Travel & Transport Books

Book SynopsisLevison Wood was only 22 when he decided to hitch-hike from England to India through Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but he wasn''t the conventional follower of the hippy trail. A fascination with the deeds of the early explorers, a history degree in the bag, an army career already planned and a shoestring budget of 750 - including for the flight home - he was determined to find out more about the countries of the Caucasus and beyond - and meet the people who lived and worked there.EASTERN HORIZONS is a true traveller''s tale in the tradition of the best of the genre, populated by a cast of eccentric characters; from mujahideen fighters to the Russian mafia. Along the way he meets some people who showed great hospitality, while others would rather have murdered him...

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Book SynopsisThe book unpicks the orders and analyses how the infantry and the armour failed to marry up to deliver a joint attack around the south of Arras but fought a series of separate despiurate battles.

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Book SynopsisWhat is it about bikes that leaves so many of us powerless to resist?This entertaining guide charts the history of the bike from its origin as a cheap means of transport to its modern incarnations: a symbol of rebellion, a high-tech racing machine and the rich kid''s plaything. Richard Hammond, passionate biker and collector of bikes, looks at the machines that have propelled people across the world to work, to school - and occasionally to their doom.With his trademark expertise and wit, Hammond examines bikers of every type, from the happy farmer trundling through fields on his Honda Cub to the Hells Angel terrorising towns on their hog.Trade Review'a book that has humour and charm' - Spectator

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Book Synopsis''Home seems impossibly far away as we step out onto a rough base of ice and snow. The temperature is -25C. This is considered warm . . .''Michael Palin''s journey from North to South Pole sees him tackling Arctic ice floes, scaling Sudanese sand dunes and white-water rafting on the Zambezi. Pole to Pole chronicles this awe-inspiring overland adventure by train, truck, bike and Ski-Doo as Michael races against time to finally stand in Scott''s shoes in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

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Book SynopsisWith details on everything from the Empire State Building to Max Fish, this is the only guide a native or traveller needs to navigate New York’s neighbourhoods and find the best restaurants, shopping, and more. The Not For Tourists Guide to New York City is a map-based, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood dream guide designed to lighten the load of already street-savvy New Yorkers, commuters, business travellers, and, yes, tourists too. Each map is marked with user-friendly icons identifying NFT’s favourite picks around town, from essentials to entertainment, and includes invaluable neighbourhood descriptions written by locals, highlighting the most important features of each area. The book includes everything from restaurants, bars, shopping, and theatre to information on hotels, airports, banks, transportation, and landmarks. Need to find the best pizza places around? NFT has you covered. How about a list of the top vintage clothing stores in the city? We’ve got that, too. The nearest movie theatre, hardware store, or coffee shop—whatever you need, NFT puts it at your fingertips. This pocket-sized book also features: A foldout map for subways and buses More than 130 city and neighbourhood maps Details on parks and places Listings for arts and entertainment hot spots It is the indispensable guide to the city. Period.Trade Review“For people who don’t want to be seen carrying a guidebook.” —New York Times “A series of guides designed to make you feel like a local.” —CNN “This is one guidebook you won’t find in the fanny pack next to the wet wipes.” —Entertainment

