The Book of Walking Dangerously: Notes from a Theatre of Memory

The Book of Walking Dangerously differs from other walking books because it is, from beginning to end, about displeasure and the disagreeable. Employing Jean-François Lyotard's concept of paralogy - a means of recognizing there can be different logic to life that other scholars ignore or do not understand - the book is an exploration of the value of bleakness, suffering, darkness and even death. Seeing and living through such things, it is argued, is to be baptized into a richer and more deeply felt relationship with walking. Drawing inspiration from Raphael Samuel's view that history (and memory) is a dynamic process, the seven chapters present a theatre of memory consisting of lived, first-hand experiences in rural, urban and underground settings. Each chapter involves liminal passage, a shift from perceived certainty and comfort into chaos and danger as ruptures in everyday life are encountered. With a sense of adventure driving it, this book invites readers to come along on a journey that exists somewhere between the real, the reconstructed and the phantastic. Blending leisure studies, sociology, philosophy and geography, this book will appeal to researchers who are interested in the hidden dimensions and transformative power of spaces.

Kevin P. Bingham is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Sport and Exercise at the University of Lincoln and a Lecturer in Sport and Esport at Barnsley College University Centre. An interdisciplinary researcher, he specialised in leisure studies, sport and cultural studies. His work explores pursuits such as urban exploration, caving and walking, as well as doping behaviours in elite and recreational sports. The bulk of his research focuses on the hidden dimensions and transformative power of spaces that are difficult to reach and access. Seeking to understand leisure worlds in rich depth, Kevin uses storytelling and creative writing to explore the indeterminate realities of drifting performers, artists of sublimation and pursuers of discomfort, displeasure and strangeness.