Loved it. Superbly written account of the world of metal detecting. So many brilliant anecdotes. Will be hard to beat as my Non-fiction book of the year. There is discussion about the value of the finds, both monetarily and historically, and how there is sometimes a disconnect between the priorities and values of detectorists and others. What is more important, monetary value or the story told by finds?

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Waterstones The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Waterstones

A few weeks later he retrieved his new machine from where it was hidden behind the wheelie bins. He was starting on a journey that he never ever thought that he would take.

One man's accidental journey into uncovering Britain's underground obsession. A fascinating and engaging tale of metal detecting history and Britain for fans of The Detectorists. Erm this was okay, but just okay. I think Richardson does his best with a subject that can be interesting up to a point but after reading, a whole book on metal detecting to me seems excessive. Maybe an article or a short book would have been better?

The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession The Accidental Detectorist: Uncovering an Underground Obsession

A fascinating look at an unusual hobby, the people it attracts, the rewards it provides (both to the detectorists, and the heritage world at-large), and yet another example of our shared humanity, and the strange and wonderful ways we can find our inner-most selves a home.The beauty of this hobby is that the English landscape is looked at differently. As Richardson says, he would have chosen Albania or Madagascar rather than Hampshire to go treasure hunting, but his local area suddenly appears to be a kind of undiscovered country. There's plenty to learn besides the laws of digging on farmland, from reading old maps and history books to the new jargon and equipment belonging to the detectorists. Richardson's writing style is easy enough, conversational with some humour thrown in but there are only so many times you can read someone saying "found anything good?!" I have had a bit of an obsession with metal detecting since I was a child and loved reading stories about treasure hoards and ancient items being found. Although, what I once thought was a treasure box was actually a baking tray! Charting his course from utter novice to “one of the crew”, Nigel describes his tentative steps into the hobby, which seems for him to be as much about seeking a sense of identity and belonging — following all the upheavals and upsets of Brexit followed by the pandemic — as it does about buried treasure. What starts as a day out to gather material for an article develops into a surprising passion for writer and journalist Nigel.

The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette UK The Accidental Detectorist by Nigel Richardson | Hachette UK

Memorable experiences, rooted in landscape and history, could be had in objectively unremarkable places — on the A1, a road I know well, for example.” If you've ever watched Detectorists, or hankered to find treasure with a metal detector, you're automatically going to be intrigued and entertained with this book. As a history and archaeology fanatic, I do feel I should tell you where I stand on metal detecting before I share my book review, I know it can be a touchy subject within our community! I do agree with metal detecting, IF it’s done with a love of history and not monetary gain; the detecting is done legally, with the landowners’ permission; find spots are accurately recorded, artefacts are removed/stored carefully, and finds are reported to a FLO. And finally, no bloody nighthawking! Right, after that rather long-winded start, let’s get on with the book review!

I love the fact that this book weaves in the history of different areas with the finds that people have made and describes a typical day out with other detectorists. I loved reading about the rallies and it has inspired me to see if there is a local group near to me. I learned a lot and enjoyed the stories about metal detectoring. I found it fascinating and liked the style of writing and the storytelling.