Reviews
WINNER - NATIONAL TRUST/HAY FESTIVAL OUTDOORS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2011
SHORTLISTED - BANFF MOUNTAIN BOOK PRIZE 2011
FROM THE REVIEWS OF The Garden in the Clouds
Should appeal even to those who have never handled a spade. Had me hooked from the first page. Sunday Telegraph
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‘A side-splitting brilliance that only a truly gifted writer can achieve. There is not one dull page as he details the transformation of his rocky, bracken-invaded acres with their wind-blasted trees and collapsed stone walls ... up there with Proust as a shimmering example of classic remembrance of things past’ Daily Mail |
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‘House guests bring it for us to read, and then end up curled up on the sofa reading it themselves.’ Dylan Jones, GQ
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‘Fabulous … heartbreaking … laugh-out-loud comedy … for anyone intrigued by the impetus behind the making of gardens, and for anyone who just enjoys a really good read.’ Gardens Illustrated
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‘Woodward’s tongue-in-cheek account of finding, making and growing his own little patch of heaven is right on the button.’ The Times |
‘The energetic tale of an innocent abroad, told with the adman’s clarity and the cheerfulness of Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence.’ Rory Knight Bruce, Country Life |
‘Hilarious … uplifting … In this thoughtful departure from standard “flit-lit”, Antony Woodward breaks new ground. What gives this book an edge is the way the author interlaces gardening tales with his family story. Although [it] will appeal to Britain’s millions of gardeners, The Garden in the Clouds is much more than a horticultural tale. It is testimony to what can be achieved with a dash of imagination and a very British refusal to admit defeat.’ Sara Wheeler, Mail on Sunday |
‘I set out determined to dislike the book, and I completely failed to do so. There can be no higher praise than that. A triumph of the human spirit.’ Byron Rogers, Books of the Year, The Spectator |
‘A delightful, hopelessly romantic book which will make anyone with half an eye to the rural life want to quit the city immediately.’ Rosie Boycott, The Lady |
‘Hilariously told … perfect bedtime reading.’ Stephen Anderton, Books of the Year, The Times |
‘Excellent … a perfect book for a deckchair’, James Alexander-Sinclair, BBC Gardeners’ World blog |
‘Delightful … I love Woodward’s central philosophy—that the trick is to stop moaning about what you haven’t got and to make the most of what you have.’ Melanie Reid, The Times |
‘Bound to charm anyone with the slightest interest in gardening.’ Books Quarterly |
‘The funniest book I have read this year; and touchingly brave. The very best of self-deprecating British humour.’ Sir Alistair Horne |
‘Woodward has given us a gem’ Dominion Post |
‘Had me laughing uncontainably. The sense of the place is evocatively drawn, as are the wonderful neighbours, farmers and friends who are equally well described and leap off the page as tangible, quirky characters.’ Bath Life |
‘[A] high drama of hilltop gardening … We shall undoubtedly hear more.’ Irish Times |