River Diary

The year takes its shape from the seasons of nature and the feasts and festivals of the Christian year. Each informs and illuminates the other in this loving celebration of nature's gifts and neighbourly friendship. Literature, poetry, spirituality and memory all merge to create an exquisite series of stories of our times. For all the changes in the contemporary countryside, timeless qualities remain and both are captured here with a poet's understanding and imagination.

Tracing the history of the Delaware, this book delves into archives and newspaper files to explore the men who tried to tame this wild river. Many attempted to venture down it in a variety of vehicles due to the needs of commerce, but in recent times it has been converted to leisure activities.

Isobel thinks that she and her family will find their fortune in Canada. But Isobel's mother dies before they even cross the ocean, and other misfortunes follow their every step. Isobel's family and the other Selkirk Settlers are caught in the fur-trading rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company and cannot even start to build when they do reach their destination. The harsh climate, and escalating threats against the settlers, make it impossible to start a new life. Only through perserverance and help from the local Cree band are Isobel and her family finally able to put down roots in the Red River Valley. Vetted by historical experts, each book in this series contains maps, numerous period illustrations, and an extensive historical note.

The book tells about the Second Powell Expedition down the Green-Colorado River from Wyoming, and the Explorations of unknown lands, in 1871 and 1872.

Isobel thinks that she and her family will find their fortune in Canada. But Isobel's mother dies before they even cross the ocean, and other misfortunes follow their every step. Isobel's family and the other Selkirk Settlers, caught in the fur-trading rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Company, cannot even start to build when they do reach their destination. The harsh climate, and escalating threats against the settlers, make it impossible to start a new life. Only through perserverance and help from the local Cree band are Isobel and her family finally able to put down roots in the Red River Valley.

In July 1170, a Chinese poet, politician and historian made a journey from west to east China. Lu You (pronounced 'loo yo') kept a daily record of his experiences: the people he met, the unfolding landscape and the famous historical sites he visited. What emerges is a detailed panorama of twelfth-century China, an exotic mixture of travelogue, literature and politics. This new modern translation by Philip Watson of the whole of the diary makes the entirety of this fascinating work of literature accessible to the general reader for the first time, and his detailed commentary fills in all the essential background information. Contemporary paintings and other artworks, together with photographs of the places described, complete this beautifully produced book, which brings the world of Lu You dramatically to life.

Originally published: London: Bell & Hyman Limited, 1983.