The Extra Mile: A 21st century Pilgrimage

Contemporary pilgrim Peter Stanford visits some of the most ancient religious sites in Britain, taking the spiritual temperature of our apparently secular and sceptical age.

Table of Contents:
Introduction \ 1. Stonehenge \ 2. Bardsey Island \ 3. The Wells of Derbyshire \ 4. Walsingham \ 5. Holywell \ 6. Iona \ 7. Lindisfarne \ 8. Glastonbury \ Acknowledgments

About the Author :
Peter Stanford is a writer, broadcaster and biographer, whose books include biographies of Lord Longford, C Day-Lewis, and the Devil and the travelogue, The Extra Mile. A former editor of the Catholic Herald, he writes for The Daily Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday and The Observer and has a regular column in The Tablet. www.peterstanford.co.uk

Review :
'Stanford's sometimes humorous account of these evocative places, and of the present-day pilgrims who visit them, comprises an intriguing investigation of what faith might mean in our apparently secular age. Mentioned after Peter Stanford's article in Catholic Herald, September 2009. Mentioned in article about John Paul II Extract published in The Daily Telegraph 19 February, 2010. Stanford's delightful book is more an encounter with pilgrims than with Christ and his saints...His fellow pilgrims show themselves in perfectly caught fragments, and these frequently difficult travels tell one more about today's religious faith than many a church report. Eight pilgrimages which are in turn entertaining, down to earth, amusing and informative make this a fascinating read. Author article in The Daily Mail. This is an entertaining and easy book to read, which along with the descriptive writing explores theological questions about the nature of suffering, ecumenism, discrimination, and the after-life... He also succeeds in putting out some challenges to those of us in established churches, and he has inspired me to want to visit some of these sites and discover their mysteries for myself. Interview with author Peter Stanford in The Tablet. Book review by author Peter Stanford in The Independent. A highly illuminating study...his selection may be domestic but it is by no means parochial...Particularly welcome is his ability to laugh at himself. Stanford offers a personal and at the same time historical and geographical investigation into what he sees as a deeply ingrained spirituality in Britain. This excellent little book from journalist Peter Stanford has him travelling around the country on a modern day pilgrimage. He is always an entertaining an informative writer and this is one of his best works... An essential and thought provoking book. Mentioned in Fairacres Chronicle Vol. 44 No.1 [Stanford] has done [his] homework and [is] able to report on the nature of pilgrimage with care and most importantly of all, love. Author article in The Irish Daily Mail. Mention in Dartington reading list. The Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2010. Be encouraged to read this book. A thoughtful and interesting account of journeys, British religious history and modern complexities. One of the interesting discoveries is that the numbers of people visiting these places [of pilgrimage] with a spiritual quest is in fact, on the rise. Author article about pilgrimage in The Times, 5th June 2010 Stanford criss-crosses the country and sees for himself what has become of the places that once played such a central part in these islands' story. Stanford is an elegant, evocative writer who takes us with him...he comes to recognize himself as a link in a human chain of faith that extends backwards and forwards in time, drawing on a current that might cool, but will not freeze entirely, as it passes through his hands. The Extra Mile is rich in instruction and entertainment.  Stanford sees the story of religion in the British Isles as the ebbing and flowing of spirituality - in communities, landscapes, and popular consciousness. Author's article in Irish Daily Mail, April 2010.  In this highly illuminating study of 21st century pilgrimage, Peter Stanford examines why people travel to sacred spots, often despite discomfort and hardship. Please read Stanford's wonderful book. He is a well-informed and sympathetic guide...Best of all we get a real sense of his own spiritual journey. Review in The Methodist Recorder, 20th May 2010. [Stanford] is a wholly open-minded companion as he probes the growing desire for a greater connection to landscape, history and place in this timely investigation into what religion can be. Author article in Sunday Telegraph with book mention at end. March 2010 Author name and book mentioned in 'contributors' section of Standpoint, April 2010 Author's article in The Observer with the book mentioned at end. April 2010 Author's article in The Guardian's Family section with the book mentioned at end. April 2010