Oooh, a first edition!
Feb. 25th, 2020 08:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
So today I got my first edition of Flight of the Heron, and it's lovely! ♥ I didn't get it just because I wanted one, though I admit it is satisfying--it's for reading the audiobook from, because Librivox is strict about copyright. Anyway, look at this beautiful map on the inside of the front cover! I haven't seen that in any of the later editions.

It has the position of Ardroy and Loch na h-Iolaire marked, which is of course very helpful, since they are made up by the author. I mean, you can figure out the general position from the books anyway, but it's good to get a more specific one. I see which (actually existing) pass they're going over in Chapter 1 now, which I'd been confused about. Here is the modern Ordnance Survey map for reference, and here is the 18th century Roy military survey map of the same area, which...doesn't look like they really got those mountains right.

It has the position of Ardroy and Loch na h-Iolaire marked, which is of course very helpful, since they are made up by the author. I mean, you can figure out the general position from the books anyway, but it's good to get a more specific one. I see which (actually existing) pass they're going over in Chapter 1 now, which I'd been confused about. Here is the modern Ordnance Survey map for reference, and here is the 18th century Roy military survey map of the same area, which...doesn't look like they really got those mountains right.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 08:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 09:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 09:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 09:53 pm (UTC)And also I'm visiting these places this summer! : )
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 10:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-26 01:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-26 01:58 pm (UTC)Lovely maps!
Date: 2020-02-25 11:04 pm (UTC)Re: Lovely maps!
Date: 2020-02-26 02:04 pm (UTC)The copyright doesn't go out until January 1st 2021 though...
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-25 11:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-26 02:17 pm (UTC)Actually I've recorded for Librivox before, so if you want to listen to me reading the autobiography of Peter Kropotkin (19th century Russian anarchist) you can do so here and here. It's about 17 hours long. Listening to the reading now, I think it's...okay? Like, not my best work, but it's okay.
Flight of the Heron is going to be SO MUCH better, I can tell. I feel like I was made to read that book, at least Keith's POV. He is delightful, and I love those long convoluted old-fashioned sentences.
I think I would really enjoy recording Sutcliff as well (there are some similarities in style) but alas, her work won't be public domain for a long time.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-28 11:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-26 12:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-26 08:05 pm (UTC)I find the Roy military survey map online to be quite helpful for fic, because it shows you what things looked like back in the 18th century.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-27 11:07 am (UTC)I dithered between the first edition and an illustrated edition with a posh blue binding and gold tooling on the cover. I was a bit disappointed with the illustrations - not enough pics of Keith - also it was printed in Switzerland and there are quite a few typos. It looks nice, though.
I might have to get the first edition as well, brining me up to four copies. Plus your audiobook when you've done it!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-02-27 04:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-25 07:08 pm (UTC)The link to the Roy military survey map is very interesting too. I remember reading elsewhere that the south of England wasn't properly mapped until the start of the 19th century, in reaction to fears of a French invasion, and before that you basically had to already know the area or ask for directions to get around the country. According to what I read in Wikipedia just now that Roy military map was made in direct reaction to the Jacobite rebellion in 45. Very interesting. And it explains how Keith managed to get lost on the way to Fort Augustus! ;D
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-26 08:06 am (UTC)Yeah, people often take the existence of maps for granted, but someone had to spend a lot of time making them, and I guess the reason for doing that was usually either military, or for taxation purposes.