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Upon A White Horse

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What to expect

*A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK, FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2025, SCOTSMAN BOOKS OF 2025, COUNTRY LIFE BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2025*

'Packed with anecdote and colour, it's a surprisingly touching portrait of the countries' - Financial Times, Best Books of 2025

'An insightful and engaging reflection on the appeal of the ancient' - The Times

'I'm a card-carrying admirer of Peter Ross' - Robert Macfarlane

The prehistoric sites of Britain and Ireland are places of wonder and wondering. Who made these structures? What did they mean to them? And what do they mean to us now?

Author of the bestseller Steeple Chasing and prize-winning A Tomb With A View, Peter Ross journeys from midwinter at Stonehenge to midsummer at Sycamore Gap. Along the way he encounters bog bodies in Dublin, a wooden goddess in Edinburgh and a chalk giant in Dorset. He asks what it is like to live within the great stone circle at Avebury, what rituals occurred in an Anglesey tomb and what draws volunteers to care for the Uffington White Horse.

These objects and structures speak of the long human story. They offer the comfort of recognition and the pleasure of mystery. There is something about ancient places that fills a hollow in our souls.

Upon A White Horse is a celebration of landscape and people - and all that is beautiful, strange and old.

'Ross scores highly on his intuitive interpretations of places and his non-judgemental observations of human nature; he is empathetic, but can stand back' - Country Life

'Ross is a wonderfully evocative writer, deftly capturing a sense of place and history, while bringing a deep humanity to his subject' - Guardian

Critics Review

This fascinating paean to the ancient monuments of the UK is an evocatively lyrical work . . . Ross writes with reverence as well as humour, and there's a pilgrim quality to his travels. The pace of these tributes is gentle, befitting the enduring presence of these mysterious sites in the modern world
The Field
Ross scores highly on his intuitive interpretations of places and his non-judgemental observations of human nature; he is empathetic, but can stand back
Country Life
Ross is always lucid, almost reverent, about the whole process of archaeological discovery
Books from Scotland
In unravelling the histories of these sites and the motivations of those who care for them, [Ross] finds that they still have a role to play - even in our modern world
Wanderlust, Stanfords' top winter travel reads
A beautifully written book of traces and absences . . . One of the characteristics that makes Peter Ross a fine journalist is his capacity to be unobtrusive. He does not showboat nor monopolise the story, letting others speak instead . . . The most autobiographical glances and snatches are the most moving and revealing of the book
Scotland on Sunday
Ross's last two books, Steeple Chasing and A Tomb With A View, were outstanding, and Upon A White Horse lives up to that excellence, with his pilgrimage to prehistoric sites and places of ancient enchantment a meandering journey on which it is a privilege to be able to accompany him
Scottish Field
Fascinating . . . [Ross] has a poetic, meditative style, with a sharp eye for detail and a keen sense of humour . . . As well as bringing the sites and monuments vividly to life, he delves into issues of archaeology, folklore, faith and identity, while weaving in elements of personal memoir
Geographical
Fascinating
The Herald
Packed with anecdote and colour, it's a surprisingly touching portrait of the countries
Financial Times, Best Books of 2025
The solidity of stone, the fragility of chalk, the enigma of Silbury Hill, and the brutal practicality of the Antonine Wall all lift into vivid life through conversations elicited from those he meets along the way . . . observant, engaging, and informative
Church Times
An insightful and engaging reflection on the appeal of the ancient
The Times
Upon a White Horse is a quietly enchanting journey through the prehistoric landscapes of Britain and Ireland, told with Peter Ross's trademark warmth, curiosity and humour . . . Packed with anecdote, character and a deep sense of place, this is the kind of book that can be dipped into or savoured slowly. Thoughtful without ever being heavy, it's a generous, companionable read and a particularly good Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys history, walking, landscape or simply stories that make familiar places feel newly alive.
Geographical, Top Books for Christmas
Lucid, profound and moving, it is his best book
Engelsberg Ideas
A rich exploration of history and how it connects with humanity. There's a poetic rhythm to Peter's writing that creates vivid images in your mind
Pick of the Week, Radio 4
there is much to enjoy here: good writing, good research, good observation. I learned things about some sites that I didn't know and was encouraged to visit others that I have yet to make it to
Current Archaeology

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Peter Ross
Narrator Peter Ross
Duration 11 hours and 2 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781035414093
Format Audiobook
Publisher Headline
Genre Archaeology, Social and cultural anthropology, Travel writing
Availability AU, GB, IE, US
Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Narration
5.0 (1 review)

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