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The Wild Life: A Year of Living on Wild Food [Paperback]

John Lewis-Stempel (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 18 Mar 2010

The Wild Life is John Lewis-Stempel's account of twelve months eating only food shot, caught or foraged from the fields, hedges, and brooks of his forty-acre farm. Nothing from a shop and nothing raised from agriculture. Could it even be done?

We witness the season-by-season drama as the author survives on Nature's larder, trains Edith, a reluctant gundog, and conjures new recipes. And, above all, we see him get closer to Nature. Because, after all, you're never closer to Nature than when you're trying to kill it or pick it.

Lyrical, observant and mordantly funny, The Wild Life is an extraordinary celebration of our natural heritage, and a testament to the importance of getting back to one's roots - spiritually and practically.

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The Wild Life: A Year of Living on Wild Food + Food For Free (Collins Gem)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan (18 Mar 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 055277460X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552774604
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 x 2.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 95,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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› Visit Amazon's John Lewis-Stempel Page
John Lewis-Stempel
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Product Description

Review

This is a great book: tough and funny, metaphysical and earthy, passionate and honest. Most of all, honest: not just in the sense of 'candid', but honest also in that it reveals the sheer bloody awkwardness, and the sheer awkward bloodiness, of trying to live even semi-wild these days. What might seem like a gimmick turns out to be a way of discovering a great deal about that complicated thing we call 'land'. There's also some beautiful writing about place. --Robert Macfarlane, author of the international bestseller, The Wild Places

Beautifully written. The closest thing you can get to poetry in prose. --Hay on Wye Literary Festival

A fascinating account of each month as [John Lewis Stempel] tracks, kills and gathers what he needs to stay alive...But this is more than just a rundown of all the perfectly edible stuff out there that we tend to overlook in our everyday, supermarket-dominated lives. The Wild Life is also a meditation on survival and our connection to the land ... A timely and compelling book --Sunday Telegraph

Tough, honest, funny, poetic and informative, this is an initiatory and spiritual journey. A life lesson for us all. --Ecologist

A large slice of nostalgia served up in an amusing and informative narrative. --Manchester Evening News

Review

A meditation on survival and our connection to the land...A timely and compelling book. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars truly inspiring 12 Nov 2009
By Tall-Bear
Format:Hardcover
One of the great books of my life.

It reads more like a journal(no pictures)than a book.

JL-S really portrays the life of the hunter gatherer.
You feel the highs, lows and hunger of the experience. Really makes you appreciate the variety of food we have. Also makes you appreciate the importance of the preserves and natural flavourings - the food is natural and free range, but repetitive for each season, hence the need for something to add variety to the meals.

It also highlights the dilemma of the true hunter - no pleasure, quite the opposite in fact, in taking a life - but no kill = no food. At the same time, the creatures have a free life and good chance of escape which no farmed food does, but does this off-set the killing?

The book also potrays how the hunter becomes increasingly aware of his surroundings, more in tune with his world and how all the senses become sharper - and always on the look out for food opportunities.

Fascinating to read slowly, with the seasons, too!

The book was not what I expected, but was far far better and a really inspiring book if hunting, gathering and natural living is your thing. One of the best books I've read.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and real 25 Aug 2009
By Ms. R. A. Coffin
Format:Hardcover
I really enjoyed reading this book. Not only does John have a good sense of humour, I really followed him through his trials and tribulations for gathering, preparing, cooking and eating his food.

This book really gives you a good idea of how difficult it is to live off the land entirely. It also inspired me to eat more wild food. There aren't any photos or pictures of the food that he found but this book is not about that. It is a no-nonsense guide of the sort of things that you have to do to feed yourself for a year just on the fields around you. There are some really good recipes in it too.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who thinks that they could live off the land entirely. It is a good read whilst being informative. I really enjoyed it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic read! 7 Sep 2011
By @BushcraftChris
Format:Paperback
After Amazon sent me a "Things you may like" email I chose this book. I wasn't disappointed. At first it seemed to be just another getting back to nature type of book. However after the first dozen or so pages it became an addictive can't-put-down book. If you are interested in finding out what getting back to nature is really like, or even if you have just a passing interest in what those hedgerow plants are, then get this book.

One thing though; to get the most from this book you will need a couple of wild food reference books at the ready!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
It's amazing that a story that barely moves away from a few acres of England and is concerned with little more than one man's attempts to find or catch wild foods is so readable. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Primrosesmith
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
Love this book and it is going to be a brilliant gift. I would like to read more books like this
Published 5 months ago by Ms Lesley A Atherton
4.0 out of 5 stars great diet if you can shoot!
Very enjoyable read. Did not try to preach about sustainability or come from the "green angle". Well researched. Honest and at times, both funny and sad. Read more
Published 19 months ago by kate
2.0 out of 5 stars A very odd method
Some of the book is ok & i can see where he has tried to go with it but here is a man who lives on a 40 acre smallholding with his own livestock & he wants to live off the land. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Welsh boy70
5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly written. I felt his pain.
The author moves to an ancient, decrepit house where he hopes to be self-sufficient. His problems start with the passive resistance of the local craftsmen hired to assist the... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Cuivienna
5.0 out of 5 stars Good guide to self-sufficiency...
... If you have the time, the patience, and no cravings for a Big Mac. This Is however great book, humorous, well-written and real. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2010 by Zayja
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable
I have read many good books but have never been inspired to bother leaving a review.

This is a very enjoyable book. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2010 by Magnum PI
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit slow
I have read a large number of books relating peoples tales of giving it all up to live in the country and as with quite a few, the author must not be short of a bob or two going by... Read more
Published on 1 July 2010 by MR DEREK JARRETT
5.0 out of 5 stars Every forager should read this
I take people on wild food walks, introducing them to the plants around them and letting them know their culinary uses. Read more
Published on 19 May 2010 by Mr. Andrew R. Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars The wild life: a year of living on wild food
I really enjoyed reading the book. It made connections with values and aspirations I have had for most of my life. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2010 by Mrs. L. A. S. Cook
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