Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This sound of this book intrigued me. As an avid walker, I was interested to learn about the land and paths that I so often walk on, and the rules that dictate who may walk there, and where these rules originated.

There were many interesting aspects to the book, which i enjoyed. I did learn quite a bit through this book, however, it did find some parts a bit tedious and drawn out, which unfortunately led me to taking two attempts before being able to finish the book.

It was an engaging read, but certainly too long. Would read more by this author though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book. Sadly I had to DNF after giving it a good go as the pacing just feels very sloggy to me. I enjoy the informative tone interspersed with Hayes' own 'trespasses' if you will, but there's something very off about how the book navigates itself that I find very jarring and hard to follow. Really interesting subject matter and I did learn a few things from the chapters I did read!

This is perhaps the most important book I have read in the whole of 2020. Nick Hayes does an excellent job of weaving a narrative through the history of land ownership and how this has led to the dire current situation of land access for the vast majority of the population.

The book is clearly well researched with an excellent outlining of a broad range of topics covering early agriculture, the transition from herbal medicine to modern medicine, and the backstory of the rich and powerful few who now act as the gatekeepers to the countryside. But this is not a book of dry criticism of the wealthy; the author provides his first hand accounts of his acts of trespass that reinforce the message of how the lack of access to large tracts of privately owned land is at the detriment to all of us. Further, his illustrations are a lovely touch dispersed throughout the book.

This book is essential reading for anyone even slightly engaged with accessing the countryside, particularly important in these times where outdoor recreation is one of the key sources of well being for many.

This book goes a long way toward educating the public about our land, our history and our freedom. It’s an eloquent exploration of the relationship between the countryside, people and wildlife and it brings issues to the fore that may create change. Hayes is a talented artist and this rousing appeal puts him squarely on the map of new nature writers, as a talented and passionate advocate for conservation.

I found this book tricky to get on with. I enjoyed the mix of History and Geography, learning about the different areas of England, however I struggled with the pacing. I wish each anecdote or case study had lasted a little longer, rather than flitting onto the next. There were some really interesting aspects within this book, I think it deserves a reread!

A fascinating work of politics, philosophy, history and geography - Nick Hayes certainly knows his stuff. I found the book harder going as it went on though, with the structure of the story of his trespassing interweaved with sometimes quite dry reference material eventually starting to wear thin. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

A well researched and informative book, that's beautifully written and a joy to read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great book, informative and full of food for thought.
i learned a lot and wish to be trespassing with the author and seeing the places he describes.
The book is well researched and it makes you reflect on themes like property and trespassing.
An excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K. for an advance reading copy via NetGalley of ‘The Book of Trespass: Crossing the Lines that Divide’ by Nick Hayes.

This book was a revelation for me. While I was aware of aspects of the social history around enclosure and the dispossession of public rights linked to the land, I had no idea that this translates to people being currently banned from 92 per cent of the land and 97 per cent of its waterways.

Nick Hayes weaves stories of his personal forays over the walls of England and into the thousands of square miles of rivers, woodland, lakes and meadows that are blocked from public access. His personal acts of trespass upon these lands underlined his argument that the roots of social inequality lies is the uneven distribution of land.

He seamlessly integrates this with vivid stories of
those who over the centuries have challenged these boundaries: poachers, vagabonds, gypsies, witches, hippies, ravers, ramblers, migrants and protestors, as well as charting the acts of civil disobedience that challenge orthodox power at its heart. There is also a sprinkling of folklore and legend.

The claim made by the publishers that ‘The Book of Trespass will transform the way you see England’ was certainly so in my case and throughout the time I was reading this book, I was constantly amazed by my lack of knowledge and also angry at the injustices recounted within its pages.

Each of its eleven chapters is named for a creature: badger, fox, dog, sheep, cow, spider, pheasant, cockroach, hare, toad, and stag. They also provide an overall theme for each chapter.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Nick Hayes with landscapes that he sketched along with chapter headings of the creatures that they are named for. Following the main text it has resources,
notes, and an index.

This is a superb book about nature and the environment integrated with social history and politics. It is intelligent, thought provoking, and a powerful call to action.

