Part of the 'Lost and Found' series that features a real treasure
trove of classic travel writing, this enchanting book celebrates
its 50th birthday in 2003. It was a great success for the
Irish-born Gibbings half a century ago and deserves to repeat that
success now. The author - who died five years after this was first
published in 1953 - was as well known for his skills as a wood
engraver as he was for broadcasting and writing. Many of his own
engravings are included here, complementing the words and
illustrating his adventures beautifully. A childhood spent by
Cork's River Lee fed a passion for waterways, their wildlife and
generally 'messing about in boats'. Fuelled by this passion,
Gibbings was clearly more than delighted to find himself near the
source of the Seine just north of Dijon. From those small
beginnings right up to its journey's end at Le Havre and the
English Channel, Gibbings accompanies the Seine, first on foot and
then by boat, and his adventure reveals as much about him as his
subject matter. His love of people is evident, and he sings the
praises of many French people he meets along the way, whether in
the small towns or the nation's capital. He even takes the
opportunity to compare their kindnesses to those he had previously
experienced on Irish soil. The architecture and food and culture he
absorbs fare equally well as he compares following the river's
course to 'watching the growth of a child', and at one point even
referring to its smiling face. Martin Andrews, Gibbings's
biographer, provides a celebratory foreword that captures perfectly
his subject's role as a sensualist, adventurer, communicator and
traveller. Ultimately though, it's left to Gibbings himself to
treat the reader to some delightful, rich and rhythmic prose.
(Kirkus UK)
One of the Europe's most celebrated rivers, the Seine stretches
from the fertile plains of Burgundy to the English Channel at Le
Havre. Starting at its source near Dijon, writer and engraver
Robert Gibbings follows the river's 400-mile course as it develops
from a tranquil stream into the mighty waterway that links Rouen to
the sea. The journey takes different forms: on foot, in a tiny boat
'hardly more than a coracle', on a barge, and on a boat used for
transporting books. Throughout this leisurely voyage during one
summer Gibbings records his impressions, visual and verbal, of
places and people as well as explaining how the river has played a
vital role in French history. In part an evocation of the Seine's
changing landscapes and rural beauty, this is also an account of
towns and cities-Troyes, Rouen, Paris-and their relationship with
the river. Looking at writers and painters as well as historic
figures who have left their mark on the Seine, Gibbings presents an
affectionate picture of this great river and the people who live
and work on its banks. Discussing the vineyards of Champagne, the
paintings of Sisley and Utrillo, the rituals of Parisian cafe life,
the author conveys an irresistible enthusiasm not just for boats
and river life, but for all things French. First published in 1953,
Coming Down the Seine is illustrated with more than fifty of
Gibbings' delightful engravings.
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