This is my review of Cevennes and Grands Causses – France (Crossbill Guides) by Dirk Hilbers.
This is a well-presented book filled with beautiful pictures of landscapes, wildlife – flowers, butterflies and birds – and picturesque villages and farmsteads with descriptions of the history of religious dissent and decline of traditional industries, Maps and detailed instructions are provided of a number of itineraries travelling by a mixture of driving by car and on foot.
I feel that it is really a book for someone with a deep love and knowledge of the area – say a traveller who wants to follow in the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson or keep a souvenir of orchids sought out on a long ramble. There are exhaustive lists of vegetation and wildlife far more detailed than most visitors would ever require. So, the book does not meet my need for a more general overview for a holiday-maker wishing to pass through the area, perhaps spend a few days in the vicinity, visiting the main settlements and most striking landmarks, or most striking walking routes.
4 Stars
