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Land: The Ownership of Everywhere

Land: The Ownership of Everywhere

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  • Create Date：2021-04-17 11:51:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Simon Winchester
  • ISBN：0062938339
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Summary

The author of The Professor and the Madman and The Perfectionists explores the notion of property—our proprietary relationship with the land—through human history， how it has shaped us and what it will mean for our future。

Land—whether meadow or mountainside， desert or peat bog， parkland or pasture， suburb or city—is central to our existence。 It quite literally underlies and underpins everything。 Employing the keen intellect， insatiable curiosity， and narrative verve that are the foundations of his previous bestselling works， Simon Winchester examines what we human beings are doing—and have done—with the billions of acres that together make up the solid surface of our planet。

Land: The Ownership of Everywhere examines in depth how we acquire land， how we steward it， how and why we fight over it， and finally， how we can， and on occasion do， come to share it。 Ultimately， Winchester confronts the essential question: who actually owns the world’s land—and why does it matter？ 

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Reviews

David Blankenship ，

This was an often-depressing book about the ways the idea of land has been abused。。。whether it's about the confiscation of land by the rich from the poor （or the native from the empire）， the abuse of the land by those seeking to extract minerals out of it， or the continual development of the land from the pristine to the 'civilized'。 Many of the chapters often stand self-contained， and more than a few （in particular， the entire first volume in which the author drones on about some land he had bo This was an often-depressing book about the ways the idea of land has been abused。。。whether it's about the confiscation of land by the rich from the poor （or the native from the empire）， the abuse of the land by those seeking to extract minerals out of it， or the continual development of the land from the pristine to the 'civilized'。 Many of the chapters often stand self-contained， and more than a few （in particular， the entire first volume in which the author drones on about some land he had bought in the United States） could have been gladly edited out without much loss。 But all in all it's a very fascinating book that will make the reader think a lot about the foundations of our modern society。 。。。more

Lori ，

While I expected the book to be written on a popular level rather than an academic level， I expected the author would tackle land in a more traditional historical manner rather than by jumping from one incident to another in various parts of the world。 On page 122 of 660 in the Kindle version， the author states， "No American， so far as I am aware， ever professed a deep and unsullied affection for the USGS topographical sheets that it is possible to order from government agencies。 They are fine e While I expected the book to be written on a popular level rather than an academic level， I expected the author would tackle land in a more traditional historical manner rather than by jumping from one incident to another in various parts of the world。 On page 122 of 660 in the Kindle version， the author states， "No American， so far as I am aware， ever professed a deep and unsullied affection for the USGS topographical sheets that it is possible to order from government agencies。 They are fine enough maps， and they cover the entirety of the nation。 But seldom are they bought for the sheer pleasure of ownership， of the ability to pore over them and imagine， or remember， to draw contented admiration at their elegant appearance and scrupulous accuracy。" My immediate thought was that he had never met a land-platting genealogist！ Many purchased these maps for every location in which their ancestors lived or in which they were working for a client。 Nowadays the maps are available online and most use software to plat the deeds so fewer maps are being purchased， but there are still many who prefer to own these maps。 I realize the author was making a point about the availablility of Ordnance Survey maps in many places in the UK whereas they needed to be ordered from a single location in the United States， but he overstated his case。 Unfortunately he exaggerated points in many places in the book。 While I initially planned to purchase a copy of this pre-publication， but I'm glad I decided to read a library copy before purchasing。 I do not need another dust catcher， and that's exactly what this book would do on my shelves。 Its usefulness is minimal。 。。。more

Pete ，

Interesting， and quite broad topically。 Certainly some scathing history about land acquisition by dispossessing other people groups。 I think what surprised me the most was his discussion of how "land" is not as stable as we think， both when sea levels rise and how the Dutch have pulled new land out of the sea。 There was an interesting note regarding the creation of United States national parks， which introduced the concept that it is popular to idolise "nature" to keep it "untainted" from "human Interesting， and quite broad topically。 Certainly some scathing history about land acquisition by dispossessing other people groups。 I think what surprised me the most was his discussion of how "land" is not as stable as we think， both when sea levels rise and how the Dutch have pulled new land out of the sea。 There was an interesting note regarding the creation of United States national parks， which introduced the concept that it is popular to idolise "nature" to keep it "untainted" from "human" use， while stewarded use is often the best way to maintain land。 I also enjoyed the comparison of suburban lawnmowing with the tradition of "cool fires" that Aboriginal people in Australia use。 。。。more

