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Book Review
Ley Lines of the South
West by Alan Neal
Bossiney Books 2004 (ISBN 1-899383-67-0) £2.99
Alan Neal is a professional dowser, an active BSD member and the mainstay of dowsing tuition on both sides of the Tamar Valley in the South West of England.
Following his last work Dowsing in Devon and Cornwall (Bossiney Books 2001), Ley Lines of the South West demonstrates a further development of his writing style. Neal is rightly well-known for his clear and down-to-earth presentations. Now we are starting to see this ability transferred to the written page - with dash of prosaic embellishment to enhance the enjoyment of his work.
While this is essentially an introductory volume, aimed primarily at the novice, it is nonetheless a pleasure to read. Even as a ley-hunter of many years standing, I had my map out well before the end, looking for the more obscure locations that sound so fascinating.
This little tome is a tantalising window onto the mysterious and widely misunderstood world of Ley lines. It is a subject that tends to become, by turns, dry, nerdy or wacky in the wrong hands - but Alan Neal manages to present it in such a straightforward way, I was left wondering what the past confusion had been all about.
The Book Launch, at a picnic table in the crowded car park of the Hurlers megalithic complex on Bodmin Moor, was a cameo of Westcountry understatement. It spoke volumes about the self-effacing manner in which Alan Neal approaches his subject.
It would have been nice to see more space devoted to the social and philosophical implications of the Ley Line phenomenon, but this is not the purpose of the book. Hopefully, it is the precursor of a more extensive work on this subject, as the author clearly has a veritable lode of personal experience, which should be mined in greater depth.
As it was, I read this 32 page offering in one pass on a sunny Sunday morning - indeed I couldn't put it down - and at £2.99, it cost less than a couple of pints of beer, and was much more satisfying.
Nigel Twinn
Tamar Dowsers
February 2004