Travel and holiday guides Books

Book SynopsisThe relationship between man and horse on the Eurasian steppe gave rise to a succession of rich nomadic cultures. Among them were the Mongols of the thirteenth century â a small tribe, which, under the charismatic leadership of Genghis Khan, created the largest contiguous land empire in history. Inspired by the extraordinary life nomads still lead today, Tim Cope embarked on a journey that hadnât been successfully completed since those times: to travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to the Danube River in Hungary. From horse-riding novice to travelling three years and 10,000 kilometres on horseback, accompanied by his dog Tigon, Tim learnt to fend off wolves and would-be horse-thieves, and grapple with the extremes of the steppe as he crossed sub-zero plateaux, the scorching deserts of Kazakhstan and the high-mountain passes of the Carpathians. Along the waTrade ReviewTim Cope is a wise young man who knows how to travel, and why, and which details to record for the delight and enlightenment of his readers. I suspect that here we have a classic, likely to inspire generations yet unborn * Dervla Murphy *Tim Cope’s exploration across the continents on horseback grew into a quest through history and then an odyssey deep into the human heart. In exploring some of the most remote places on earth, he brings us back to ourselves and to a better understanding of our place in the world today * Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan: And the Making of the Modern World *Three years, 10,000km and -30°C temperatures: Tim Cope’s horseback traverse of the Eurasian Steppe - Mongolia to Hungary - is full of hardship, characters and insights ... It’s a big undertaking for readers too, but it opens up a vast, little-trodden world of history, danger and adventure * Wanderlust *It is the ultimate boy’s own adventure. In an epic 6,000 mile journey on horseback, lasting for more than three gruelling years, Tim Cope braved dangers, scorching deserts, subzero mountain temperatures and some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain. Most of us would not survive even a day in the windswept wilderness and wolf-infested plateaux of Mongolia and Kazakhstan, but Cope was determined to follow a childhood dream * Dalya Alberge, Sunday Times *One of the most vibrant and engaging narrators you might find ... It is a vast journey enjoyably meandering in an age of Twitter soundbites ... By turns informative, gripping and very moving: a major endeavour, which flings off the straightjacket of its sub-genre and stands (or rides) alone * Joanna Kavenna, Spectator *Reading On The Trail, it is impossible to not get swept up in Tim's infectious sense of adventure. His story is an amazing one, but he also approaches it in such a way that you'll think that it might be possible for you to attempt an epic adventure of your own. That's the kind of inspiration that Tim creates through his writing * TheAdventureBlog *New book inspires Mongolia visits: Intrepid travellers looking for destinations that are genuinely off the beaten track have been inspired by a new book by the Australian adventurer Tim Cope in which he describes a journey by horseback following in the steps of the legendary Genghis Khan * Adrian Bridge, Daily Telegraph *This great journey gives the lie to any notion that the world is too much known. It's an astonishing feat of courage and imagination, travelling in its own rich dimension - of nomad history and the horse. * Colin Thubron *Tim Cope is a beautiful explorer — by which I mean that he explores beautiful places, but also that he does it beautifully. This is a young man possessed of extraordinary courage, but also great sensitivity and respect. His writing, like his journeys, speaks to a heightened soul, operating at its highest potential. He is an inspiration to me and I believe he will be an inspiration for many. To anyone who believes that there are no worlds left to be discovered, I offer up the evidence of this magnificent tale * Elizabeth Gilbert *

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Book Synopsis''Unforgettable . . . no better compilers could have been found'' - History Today''Dublin''s past comes dazzlingly alive'' - Publishing News''Erudite and practical simultaneously'' - Gemma Hussey, Irish IndependentDublin''s turbulent history, its intensely literary and theatrical character of long literary lineage, its revolutionary ideals and heroes, and its ordinary life are all brought to life in this collection of letters, diaries and memoirs of travellers to the city and by Dubliners themselves. The extracts, from medieval times onwards, include Red Hugh O''Donnell''s escape from Dublin Castle, James Joyce''s plans for a novel while staying at the Martello Tower, and the seizure of the GPO by Irish volunteers during the Easter Rising. The book also includes gossip and story-telling in the humorous sketches of many famous Dubliners.Trade ReviewDublin is Pakenham territory, and no better compilers could have been found. Unforgettable: Yeats in action at the Abbey Theatre, Joyce conceiving 'stately plump Buck Mulligan' at the Martello Tower, and the staggering human tragedy conveyed by an eyewitness account of the Easter Rising. * History Today *A great help towards some understanding of 'Irishness'; and of 'Englishness' also. -- P. J. Kavanagh * Spectator *Dublin's past comes dazzlingly alive... * Publishing News *Erudite and practical simultaneously -- Gemma Hussey * Irish Independent *Highly entertaining -- James Plunkett * Irish Times *It is much more than a traveller's companion, to be enjoyed and appreciated by all who know and feel for this extraordinary city * Contemporary Review *