Jenn Adams ，

Really interesting worldwide journey through the history of "land" and "property" and how that has been treated and dealt with by a wide range of cultures。 Really interesting worldwide journey through the history of "land" and "property" and how that has been treated and dealt with by a wide range of cultures。 。。。more

Pamela ，

This latest book by Simon Winchester attempts to cover a broad subject， perhaps too broad， for human’s relationship with land。 While there are many facts and tidbits gleaned in this book， it is not long enough to cover the world entirely。 Huge parts of land are missing， notably South America， most islands， much of Asia and Europe。 He focuses instead on points here and there， he narrows in and those parts I thoroughly enjoyed。 One that struck me particularly is with the Netherlands， creating new This latest book by Simon Winchester attempts to cover a broad subject， perhaps too broad， for human’s relationship with land。 While there are many facts and tidbits gleaned in this book， it is not long enough to cover the world entirely。 Huge parts of land are missing， notably South America， most islands， much of Asia and Europe。 He focuses instead on points here and there， he narrows in and those parts I thoroughly enjoyed。 One that struck me particularly is with the Netherlands， creating new land and their building of new land in the 1980s， by taking it away from the North Sea away， creating a new province of Flevoland。 I found the book was well organized， yet each section could have more breath。 Also， once could argue there was no rhyme or reason to why certain points on the map were covered and other areas skipped。 When confronted with native people’s being disposed of their land， and the attempts to recover it， well definitely Winchester could have written more， and perhaps with more compassion。 He certainly seems to take affront at how much land is owned by so few in Britain， and rightly so。 Don’t expect the book to be through， but there is much here that can have you asking， just how much land does one need？Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book。 。。。more

Frank ，

The Author's book is entirely about "LAND"。 How much there is， how it is/was acquired， who owns it， how it is utilized， how much is actually needed， why it is disappearing and why that is important。 This is a fascinating but somewhat laborious read。 The Author's book is entirely about "LAND"。 How much there is， how it is/was acquired， who owns it， how it is utilized， how much is actually needed， why it is disappearing and why that is important。 This is a fascinating but somewhat laborious read。 。。。more

Dick Hamilton ，

While I enjoyed the book overall， I would say that if you were a fan of Winchester's books such as Krakatoa or The Professor and the Madman， you might not be as fond of this book。 While the other two focused on two discreet events， this book is more a collection of essays without the immediate single point that really grabs the reader。 Enjoyable， but not my favorite。 While I enjoyed the book overall， I would say that if you were a fan of Winchester's books such as Krakatoa or The Professor and the Madman， you might not be as fond of this book。 While the other two focused on two discreet events， this book is more a collection of essays without the immediate single point that really grabs the reader。 Enjoyable， but not my favorite。 。。。more

