by Lara Maiklem
3 stars
A fascinating tour along the River Thames complete with stories from history, Maiklem’s personal life, and her adventures searching the foreshore. Follow Maiklem as she takes the reader all the way along the Thames, from the Tidal Head to the Estuary. Along the way, she recounts her discovery of long-lost fonts, pottery, tools, coins, clothing, toys, clay pipes, and sometimes things more ominous.
I enjoyed the blend of personal and historical. Maiklem shares various historical happenings, from war to royalty, from lost fonts to prison hulks. One of my favorite sections was on the Doves Type. It was fascinating to read about the creation of the font, how it was lost, and Maiklem’s own hand in rediscovering it. Honestly, the book is worth reading for that chapter alone. The font was even used for the running heads, epigraphs, and first letter of each chapter.
An interesting look at human history as told through what is lost and thrown away. While I haven’t been mudlarking myself, I enjoy the thrill of searching for beach and sea glass and can definitely understand the draw.
Great for those interesting in history, mudlarking, and garbage in general.