The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession

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I enjoyed the historical facts and stories woven into the book and the leaps of faith Nigel made with some of the objects he found – to create plausible stories linking them back to his house and the people who once lived there. Who then becomes a hook line and sinkered adherent of the detectorist divining god, aka as his machine.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground - WHSmith The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground -

My house is less than a mile from Layer Marney Tower, England’s tallest Tudor gatehouse, so surely there is treasure in these parts? Within an hour of starting it I dusted my own detector down, charged her up, and was in one of my own permission fields later in the day. Some people are there in the hopes of life changing discoveries, others to consolidate their collection of finds by discovering specific items or remnants of a particular time. Nigel Richardson’s fantastic new book ‘The Accidental Detectorist’ tells the story of the author’s journey into detecting.It is a result of Covid lockdowns and a shift in the nature of travel writing that meant that Richardson had time on his hands when a eight hundred word article becomes an obsession. Caught up in the in-the-moment with the wide-eyed wonder of reliving history, following in the footsteps of those who have walked, in some cases, centuries before us, on this very field, hill or pasture - perhaps leaving traces, often in the form of coins, buckles or buttons, serving to retell their narratives.

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson - Audible UK The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson - Audible UK

This book was interesting about the author's adventures being a metal detectorist and a potted history of things found over the years by detectorists. It’s a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in local history, the countryside or who fancies learning a bit more about those strange blokes who sweep their toys back and forth in our fields. In the local parish of Messing cum Inworth where I grew up, there are finds from Iron Age, Roman, Medieval and Post Medieval times.I liked the author’s writing style, the factual book’s subject matter and finding out about this community of larger than life characters who use metal detectors around the UK.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession

I read this non-fiction book as a hardback copy, and I’m very glad that I took part on this tour as I really liked this book. I enjoyed reading about the sense of community within the hobby, it reminds us how history can bring us together. If you are hovering on the edge of a middle age hobby hole , or just like the idea of being a Detectorist then this book is worthy of a read. Richardson is very honest with the reader, he explains that he isn’t going to take it seriously and he is shocked about how quickly he falls in love, he also shares his insecurities around other people and the fact that he can’t find even the basic items a new detectorist discovers. I really do recommend reading this book if you want to learn more about this subject or want to learn more about Britain's history from the different types of thongs found and in which areas.

He had changed his mind a little about the men (and it is mostly men) who pursue this hobby after watching the brilliant TV comedy, The Detectorists.

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession - AbeBooks The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession -

Which certainly made me very happy as I love learning about new things and other people's personal experiences. I’m giving this book 4 stars as I liked it and I think that other readers will like this book too, especially if they like reading non-fiction, factual books or memoirs.By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. I loved reading about the rallies and it has inspired me to see if there is a local group near to me. Richardson has a writing style that makes the book accessible; there are photos inside and it is nice to dip in and out of.