Claudia ，

Simon Winchester has a way of looking at the biggest ideas and places and manages to present small bites for the readers consumption that just collects together into a ginormous meal。 Admittedly， these small bites are， basically， collections of essay/chapters about various topics that Winchester feels gives an overall picture of what he is attempting to convey。 In his latest book， he tackles "land。" From the geological formation of the solid ground beneath our feet to the wandering hominids to e Simon Winchester has a way of looking at the biggest ideas and places and manages to present small bites for the readers consumption that just collects together into a ginormous meal。 Admittedly， these small bites are， basically， collections of essay/chapters about various topics that Winchester feels gives an overall picture of what he is attempting to convey。 In his latest book， he tackles "land。" From the geological formation of the solid ground beneath our feet to the wandering hominids to early agricultural techniques which had one farmer furrowing his plot one direction while his neighbor furrowed his another and where they met became the first borders。Off to measuring the size of the planet and projecting the amount of land。 Then to maps and borders - some old， some natural barriers， some arbitrarily created - like between India and Pakistan which was decided over seven days by someone who was completely unfamiliar with the people and territory and caused a massive crisis in 1947。 The mental hopscotch of enclaves - again India and Pakistan which are working on ridding each other of the tiny foreign bodies withing their borders。 The UK Ordinance Survey maps that are still valued by Brits。Making land - usually volcanic when created naturally or collections of sand and/or silt from water flows。 Or then there is man-made land which can be due to rubble dumped and built upon （New York City and San Francisco） or when the Netherlands reclaimed acres from the Zuiderzee and made a new province。Of course， the theft of American Indian land and the grab of white settlers。 British gentry and landholding。 British common use land to enclosures （for better utilization usually determined to be 'badly overused' by individuals grazing their animals there instead of on private lands）。 The clearances of poor crofts in Scotland for the raising of sheep which led to their migration to Manitoba to survive。 The personal landowners of Australia， United States， and Canada that possess huge amounts of land in various positive and negative spotlights。 The idea of trespass to barbed wire to countries where trespass is an unknown concept and allows access as long as the travelers are respectful and responsible。The DMZ between the Koreas where nature has reclaimed the area and re-wilding （to various levels） of estates。 The wisdom of aboriginal people especially brought to the forefront when dealing with fires and dry underbrush before it can be fuel for conflagrations like that experienced by Australia。 Cities and city parks and encircling highways and contaminated lands。Ireland and its northern neighbor which shared the island。 Palestine and Israel which are bitter rivals to this day and the Ukrainian genocide by Stalin。 The lands worked and farmed by Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans in the western United States which was taken from them when they were caged to internment camps。Maori and Aotearoa New Zealand。 The island of Ulva now owned by the community living there as well as the Scots island of Eigg which preceded it。 The end of European colonialism in Africa。 The discovery of Yosemite and the preservation of nature's beauty which was just another reminder of the white brutality towards the resident Indians。 Land trusts - land owned by trust while housing can be built， improvements made by the occupants but the land can never be sold。 And finally， climate change and the drowning of coastal land。A lot of area covered both in number of topics and across the world itself。 Tremendous amount of information and with each chapter being - not necessarily dedicated to each topic since he would include other similar information and examples - basically complete in itself， the reader could easily have set the book aside to consider what he had relayed and do any personal investigation without losing their place。Winchester ends with a glossary of land measurement terms from acre to yoking as well as a bibliography。I will admit that an error that crept in early on remained in the back of my mind while reading this latest work by Winchester for me。 An editor or the author himself should have caught it。 And no， I'm not going to relay what it was， you have to find it yourself。2021-066 。。。more

Barbara ，

As you may imagine the quest for land ownership has a long and murderous history。 I had to read this book in short chunks because so much of it was very depressing。 Winchester writes well enough but I did not learn much from this book。

Seth ，

Winchester makes you think about land and property as you likely never have。 “The hunger for ownership” does indeed change everything。

Tony Mistretta ，

All about the land here on Earth and who owns it， how its ownership came about and an interesting concept of whether land should be owned by anyone， or should it be shared by the community。 Historical accounts of how tribes of various people in various parts of the world were driven from land or had their rights of usage taken away by men who believed it was their God-given right to do so。

Colin Maclennan ，

Interesting and very readable。

Randall Russell ，

While I've enjoyed some of Simon Winchester's other books， I have to say I didn't find this one particularly enjoyable。 To me， this book seemed to wander all over the place， and while some of the vignettes were quite interesting， there really didn't seem to be a theme or themes that tied them together， other than they were perhaps loosely about the idea of land。 These vignettes ranged from the author's ownership of some land in New England， to communal land ownership， to the Yosemite Valley， to While I've enjoyed some of Simon Winchester's other books， I have to say I didn't find this one particularly enjoyable。 To me， this book seemed to wander all over the place， and while some of the vignettes were quite interesting， there really didn't seem to be a theme or themes that tied them together， other than they were perhaps loosely about the idea of land。 These vignettes ranged from the author's ownership of some land in New England， to communal land ownership， to the Yosemite Valley， to New Zealand and New Guinea， to Japanese concentration camps during WWII， to name just a few examples。 Since they were only very loosely connected to each other， and often not very connected to the idea of land or the ownership of land， I found the overall effect to be frustrating。 I also feel like the author never really came to grips with what I thought should be a central theme - just why are people often so obsessed with the idea of possessing land？ So overall， I wouldn't particularly recommend this book。 There are definitely other Simon Winchester books that I found much more interesting - The Professor and the Madman， The Map That Changed the World and Krakatoa being some examples。 。。。more

