Landmark in Time
The world of the Wittenham Clumps
Publication date: July, 2021.
Starting out from the well-loved Oxfordshire landmark of the Wittenham Clumps, Landmark in Time tells the stories within view of these two small hills – stories that take us from the Antarctic to the Western Front, from the rise of the Red Kite to the future of the Chiltern beech woods. Along the way, we come across a quiet village rectory that helped bring about the American Revolution, a peaceful farmhouse that gave us some of the greatest literature of war, a 1960s council estate with a glamorous past, a building housing temperatures greater than the centre of the sun, and a local Manor House that became the stage for one of the most celebrated literary love affairs of the twentieth century.
“For all who delight in the stories our landscape has to offer”
In the final chapter, Landmark in Time shows us all England’s history from the Wittenham Clumps – from the Iron Age hill fort to the Harwell Science Campus, from the Romans, Saxons and Vikings to the arrival of the Conqueror, from the tombs of the Black Death to the ravages of the Civil War, from the Glorious Revolution to the coming of the Great Western Railway, from the grim determination of ‘Stop Line Red’ to the dawn of D-Day.
Available to order here, I hope Landmark in Time may add to the interest and enjoyment of others who walk on the Wittenham Clumps and all who delight in the stories that our landscape has to offer.
Reader comments
Oscar O’Connor – “This book was a revelation to me … I had almost no knowledge of the incredible history we were walking through. Not only are the stories fascinating, the manner in which they are told is wonderfully light, witty and conversational.”
Sally Worsley – “So beautifully written. Interesting and absorbing stories about larger than life people who have lived within view of the Clumps. Sadly, I’ve almost finished reading Landmark in Time. It’s been an inspirational journey of keen observation and research and one I don’t want to end.”
Catherine Cook – “Just wanted to say how fantastic this book is! It’s such a lovely idea to use the landmark as a departure point for such diverse stories. Really thought provoking and enjoyable.”
Chris Charlesworth – “The only book that has held my full attention in years.”
David Gentleman – “I have just finished reading this wonderful book. What a fascinating, generous treasure-trove of history and stories, from the local to the polar, the macro to the micro; spanning millenia and most of the continents; but all connecting back to the common denominator of the Clumps. Brimming with intriguing revelations linking famous names (& infamous antics) and historically pivotal events and decisions to the very ground here under our feet, it repeatedly prompted a “Well I never!” from this reader. Often thought-provoking, occasionally a gentle call to conscience, in lucidly elegant prose and even – in one particularly touching instance – poetry, I devoured it. More importantly, the view from the Clumps from now on will be so much richer in detail, definition and colour. Thank you, Peter – what a gift to the locality.”
Preview Landmark in Time contents page
Out now in paperback . . .
“A great story and very moving. It was that rare book which makes you feel sad when you finish it because the process of reading it has been so enjoyable.” – Fionnuala McCredie Q.C.
The Kennedy Moment is also available in hardback and ebook formats.
Select Myriad logo to buy direct from the publisher with special shipping charge of £2.50 to anywhere in the world
Or from Amazon UK or Amazon USA
And as an audiobook from Audible.co.uk, narrated by Adam Sims, Audiobook Narrator of the Year, 2017
Listen to an excerpt from audiobook of The Kennedy Moment