Customer Reviews
Best book I've ever read - By: Adam, 09 Jan 2006 
Whether or not you have a backgroundin geology this book will add a new dimension to your appreciation of the British countryside & the English Language. In one passage he describes Knockan Cliff, an unassuming cragin the lonely wilderness of Assynt, where the collision of two ancient continents 400 million years ago is recorded along a single rock surface which you can put your hand on if you know where to look :
"there is something about the Moine Thrust that is almost poetry. What could be more dramatic than the grind of rock against rock beneath the terrible grip of a vanished mountain range? And who could doubt that to see upon the ground the vestiges of a distant past adds to the richness of our experience of the present? There is an exquisite irony that sheep, the most nervous of animals, now peacefully graze slopes where continents came to rest. We may see only the ooze of a small, rush-rimmed spring to mark where rocks of unlike type came to lie one upon the other. The subtle differencesin (drainage) of the rocks recognise the truth, where the ignorant walker could pass by enlightened, & the wind blowsin the cotton grass as if none of this had ever been."
Thomas Hardy would have been proud.
A joy to read - By: J. Charlesworth, 25 Mar 2004 Quite simply one of the most engaging books on geology I've read. Fortey's prose is memorable & scattered with analogies & anecdotes which make the science memorable, & accessible. I've always been interestedin geology, but never made an effort to pursue it, other than picking up rocks, & learning the very basics. The Hidden Landscape takes the reader into the field, & clearly describes what the rocks are & why they matter. It contains enough science not to be boring to those with some knowledge [I did a paleontology course at university that covered basic geology], but is clear enough not to baffle those with none.
While this book is enjoyable to read all the way through, it's also useful to return to as a reference.
Superb - By: , 23 Jun 2002 This is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. The book explains why the landscape of Britain is the way it is, & also talks a bit about the different sorts of plants that growin different areas. The book relates scenery to the underlying geology, & explains how Britain has evolved. I'd have liked more colour photographs, but that presumably would have made the price soar. It is accessible to anyone; backgroundin geology isn't necessary to enjoy this wonderful book.
Fortey brings the landscape of Britain to life. - By: , 19 Mar 2001 
Once again Richard Fortey has managed to bring to the public one of the best & most easily read books of this type. His way of relating the geology to his own experiences is unsurpassed. It is one of those few books on geology & geomorphology which can you can go back to time & time again without it becoming stale. Novices & experts alike will learn something of the British landscape from this book. A must for any one interestedin the make up of Britain.
