4.5 stars
Footnotes is a literary journey through Britain following the travels of great writers. From 12th century author Gerald de Barry to Dame Beryl Margaret Bainbrindge, Peter Fiennes embarks on a voyage through history, writing about the writers' lives interwoven with colourful descriptions of places then and now.
It is an immensely enjoyable read which sparks a lot of wanderlust. I especially loved the chapters about Scotland, and E. Somerville and Violet Martin.

Peter Fiennes follows the footsteps of various writers, referencing their books and life stories along the way as he crosses the length and breadth of Britain.

Two of my great pleasures are reading literary biographies and travel journals and so a combination of the two could not have found a more avid fan. In this wonderfully entertaining and engaging book Peter Fiennes follows the footsteps of an eclectic assemble of writers referencing their relevant books and diaries along the way together with some insightful biographical details. Here with have a writer following the path of a fellow writer (or a writer following a writer following a writer as is the case with Beryl Bainbridge and J.B Priestley) and documenting and giving their own perspective on what is witnessed and encountered.

Although I was familiar with some of the journeys and writers featured here others were new to me. I must admit this is the first time that I have encountered the wonderfully eccentric story of Somerville and Ross and there were other new discoveries to be found here. I didn't know for instance that Enid Blyton was banned by the BBC in the 1950's (plus ça change) or that Dickens left instructions that he wanted to be buried in a quiet churchyard.

This exploration takes place over a 800 year period and crosses the length and breadth of Britain. The writing contains humour, pathos and sometimes anger. I must admit I was rather disappointed when I reached the end and hope that Fiennes might consider a sequel whether within these shores or elsewhere. There are endless possibilities Orwell on Jura, Stevenson on his donkey in the Cévennes or WG Sebald rambling through East Anglia immediately come to mind. I hope Footnotes gets the recognition it deserves and perhaps even inspire the reader to get outdoors and make their own journeys of discovery.

What a gorgeous read a book about authors their lives through diaries ,books I was swept away by the intimate view into Enid Blyton's marriage life children .A travel book a book for all lovers of books to read to travel with the author to visit these authors private places,. I will be gifting this book to my friends who I know will find it as special as.I did.I was so engaged I could not put it down,#netgalley #oneworldpublications.

A must have for those who love both the outdoors and reading, this book explore the landscape of Britain as author Fiennes follows the trails of writers, from their personal correspondence and diaries and the books that made them famous. Entertaining and enlightening at the same time