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Deep Country: Five Years in the Welsh Hills Paperback – September 1, 2012

by Neil Ansell (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 405 ratings
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Deep Country is Neil Ansell's account of five years spent alone in a hillside cottage in Wales. 'I lived alone in this cottage for five years, summer and winter, with no transport, no phone. This is the story of those five years, where I lived and how I lived. It is the story of what it means to live in a place so remote that you may not see another soul for weeks on end. And it is the story of the hidden places that I came to call my own, and the wild creatures that became my society.' Neil Ansell immerses himself in the rugged British landscape, exploring nature's unspoilt wilderness and man's relationship with it. Deep Country is a celebration of rural life and the perfect read for fans of Robert Macfarlane's Landmarks, Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk orJames Rebanks' A Shepherd's Life. 'A beautiful, translucent portrayal of mid-Wales' Jay Griffiths 'Touching. Through Ansell's charming and thoroughly detailed stories of run-ins with red kites, curlews, sparrowhawks, jays and ravens, we see him lose himself . . . in the rhythms and rituals of life in the British wilderness' Financial Times 'Remarkable, fascinating' Time Out 'A gem of a book, an extraordinary tale. Ansell's rich prose will transport you to a real life Narnian world that CS Lewis would have envied. Find your deepest, most-comfortable armchair and get away from it all' Countryfile Neil Ansell spent five years living on a remote hillside in Wales, and wrote his first book, Deep Country, about the experience. Since that time, he has become an award-winning television journalist with the BBC. He has travelled in over fifty countries and has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman and the Big Issue.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.6 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0141049324
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0141049328
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neil Ansell spent five years living on a remote hillside in Wales, and wrote his first book, Deep Country, about the experience. Since that time, he has become an award-winning television journalist with the BBC. He has travelled in over fifty countries and has written for the Guardian, the New Statesman and the Big Issue.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; 38816th edition (September 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0141049324
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141049328
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.6 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 405 ratings

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Neil Ansell

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
405 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful descriptions of wildlife and their habits
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2021
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I love wandering the hills and rivers of Wales with the author, stopping to watch wildlife and following the birds to learn their habits. It is fun too to compare the birds to American birds. I am reading the book slowly - I don't want it to end!
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Cissa
5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging memoir of an unconventional way of living
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2013
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While I'm not a social butterfly, I cannot imagine living 5 years with scarecely6 any human contact (or internet!). And yet, this is what Ansell chose, and his account of his 5 years as a hermit is enthralling.

It's not navel-gazing, either; it's mostly about the birds, though other species do get look-ins. He noted that, over time, he "disappeared from his own narrative"- I think that's fascinating.

While this is more personal than Bernrd Heinrich's books, I think it will appeal to people who like his work, especially the deeper insights into species' behavior based on long-term and curious, intelligent observation.

I found it a wonderful read, with both the observations of the lives around him, and the experience of a lifestyle I could and would never manage myself.

