From Aintree to York: Racing Around Britain

by Stephen Cartmell

Writer and psychologist Stephen Cartmell set off to explore Britain using the cultural melting pot of the UK's 60 racecourses as his staging posts. During his travels, the author observed the peculiarities of the British and developed a satirical critique of one of the country's favorite pastimes. With his acute eye for observation, an appreciation of the ridiculous, and the ability to find humor even in the face of petty officialdom, this acclaimed book is not simply a travelogue of racing but a key to understanding Britain and its curiously comical inhabitants.

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Maureen Eyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had, had the idea to write this book, a very simplistic idea but a good one. As a racing fan I thought the book was good but very subjective, one mans opinion on race courses. 10 different people could write the same book and come up with 10 completely opinions. For that reason I found myself losing patience with the writer and becoming very critical of the book as I just felt it was very self indulgent of the writer, I also didn't believe a lot of the anecdotes, some of them seemed too convenient for me, didn't really give me much of a guide on courses.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in places, but overall kind of blah. You'd really have to care about British racecourses (like I do) to be interested at all in this.

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story. Loved it. Would be great yo do this exact thing.