The Edge of the Plain

A richly essayistic account of how borders make and break our world, from Hadrian's Wall to China's Great Firewall * * Guardian * * The borders that mark our world are either ineffective, inhumane, or both. The Edge of the Plain asks us to envision alternatives * * New York Times * * Erudite and engaging . . . [A] fine book * * The Irish Times * * Why do lines on a map hold such power over humanity? Will we ever do away with them? These are some of the questions pondered - and answered - by James Crawford. Fascinating * * CNN * * Fascinating -- NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE * * BBC R5 * * Crawford travels widely to make his points in a text reminiscent of those of Barry Lopez or Robert Macfarlane . . . A thoughtful consideration of the imaginary lines that hold meaning for so many * * Kirkus Reviews * * Confidently splices historical overview, travel writing and interviews. The book's alchemical ingredients are Crawford's sparkling prose and his photographer's eye for detail * * Business Post * * Crawford's essays, through vivid accounts of historical episodes and contemporary problems, illuminate how the world acquired its current shape . . . Eye-opening * * Literary Review * * Excellent * * Geographical * * With The Edge of the Plain Crawford has created a beautifully-observed and carefully-researched collection of reportage on a diverse series of borders - of historic Palestine, in the Mediterranean, USA/Mexico, as well as other less-considered borders - those revealed by our rapidly changing climate, and the microscopic frontiers of the human body. Sometimes the view from the edge is the most illuminating one -- GAVIN FRANCIS