SHORTLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL NON-FICTION BOOK AWARD 2023

Today, there are more borders in the world than ever before in human history.

In this book James Crawford argues that our enduring obsession with borders has brought us to a crisis point: that we are entering the endgame of a process that began thousands of years ago, when we first started dividing up the earth.

Beginning with the earliest known marker which denoted the end of one land and the beginning of the next, Crawford follows the story of borders into our fragile and uncertain future - towards the virtual frontiers of the internet, and the shifting geography of a world beset by climate change. In the process, he travels to many borders old and new: from a melting border high in the glacial landscapes of the Austrian-Italian Alps to the only place on land where Europe and Africa meet; from the artist Banksy's 'Walled Off Hotel' in the conflict-torn West Bank to the Sonoran Desert and the fault lines of the US/Mexico border.

Combining history, travel and reportage, The Edge of the Plain explores how borders have grown and evolved to take control of our landscapes, our memories, our identities and our destinies. As nationalism, climate change, globalisation, technology and mass migration all collide with ever-hardening borders, something has to give. And Crawford asks, is it time to let go of the lines that divide us?

About the Author

James Crawford is an acclaimed historian, publisher and broadcaster. Born in Shetland in 1978, he studied History and Philosophy of Law at the University of Edinburgh, winning the Lord President Cooper Memorial Prize, and for over a decade he worked for and researched Scotland's National Collection of architecture and archaeology. He is the author of Fallen Glory: The Lives and Deaths of the World's Greatest Lost Buildings, which was shortlisted for best non-fiction book at the Saltire Literary Awards, and he has scripted and presented three series of the landmark BBC One documentary Scotland from the Sky. In 2019 he was named as the first-ever Scottish ambassador for the UK Archive and Records Association's 'Explore Your Archives' campaign. He lives in Edinburgh.

@Jdcrawf | jamescrawford.space

Reviews
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 * *


Awards
Short-listed for Saltire Society Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2023 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781838852023
Author James Crawford
Format Hardback
Page Count 432
Imprint Canongate Books
Publisher Canongate Books
Weight(grams) 667g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 162mm * 38mm