Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
35 used & new from £0.44
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English (Hardcover)

by Richard Lewis (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
RRP: £14.99
Price: £14.24 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £0.75 (5%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 10 to 14 days.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

18 new from £0.45 16 used from £0.44 1 collectible from £0.44
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New edition) £8.99 £6.99 30 used & new from £0.01
Hardcover (Large Print) 2 used & new from £10.99
Audio Cassette (Audiobook) £37.95 £37.95 Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with In Search of Albion: From Cornwall to Cumbria: A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul: From Glastonbury to Grimsby - A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul by Colin Irwin

The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English + In Search of Albion: From Cornwall to Cumbria: A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul: From Glastonbury to Grimsby - A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul
Price For Both: £25.93

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

In Search of Albion: From Cornwall to Cumbria: A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul: From Glastonbury to Grimsby - A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul

In Search of Albion: From Cornwall to Cumbria: A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul: From Glastonbury to Grimsby - A Ride Through England's Hidden Soul

by Colin Irwin
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £11.69
No Roses

No Roses

~ Shirley Collins
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £3.18
The Progressive Patriot

The Progressive Patriot

by Billy Bragg
3.1 out of 5 stars (17)  £6.99
The Wild Places

The Wild Places

by Robert Macfarlane
4.0 out of 5 stars (26)  £4.49
Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain

Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain

by Ronald Hutton
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £7.14
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Atlantic Books (14 April 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1843543079
  • ISBN-13: 978-1843543077
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 14 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 314,299 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Intensive ESL in the USA
   www.intensive-esl.com    Find the Right Program for You! Network of Intensive ESL Programs 
English Literature
   www.OxfordCollege.ac/EnglishLit    Study for a Diploma in English Flexible Studies At Oxford College! 
Learn Magic Tricks
   www.MagicShop.co.uk    Over 10000 Tricks in Stock Free UK Next Day Delivery 
  
 

Product Description

Billy Bragg, fRoots Magazine
A wonderful book for aficionados and sceptics alike.

Professor Ronald Hutton
The research is admirable: he really has done his work very well.

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(4)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(5)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(4)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English
58% buy the item featured on this page:
The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English 3.4 out of 5 stars (13)
£14.24
The English Year
22% buy
The English Year 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£6.49
The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys
20% buy
The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends, from Spring-heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys 5.0 out of 5 stars (4)
£13.00
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Hey nonny nonny, 20 Jul 2006
By Glossopswift (Derbys, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Magic Spring: My Year Learning to be English (Paperback)
Lewis made me laugh out loud and that'll do for me. Imagine a Louis Theroux or Danny Wallace character wandering England looking for those ancient English customs that we hear so much about but tend to ignore. Why do we proudly fly the cross of St. George on our car and shout from high our rekindled pride in Englishness but feel too embarrassed to sing a folk song or go morris dancing? Lewis doesn't simply observe these customs (together with sun worshipping, straw bear following, tree talking) - he joins in to try and find the English spirit within him, something to connect him to his English forefathers. Lewis' conclusions are perhaps disappointing for those looking to find the link between the mists of ancient time and the customs of today but a boon to those looking to have fun, drink ale and throw off the embarrassment of singing ta-loo-ra-loo-ra-lye and waving a hankie about. Don't show your English pride by singing anti-Irish/Scottish/Welsh songs - show it by learning an old ballad or two and sing it in the pub to the accompaniment of a melodeon. Better still - get this book, order yourself a pint of warm real ale and settle back for a very amusing read.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One Mans Search for his Roots, 27 April 2005
It's good. It's very good. One mans search for his roots, his culture. It includes real ale, wassailing, mumming, Cliffe Bonfire Boys, hobby horses, pagans and morris dancing.

Now the penultimate word might raise heckles - "He's saying it's all pagan, is he?" - but rest assured, I found it one of the best de-bunking books on English Folk Traditions I've ever read. And funny, as well.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 23 May 2005
By A Customer
As an expat Englishman, this book was a joyful tonic to life abroad. Richard Lewis brilliantly unpicks a variety of weird and wonderful and very English traditions, managing to inform and amuse at the same time. He combines his history lessons with a truly mischievous but understated sense of humour, whose cumulative effect had me reduced to uncontrollable giggles on a number of occasions. What's refreshing about this book is that, unlike so many other books of a similar genre, Lewis never patronises the people he writes about - no mean feat given the general dottiness of what most of them get up to. Quite the reverse, in fact. He believes, often in the face of apparently scant evidence, that they have something to teach him, and treats them with respect and affection. The effect is to lend these often strange people a curious dignity as they do their little bit to maintain these traditions which keep England English. This elevates the book from the "Look at me, I wrote a book" stable of narcissitic travel writing (if that's the correct term) to something rewarding and compelling and, above all, very enjoyable. Here in the middle of America, with its endless retail chains and identikit lifestyles, I relished the chance to tour the country I left behind me in all its idiosyncratic glory. It made me homesick, but I loved every minute of it. Thank you, Richard Lewis.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A grand tour of the meaning of being English
Ricahrd Lewis hit the point in life when your realise that it is easier in the 21st Century to be from the UK and British than to be English. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mist of Time

1.0 out of 5 stars Mostly not all that
Not the best book I have read on the UK, but not the worst, though it does not come through on the promise to tell all about tradition sadly. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2005 by boyracer47

5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming
This was a gentle and cleansing read. It gave me a lot to think about, there were some really touching moments, some laughs and one or two tears. Read more
Published on 15 Jul 2005 by Kate Szostak

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magic Book
For me, this book was a real inner journey. A journey of love and emotion. A piece of great literacy and a wonderfully addictive book. Thank you Richard Lewis.
Published on 12 Jul 2005

1.0 out of 5 stars This England?
The problem here is that the author starts with a premise to rediscover England and English roots, yet in his attempts not to sneer he gets overly self-important and any achingly... Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2005 by rodneyb108

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly done
I wanted to love this but found it to be a real let down on all accounts. When it tried to be funny it faltered and when it tried serious analysis it tied itself up in knots. Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2005 by pda1978

5.0 out of 5 stars It glows!
This is my new favourite book so I have to disagree with some previous reviewers. It made me laugh and most importantly it made me want to get the hell out of London and start... Read more
Published on 22 May 2005 by Claudia Burns

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, touching and funny
I found The Magic Spring to be a rather moving account of one person's attempt to reconnect with the land, the seasons, with life in its most elemental form and to make peace with... Read more
Published on 22 May 2005 by Roland Green

1.0 out of 5 stars wasted opportunity
This could have been a much-needed guide to English custom but got bogged down by being an out of date version of just another wannabe travel author. Read more
Published on 20 May 2005 by rbyford3

2.0 out of 5 stars not that good
As a lover of English history, tradition and ceremony I was expecting an irreverent yet interesting travelogue, but found a bit of a lazy meander. Read more
Published on 4 May 2005 by Ronald Furness

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

›Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (75)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (84)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates