UKC

"Who was John Wilson Robinson?

Most climbers with an interest in history will have heard of W.P. Haskett-Smith, the legendary young man who is often credited as having invented rock climbing with his solo ascent of Napes Needle in 1886. Without wishing to take away the credit Haskett-Smith deserves for his early development of climbing, this biography demonstrates that as a local farmer who knew the fells intimately, Robinson was perhaps the more complete man of the Lakeland mountains."

Alex Roddie reviews A Lakeland Climbing Pioneer: John Wilson Robinson of Whinfell Hall by Michael Waller

Read Alex's review here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=919

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Sounds excellent. I'll be buying it.

Was he (a) the chap with the impressive mutton-chop whiskers and rather laissez-faire belaying style in one famous photo of the time, and (b) the chap who used to walk over from the coast (Cockermouth, maybe) for a day's climbing with the southern toffs, and then back again?

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Not sure about a), but belaying methods were always primitive in those days
(direct belaying round a spike being probably their most reliable method). b) was definitely Robinson. He used to walk from his farm near Cockermouth and over Scarth Gap to climb with his friends around Wasdale Head. Of course, this was one reason why Pillar was one of their favourite venues, because it was relatively easy for Robinson to get to.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
amazing, I MUst read this!

Available here if anyone wants a copy: http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Lake_District_Climbing_Guid...

I'm about half way through it and I'd say that the climbing section is OK but perhaps lacks a little in that the author is not a climber. Having said that it is well written and very readable and I suspect that the best (details of Robinson's life outside climbing) is yet to come. A must for any student of the history of rock climbing.

In reply to Stephen Reid:
Mm, it's certainly not a complete biography of Robinson, but I took it to be an addition to the books already out there. His life as a climber has been pretty well documented in other volumes (all cited). To my knowledge, it is the only book to date that goes into so much detail about his private and professional life, however, which is why I think it shines.

In reply to Alex Roddie:

As much as I chuckle at some of your winter climbing posts Alex I must say this is a very good review, and very well written indeed. Will look out for your book if you can keep up a standard of writing like this. Book reviews are very hard to write I assume (given the rubbish that is usually out there) so well done.

As an aside, is your book a sort of fictional story with real people? Am just reading the end of the hunt by thomas someone or other set in ireland of 1919 onwards and that uses the format very well.

In reply to smithaldo:

Thanks =)

My book is definitely fiction, but the boundary is a bit blurred--all of the characters (bar one) are real and as authentic as possible, and most of the events in the plot are also accurate. I've used artistic license where necessary, of course. But the core of the plot is based on history which is what makes it a cracking tale to write about. =)

Of course that also means I have to spend 70% of my time doing research, and only 30% actually writing! I've been working on it for 11 months now and am only a quarter of the way through ... that's pretty slow for me!

In reply to Alex Roddie:

are there any legal issues with using real people or does one just put a disclaimer at the start?

In reply to smithaldo:
As far as I've been able to determine, legally it's not a problem as all of the individuals concerned are dead, and I'm not going to be making claims that may damage their characters. The only exception to that is Aleister Crowley, whose character would be pretty hard to damage any further I should think!!