{"title":"Books by Ken Smith","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780950317892","title":"Historic Tales From Newcastle","description":"Newcastle's colourful and sometimes dramatic history is brought to life in this series of tales spanning several hundred years. Including some of the most fascinating accounts of true stories from the city's stirring past. From the Great Fire of 1854 to explosions on the Town Moor, this book covers the major events that helped shape the city. Featuring some of it most influential figures like Lord Armstrong and George Stephenson, as well some much-loved landmarks like the Newcastle Keep and City Walls, Historical Tales from Newcastle is a must-read for those wanting a starting point into the history of the city.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295570375029,"sku":"9780950317892","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780950317892_4c0032c7-0eea-4ce3-8703-24bc4ff33481.jpg?v=1786015811"},{"product_id":"9781035009824","title":"The Way of the Hermit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe International Bestseller \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A love story to the mountains in the mist, the pulsating northern lights and the red deer at dawn. And to independence' – \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCould you leave behind the bustle of modern society and spend your days immersed in nature? In \u003ci\u003eThe Way of the Hermit\u003c\/i\u003e, seventy-four-year-old Ken Smith recounts a life he has chosen to spend alone with the wilderness.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKen Smith has spent the past four decades in the Scottish Highlands. He lives alone, with no electricity or running water. His home is a log cabin nestled near Loch Treig, known as 'the lonely loch', where he lives off the land: he fishes for his supper, chops his own wood, and even brews his own tipple. He is, in the truest sense of the word, a hermit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the first time, Ken shares the story of his life. From his working-class origins in Derbyshire, to the formative years he spent travelling in the Yukon and finally how he came to be the Hermit of Loch Treig. Looking back through decades of diary entries, Ken reflects upon the reasons he turned his back on society, the vulnerability of old age and the awe and wonder of a life lived in nature. \u003ci\u003eThe Way of the Hermit \u003c\/i\u003eis a humorous, transcendent and life-affirming memoir.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Ken Smith comes across as a thoughtful, resourceful and above all humane man . . . inspiring' – \u003ci\u003eBBC Countryfile Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A Thoreauvian account of solitary life in the Scottish Highlands . . . delightful' – \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Ken Smith’s advice for staying alive in inclement conditions could equally be applied to achieving hard-won dreams' – \u003ci\u003eGeographical\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296190083445,"sku":"9781035009824","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781035009824_0b08f870-df60-4a15-bcdf-585a6d50c9ac.jpg?v=1786017127"},{"product_id":"9781739486174","title":"Great Tyne Bridges - A Pictorial Tribute","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302783234421,"sku":"9781739486174","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781739486174.jpg?v=1792424468"},{"product_id":"9781739223304","title":"The North East Coast","description":"The North East Coast presents a selection of true-life accounts from the region's fascinating maritime and seafaring history. Including some of the best stories from his previous books, Newcastle author Ken Smith throws the spotlight on such exciting episodes as Grace Darling and the rescue of survivors from the Forfarshire, the birth of the first purpose-built lifeboat and the career of the illustrious Tyne-built liner Mauretania.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304059974005,"sku":"9781739223304","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781739223304_9da594d3-a618-40d6-ba98-91ae3ec02154.jpg?v=1786024625"},{"product_id":"echoes-of-the-north-east-miners","title":"Echoes of the North East Miners","description":"The miners of the North-East, working in the most dangerousof conditions, supplied the coal which fuelled the engines ofthe Industrial Revolution and provided heating and lightingto millions of homes. Throughout much of County Durhamand Northumberland pit communities sprang up because ofthe need for coal. Mining was fundamental to thedevelopment of the region.   Illustrated with numerous colour photographs, Echoes of theNorth-East Miners throws the spotlight on the physicalheritage left by the pitmen and their communities, includingthe numerous memorials and banners which speak soeloquently of their struggles in the face of adversity, theircompassion and their enduring spirit of friendship.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483431018869,"sku":"9780950317809","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780950317809.jpg?v=1786178595"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-ken-smith.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}