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Book SynopsisLoved and hated in equal measure, London was for centuries the world''s greatest city. Its streets, teeming with history, have always worn a variety of influences, reflecting the diverse crowds who have walked them. Its citizens have witnessed everything from pilgrimages, celebrations, acts of heroism and moments of religious contemplation to riots, executions, grisly murders and disastrous plagues and fires. Drawing on letters, diaries and memoirs of London''s most interesting inhabitants and visitors, this anthology compiled by acclaimed historian Thomas Wright and with an introduction by Peter Ackroyd tells the story of the city from its earliest years.Here you will find John Evelyn''s famous account of the Great Fire in 1666, Dickens''s brilliant evocation of the Gordon Riots of 1780, an eyewitness description of the execution of Charles I, and Churchill''s recollections of the Blitz. There are also less familiar, though no less vivid, excerpts, which provide an entertaiTrade ReviewLondon . . . if you want to know it better . . . Ackroyd is your indispensable companion. - Observer

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Book SynopsisThe must-have guide to pop culture, history, and world-changing ideas that started in New York City, from the magazine at the center of it all. Since its founding in 1624, New York City has been a place that creates things. What began as a trading post for beaver pelts soon transformed into a hub of technological, social, and cultural innovation—but beyond fostering literal inventions like the elevator (inside Cooper Union in 1853), Q-tips (by Polish immigrant Leo Gerstenzang in 1923), General Tso’s chicken (reimagined for American tastes in the 1970s by one of its Hunanese creators), the singles bar (1965 on the Upper East Side), and Scrabble (1931 in Jackson Heights), the city has given birth to or perfected idioms, forms, and ways of thinking that have changed the world, from Abstract Expressionism to Broadway, baseball to hip-hop, news blogs to neoconservatism to the concept of “downtown.” Those creations and more are all collected in Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW YORK “Fans of the Big Apple will delight in this well-written, abundant and justly prideful collection… The editors convincingly argue that everything from abstract expressionism and the auteur theory to punk rock, Q-Tips, the teddy bear, toilet paper (and the urinal), and zoning regulations owes its origins to the five boroughs.” —Kirkus Reviews “The depth and variety of images, including cartoons, iconic pictures, magazine covers, and newspaper headlines, capture the city’s character and make the book a standout… A must purchase; those who love New York will adore it, and those less enamored with the Big Apple will still find this fun and informative encyclopedia a fascinating portrait of the metropolitan area.” —Library Journal (starred review) “The Encyclopedia of New York ("City" is implied) has the charm and wry wit readers associate with New York magazine, combined with great illustrations and up-to-the-minute currency… The reasonable price makes it a worthy addition to a public library with patrons who enjoy lighthearted, browsable reference resources.” —BooklistPRAISE FOR HIGHBROW, LOWBROW, BRILLIANT, DESPICABLE: 50 YEARS OF NEW YORK MAGAZINE “With irreverence and spunk, New York magazine has been around for half a century now. This very big book includes an oral history of the publication and a wide look at its greatest moments.” —New York Times Book Review “When New York magazine began in 1968, it was unique: a brash conglomeration of ingenious writers, editors, and graphic designers who generated narrative journalism that was so classic it became new again. . . . Highbrow, Lowbrow, Brilliant, Despicable: 50 Years of New York encapsulates those five convulsive decades in lavish illustrations, vivid oral histories, and evocative recreations by, among others, Tom Wolfe, Jimmy Breslin, Nora Ephron, Nicholas Pileggi, Julie Baumgold and Gael Greene from the magazine’s more than 2,300 issues.” —Sam Roberts, The New York Times “A delicious compendium of the magazine’s coverage from the half-century of its existence, this is the kind of book that incites nostalgia even for the moments you didn’t live though (there’s the original Tom Wolfe “Radical Chic” cover!) and reminds us of the things that haven’t changed (an essay by a wife titled “I Need a Wife,” timely now and forever).” —Vogue “Oversized, overstuffed . . . A great magazine is commemorated with an equally top-flight anthology. . . . The editors reproduce material that speaks not just to passing moments and fashions, but also to constant editorial emphases, such as high-quality artwork and portraiture. . . . History, local and global, unfolds in this fine gathering that represents a half-century and more than 2,300 issues.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “We tend to fetishize The New Yorker, but New York magazine has always been the publication that saw the city for what it is: big, brazen, and blustery. This oversized, beautifully-designed, 420-page book is barely big enough to contain its subject.” —Design Observer

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Book SynopsisWomen's London is the only guidebook that focuses on the women who have shaped London through the centuries and the legacy they have left behind. This new book provides the perfect opportunity to explore sights, statues, plaques and buildings associated with famous and some not so famous women who have left their mark on London's heritage, culture and society. Their stories include scientists and suffragettes, reformers and royals, military and medical pioneers, authors and artists, fashion and female firsts ... and more. The author, a popular London tour guide and lecturer, specialises in women's history and has provided a series of original self-guided walking tours taking you to historic areas where important women lived, worked and are commemorated. Illustrated with new full-colour photography and specially commissioned maps, Women's London will inspire visitors and Londoners alike to discover how much London owes to women.

