«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 *