Topically, Crossings is a book about borders. Divided into two parts, it reflects on the many borders that Nicholas Murray has either crossed or confronted – geographic, cultural, linguistic, social, class, religious, sexual – and on the influence which borders have on how we think of ourselves and others.
In the longer section Murray the traveller takes the reader to Spain and North Africa, Britain and Spain, on a trip along the Danube, and to Turkey. He also writes about Voltaire, exile, translation, the North/South divide and Eton school.
The second section is less fragmented, drawing on Murray’s experiences as a long term – but part-time –resident in the English (or are they the Welsh?) Marches, in contrast to his many journeys around Europe.