The Edge of the Plain

A richly essayistic account of how borders make and break our world, from Hadrian's Wall to China's Great Firewall * * Guardian * *
The borders that mark our world are either ineffective, inhumane, or both. The Edge of the Plain asks us to envision alternatives * * New York Times * *
Erudite and engaging . . . [A] fine book * * The Irish Times * *
Why do lines on a map hold such power over humanity? Will we ever do away with them? These are some of the questions pondered - and answered - by James Crawford. Fascinating * * CNN * *
Fascinating -- NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE * * BBC R5 * *
[A] lyrical tour of borders in the past and the present . . . Crawford is at his best when surrendering to his propensity for reverie, an irrepressible, almost romantic sense of wonder that drives the reader from chapter to chapter * * Washington Post * *
Crawford travels widely to make his points in a text reminiscent of those of Barry Lopez or Robert Macfarlane . . . A thoughtful consideration of the imaginary lines that hold meaning for so many * * Kirkus Reviews * *
Confidently splices historical overview, travel writing and interviews. The book's alchemical ingredients are Crawford's sparkling prose and his photographer's eye for detail * * Business Post * *
Crawford's essays, through vivid accounts of historical episodes and contemporary problems, illuminate how the world acquired its current shape . . . Eye-opening * * Literary Review * *
[A] wide-reaching examination of the walls, barriers and "landscape interventions" that promote both freedom and independence, and enforce exile and humiliation . . . Borders are indeed a dirty affair, but as Crawford's excellent book demonstrates, they are also fascinating * * Geographical * *