Down Old Roads (Paperback)

Mathijs Deen

ISBN 10: 1529438799 / ISBN 13: 9781529438796

Published by Quercus Publishing, London, 2026

About this Item

Paperback. "This is the E8," my father said. "It runs from London to Moscow." For a million years people have been travelling throughout Europe, from the mysterious homo antecessor who left his footprints on the coast of England to travellers on the motorways of today. Under every footstep lies an older one, under every paved road a donkey trail or wagon rut, under every footpath the prints of a hunter or his prey. And yet the long, nation-spanning roads of Europe don't hold a special place in the imaginations and identities of its residents. No classic songs have been written about the E8, the way Americans have written about Route 66. Are Europeans too attached to their own home patch? Or have they too often seen armies marching towards them along those roads? Eager to answer that question, Mathijs Deen goes in search of the warriors, refugees, bandits, pilgrims, fortune-seekers, conquerors and racers who advanced into history along the roads of Europe. From Boekelo in the Netherlands to Smolensk on the Dnieper, and from the first prehistoric Europeans to the barons who raced the open roads of Europe in the early 20th century, Down Old Roads is both a journey through Europe and a trip through time. "It's easy to be swept away by Deen's delightful prose" New Statesman on The Boundless RiverTranslated from the Dutch by Jane Hedley-Prole and Jonathan Reeder A cultured, engaging collection of historical vignettes ranging from prehistoric times to the early 20th century - all focused on the ancient roads, tracks and pathways of Europe Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781529438796

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Down Old Roads (Paperback)
• Publisher: Quercus Publishing, London
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1529438799
• ISBN 13: 9781529438796
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A cultured, engaging collection of historical vignettes ranging from prehistoric times to the early 20th century - all focused on the ancient roads, tracks and pathways of Europe

For a million years people have been traveling throughout Europe. From the mysterious homo antecessor which left its footprints on the coast of England to the traveller on the motorways of today. Under every footstep lies an older one, under every paved road a donkey trail or wagon rut, under every footpath the prints of a hunter or prey.

And yet the long through roads of Europe don't hold a special place in the imaginations and identities of its residents. Why does the European have such an ambivalent relationship with the long roads of his or her continent?

Why have no classics been written about the E30, such as the Americans have written about Route 66? Are Europeans too attached to their own home patch? Or have they too often seen armies marching towards them along those roads?

In search of the answer to that question, Mathijs Deen follows the refugees, bandits, pilgrims, fortune seekers, conquerors and racers who found their way along the coasts and via the rivers and roads of Europe. From Boekelo to Smolensk, and from the first Europeans to the barons who raced the open roads of Europe circa 1900: Down the Old Roads is a journey through Europe and a trip through time.

Translated from the Dutch by Jane Hedley-Prole and Jonathan Reeder
 
 

About the Author

MATHIJS DEEN (b. 1962) is a Dutch writer and radio producer. His short story collection Brutus is Hungry (nominated for the AKO Literature Prize) was followed by among others The Wadden Islands, Down Old Roads and the novel The Light Ship (nominated for the Libris Literature Prize). His work has been translated into German, Italian and Korean.