Thom ，

Coming off of Mr。 Winchester's excellent book on Krakatoa this was a disappointment on few different levels。First I really got a "naive noble savage" vibe when talking about the native folks of Asia， Africa， Australia and America。 Second compared to Krakatoa， this was a very wandering book with a unclear structure， almost more like some antidotes strung together。 Towards the end I really had to muscle through the book。Third while content to liberally chastise the white British folks for all thei Coming off of Mr。 Winchester's excellent book on Krakatoa this was a disappointment on few different levels。First I really got a "naive noble savage" vibe when talking about the native folks of Asia， Africa， Australia and America。 Second compared to Krakatoa， this was a very wandering book with a unclear structure， almost more like some antidotes strung together。 Towards the end I really had to muscle through the book。Third while content to liberally chastise the white British folks for all their various wrongs ， he very quickly noped out of the British stealing Irish land， I guess they don't qualify as "noble savages" 。。。more

Marianne ，

Very interesting。 Winchester is one of my favorite authors。 I do wish the editor had been more thorough as there were quite a few omitted words， punctuation， etc。

Andy Kabanoff ，

An excellent historian's view on land from prehistory through to the future， told in a very engaging way。 Personal accounts， recounts of historical events with snippits of interesting information from thousands of sources embedded within。 Land enclosed， taken， destroyed and in a few cases regenerated and even created。 The theft of land from indigenous occupants in the Americas， Africa， Australia and New Zealand， land taken from others in Scotland and the Ukraine， the devastating results of the p An excellent historian's view on land from prehistory through to the future， told in a very engaging way。 Personal accounts， recounts of historical events with snippits of interesting information from thousands of sources embedded within。 Land enclosed， taken， destroyed and in a few cases regenerated and even created。 The theft of land from indigenous occupants in the Americas， Africa， Australia and New Zealand， land taken from others in Scotland and the Ukraine， the devastating results of the partition of India， and so on and on。 Much of this I knew to some extent but much was quite new， and to have it packaged together in this way was quite a revelation。 Winchester doesn't go soft on the perpetrators of land theft， and paints a worrying picture of a world where land – once thought to be a constant commodity - is being lost。 。。。more

Lee ，

When Simon Winchester purchased land in New York's forested country， he got to wondering what it is about land that causes people to want to own it。 Raised and educated in England， he brings a different perspective to his globe-trotting research。 He also delves back in time to see how things were once done and how our present attitudes were formed。 Part history of the world， part environmental evangelicalism， his book is thoughtful and current。 Although at times a bit tedious in its details， Win When Simon Winchester purchased land in New York's forested country， he got to wondering what it is about land that causes people to want to own it。 Raised and educated in England， he brings a different perspective to his globe-trotting research。 He also delves back in time to see how things were once done and how our present attitudes were formed。 Part history of the world， part environmental evangelicalism， his book is thoughtful and current。 Although at times a bit tedious in its details， Winchester never fails to address his points and lead the reader through his logic。 It was an interesting read for its worldwide approach to land ownership， but I had to wonder what political ideals underpinned his arguments。 I'm glad I read it but will probably not rush out and get any other titles by this author。 。。。more

Brenda ，

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this Winchester book after reading a few chapters。 It was a slow start。 But a few chapters in and I thoroughly enjoyed it， and was left wanting more。 I always learn so many interesting tidbits from his books。 I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this Winchester book after reading a few chapters。 It was a slow start。 But a few chapters in and I thoroughly enjoyed it， and was left wanting more。 I always learn so many interesting tidbits from his books。 。。。more

