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A Time of Gifts
A John Murray Journey
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A Time of Gifts
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The great travel classic, first published in 1977 and recounting an epic journey of nearly 50 years before. A John Murray Journey.
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Description
INTRODUCED BY JAN MORRIS
In 1933, at the tender age of eighteen, Patrick Leigh Fermor embarked on a remarkable year-long journey on foot from the Hook of Holland to Istanbul. Decades later, he penned A Time of Gifts, a dazzlingly original and evocative narrative of the first part of this epic trek through Europe. This literary masterpiece takes readers on a vivid journey that starts from the Low Countries, up the Rhine, through Germany, down the Danube, and across Austria and Czechoslovakia to the edge of Hungary.
Fermor's adventures began with only a rucksack, a sturdy pair of hobnailed boots, and a meager allowance of one pound a week. His initial plan was to live rough, in the manner of a tramp, a pilgrim, or a wandering scholar. However, a fortunate meeting in Bavaria opened doors that led to nights spent in grand castles, indulging in the hospitality of Europe's elite, providing a fascinating glimpse into the old world of princes and peasants.
A Time of Gifts celebrates both the coming-of-age of a young man and the soul of a continent teetering on the brink of imminent upheaval. Through Fermor's eyes, we witness the splendour of Europe's resplendent domes, monasteries, and grand cities, all against the backdrop of a continent soon to be transformed by war, modernisation, and societal change.
Hailed universally as a timeless classic, A Time of Gifts is not merely a travelogue but an enriching exploration and a passionate love letter to the continent's rich cultural heritage. Fermor immerses readers in architecture, art, genealogy, and history with an infectious enthusiasm that portrays his unique cultural awakening.
'[This] gloriously ornate account of that epic journey is a classic' – ROBERT MACFARLANE
'The feeling of being lost in time and geography with months and years hazily sparkling ahead is a prospect of inconjecturable magic.'
'Not only is this journey one of physical adventure but of cultural awakening. Architecture, art, genealogy, quirks of history and language are all devoured -- and here passed on -- with a gusto uniquely his' – COLIN THUBRON, SUNDAY TIMES
'One of the most romantic books of the twentieth century, Patrick Leigh Fermor's account of a long walk across Europe is also a literary treasure, a rich blend of action and observation' – GUARDIAN
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor is highly praised for its rich and detailed narrative of the author's journey across Europe. The book is considered a classic in adventure literature, celebrated for its vivid descriptions and eloquent storytelling.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529369526
Publisher: John Murray Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 08 July 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: John Murray Publishers Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 30.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 194.0mm
Weight: 278g
Pages: 384
Collections
About the Author
In December 1933, at the age of eighteen, Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915-2011) walked across Europe, reaching Constantinople in early 1935. He travelled on into Greece, where in Athens he met Balasha Cantacuzene, with whom he lived - mostly in Rumania - until the outbreak of war. Serving in occupied Crete, he led a successful operation to kidnap a German general, for which he won the DSO and was once described by the BBC as 'a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene'. After the war he began writing, and travelled extensively round Greece with Joan Eyres Monsell whom he later married. Towards the end of his life he wrote the first two books about his early trans-European odyssey, A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water. He planned a third, unfinished at the time of his death in 2011, which has since been edited by Colin Thubron and Artemis Cooper and published as The Broken Road.
Also by Patrick Leigh Fermor
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A Time of Gifts
'Nothing short of a masterpiece' JAN MORRIS '[This] gloriously ornate account of that epic journey is a classic' ROBERT MACFARLANE 'Not only is this journey one of physical adventure but of cultural awakening. Architecture, art, genealogy, quirks of history and language are all devoured -- and here passed on -- with a gusto uniquely his' COLIN THUBRON, Sunday Times 'One...Hardback$4999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Between the Woods and the Water
Between the Woods and the Water by Patrick Leigh Fermor is a remarkable continuation of the author’s youthful odyssey through 1930s Europe, a journey he began to document in his celebrated work, A Time of Gifts. This second instalment picks up seamlessly from his pause on a bridge over the Danube. In a vibrant narrative filled with curiosity and wonder,...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Roumeli
Patrick Leigh Fermor's Mani compellingly revealed a hidden world of Southern Greece and its past. Its northern counterpart takes the reader among Sarakatsan shepherds, the monasteries of Meteora, and the villages of Krakora, among itinerant pedlars and beggars, and even tracks down at Missolonghi a pair of Byron's slippers. Roumeli is not on modern maps: it is the ancient name...Paperback$3199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Broken Road
The Broken Road by Patrick Leigh Fermor is the third and final volume of his famed trilogy, chronicling an extraordinary journey across Europe. At the tender age of eighteen, Fermor embarked on an epic walk from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople. This final instalment picks up where A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water left...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Mani
For the first time in John Murray B-format paperback, this is Patrick Leigh Fermor's spellbinding part-travelogue, part inspired evocation of a barely-written part of Greece's past. Joining him in the Mani, one of Europe's wildest and most isolated regions, cut off from the rest of Greece by the towering Taygettus mountain range and hemmed in by the Aegean and Ionian...Paperback$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
In Tearing Haste
In spring 1956, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire—youngest of the six legendary Mitford sisters—invited the writer and war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor to visit Lismore Castle, the Devonshires' house in Ireland. This halcyon visit sparked off a deep friendship and a lifelong exchange of sporadic but highly entertaining letters. There can rarely have been such contrasting styles: Debo, unashamed philistine and...Paperback$3199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
A Time to Keep Silence
From the French Abbey of St Wandrille to the abandoned and awesome Rock Monasteries of Cappadocia in Turkey, the celebrated travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor studies the rigorous contemplative lives of the monks and the timeless beauty of their monastic surroundings. In his occasional retreats, the peaceful solitude and the calm enchantment of the monasteries was passed on as a...Paperback$3199Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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