Books I’ve read and loved

[Rupert]

The title of this discussion is pretty self-explanatory. If you’ve read a book you couldn’t put down, if you had to mourn the loss of it by its ending and only recovered your wits when you could find another one of similar interest, than please take a little of your time to share with us your sensations and your opinions about the beautifully penned book you had the chance to read.

[Rupert]

How the English Made the Alps, Jim Ring

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I’m craving for snow! So at least I found it on paper. And lots of it!
As a Swiss, I’m very fond of “my” mountains. But for us, people of the Alps, the Mountains have always been our home. Not always a hospital one, not always a generous one, not always a forbearing one, but nonetheless our home.
The wealthy Brits in the contrary came to the Alps wandering the world in their tours. They had time on their hands, and money. They had romantic fascination in their eyes and a lot of daring in their guts.
Jim Ring describes in his book how the Britons, perceived by the alpine folks (Italian, French, German and, of course, Swiss) simply as “English” invented all kind of alpine sports, from downhill skiing to curling, from climbing to sledding. Every danger alpine people tried dearly to avoid, they were happily pursuing.
And the English had to be lodged somehow, so the hotel industry was built and developed itself. Fleeing from industrial and smoggy England, they were looking for fresh air in order to heal their lungs. The Alps had plenty of therapeutically fresh air and beautiful landscapes to watch at wile convalescing.
Ring’s book is delightful to read and very well documented. A very pleasurable reading and an edifying one.
I strongly recommend it to all sports lovers, mountains lovers and history geeks.