Landmarks

By: Robert Macfarlane

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Landmarks, a fascinating exploration of the relationship between language and landscapes by Robert Macfarlane, read by Roy McMillan.

Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to describe land, nature, and weather.

Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd, and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape and a vital means of coming to love it.

The audiobook version contains an exclusive bonus chapter - a recording of Finlay MacLeod (novelist, historian, broadcaster, archivist, and one of the dedicatees of Landmarks) reading words and definitions from his Peat Glossary for the Isle of Lewis.

This hoard of rare and evocative terms was one of the inspiring documents for the book.

Finlay's voice is also used as a divider between chapters, and the other glossaries in the text are bracketed with appropriate sound effects.

©2015 Robert Macfarlane (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Great book. Great narrator.

This is a wonderful book, and not an easy one to pull off as an audiobook in that fully half of it is a glossary! The narrator obviously did his homework with pronunciation of words in many different languages and dialects. In addition, each area of quotation seems to be in the distinctive voice of that quotation's author.

McMillan narrating Macfarlane is a treat

I purchased a print copy to go with the audio because I wanted access to the list of words, but the narrator is fabulous and I've really enjoyed listening to this one -- so if you can swing it, it's worth getting both.

Watch out, my book collection increased substantially after listening to this.

New favorite

This is the third audiobook of Macfarlane’s that I’m listening to—I absolutely love him. I loved this one so much that I bought a physical copy before I finished listening. There is magic in every sentence.

Perfection.

What a wonderful, stirring, enriching and delightful experience this book this is to listen to.
It is a forever book.
The narrator is a pleasure to listen to, and perfectly matched here.

Fabulous audio read

The reader and background soundtrack bring Landmarks to the reader with vibrant dimension and
breadth of vision.

mesmerizing

Would you consider the audio edition of Landmarks to be better than the print version?

I sure the written word version of this book is good, but the audible version is outstanding!
Background ambient sound, this background "native voice" adds a ghost-like background as a transition change. The readers voice is gentle, yet dramatic. Highly recommend

Love love

I love this book. I think I’ve listened to it eight times. Narrator is great too!

Must Read/Listen

This book I own in all it's formats, Roy McMillan takes the work to a new level with his narration. Landmarks is the story of lost language lost culture in the age of tech we've lost our children have lost their natural abilities and this work seeks to point out the fallacy of losing our natural side. For any language lover, nature poet or outdoorsman, you'll find this book full of treasures hiding in each chapter and new each time you read or listen. Robert MacFarlane's talent for word and observation would make even the most treasured authors green with envy.

Another masterpiece of Robert MacFarlane

I walked many miles while listening that book, took notes and made research. Thank you!

Amazing

Wonderful writing, engaging narration. I have developed a more profound appreciation for words and how they shape my awareness of the landscapes I walk through each day. The mountain that i see from my back porch, the valley trees that frame it, the two sequoias in my yard, all of these have names. As I say them they become points of memories on a map. As I speak them they become my friends. This came from Landscapes.