Rich ，

I thought this was a great collection of seemingly separate stories linked by the thread Winchester writes of as land ownership。 His outlook is progressive in that he sympathizes with the landless， the poor and the indigenous instead of the aristocracy and the 1%。 The number of new facts presented， at least to me， is extraordinary。 The single most basic fact I intend to keep is that the earth has 37 billion acres of land。 37 billion is a finite number。

Casey ，

A good book， providing a thorough understanding of human ownership of land and how this has influenced our history。 The author， the former Geologist turned prolific author Simon Winchester， is one of my favorites。 He brings his usual wit and subtlety to this work， along with his ability to call out humans for our very human behaviors。 The book covers the full range of topics associated with land ownership， to include the history， original rights， usage， legal considerations， the buying and selli A good book， providing a thorough understanding of human ownership of land and how this has influenced our history。 The author， the former Geologist turned prolific author Simon Winchester， is one of my favorites。 He brings his usual wit and subtlety to this work， along with his ability to call out humans for our very human behaviors。 The book covers the full range of topics associated with land ownership， to include the history， original rights， usage， legal considerations， the buying and selling process， conflicts， and the future。 It is fast paced and wide ranging， but detailed， as any fan of Winchester is familiar with。 I especially liked the section on the Dutch land reclaiming efforts， covering both their technical aspects and the legal hurdles that have to be overcome。 I did think the book’s topic was a bit too broad， or at least that it lacked the pointed focus of Winchester’s other books。 But， it was still fascinating and well worth the read。 A great book for anyone who enjoys Simon Winchester’s unique writing style and information flow。 Highly recommended for those wanting to better understand land ownership with a holistic perspective。 。。。more

Kathleen Hulser ，

Everything Simon Winchester writes is wonderful， he engages deeply with subjects that matter， even as he pens jaunty narratives， sprinkled with memorable historical and contemporary figures。 His latest book explores the theory and practice of owning land。 The topic resonantes with an enormous number of issues that bedevil human history: the clash of haves and have-nots， the rape of nature， the power of ownership， the legal structures that underpin the very human arrangements for occupying and us Everything Simon Winchester writes is wonderful， he engages deeply with subjects that matter， even as he pens jaunty narratives， sprinkled with memorable historical and contemporary figures。 His latest book explores the theory and practice of owning land。 The topic resonantes with an enormous number of issues that bedevil human history: the clash of haves and have-nots， the rape of nature， the power of ownership， the legal structures that underpin the very human arrangements for occupying and using land。 And， of course， it is a marvelous and smart exposition of the roots of the urban/rural split， made even more engrossing by its wide range of examples drawn from the US， Scotland， India， the Marshall Islands and many more。 The nefarious impacts of land policies and the tragedy of the commons are traced in well-chosen case studies。 Winchester is no naif: he is aware that the injustices of private property might prove preferable to the ruin of spaces held in common， that often succumb to the recklessness that comes with competition to grab as much as one can。 Weaponized concepts of real estate and alienable land helped strip vast lands from Native Americans。 He traces migration to patterns of privatization， clearance in Scotland， enclosure in England， just plain dispossession and theft in North America， and feudal hierarchies intertwined with colonial legacies in India。 Made land as a response to scarcity from Battery Park to Krakatoa。 Winchester's stories of the artificial boundaries as spawning grounds of eternal disputes are particularly illuminating in his comparative perspective， where "tribal" lines in colonial Africa， the infamous partition of India/Pakistan and the eternal warfare in Israel/Palestine function as case studies in lasting damage。 And throughout the author pays attention to details from the deployment of the compass and the surveyors rod and chain， down to the patent on barbed wire， the technological innovation that arguably created the American West。 Even the notion of the bundle of rights known as property that extends to infinity in the sky becomes problematic in the age of air travel and drone flying。 。。。more

