Daunt (the Bounder), countrymen themselves, travel the length and breadth of the British Isles chronicling the stories of an ‘endangered species’ – the gamekeepers, farmers, fishermen, poachers, rogues and vagabonds who share their passion for this fast-disappearing way of life.
Along the way, the Bart and the Bounder eat hedgehog with the Romany, tickle a trout, meet the White Witch of Cornwall, go rat-catching in Yorkshire, wildfowling in Norfolk, boar-hunting in Sussex and celebrate an uproarious Christmas in Ireland. They also sample a good many pints of ale and tell many tall tales in the course of giving triumphant voice to a largely unheard, forgotten, yet still-vibrant community.
Eccentric, affectionate, humorous and touching in turn, Endangered Species stands as a glorious record of our country traditions.
Along the way, the Bart and the Bounder eat hedgehog with the Romany, tickle a trout, meet the White Witch of Cornwall, go rat-catching in Yorkshire, wildfowling in Norfolk, boar-hunting in Sussex and celebrate an uproarious Christmas in Ireland. They also sample a good many pints of ale and tell many tall tales in the course of giving triumphant voice to a largely unheard, forgotten, yet still-vibrant community.
Eccentric, affectionate, humorous and touching in turn, Endangered Species stands as a glorious record of our country traditions.
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Reviews
'A wonderful book about their escapades with fishing rod and shotgun'
'A superb account of shooting, fishing and enjoying the British countryside ... the Bart and the Bounder have produced a five-star book which is a blazing beacon on a distant hillside'
'This lovely book chronicles the rustic ramblings of two extraordinary characters through a Britain that has all but disappeared, where there is still a real quality of life and man is altogether kinder to his fellow man'
'I found their spirit and humour and energies very, very invigorating . . . they throb with spirit and love country pursuits. It makes a most refreshing read'
'The 'Bart' and the 'Bounder' are two lively old toffs, both passionate about the British countryside ... fine descriptive passages and many amusing anecdotes . . . [and] glimpses of a vanishing but still vibrant rural community . . . Certainly no Hovis-ad version of the countryside'
'Funny, heart-warming and quite eccentric, this book is a wonderful tribute to rare countryside pursuits'