The Secret History of Here - by Alistair Moffat (Paperback)

About the Book

A personal investigation into the history that surrounds us, from the historian and award-winning author of The Hidden Ways

Book Synopsis

The Secret History of Here is the story of a single place in the Scottish Borders. The site on which Alistair Moffat's farm now stands has been occupied since prehistoric times. Walking this landscape you can feel the presence and see the marks of those who lived here before.

But it is also the story of everywhere. In uncovering the history of one piece of land, Moffat shows how history is all around us, if only we have the eyes to see it. Taking the form of a journal of a year, this is a walk through the centuries as much as the seasons, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who came before, as well as those who live here now.

Review Quotes

It's the spirit of Moffat's place which gives The Secret History of Here its heft . . . The book is written in the form of a diary. It follows the march of the seasons - how could it not? - and allows Moffat to delve into both his family history and the history of the Borders landscape-- "Herald"

Praise for The Hidden Ways: Our ancestors walked everywhere, unless they lived by a river or loch and travelled by boat, or were rich enough to keep a horse or pony. So Moffat will walk. He will walk over much of Scotland, following, sometimes struggling to follow, old roads that are now sometimes hard to find. This book is the story of a dozen such walks. This is a splendidly rich book - a treasure-house of information, memories and speculation--ALLAN MASSIE "Scotsman"

Praise for To the Island of Tides: [To the Island of Tides] is often beautifully evocative of places, the past and the landscape . . . compelling and revealing-- "The Times"

[Moffat] is a great teacher . . . Alert though he is to change and to the world we have lived into, he is forever in search of time that is lost and can be recovered. It is also enthralling . . . Moffat is aware that he will himself come in time to belong to the past. This book, like his earlier ones, should ensure that in a sense he survives-- "Scotsman"

Delightful and richly personal . . . The charm of this book is that it is rooted in Moffat's lived experience. But, in his gracious humility, he sees himself as just one more [of] 300 generations-- "Church Times"

Extraordinary . . . a triumph . . . This book is an intriguing account of St Cuthbert and his times, a lyrical testimony to the wonder of nature and a beguiling account of the power of place in all lives. But . . . it becomes something more, something sublime in the realm of memoir . . . There is a powerful, natural beauty in Moffat's writing-- "Herald"

Joyous . . . a delightful meditation on a place, and on the role that humans played in its evolution-- "Foreword"

Joyous . . . Fine pencil drawings of flora, fauna and other discoveries complement the text's deep respect for nature . . . a delightful meditation on a place, and on the role that humans played in its evolution-- "Foreword"

This pilgrimage incorporates local lore and biblical references, touching self discovery and a Saint's life. Above all it is a homage to the importance of family and of belonging-- "Wee Review"

Written with both wisdom and love . . . This is a wonderfully rich and consoling book . . . and it is very good indeed-- "Scotsman"

About the Author

Alistair Moffat was born in Kelso, Scotland in 1950. He is an award-winning writer, historian and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television, former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and former Rector of the University of St Andrews. He is the founder of Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland, and the author of The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads and To the Island of Tides: A Journey to Lindisfarne. He lives in the UK.

alistairmoffat.co.uk