Todd Stockslager ，

Review title: Living with the landLand has been much on my mind lately， as several months ago I started making my way through D。 W。 Meinig's four-volume and highly recommended geographic history of America， and just before I picked up Winchester's latest at my local library buying a new house and selling my existing home。 While my primary interest was in the built property， not on the "real" estate， the land underneath， the property's worth and value is inseparable from the location of the land。 Review title: Living with the landLand has been much on my mind lately， as several months ago I started making my way through D。 W。 Meinig's four-volume and highly recommended geographic history of America， and just before I picked up Winchester's latest at my local library buying a new house and selling my existing home。 While my primary interest was in the built property， not on the "real" estate， the land underneath， the property's worth and value is inseparable from the location of the land。 Land ownership is central to the American Dream。Winchester， a veteran popular historian whose topics often touch on place and geography， turns his thoughts to the history of man's relationship to land。 It hasn't always been that of the assumption， expectation， desire for， and desirability of private ownership， and it hasn't always been a smooth relationship。 A transplanted English man and naturalized American citizen， Winchester spends a good bit of his paper on documenting Native American relationships to land and their sad genocidal removal from the land by European immigrants who had a very different view of man's proper relationship to land that converted a common good into private real estate。 He also documents the similarities of the American history to other aboriginal encounters with imperial peoples （Australia， Canada， New Zealand， Hawaii， Russia， and much of the African continent）。 He is writing popular narrative history here， so there is no footnoting or rigorous approach to data or theoretical analysis， and given the broad scope of his topic his writing often has to be generalized to the level of nonfiction essay。 While his facts and writing are sound and believable， his tone often veers toward romanticism of the distant past and criticisms of the present that overlook the real economic， political， moral， and cultural value of the dominant modern worldviews of private property。Sections of the book are devoted to borders between national populations where antipathies have hardened to hatred， patterns of acquisition which have lead to extreme concentration of private land ownership， efforts to improve stewardship of the land， and recent movements toward resolving imperial land expropriation by devolving ownership to original inhabitants or creating community ownership groups。 These last movements are fraught with political battles over taxation， reparations， and failures of communal ownership experiments （offset by some few small examples Winchester documents of recent successes in Scotland and slow steps toward full recovery of Maori land ownership in New Zealand）。Winchester returns to his native United Kingdom for a thumbnail history of the dual "Tragedies of Improvement" （p。 171-193） in England and Scotland。 The Enclosure movement to fence off former common shared ground （for grazing， hunting， tilling， and hunting） into private plots owned by the wealthy or noble closed off the possibility of livelihood and nourishment for the now disenfranchised， and the Clearance movement to forceably remove tenant farmers from large estates in favor of expected higher profits from sheep grazing on the same land resulted in starvation， homelessness， and increased emigration to the "new worlds" of America， Canada， and Australia for those who could afford the trip or were willing to indenture themselves to pay for it。 That these new immigrants often bought or homesteaded land stolen from the original native communities who owned or used it is an irony sadly noted by Winchester。Like all of Winchester's many （30-plus other titles listed at the front of this one） popular histories， this is enjoyable and quick reading， certainly not a classic。 His ability as a writer enables him to tell a story well， and while I might wish for more rigorous analysis he does at least provide a bibliography for further reading。 My review title is the name of a Disney World Epcot attraction about ways to use land more efficiently to produce larger and healthier yields more sustainably。 The attraction and its name are a short synopsis of Winchester's theme。 May we all become better at living with the land。 。。。more

Arevik Heboyan ，

Amazing research of history， anthropology， geology， sociology of property， land， and settlements。 Definitely a must-read for any person interested in the social and natural history of land， property-owning， and adjusting living， habits， and beliefs associated with a piece of physical land。 Sincerely adore and am fascinated by the first part of the book， where a historical background of humankind movements and settlements are presented， anthropology and natural history。 Though I personally do not Amazing research of history， anthropology， geology， sociology of property， land， and settlements。 Definitely a must-read for any person interested in the social and natural history of land， property-owning， and adjusting living， habits， and beliefs associated with a piece of physical land。 Sincerely adore and am fascinated by the first part of the book， where a historical background of humankind movements and settlements are presented， anthropology and natural history。 Though I personally do not like the narrative of the book with anecdotes， I still consider this book an impressive and influential account of a very human behavior: owning and living in a specific piece of land。 。。。more

