A glorious journey across time and the UK

⭑⭑⭑⭑  A charming journey through time and the British landscape as experienced by various historical persons of note. In Footnotes we follow the footsteps of nature lovers from the past and get a cheeky peak at their thoughts (from letters and published accounts) plus more intimate personal details that may not be so readily available. This book feels a bit like a biographical tell-all travelogue with a hardy dash of wit and sarcasm thrown in.

Mr. Fiennes braves all forms of weather and difficulty to see the places most dear to the characters he highlights here. Being American, I did not grow up with Enid Blyton but know of her and found the particulars of her private life (especially her marriages and the treatment of her girls) fascinating.

I adore Wilkie Collins and his portion of the book did not disappoint as it kept me in stitches. I revelled in the descriptions of traveling across the UK at a time when it wasn't as easy as popping on the train or taking the car cross country. Back when nature was a lot less tamed and fewer people ran around, it must have been glorious. I feel inspired to visit more than a few locations mentioned on these pages. Thank you, Peter Fiennes, for sharing these insights of a bygone age and the mighty characters who appreciated them before us.