The Gentle Art of Tramping is a practical guide to long-distance walking and a philosophical account of human restlessness and the desire to connect with nature.
Stephen Graham travelled extensively around pre-revolutionary Russia and the travel writer often expressed his dislike of industrialisation. He writes of the beauty of nature and humanity's passiveness towards the wild world. Encouraging people to take up 'tramping', or what we would now call hiking or long-distance walking, Graham offers tips and insight into the travelling life.
First published in 1926, with the shadow of the First World War not far behind, The Gentle Art of Tramping is as relevant now as it was then. This simple but beautifully written walking guide will ignite a love for nature in its readers as well as entertain them with Graham's whimsical and funny prose.
This volume features the following chapters:
- - 'We Set Out'
- - 'The Art of Idleness'
- - 'Emblems of Tramping'
- - 'Drying After Rain'
- - 'Marching Songs'
- - 'Seeking Shelter'
- - 'The Tramp as Cook'
- - 'The Artist's Notebook'
Proudly republished by nature and non-fiction specialist, A Thousand Fields, The Gentle Art of Tramping now includes introductory essays and excerpts on walking by Sydney Smith, William Hazlitt, Leslie Stephen, and John Burroughs. This volume is not to be missed by fans of Stephen Graham and contemporary nature writers such as Robert Macfarlane.