Danny Hendriks

This should be required reading for any forestry or ecology student such as myself. Why it wasn't part of my BSc curriculum remains a mystery to me. This book beautifully illustrates the history of conservation and nature management, while also offering glimpses into how we might move forward in the field. In particular, his essay on The Land Ethic raises important points that deserve to be remembered and applied going forward. This book just really made me want to buy a plot of land and start ecological homesteading, while wearing a bever hat and using birch tree sap for lantern light.

Some of the subject matter Aldo writes about is quite outdated, and it shows that he was a man of his time. Here are a few instances: for one, he describes how grizzlies have been decimated in population in the U.S., but those numbers have largely recovered since. He also gives recipes using bear fat, which seems wildly contradictory to his earlier point. Furthermore, he mentions how there are no more wolves in Yellowstone, although they have since returned. Lastly, his disdain for European nature recreation was short-sighted and extremely generalized. I quote: “Europeans do not camp, cook, or do their own work in the woods if they can avoid doing so. Work chores are delegated to beaters and servants.” Brave words for a man who had only visited Germany once in his life.

I also had some difficulties getting through the book because of the language used. Maybe it had to do with the age of the book, but Aldo could have used some more “Jip en Janneke taal,” in my best Dutch. I understood the point he was trying to make—he just made it in an overcomplicated way.

Nonetheless, it was a great read that taught me a lot about the history of conservation. It also introduced me to different natural areas of the U.S. through anecdotes and experiences in the second part of the book.

Three chapters I want to highlight in particular are:

February (in Part One), where Aldo cuts down a tree on his land that had been struck by lightning. He then proceeds to tell the history of nature conservation through the tree's growth rings, which I found to be really clever.

The Flambeau (in Part Two), where he meets two youths on a nature retreat who are completely independent. He spends the rest of the chapter making the point that people need a connection to nature to remember where we as humans come from—because how can we protect what we don't know or understand?

The Land Ethic, where Aldo concludes the book with the powerful argument that viewing land solely through an economic lens will eventually prove detrimental. He proposes that seeing land as an ethical obligation for individuals—rather than just a responsibility of governments—is a better path forward.

Lekker hikes bijhouden op goodreads. Hoe gaaf is dat.

Tears come from the heart and not from the brain

Probably the best book I have read this year thus far! I wish I could just forget that I ever read this book so I could experience it again! A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms include three stories of the hedge knight Dunk and his squire Egg set in the world of Ice and Fire. So I will review all three stories separately.

The Hedge Knight:

“Every knight needs a squire ser and you look like you need one most of all”

The first of the bunch and definitely my favourite. It sees Dunk a young hedge knight setting out on his own after the knight that he squired for died. After meeting his own soon to be squire Egg he enters a tourney to make some money for his travels before he catches the wrath of an arrogant Targaryen prince.

Martin as always does an amazing job describing the various set pieces of his medieval world. When I read of the banter and heraldry's of all the different houses I felt as though I was actually there. Even though I knew what was going to happen through the fire and ice history book I still held my breath when the trail of the seven started. I cannot express how much tension that I felt when I read those pages and the illustrations do a great job enhancing that feeling.

Every Dunk & Egg story deals with its own themes regarding the meaning of being a knight. In the world of Ice and Fire feudal class system hedge knights deal with prejudice and hatred for having a reputation of disloyalty and being lower class. But the hedge knight shows that birth or class does not have to determine what kind of person you have to become. Which I think is a beautiful message.

The Sworn Sword:
“A great battle is a terrible thing,” the old knight said, “but in the midst of blood and carnage, there is sometimes also beauty, beauty that could break your heart.”

This was my least favourite of the three. Still really good but quite slow at times. It sees our heroes two years after the events of the Hedge Knight serving a minor knight named Eustace.

In these two years a plaque hit the Seven Kingdoms killing the king and the crown prince. Leaving a weak second son as king who lets his bastard uncle rule his Kingdom for him. This little intro sets the tone for the rest of the novella as these are uncertain times for the seven kingdoms and our heroes.

A big theme of this novella is that good and evil are not always black and white. And that as a knight you have to make your own conclusions and not get influenced by reputation. History is written by the winners after all. Dunk and Egg have to mitigate a conflict between two lords but when the allegiances of said lords become unclear and muddled they have to make a choose whether they are on the morally good side.

The mystery knight:
“I am going to clout you in the ear so hard your head will turn around backwards, and you'll spend the rest of your life looking where you've been”
The third and last(for now) of the Dunk & Egg stories. It sees our heroes heading toward the North to help the Starks. But they are caught up in an tourney to celebrate a certain lords daughter's wedding. But things are not what it seems during these celebration...

I loved seeing a different side of Dunk in this novella. He has been a bit of the bland good hearted protagonist in the last few books. But him being angry brought out a whole new side of him which was very refreshing. I thought Dunk & Eggs relationship growth was depicted really well in this last novella. They have been travelling together for more than two years and it shown as they have just the most wholesome brotherly relationship now. A few of the illustrations are just the cutest damn thing ever. There was also a throwback to the hedge knight at the end of this novella which was just beautifully done.

I big theme of the Dunk & Egg series overall is the exploration of honour, loyalty, and the complexities of knighthood in a world rife with political intrigue and social stratification. Through the eyes of Dunk and Egg, we witness the struggles of ordinary people amidst the grandeur of noble tournaments and courtly machinations. Each story adds layers to the world of Westeros and provides insights into its history, often with nods to events and characters from George R.R. Martin's larger “A Song of Ice and Fire” series.

In The Mystery Knight, particularly, we delve deeper into the undercurrents of power and deceit that pervade the Seven Kingdoms. Dunk's transformation from a simple hedge knight to a figure of reluctant heroism is emblematic of the series overarching theme: the emergence of greatness from unexpected places, and the enduring spirit of chivalry in a world tainted by ambition and betrayal.
Overall, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a captivating journey through the lesser-known corners of Westeros, brought to life by Martin's rich prose and vivid storytelling. It's a testament to the enduring appeal of his world-building and the timeless allure of knightly tales.

first half was pretty mid 2 /5⭐ second half was fire 5/5⭐. Did not expect mormons to show up in a Sherlock Holmes book.