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Book SynopsisIn light of Russia''s aggressive 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Goodbye, Eastern Europe is a crucial, elucidative read, a sweeping epic chronicling a thousand years of strife, war, and bloodshed, from pre-Christianity to the fall of Communism—illuminating the remarkable cultural significance and richness of a place perpetually lost to the margins of history.Eastern Europe, the moniker, has gone out of fashion since the fall of the Soviet Union. Ask someone now, and they might tell you that Estonia is in the Baltics, or Scandinavia, that Slovakia is in Central Europe and Croatia is in the Eastern Adriatic or the Balkans. In fact, Eastern Europe is a place that barely exists at all, except in cultural memory. Yet it remains a powerful marker of identity for many, with a fragmented and wide history, defined by texts, myths, and memories of centuries of hardship and suffering.Goodbye, Eastern Europe is a masterful narrative about a place that has survived the brink of being forgotten. Beginning with long-lost accounts of early pagan life, Mikanowski offers a kaleidoscopic tour recounting the rise and fall of the great empires—Ottoman, Hapsburg, and Russian—the dawn of the modern era, the ravages of Fascism and Communism, as well as Capitalism, the birth of the modern nation-state, and more. A student of literature, history, and the ghosts of his own family’s past, Mikanowski paints a magisterial portrait of a place united by diversity, and eclecticism, and a people with the shared story of being the dominated rather than the dominating.The result is a loving and ebullient celebration of the distinctive and vibrant cultures that stubbornly persisted at the margins of Western Europe, and a powerful corrective that re-centers our understanding of how the modern Western world took shape.

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Book SynopsisAmerican writer and former Kyoto resident Diane Durston introduces seven must-see precincts of this ancient capital city, including four Historic Preservation Districts. Among them are the world-famous geisha quarter, the kimono textile neighborhoods, the sake-brewing area of Fushimi, and the tea-growing region of Uji.Trade Review"Everyone that loves Kyoto knows that Diane Curston is its modern poet laureate." —Pico Iyer"Diane Durston's books are classics and have not been superseded by more recent publications." —The New York Times"... an eloquent look at seven neighborhoods where everyday life in Japan continues despite the crush of modernity." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer"Explore the hidden beauty of historic neighborhoods with seven walking tours that transport visitors back to more elegant times." —Endless Vacation

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Book Synopsis“Your illustrated guide to the perfect West Coast road trip.”—C magazine Roll down the windows, turn up the radio, and take a drive up the world’s most magical coastline. It’s a beautiful and practical travel guide. An illustrated keepsake. An inspiration to get out and visit. And a celebration of the wild, lush, larger-than-life 2,000 miles that run along the edge of the West Coast through California, Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island, where you’ll find everything from stunning vistas and alluring beaches to botanical gardens, nature trails, antiques stores, charming villages, and a handful of great cities along the way. Created by artist and inveterate road-tripper Danielle Kroll, Pacific Coasting covers all the not-to-be-missed stops, while including maps, packing lists and playlists (yes, what to listen to as you’re driving up to Hearst Castle), and specific guides like Tide Pool Etiquette and Oregon Lighthouses. The result is the offbeat adventure of a lifetime, filled with something new to discover every hour of every day.Trade Review"Your illustrated guide to the perfect West Coast road trip. . . . A guide for even the state's most seasoned road warriors, with illustrated routes, playlists, pit stops, packing lists and, after a long day on the road, the must-stop bed-and-breakfasts and campsites." --C magazine

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Book SynopsisIt's out there. Go find it! The Arizona Journey Guide is your resource to discovering the best of Arizona. Informative and entertaining, this guide will lead you to the most amazing sites and scenery that the Grand Canyon State can offer: ancient ruins, secret canyons, hidden waterfalls, mysterious petroglyphs and exotic places. The authors' rating system for significance in archaeology, geology and paleontology ensures that you find the places that are right for you and your interests.

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Book SynopsisA hands-on guide for bikers exploring the City of Roses.

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Book SynopsisCaptures the emotional experience of Portland.

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