Robert Louis Stevenson

Jeremy James

ISBN 1590480651

Having bought two horses from gypsies at a fair in southern Bulgaria, Jeremy James set out with Chumpie, the first of his travelling companions, to ride to Romania.  Travelling on horseback gives you a different perspective from any other form of transport because, as Jeremy says, ‘if you go by train or car, the world rushes past you, and you don’t even get to smell it.  But if you travel on a horse you feel the world as you move through it, every step, every scent, every breeze, every dimple in the ground, and it’s always fresh.  I’d sooner go with a horse than leg it because the horse drives you into village life: he’s a point of reference, something to focus on.”
Encountering a marvellous gallery of characters, Jeremy reveals the humorous side of Eastern European low-life, from gypsies to farmhands from Bulgaria to Berlin, by way of Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and East Germany.
This is the story of five months’ effort to get along with little vocabulary, not much money, fiery booze, indigestible food, two more travelling companions—André Bubear in Romania, then Gavin Douglas in Czechoslovakia—and a pair of highly entertaining horses who steal, run away, carry on conversations, plot, kick, bite, hoard food, carry hitch-hikers and jog along at the centre of a marvellously readable tale.  Jeremy finds himself frequently at odds, but irrevocably attached to his horses, conferring on one a knighthood, much to the annoyance of the other.
Vagabond is a refreshing, witty and often surprising view of Eastern Europe and the collapse of communism, literally straight from the horse’s mouth.  

Hans Schwarz

ISBN 1590480686

It was a special time, an envelope of peace in a war-weary Europe. The 1930s presented a unique opportunity for three wandering Swiss horsemen to journey across a recovering continent, a chance to see the last remnants of nineteenth century village life before it was swept away forever by the horrors of the Second World War.
Hans Schwarz, the author of this travel tale, was just the man to lead such a mounted expedition. A lifelong horseman, Schwarz conceived of the idea of riding from the mighty frozen Alps where he lived to the steamy plains of faraway Turkey. The resulting ride can only be described as idyllic. Along with two companions, the amiable Swiss Long Rider peeked at tiny Liechtenstein, crossed Austria, explored Romania, fled Albania, endured Yugoslavia, and finally reached Turkey, then rode back again!
Thus “Vier Pferde, Ein Hund und Drei Soldaten” is more than just a well-written Swiss adventure tale. Schwarz's trip, and the resulting book, both took on legendary status in the German-speaking world, and inspired three generations of Swiss Long Riders to take to the saddle, including legendary equestrian travelers, Hans Jürgen and Claudia Gottet, who rode from Arabia to Switzerland on their native Arab horses.
Amply illustrated with classic period photos, this marks the first time the German-language edition of this rare and important book has ever been available in the English-speaking world!  

J. Wentworth Day

ISBN 1590480392

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.