I quickly ordered my own hardback copy as I want it in my personal library and to appreciate its illustrations on the printed page. I have also been recommending it widely to like minded friends.

Certainly I consider it my top non fiction book of 2020 and would expect it to be included in local and school libraries.

Highly recommended.

An important book and a fascinating insight. Highlighting the links between land, powerful people and political interests, the history of distribution of land is explained thoroughly and in an interesting way. The author shares his countryside adventures alongside the factual history of trespass. This works well, although sometimes can be protracted. So much thought-provoking information to absorb. It ends on an optimistic note, detailing some of the progress that is being made towards giving more people access to this currently inaccessible land. The illustrative prints are just stunning and complement the writing beautifully.
Thank you to Nick Hayes, Net galley and Bloomsbury Circus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Trespass is a compelling work of non-fiction, showing how the citizens of England have been robbed of our common land with the wealth moving inexorably from public good to private purse. I found the history so interesting, with walls changing from structures to keep livestock in, to barriers to keep people out. The country used to belong to the many, now it belongs to the few.

I enjoyed the narrator’s trespasses in each chapter and his small rebellions against the orthodoxy of “private land”. He has some ideas about how we can change the narrative and return rights back to the people, looking at historical acts like the Kinder Scout Trespass and at countries like Scotland, Sweden and Norway who do things differently and have public rights to roam.

A recommended read that gave me a lot to think about.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

This is a very intelligent book and I learned a lot. It explores the question of property, land, land access and trespassing from multiple angles - from the exclusion of the working-class, privatisation of the commons, exclusion of Black people and women from property... It is very thorough and very detailed. I found the chapters where he explores different areas long at times, sometimes a bit repetitive, but the historical research itself was wonderful and incredibly engaging.

We've probably all done it, whether our transgression has been inadvertent or deliberate but we've all been somewhere we shouldn't have actually been I'd wager.

In the Book of Trespass, Nick Hayes sets out to document some of his adventures trespassing and the laws that surround this "crime", whether it be from The Vagrancy Act, The Enclosures Act or the building of Walls such as the Great Wall of China, The Mexico Border Wall or even the non-existent wall between North & South Korea, the author covers this in detail. This is however taken at a level that everyone can understand. The law is ultimately complex but this book doesn't descend into too much legalise or become a textbook on the act of trespassing, although it does way heavy on the page count at times.

Each chapter takes on the name of an animal (fox, dog, cockroach, hare - to name a few) and each chapter tackles a different aspect of trespass, linked to that animal. Beit from the Great Trespass on Kinder Scout, through to protest camps such as the Greenham Common and Heathrow Airport camps or "The Jungle" refugee camp in Calais, all are covered alongside the direct experiences of the author.

The book covers the heroes - such as Roger Deakin and the villains - such as Nicholas Van Hogstraten, when it comes to trespass or preventing legitimate access and many of these I was already familiar with.

It is however the authors own personal experiences that stood out for me in this book. It would have been easy to write a summary of trespass across the ages, but he has actually been out an experienced it first hand, and it is these first hand experiences that bring the book together and make it work so well. These tales settle amongst those tales of history and the relevant laws and rules and pull the book together to make it a fascinating read.

Does the author fall foul of those laws he sets out to break? Well I'm not telling, you'll have to read the book yourself to find out, but the adventure and history are worth the read alone.

This land is their land.....for now.

Nick Hayes provides a timely overview of how we have all been robbed of that which once belonged to nobody, and therefore belonged to everybody. Detailing all the areas in which, since the Norman Conquest, a gang of thieves, once titled, then monied, have transformed the public into the private, the common into the exclusive, the diverse into the homogeneous. Using specious theology, selective philosophy, the tangled semantic fictions of law, money, influence, and brute force, they have made their theft an illusory copy of the natural order of things. A collective consensual fiction which has sunk deep roots into the national psyche.
However, the author details the various ways in which this malignant magic is being challenged. From grassroots community activism, through alternative ways of living and organizing space, to simply treating these boundaries as the illusions that they really are, for 'All that is solid melts into air'. This land is their land, but perhaps not for much longer.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Circus and Netgalley for this ARC.