How to Live in the Country
By Tom Hodgkinson
A gift hardback reissue of Tom Hodgkinson's classic almanac
Signed First Edition
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Calendar of Tasks Tea Towel
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Ebook
Hardback
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back of the book
Read with a Friend
PLUS:
- 2 x Ebooks
- 2 x Names in the back
Chicken Mug
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Country Bundle
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Country Feast
PLUS:
- Signed hardback
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Patron
PLUS:
- 10 x Ebooks
- 10 x Names in the back of the book
Frequently Asked Questions
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‘Wake up Strivers! Grab your almanacs! Let’s get idle again!’
DOMINIC WEST (from the Foreword)
As lockdown has caused us all to revaluate our lives, becoming more self-reliant and living in closer harmony with nature have re-emerged as important priorities.
To mark this, we are re-issuing Tom Hodgkinson’s month-by-month guide to getting the most of living in the country in a handy small hardback format. If you have just made the move, are planning to do so soon (or just dream of doing it one day) this is the perfect book for you.
Covering bee-keeping, poultry rearing, pig-keeping, bread baking, wood-chopping, fire-laying, bartering, homeschooling and much more, it is the perfect inspirational text for beginners: useful, informative but also refreshingly honest and realistic.
Drawing on the wisdom of an eclectic range of thinkers and writers, How to Live in the Country works its way through each month of the year giving lists of tasks for both garden and animal husbandry, offering tips and short-cuts and weaving in anecdotes of Tom’s own often hilarious experiences from his time raising a young family in rural Devon.
Originally published as Brave Old World in 2011, this handsome pocket edition has a new introduction by Tom and a foreword by actor Dominic West - a man who swallowed Tom's advice whole and made the move back to the land. It is illustrated through by artist Alice Smith's beautiful black and white montages and drawings.
'A meditation on why life has been a dreadful mistake ever since the Reformation brought us paid jobs and the work ethic. Hugely inspiring.’ SARAH BAKEWELL
'A delightful read. Share in the exuberant joys and comic misfortunes of an eccentric who has made up his mind about the existence he wants to lead, and has gone ahead and lived it.' MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘One of those enthusiasts whose enthusiasm is hard to resist.’ DAILY MAIL
Quick select rewards
Signed First Edition
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
Calendar of Tasks Tea Towel
PLUS:
- Ebook
- Your name in the back
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Tom Hodgkinson
Tom Hodgkinson is the founder and editor of the Idler and the author of bestselling books including How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Business for Bohemians. In 2014, after more than a decade in rural Devon, he and his wife Victoria Hull returned to London and established the Idler Academy, which hosts literary events and offers online courses in academic and practical subjects including philosophy, calligraphy, music, business skills, English grammar, ukulele, public speaking, singing, dancing, drawing and self-defence.
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FOREWORD - DOMINIC WEST
No one has ever worked me so hard as Tom Hodgkinson. His exhortations to be idle are relentless. His challenges to fill every spare second of our time with useful pursuits have run me ragged over the years. I was a happily inert strolling player, lounging in my trailer, dressed as a cop and practising how to pronounce “daughter” in American; when I was first drawn to Tom’s promise of the idle life. “What a good idea!” I thought, “something to take a load off...”
There followed days at a bee keeping course and weeks hoping to catch a swarm on a London rooftop, moments away from the honeypots of a local Co-op. I spent hours struggling through Hesiod and murdering the ukulele. Twice, Tom hauled me onstage at the “Idler Academy” and made me explain myself: what was I up to? Where was my philosophy? What had my idling achieved?
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These people are helping to fund How to Live in the Country.
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Michael Stephenson
Richard Selby
Allison Bobb
Alison Ashby
Erica Clarkson
Craig Manning
David Chalcraft
Ross Furlong
Lisa Cochrane
Hayley Atwell
Sarah Darrall Shaw
Jenny Mingus
Paul Cox
Mary Jordan-Smith
Fiona Davies
Daniel Hull
Andrew Beale
Milan Karol
Pete Harris
Philip Candice
Tom Rayfox
Caroline Burkart
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Hi there. This is a straightforward question I hope, and may be me being dim. The "Country Feast" pledge level: a book and a ticket for ONE person, is that correct? It says one ticket, and so I'm assuming that's correct, but as I'm part of an idling couple, it means I need to either pledge twice at this level or become a patron to get us both to the feast. My name would be Mud, or worse, if I only got a ticket that admitted a single person. Thanks in advance for clearing this up.
Hi Stephen - John from Unbound here. Yes, I'm afraid it is just for one ticket - and totally understand your dilemma. I can, I hope, guarantee that it will be memorable occasion and excellent value for money were you tempted to opt for two... Thank you for your interest and support.