Wainwright Letters - Hardcover

Alfred Wainwright; Hunter Davies

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0711231338 ISBN 13: 9780711231337

Publisher: Frances Lincoln, 2011

Synopsis

Alfred Wainwright (1907-1991) will always be known for his handwritten, hand-drawn Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. Throughout his life, he was an eloquent and witty correspondent, as this selection of letters, compiled by his biographer and fellow Lakeland resident Hunter Davies testifies. Written to friends, publishers, fans of his guidebooks, and to Betty, his great love and second wife, they reveal a more sensitive character, eccentric, tough-minded yet innocent, than his bluff public persona would suggest.

About this title

About the Author:

Hunter Davies is the author of over 30 books, many of them with a Lake District connection, as well as biographies of Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and Eddie Stobart. His authorised biography of Wainwright appeared in 1995. He is married to the novelist and biographer Margaret Forster and they divide their time between London and their Lake District home in Loweswater.

Review:

An ideal gift for Wainwright fans. Grange Now! Always well-informed, sometimes innocent, often moving and yet tough-minded, the letters present a vivid picture of one of Cumbria's creative geniuses. Carlisle News & Star Enhance our picture of a man who guarded his privacy so closely that he never even used his first name in print. Daily Mail This book is a delight; there is so much of interest if you love the Lake District, but also if you are interested in the struggle of the creative process and also the complexity of human relationships. Lakeland Walker Hunter Davies's editing of these letters has been masterfully reticent - just enough information and support to shape a very special human story that seems to tell itself. The Wainwright Letters offer us the multi-faceted mosaic of AW's life as he never intended to tell it. Today and forever he is simply "Wainwright". Cumberland News Present and unforgetrable picture of one of the great but eccentric creative geniuses of the twentieth century. Keswick Reminder Hunter Davies's editing of these letters has been masterfully reticent; just enough information and support to shape a very special human story that seems to tell itself. The Wainwirght Letters offer a multi-faceted mosaic of AW's life as he never intended to tell it. Workington Times & Star Through these letters, Wainwright is shown to be far more than a writer and illustrator of guidebooks. He is a man whose pen is able to convey the real power of the written word. It will be a wonderful resource for future writers to use when assessing Alfred Wainwright's place within twentieth-century literature. Footsteps His affability and friendliness shines through in his written word. Best of British Feels a bit like eavesdropping on a series of private jokes and flirtations, but fascinating nonetheless. Country Walking Never less than than entertaining. Cumbria Reveal the character and life of a man whose passion for the hills has provided so much pleasure. Workington Times & Star Hunter Davies is to be congratulated on undertaking and successfully carrying out what must have seemed a truly daunting task. TGO: The Great Outdoors

About this edition

• Publisher: Frances Lincoln
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0711231338
• ISBN 13: 9780711231337
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416