‘The Natural Navigator’
Starting with a simple question,
‘Which way am I looking?’
Tristan Gooley blends natural science, myth, folklore and the history of travel to introduce you to the rare and ancient art of finding your way using nature’s own sign-posts, from the feel of a rock to a glance at the moon.
With Tristan’s help, you’ll learn why some trees grow the way they do and how they can help you find your way in the countryside. You’ll discover how it’s possible to find north simply by looking at a puddle and how natural signs can be used to navigate on the open ocean and in the heart of the city. Wonderfully detailed and full of fascinating stories, this is a glorious exploration of a rediscovered art.
THE CHAPTERS:
The Art of Natural Navigation, The Land, The Perfect Illusion (The Sun), The Firmament, The Moon, The Sea, The Elements, Creatures of Habit (Animals), Where Am I?, Epilogue.
For an overview of the navigation techniques covered and other references in the book you can read the book’s index here.
It is published in the UK by Virgin Books and can be ordered via Amazon.co.uk or Waterstones and can be found in all good independent bookshops.
It is being published in the US by The Experiment Publishing and details about ordering the US edition can be found here.
LATEST NEWS:
Amazon sold out within 48 hours of it going on sale. Foyles sold out shortly afterwards.
25/03: Both have now restocked and a second reprint is now underway.
02/07: The book is now into its third reprint. It will be four months old on Sunday.
REVIEWS
‘Doubtless sat-nav will eventually breed a generation unable to read the simplest road maps, never mind plot their way across rough countryside from an Ordnance Survey map. This wonderful book takes the skill set back several generations further, to the vanishing (but often surprisingly simple) arts of navigating by sun, moon, stars and natural phenomena. If this sounds arcane and unlikely, it’s not: armchair readers will revel in the beautifully written material on myth, science, folklore and history, and the fascinating details and tips; others will be inspired to get out and give the techniques a try – using puddles to find north, knowing why clouds don’t always move in the same way as the wind is blowing, smelling “fresh air” blowing from the direction of a hidden coast…
This is the sort of charming and inspiring book you want to recommend and buy for others. A must for any lover of the outdoors’
Tim Jepson, The Telegraph. Read the whole review here.
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‘A wonderfully stimulating book. Tristan Gooley sidesteps technology to celebrate our own powers of observation, and suggests that the art of natural navigation is something we should never have forgotten.”
Michael Palin CBE, President of the Royal Geographical Society
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‘A definitive volume on the subject.’
Paul Gelder, Editor Yachting Monthly
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‘This is a wide-ranging blend of history, myth, folklore and fact, and Gooley manages to disabuse a few notions along the route. If you’re allowing moss to always guide your woodland hikes northwards, for example, you might be heading in the wrong direction.
Gooley is a fine writer with a philosophical passion for the subject, and he occasionally veers into areas that are perhaps not strictly within the remit of the book, but these are effortlessly pleasant diversions that add to the whole.
His timing is strong, with anecdotes dropped in at just the right intervals to keep you turning the pages. His advice is at times glorious in its simplicity and fascinating in its execution…’ Laurence Mackin, The Irish Times. Read the whole review here.
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‘In a sat-nav dominated world, where GPS and a host of other acronyms designed to get us from A to B have overtaken paper maps, it is refreshing to meet someone who understands technology, but prefers to find his way by practising the rare and ancient art of using nature’s signposts, from puddle patterns to shadow lenghths… I’m hooked. Back at the beech, I make a mental note of emerging bluebell patches, forming an internal map that I’ll use to find my way around the wood.’ – Paul Evans, BBC Wildlife Magazine.
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‘The perfect book for getting you started on your own adventure.’ - Sir Ranulph Fiennes
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‘As Gooley reminds us, navigation is, first of all, about understanding where you are. His marvellous book is a good starting point.’ Mick Herron, Geographical Magazine.
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‘Gooley’s calm, contemplative authority on matters solar, lunar and celestial establishes his guru credentials – but it’s his revelations about the clues that lie scattered about the natural environment that really entrance: how puddles drying on paths, the shapes of sand dunes, the graininess of scree on the lee of a slope can all be enlisted to summon compass points to your horizon.’ Chris Born, Time Out.
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‘Ever wondered why one side of a country path sometimes has puddles and the other is dry…’
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There are also some reviews on Amazon.co.uk.
