The Spirit of Hadrian's Wall

The Spirit of Hadrian's Wall is an absolutely gorgeous coffee table book, with text by Mark Richards and photographs by Roger Clegg.  Here's their Amazon bios:

Mark Richards lives in Cumbria, on the fringe of the Lake District and has written a series of Fellranger guides covering the region, as well as Great Mountain Days in the Lake District. He has also written a guide to Hadrian's Wall, and several to the Peak District in England.

Roger Clegg is a professional photographer whose captivating and evocative landscapes have an unique quality all of their own. His photographs have been used in numerous exhibitions throughout Britain, and his particular specialty is the landscapes of Hadrian's Wall, a World Heritage site in the north of England.Mark Richards, author of 'Hadrian's Wall Path' provides an historical commentary.

This is the first book in my reading that will prep me for my trek along the Wall planned for next summer, and it was a perfect way to start.

The book moves east to west, as do most trekkers, documenting the countryside and the Wall along the way.  Even though we plan to hike west to east, it was still a good way to learn place names and familiarize myself with the terrain and geography that we'll encounter.

I noticed that many of the photos were taken in the Fall and Winter when the mist rises, the sky glows pink and orange, and the shadows are long and ghostly.

For all you armchair travelers, even if a visit to the Wall isn't in the cards for you, I can recommend this book as an excellent way to experience a beautiful countryside, rich in history and still relatively unchanged over the millennia.