From the Cliffs of Cornwall to Kilimanjaro

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was really drawn into the book because it shows that no matter how old you are, you can always try something new. We see 75 year old Eric accompany his nephew on this adventure of a lifetime - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
He does have to spend time training and we get to see other areas during this training. Like different parts of Cornwall.
I really liked how Eric draws you in with his words, but that he also has a great sense of humor. We get a lot of information about parasites and bugs, which was interesting, but maybe talked about a little too much.

This book has me wanting to take a trip to Africa, when it was never really on my list of places to go.

Thank you NetGalley and Matador for gifting me this book to read.

From the Cliffs of Cornwall to Kilimanjaro
by Eric Marks

What a surprising gem of a memoir! 75 year old Eric is asked to accompany his nephew on the adventure of a lifetime - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
He doesn't have to spend too much time deliberating over it and then it's off on a 5 month training regime including hiking a fair length of the South West Coast Path in Devon and Cornwall. Well! As if Kilimanjaro, one of my lifelong fascinations wasn't enough of a hook, the idea of revisiting the Minehead to Penzance route was all I needed to get stuck in.
Eric has his own way with words. The narrative is informative and very funny in parts. He is brimming with enthusiasm, does not suffer fools gladly and is not shy about letting us know how informed he is....about everything. My one gripe would be the overkill on references to a certain parasite. I really could have done without it.
Will this book win any literary awards? Probably not, but for bringing me back to all my favourite spots in Cornwall so vividly, for making me think about making that long put off trip to Africa and for making me smile on a wet and wintery day I would highly recommend From the Cliffs of Cornwall to Kilimanjaro to armchair travelers and real life adventurers alike.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Matador for kindly gifting me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This title grabbed me! Any book that might draw me into nostalgic memories of my childhood in Africa will always find its way to my TBR pile.

The book was listed under "Memoirs", and while I don't feel that's an accurate classification, I am not really sure exactly what I would call it. It reads a little bit like a travel guide with detailed descriptions of the English towns and villages where Eric and his hiking buddies trekked. He gives great detail about the accommodations-hotels, airbnbs, and youth hostels-with interesting anecdotes of the people he encountered, and he includes his restaurant recommendations at each stop. Eric's description of the breathtaking seascapes, the quaint old villages, and the things to do along the way have me ready to hop on a plane to England!

Marks also goes into great detail about the preparation for each training hike, the gear he needed to purchase, and what he found most useful for his hikes. In this way, the book read more like a hikers guide or training manual to prepare for a climb like Kilimanjaro. Admittedly, I skimmed these sections, because let's be honest: I'm not going on any world class mountain climbs anytime soon.

Overall, it's a pleasant read. It was a slow read for me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed plodding along beside Eric and his companions through terrible weather, beautiful views, harrowing pathways, and interesting characters. The author's ability to capture his surroundings with words is admirable, and his sense of humor peeks through and gives a little wink from time to time. After all the lengthy descriptions and wordy anecdotes, I felt the book ended a little bit abruptly.

I recommend this book, especially to those who might be interested in training for an excursion like Kilimanjaro, or those who might plan to visit the iconic coasts of England.

Eric Marks writes as well as he walks - and that really is a compliment. Not many people at the age of seventy five would consider walking up a mountain but Eric is in the prime of life and up for the challenge. I, being lazy and unfit, can just about remember walking the cliffs of Cornwall but Eric's observant writing and immersive style took me along with him. He certainly walks with his eyes wide open and has the literary skill to paint pictures in words.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this highly-enjoyable new work.

This book was a wonderful break from the recent history works that I have been gorging on. This was funny, inspirational, very unique, well-written, and unputdownable! The tale of a 76 year-old whose nephew convinces him to climb Kilimanjaro. Who could resist this story?

I really enjoyed this work and would highly recommend this.

As someone who'd climbed Kilimanjaro, I was really interested in this book and the memoir does not disappoint. Walking and training for the walk are revelatory and cathartic and the writer really leans into it. I enjoyed the pacing and the way Marks describes the journey. Really good read.