David Yeadon

In recent years, Ireland has enjoyed a newfound prosperity as Europe's most affluent nation. But tucked away in a far corner of the so-called "Celtic Tiger," that other enduring and authentic country-that small, hidden place of simple magic and romance-still exists. Acclaimed travel writer David Yeadon and his wife, Anne, set out to find it. On the Beara Peninsula of southwest Ireland, the Yeadons discovered their own "little lost world," an enticing Brigadoon of soaring mountain ranges and spectacular coastal scenery, far removed from the touristic hullabaloo of Dublin, Killarney, and the Ring of Kerry. Here is the fabled "Old Ireland," alive and well with music seisuins, hooley dances, and seanachai storytellers-a haven for searchers, healers, artists, and poets hardy enough to have braved the same narrow and winding mountain roads that keep the package-tour coaches out. Bursting with color and life, At the Edge of Ireland is an intrepid wanderer's celebration of a magical, unspoiled, and unforgettable Eire.

For many armchair travelers the Outer Hebrides of Scotland epitomize the beauty and remoteness of island life. And the most dramatic of all the Hebrides is Harris, where the legendary Harris Tweed is woven by local crofters, reflecting the strength, durability, and integrity of life on Harris. Harris has dramatic mountains and huge, pristine sandy beaches bordering the open Atlantic. Yeadon captures in words and through his evocative line drawings the life of the island people, their folkways and humour and the simple life of crofting and fishing which have hardly changed in hundreds of years. Although sometimes threatened by the inroads of commerce and tourism, Harris remains in many ways idyllic, the most resonant and romantic of all the Hebridean islands. Yeadon also makes side trips to Barra, the southernmost of the Hebrides, to the Shiant Islands with author Adam Nicolson and to the fabled St. Kilda, the most remote of all the Scottish islands, 50 miles out in the Atlantic, wreathed in legend and history. There are 35 line drawings by the author.

Award-winning travel writer and illustrator, David Yeadon embarks with his wife, Anne on an exploration of the -lost word- of Basilicata, in the arch of Italy's boot. What is intended as a brief sojourn turns into an intriguing residency in the ancient hill village of Aliano, where Carlo Levi, author of the world-renowned memoir Christ Stopped at Eboli, was imprisoned by Mussolini for anti-Fascist activities. As the Yeadons become immersed in Aliano's rich tapestry of people, traditions, and festivals, reveling in the rituals and rhythms of the grape and olive harvests, the culinary delights, and other peculiarities of place, they discover that much of the pagan strangeness that Carlo Levi and other notable authors revealed still lurks beneath the beguiling surface of Basilicata.

Beginning with a life-changing event in the mountains of Iran, and roaming the globe from the backcountry lanes of Yorkshire to the Australian outback, David Yeadon shares serendipitous encounters with amazing people, unexpected challenges, and near-death experiences. His stories illuminate the ways in which years of wandering have taught him to be open to experience, accept things as they are, live life to the fullest, and embrace his many ?selves.” These tales are filled with lessons learned from saints, sinners, fellow travelers, and everyday folk, and are accompanied by his own accomplished illustrations.