The Songlines

I am most intrigued by the nomad thread in this book. The idea that walking is alignment with DNA, that movement is memory, and that we are all travelers in relationship with the Earth, with all life, and with each other feels deeply true. This book reads less like theory and more like a remembering. Loving it so far. The Songlines weaves travel writing, anthropology, philosophy, and myth into an exploration of Aboriginal Australian songlines—ancestral paths sung into being, mapping the land through story, rhythm, and movement. Chatwin suggests that walking is not merely travel, but a biological and spiritual necessity, encoded into human memory. The land is not owned, but known through relationship, song, and care. At its heart, this book questions modern settlement, restlessness, and disconnection, proposing that our deepest sense of meaning arises through movement, attention, and reverence for place. The Earth becomes a living text, and humanity a migratory species shaped by love, song, and belonging rather than borders. It feels both ancient and urgently relevant. Jana LaBarbera | Jana Dreams in Color · Jana Shakti Travels

Chatham clearly writes this book in a hurry. The publisher did so too; my copy (1988 I think) duplicates pages 171-234. But this is a fascinating and brilliant read looking backwards in time on Chatwin's speculations. As an evolutionist mnay of his speculations have born fruit. It is absolutely stunning to read his thinking post-Dart and Lorenz on the impact climate (and population bottlenecks) have (probably) had upon the human species. If you are looking for some insight in the oldest existing human culture on the planet, this read has some problems as it is limited to primarily central Australia. Nonetheless the recent dehydration deaths of two Aboriginal "Elders" in the Kimberly's, when their car ran out of gas, possibly because they couldn't read the songlines to water in the area through which they were traveling, underscores one the major and important themes Chatwin's discusses. Chatwin wasn't an anthropologist and I think the reviews that criticize him on his book because of this, miss the point of the book. This is a speculative treatise on the human species and Chatwin's interjections of other thinkers on human origins only greatly enrich your reading of this book. I only sorry I read the book ten years after my own trip to Australia.

Mr. Chatwin provides an interesting look into the "Aboriginals" of Australia. It is a fascinating culture. Frequently, the author goes off on a tangent and one wonders what has happened to the story line, but then he manages to connect the piece with the rest of the dialogue. It is a most interesting adventure he takes us on...the people and the landscape are incredible.

As advertised. Good condition.

I purchased this book hoping to learn more details about Aboriginal Songlines. It does contain some information, however, much of the book involves stories of other travels and I came away feeling that the author did let me down somewhat. It should be titled The Songlines and other tales of my travels. The copy of the book that I received was as advertised in quality. It was in good shape and from that standpoint it was a good buy. If you are interested in a memoir of travels through Australia, Africa, and other locations; you may find it to be a good read.

I had no idea what I was ordering when I chose this book. After a couple of chapters, I still wasn't sure that it would hold my interest. It is an ancient culture and way of life carried down through the ages by the Aborigine people of Australia. I found it confusing but fascinating. The story telling style is great and the characters are entertaining. I learned of things that I had no idea existed.

Hard to feel worthy enough to judge this . it is a Remarkable journey between fact and fiction. I was so humbled to go on the journey.

The Songlines is a somewhat difficult book to characterize.It is to some degree a travel book but Chatwin routinely fictionalized his narratives and the book is in some places referred to as a novel.After a while it veers off into being a collection of (interesting) quotes and occasionally flirts with being a linguistic or anthropological treatise( the least interesting part of the book). It proves to be a quick and enjoyable read.It's set mostly in Australia, with a lot of detours to Africa.Chatwin's voice is distinctive and engaging but i'd be cautious about he's theorizing.By the time I finished with it, I still had no idea what a Songline is.(It was funny .I tried to see if I could formulate it on the basis of what Chatwin reports.Couldn't do it).