White Horses
Over France

Robin Hanbury-Tenison

ISBN 1590481216

White Horses Over France tells the story of a magical journey – and how, in fulfilment of a personal dream, the first Camargue horses set foot on British soil in the late summer of 1984.  It is also a vigorous celebration of life on horseback, and in particular a tribute to two enchanting and affectionate characters who, bred for their stamina, intelligence and skill at working with bulls, proved to be scared stiff of cows – and even sheep.

In a life filled with exotic explorations and adventures, Robin Hanbury-Tenison had always nursed one particular ambition:  to bring home to his farm in Cornwall working horses from the famous wetlands of southern France.  He and his wife Louella chose two horses and named them respectively Thibert and Tiki after the village where the finest Camargue saddles are made and the paddle steamer on the Petit Rhone.  Their 1,000-mile route encompassed ancient forti­fied towns in the Languedoc, rocky plains skirting the Massif Central, the beautiful gorge of the Aveyron, prehistoric caves, the Dordogne, the Loire and the waterways of Brittany.

Camping and sampling the delights of country inns, Robin and Louella encountered a rich array of landowners, peasant farmers, blacksmiths, fishermen and café patrons.  Any native inhibitions were quickly dispersed by Thibert and Tiki, who made friends wherever they went.  They also took part in the ancient and spectacular running of the bulls in a small Camargue village.

Fragile Eden

Robin Hanbury-Tenison

ISBN 1590481232

Fragile Eden is the story of Robin and Louella Hanbury-Tenison’s exploration of New Zealand on horseback in 1988. They rode alone together through what they describe as ’some of the most dramatic and exciting country we have ever seen.’ For two or thee days at a time, Robin and Louella would map read their way by compass across some of the largest farms in the world, at one moment crossing snowy passes of over 6,000 feet, at the next baking in the dry summer heat of the valley floors.  At night they would shelter from the rain and wind in primitive shepherds’ huts, brewing up soup and tea to keep themselves warm.

But while they found scenery so spectacular it more than justified the description of New Zealand as “the most beautiful country in the world," they found, too, a country in crisis.  New Zealanders are striving in the face of new, often restrictive, world markets to lessen their sense of economic isolation and vulnerability and to cut their country’s large overseas debt.  And serious environmental problems have, like those of the economy, hit the country’s major industry – agriculture – hardest.  As President of Survival International, Robin Hanbury-Tenison was struck, too, by the fear and hostility shown to the Maoris by many of their countrymen, though encouraged by his constructive meetings with their leaders.

Spanish Pilgrimage

Robin Hanbury-Tenison

ISBN 1590481240

For a thousand years a long, hot and dangerous journey over the mountains, the dusty plains and the rich countryside of Spain has led millions of Christian pilgrims to the great cathedral of St. James at Compostela.  The story is as old as medieval history and the route is still alive with the churches, monasteries and shrines built by the faithful.

Readers of Robin Hanbury-Tenison’s other bestselling travel books will be delighted to hear that once again he and his wife Louella went to Santiago de Compostela in a traditional way – riding on white horses over long-forgotten tracks.  It was a family pilgrimage as their four-year-old son, Merlin, went with them.  In the process they discovered more about the people and the country than any conventional traveller would learn.  Their adventures are vividly and entertainingly recounted in this delightful and highly readable book.

Through their journey Robin came to experience a true ‘green pilgrimage,’ an ecological equivalent of the search for religious faith in medieval man.  His fascinating book draws together conclusions from a lifetime of exploration.
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