About the Author

Nick Hunt has walked and written across much of Europe. His articles have appeared in the Economist, the Guardian and other publications, and he also works as a storyteller and co-editor for the Dark Mountain Project. His first book, Walking the Woods and the Water (Nicholas Brealey, 2014), was a finalist for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. He currently lives in Bristol.

Reviews

Nick Hunt has written a glorious book, rich with insight and wit, about walking his way both across and into contemporary Europe. He set out as an homage to Patrick Leigh Fermor's legendary tramp across Europe in the early 1930s, but his journey became - of course - an epic adventure in its own right. A book about gifts, modernity, endurance and landscape, it represents a fine addition to the literature of the leg. - Robert Macfarlane, author of The Wild Places and The Old Ways: A Journey on FootWith Walking the Woods and the Water, Mr. Hunt has created an illuminating addition to what the travel writer Robert Macfarlane calls 'the literature of the leg'. The shepherds and the fishermen are long gone, but Mr. Hunt controls his nostalgia and avoids mimicking Leigh Fermor's flamboyant style. Still, his inspiration rubs off, like the skin on Mr. Hunt's feet. - Wall Street JournalThis moving and profoundly honest book sometimes brings a sense of unlimited freedom, sometimes joy, sometimes an extraordinary, dream-like dislocation: always accompanied by a dazzling sharpness of hearing and vision. I see now how that youthful walk informed so much of Paddy's style. Before setting out Hunt was going to write to Paddy. The letter was never written, and by the time he set off, Paddy was dead. How touched and fascinated he would have been to read this book. - Artemis Cooper, author of Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure and co-editor The Broken RoadVivid and hard-won. - Conde Nast TravellerIn his 2,500-mile journey, which took him through eight countries, he nearly froze to death and he had had innumerable encounters with the kindness of strangers. Hunt's narrative mixes description elegantly with reportage. - New StatesmanAn effective, no, beautiful accompaniment to Fermor's own books. - Booklist, ****Starred reviewHunt went in search of a good old-fashioned adventure and his vivid off-the-beaten-track encounters are coupled with personal anecdotes and an indomitable spirit. - GeographicalWith Walking the Woods and the Water, Hunt succeeds in honoring his predecessor. With elegant language, he describes the landscape, the people and culture, and his own perspective, offering an exquisite picture of his walk. Travelers and hikers will feel the itch to move when reading his gorgeous prose. - Foreword Reviews