Does for camping what Roger Deakin did for wild swimming Independent A delightful combination of history and memoir with a generous dollop of guidance thrown on top ... read this gem of a book Economist An elegant ode to the joys of camping. All sorts of tips on campsite etiquette, lore, equipment, and best practice, and his advice is convincing and honest. He is a lovely writer and his history is enlivened with tremendous flashes of wit Daily Telegraph Teaming witty anecdotes with a potted history of what sleeping under the stars means sociologically, De Abaitua makes learning how to create a tented home away from home fun Elle De Abaitua will soon have you believing in this consistently engaging and enjoyable book. It's a fine writer indeed who can seem authoritative, approachable and just great fun Metro

Matthew De Abaitua is editor-at-large of the Idler and a committed camper. His Twitter feed and popular website, cathandmathcamping.com, provide amusing and useful information on where and how to camp in Britain. He is also the compere of the Free University of Glastonbury and the author of the novel The Red Men, which was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and is currently being made into a film by Shynola. Matthew lives with his wife Cath and young family in Sussex.