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Fascinating!! That really is the only word to describe this interesting and highly original book from Glen Herbert. The genre is given as travel writing but it is so much more than that. It would equally appeal to history buffs, lovers of Dorset and the American continent, plus the general reader. Would make a good present. The title was coined by an aquaintance he met on his travels who asked where he came from and quipped - A Limey from Lyme. A Limey was originally a disparaging name for British sailors in America who used lime juice to prevent scurvy. Now often used just as a nickname for English folk. Glen Herbert, a boatman from Dorset, describes his travels as a backpacker in the Americas and the strife he manages to get himself into and the ingenuity, stamina and resourcefulness to get himself out again. The reader is transported into a world where sleeping in the open and lack of cash are normal, where lifts across long distances bring new aquaintances that in some cases become life long friends. He travels widely through the southern states of America and Mexico. During those intriguing travels Glen Herbert realises the close connection between the southern states of America and his adopted home town, that Pearl of Dorset, Lyme Regis. Dorset is an enchanting county with its World Heritage site, the Jurassic coast in the south and its lovely rural countryside in the north. Lyme Regis, a beautiful and ancient town, is situated at the end of the Jurassic coast on the Dorset/Devon border. The Regis comes from its Charter given in 1284 by Edward I. That Glen Herbert loves Lyme Regis is obvious, but he gets mad with it too. The author weaves the history of the town and the history of Southern America in and out of his travels through the many people and events that were the making of both places. We all think we know those events and those famous people but Glen Herbert's excellent research takes us right there. (The author describes his brother, Mark, as the brains of the family, Glen can give him a run for his money in a different field.) I read this book on a cruise round the north of Australia. Sitting on the deck in the shade watching the calm, navy blue sea, I wondered what it would have been like sailing across the stormy Atlantic in those small sailing ships. Very crowded and scary for those immigrants from the south west of England. We are often only told of the leaders of these emigrations, but many of them just ordinary folk, Dorset in many cases, looking for a new life. It was difficult to put the book down at times! The author's descriptions of his travels had me wondering how he was going to get out of the latest of his scrapes. Good read. As I read I was beguiled again by hilly Lyme Regis, its Cobb and lovely beach, its bay, its fossils, and by walking on the South West Path with its incredible views. I was right there. Well worth a visit, makes a great holiday destination.Read full review
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