The Long Spring: Tracking the Arrival of Spring through Europe

In February 2016 Laurence Rose crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa and set off on a series of journeys towards the Arctic coast of Norway, all the while keeping pace with the arrival of spring.  Like a modern-day pilgrimage, he is accompanied by fellow wayfarers, migrating swallows and cranes and later, wild swans and eagles. From Spain, Laurence continued through France and Britain. Crossing over to Sweden, Finland and Norway, he ended his travels four months later as the long Arctic days stretched into continuous daylight. First published in 2018, this 2nd edition includes a rewritten final chapter, ten years on from his journeys and ten years after the Brexit referendum: ‘Nothing connects the countries of Europe better than the wildlife they share and in particular the birds, marine life and insects that migrate freely across borders and boundaries’, Laurence explains.  ‘The Long Spring was first published two years after the journeys it describes, in 2018. Perhaps one reason the book enjoyed good reviews was because by then Europe seemed united only by the nature it explores; perhaps there was an innocence in my crossing the continent alongside swallows and storks, cranes and dragonflies, that struck a subconscious chord. I am pleased to present this new edition, which includes a rewritten final chapter, Missed Connections, to better reflect the passage of a momentous decade in Europe’