Books of the Year

Thought I'd follow the example of the quality broadsheets that I peruse every weekend and publish my books of the year. It's been a strange year, as most of the books I read were along the lines of Jerry Wellington's 'Teaching and Learning Secondary Science', and Letts' 'Revise GCSE Physics' (a bit ironic as I never did Physics GCSE in the first place), never mind a selection of academic treatises on 'constructivism' by people who never have to work out how to actually teach with it. I did read a terrific book about statistics, called 'The Tiger that Isn't' - honestly, it's really good...

ANYWAY there were many other books which contributed to my generally maintained sanity. You may notice an overall theme.

'Around the World on Two Wheels', by Peter Zheutlin is the story of Annie Londonderry, possibly the first woman to cycle round the world - or possibly not... Whatever the truth, she made some remarkable rides on a fixed-wheel bicycle at a time when a woman wearing trousers to cycle was something very newsworthy, never mind one who'd left three children behind.

'Pedals and Petticoats: on the road in post-war Europe' by Mary Elsy, about four young women who decided to cycle round Europe in 1950, with a single old canvas tent and no idea about cycle repair. An extraordinary tale which only got written when its author was retired.

'Full Tilt' by Dervla Murphy was a book I'd been meaning to read for some time, and was an appropriate book for my long-anticipated cycle tour in September. Earlier in the year I'd read 'Through the Embers of Chaos', a synthesis of several of her cycle rides through Yugoslavia and later, 'former Yugoslavia', and 'Silverland: a winter journey beyond the Urals' which ended up as hardly a cycle ride at all but is none the worse for this. Some people don't like the way Dervla has become more and more political over the years (actually you just have to read her autobiography to realise that she has always been political) but I found the books fascinating, if hard work. 'Full Tilt' is a much earlier book: in 1963 (a good year!) she set off in January across Europe, aiming for India. That the trip through Europe in one of the worst winters in years is dealt with in a prologue gives an impression of the adventures she had further east. She has just published a book about Cuba which promises to be interesting reading.

A change of gender and the addition of an engine! Ted Simon's 'Dreaming of Jupiter' is an equally individual book. A few years ago he decided to re-run a motorbike trip he'd done in the '70s. The trip was round the world, and he was now 69. I'd read his earlier book about the original trip when I still had a bike, and though this is a great read about a great adventure, it didn't make me want to get a motorbike again!

'Pilgrim Snail: busking to Compostela' by Ben Nimmo. I first read (some of) this book when Ben sent weekly updates to the Independent in 1999, which was probably one influence on me taking off across Europe myself a few years later. His walk, busking across Europe with a trombone, was an excellent accompaniment for a few days in Paris in October.

I also read, among others: 'Attention All Shipping' by Charlie Connelly and 'Great British Bus Journeys: Travels Through Unfamous Places' by David McKie, both cheerful reminders last spring that there was life outside four walls.
'A Long Ride For A Pie' by Tim Mulliner was largely interesting for the often stark changes in the countries that Dervla Murphy had travelling through four decades earlier.
'Eating up Italy' by Matthew Fort combines two obsessions: travel and food. Tasty.
'Utopian dreams' by Tobias Jones isn't a dispassionate description of communities with high ideals, and can be equally irritating and engaging. I've read his previous book on corruption in Italian politics and would recommend it to anyone who thinks our politicians are sleazy.
'The Wild Places' by Robert Macfarlane is an equally personal and idiosyncratic series of journeys, but here the aim is to get as much away from people. It's also a link to other, poignant books, 'Waterlog' and 'Wildwood; a journey through trees', both by the late Roger Deakin, and both books I hope to read soon.

I did read a few books which weren't about travel! 'Darwin and the Barnacle' by Rebecca Stott was the book I took to read in my little tent the week after I escaped the classroom. It's a fascinating book, but funnily enough I dozed off instead most evenings!