The Road : A Story of Romans and Ways to the Past

Hailed as a Times Book of the Year, this captivating work has been lauded as 'an absolute joy to read' by the Sunday Telegraph and praised for its breathtaking passages by The Times. Have you ever fancied hearing the ghostly echoes of Roman legions marching along a desolate country lane?

For two millennia, the roads laid by the Romans have shaped the course of ideas, folklore, battles, and pilgrimages. Unbeknownst to many, most Britons reside within a stone's throw of these ancient thoroughfares. The tale begins with Watling Street, the inaugural path etched upon British soil by the Roman invaders who landed on Kent's frigid, unfamiliar shores in 43 CE.

As the conquest progressed, roads unfurled in all directions, relentlessly pursuing the retreating Britons. These arteries carried soldiers, provisions, and military communiqués across what would become England, Wales, and Scotland. The Romans' quest for plunder, minerals, land, and tribute left an indelible mark on the landscape, a vast network of roads that continue to influence our lives today.

Christopher Hadley, the acclaimed author of Hollow Places, embarks on a lyrical odyssey into this distant past. He traces an elusive Roman road that once sprouted from one of Britain's busiest Roman crossroads. The journey is fraught with challenges, as time and nature have conspired to obscure many clues. Bridges have crumbled, forests have reclaimed the route, and the heavy clay has swallowed entire stretches, reducing the once-mighty road to a mere bridleway or a parched outline in the earth.

Hadley's quest, inspired by Hilaire Belloc's notion of discovering 'all that has arisen along the way', unearths a treasure trove of history. He gathers fragments of archaeology, historical accounts, and landscape features from diverse sources: poems, church walls, hag stones, crop marks, oxlips, sites of executions, spectral tales, and immortal legends. The Road is a mesmerising exploration of two thousand years of history, revealing secrets that are only now coming to light.

Product Information:

Book ISBN:	9780008356729
Book Author:	Christopher Hadley
Book Format:	Paperback / softback
Book Imprint:	William Collins
Book Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Book Dimensions:	129 x 197 x 29 cm
Book Publication Date:	2024-02-15
Book Pagination:	320 pages
Book Weight:	324g