Recommended.
One person found this helpful
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michael cooper
4.0 out of 5 stars A great nature study
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2022
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As the title says, the author lived in the Welsh hills for 5 years in relatively primitive conditions. He studied the wild life, birds mostly. Most of the writing is of his observations. A catalogue of what he saw. Though it sounds like it might be a bit tedious, his skill in presenting the story makes it not just readable but a pleasure. I regretted reaching the end. A study of nature but also of a man consumed by nature. If you love the outdoors, this is worth the read.
One person found this helpful
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Urban Dirt Farm
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful observation
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2021
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A beautiful book. An observation on wildlife and the welsh countryside. To take time to enjoy those wild beings that are living around you without modern conveniences that can distract from the peace and quiet. What a joy to read.
2 people found this helpful
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Loyal Prime Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Get away from it all through his eyes!
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2019
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Beautifully descriptive, this book allows you to imagine how it might feel to get to know a lovely bit of nature intimately and to live for a while in an uncluttered lifestyle that welcomes this. Just read it and get an introduction to the Welsh Hills. Then, if you can, travel to Wales.
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Richard Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding piece to get lost in
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2019
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Great detail of nature in and around Penlan Woods. Makes me want to explore the Welsh hills and country. Loved it.
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Tim
4.0 out of 5 stars Prelude to Wales
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020
Looking forward more than ever to my upcoming trip to Wales after reading this interesting book.
What prompted the author to seek out and pursue the isolation and solitude of his little cottage for five years is a mystery. In these complicated and somewhat confusing times we live in his story is highly desirable in so many ways. The trick is finding the courage to pursue it.
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P. Stephens
2.0 out of 5 stars A book of anecdotes about birds
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2020
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This is less an account of five years in the Welsh Hills and more of a guide to the birds of central Wales. I had hoped for something personal, thoughtful, reflective, and was disappointed to find chapter upon chapter about the flight patterns and feeding habits of dozens of bird species. There are better books in Wales (Jan Morris’s for one) and on birds (“The Genius of Birds”) and on living a secluded life (“Walden”). I put this down two-thirds of the way through and did not pick it up again.
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sharon cheema
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2020
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Beautifully written account of the author’s connection to the natural world around him during his stay in an isolated cottage in Wales. Makes the reader long for a similar foray into nature.
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Lora
5.0 out of 5 stars Immensely satisfying
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2022
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Beautiful evocation of time well spent observing nature in the Welsh hills. Lovely unpretentious prose. Neil Ansell is the best nature writer I have read.
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Rebus
3.0 out of 5 stars A book about bird watching
Reviewed in Australia on November 14, 2020
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I liked the book and it was a good read, however I thought it would be more about how he managed to survive in a cottage without any amenities in rough Welsh weather. This was skipt over and the book became a twitchers hand book, which is good if that's what you're after.
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waldlaeuferin
5.0 out of 5 stars das Gegenteil von Selbsterfahrung
Reviewed in Germany on September 16, 2011
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Der Autor lebte fünf Jahre in einem entlegenen, baufälligen Cottage im abgelegensten Wales. Er verdiente sich das wenige Bargeld, das er benötigte, mit Forstarbeiten und Vogelzählungen für die Naturschutzbehörde. Ohne Stromversorgung beruhten Nahrung und Wärme ausschließlich auf dem Holzfeuer, so dass ein gutteil seiner Zeit mit dem Beschaffen und Herrichten von Holz gebunden war. Außerdem legte er einen Gemüsegarten an und konservierte Vorräte für den Winter. Das liess ihm noch genug Zeit, jeden Tag durch die ihn umgebende Natur zu streifen und alles genau zu beobachten. Sein Hauptaugenmerk galt dabei den Vögeln und ihrem Verhalten. Wer sich nicht an ausführlichen Beschreibungen des Verhaltens von Regenpfeifern, Habichten, Falken und Waldschnepfen erfreuen kann, wird sich bei dieser Lektüre eventuell langweilen. Die Person des Autors tritt nämlich völlig in den Hintergrund, man erfährt nicht viel über seine Gefühlswelt. So beschreibt er auch die Quintessenz seiner Erfahrung: er hat sich nicht "besser kennengelernt" (there was no soul-searching or introspection) , sondern ist verschmolzen mit der Umgebung, hat sich vergessen (became engrossed in the natural world around me). Was schließlich dazu führte, dass er fast zu spät bemerkte, dass er sehr krank geworden war.
Mir hat das Buch außerordentlich gut gefallen. Der Stil ist konzentriert, bildhaft, melodisch und klar. Keine Überhöhungen, Deutungen, Romantisierungen, Verzierungen etc. Hilfreich bei der Lektüre ist ein Vogelbestimmungsbuch, das auch die englischen Namen angibt, um die geschilderten Szenen visualisieren zu können.
P.S.: Wer dieses Buch mag, wird auch "A Year in the Maine Woods" von Bernd Heinrich mögen.
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Lester young
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2024
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A absorbing book that tells of the author's experience of living alone with few home comforts but is compensated by his detailed exposure to the goings on of the wildlife around him especially the birds and doesn't dress the book up as some inner journey or spiritual musings about his feelings though he spent 5 years mostly in solitude .
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