L。A。 Heberlein ，

If you're a fan of Winchester's books， you might be disappointed in this one。 It's an assortment of loosely connected essays， discursive and sometimes digressive， in need of an editor。 But full of entertaining and often educational bits。 If you're a fan of Winchester's books， you might be disappointed in this one。 It's an assortment of loosely connected essays， discursive and sometimes digressive， in need of an editor。 But full of entertaining and often educational bits。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

3。9 stars。 This book reminded me an awful lot like a book I read not long ago， The Republic of Nature by Mark Fiege。 Fiege’s book’s purpose was to intertwine the environment with history by taking events we know of and putting them into perspective by adding an environmental science sort of view。 It was a great read， I liked it， it combined my interests， and yet the stories were all over the place and very loosely connected。 That’s what this book felt like to me。 I enjoyed learning about the his 3。9 stars。 This book reminded me an awful lot like a book I read not long ago， The Republic of Nature by Mark Fiege。 Fiege’s book’s purpose was to intertwine the environment with history by taking events we know of and putting them into perspective by adding an environmental science sort of view。 It was a great read， I liked it， it combined my interests， and yet the stories were all over the place and very loosely connected。 That’s what this book felt like to me。 I enjoyed learning about the history of how we view land， especially the parts discussing how the first world map’s came to be。 But the book soon turn into many little stories of extremely little connection， not even the subsections of the book having a great link。 But， I liked the topic and learned much valuable information just like with Fiege’s book。 I also appreciated how there was data from as recent as 2020 and references to the pandemic， I never find that new of information in a whole printed book！ At the end of the day it’s a good book in which to learn from and I’m excited to venture into Winchester’s other books now too。 But the overall structure could definitely use improvement。 。。。more

Anne ，

A generally good romp through the ages of land use， whether communal or individual。 Multiple reasons for immigration and folks who worked hard to drain and create even more above-water-land。 Fascinating examples across the earth but I do wish he'd shared how USSR land ownership has changed since it's dissolution。 A generally good romp through the ages of land use， whether communal or individual。 Multiple reasons for immigration and folks who worked hard to drain and create even more above-water-land。 Fascinating examples across the earth but I do wish he'd shared how USSR land ownership has changed since it's dissolution。 。。。more

Mason ，

Though Winchester provides more than enough historical anecdotes to entertain， his larger argument proves somewhat elusive。

Sara ，

Maybe 3。5？ Interesting premise and some fascinating chapters， but it didn’t make for a cohesive whole （the topic is huge， so not an easy task）。

Shawn Thrasher ，

Starting with the history of the land he purchased in Massachusetts， Winchester relates in chatty， informal detail about land。 Each chapter used an anecdote （or several） to illustrate something about land: how the earth makes new land， how humans acquire land， how humans steal land， how humans improve land， how humans return previously stolen land， how humans through climate change are destroying the land - and more。 Winchester has his chatty， storyteller prose that makes you feel as if you are Starting with the history of the land he purchased in Massachusetts， Winchester relates in chatty， informal detail about land。 Each chapter used an anecdote （or several） to illustrate something about land: how the earth makes new land， how humans acquire land， how humans steal land， how humans improve land， how humans return previously stolen land， how humans through climate change are destroying the land - and more。 Winchester has his chatty， storyteller prose that makes you feel as if you are sitting across from him in a coffee shop （although please， not Starbucks） and he’s telling you story after story with using land as a connective theme。 He has some truly terrible stories to tell too: the Ukrainian famine， the Japanese American internment camps， colonization。 He ends on climate change - how could he not。 But also， some inspiring stories too - land stories about the Maori of New Zealand or the collective land ownerships in Scotland or trusts in the USA。 Lots of trivia here - but certainly not a trivial subject。 。。。more

Wendy Capron ，

Best quote from Desmond Tutu "When the missionaries came， they had the Bible and we had the land。They said 'Let us pray。' We closed our eyes。 When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land。" Best quote from Desmond Tutu "When the missionaries came， they had the Bible and we had the land。They said 'Let us pray。' We closed our eyes。 When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land。" 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Land: The Ownership of Everywhere

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Land: The Ownership of Everywhere&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Land: The Ownership of Everywhere&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0