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Book SynopsisWe cherish things, Japan has always known, precisely because they cannot last; it's their frailty that adds sweetness to their beauty. Returning to his home in Japan after his father-in-law's sudden death, Pico Iyer soon picks up the steadying patterns of his everyday rites: going to the post office in the day and engaging in spirited games of ping-pong in the evenings. But in a country whose calendar is marked with occasions honouring the dead, he soon finds himself grappling with the question we all have to live with: how to hold on to the things we love even though we know that they – and we – are dying. As the maple leaves begin to turn and the heat starts to soften, Iyer shows us a Japan we have seldom seen before through the season that reminds us to take nothing for granted.Trade ReviewWhat holds everything together, besides Iyer’s elegantly smooth prose style and gift for detailed observation, is a circling around the theme of autumn in Japan and this autumnal period in his life ... There's much wisdom in what he says * New York Times Book Review *A tender meditation on both Japanese culture and the impermanence of life * National Geographic Traveller *A memoir about transience, decline and Iyer's simple life among ping-pong playing pensioners * Financial Times, Books of the Year *Exquisite ... [Iyer] is a consummate tour guide * New Yorker *[An] exquisite personal blend of philosophy and engagement, inner quiet and worldly life ... A vivid meditation ... It’s Iyer’s keen ear for detail and human nature that helps him populate his trademark cantabile prose ... [A] genuine and loving tale * Los Angeles Times *Luminous ... An engrossing narrative, a moving meditation on loss and an evocative, lyrical portrait of Japanese society * Publishers Weekly *As a guide to far-flung places, Pico Iyer can hardly be surpassed -- praise for 'Sun After Dark' * New Yorker *Humbling and moving ... One of a handful of magical books that I have read straight through -- praise for 'The Man Within My Head' * Daily Telegraph *In his guise of travel writer, Iyer has really been our most elegant poet of dislocation -- praise for 'The Man Within My Head' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisBy some margin the most successful British medium-range airliner ever produced, the world-beating Viscount was a sublime combination of Vickers' state-of-the-art postwar design and Rolls-Royce's cutting-edge power-plant technology, both companies being at the very peak of their powers during the type's genesis and evolution. Tracing its origins back to the wartime Brabazon Committee, the Viscount was one of several designs from various British aircraft manufacturers produced to fulfill the committee's specifications for a fast, economical short- to medium-range airliner to satisfy the demands of the burgeoning postwar civil aviation market, which was predicted to grow at a healthy rate over the following decades. Vickers' chief designer and Managing Director George Edwards was quick to respond, the result being the Dart turboprop-powered Vickers V.630, which made its first flight in July 1948, despite its future looking uncertain after British European Airways having twenty examples of ordered its chief rival, Airspeed's Ambassador, six months before. The Viscount nevertheless entered full service with BEA in 1953, much to the relief of its manufacturer, orders flooding in thereafter from numerous airlines -- and air forces -- all over the world. Ultimately, some 200 individual airlines, companies and organizations in more than eighty countries operated the dependable and, crucially, development-friendly Viscount over its long and distinguished career. This book tells the full story of the world's first turboprop airliner, from its Brabazon Committee beginnings, through its early flight trials program and entry into service, to its almost unassailable position as the world's number one medium-haul turboprop, including its astonishing breakthrough in the USA, where it single-handedly broke the big American manufacturers' stranglehold on the airliner market. The type's military career is also covered, as is its construction; also included in this volume are details of the numerous variants produced and those of the 444 built still surviving as exhibits today, along with twenty-four superb artworks by world-renowned aviation illustrator Juanita Franzi.

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Book SynopsisThis is a companion volume to Friedman s highly successful _British Battleship 1906 1946_ and completes his study of the Royal Navy s capital ships. Beginning with the earliest installation of steam machinery in ships of the line, the book traces the technological revolution that saw the introduction of iron hulls, armour plate, shell-firing guns and the eventual abandonment of sail as auxiliary propulsion. This hectic development finally settled down to a widely approved form of pre-dreadnought battleship, built in large numbers and culminating in the _King Edward VII_ class. As with all of his work, Friedman is concerned to explain why as well as how and when these advances were made, and locates British ship design firmly within the larger context of international rivalries, domestic politics and economic constraints. The result is a sophisticated and enlightening overview of the Royal Navy s battle fleet in the latter half of the nineteenth century. It is also well illustrated a comprehensive gallery of photographs with in-depth captions is accompanied by specially commissioned plans of the important classes by A D Baker III, and a colour section featuring the original Admiralty draughts, including a spectacular double gatefold. Norman Friedman is one of the most highly regarded of all naval writers, with an avid following, so for anyone with an interest in warships, the publication of this work will be a major event.

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Book SynopsisRome's architectural remains date as far back as the city's founding in the 8th century BCE. The primitive settlement that began on the Palatine Hill grew over the next thousand years to the caput mundi the capital of the world the largest, most powerful presence in the ancient Western world. Along the way, Rome's architectural styles, whether developed organically or appropriated from the cultures it subjugated and absorbed, were physical evidence of the politics, propaganda and pragmatism of the times. Written for readers passionate about Rome and how its architecture is inimitably linked to the city's history, An Architecture Lover's Guide to Rome is the armchair architect's tour of the Eternal City. It provides a timeline that begins with the founding of Rome and documents its significant architectural monuments and styles through the millennia, with photos, maps and practical information for visiting.

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Book SynopsisThe Chester and Holyhead Railway is one of Britain's most important main line routes, connecting London with mainland north Wales, and the Isle of Anglesey. The line was completed in 1850 under the direction of Robert Stephenson whose work included the famous tubular bridges that cross the river at Conwy and the Menai Straits near Bangor, the latter one destroyed by fire in 1970. The line was built primarily to support British rule in Ireland but was later instrumental in developing north Wales as a major tourist destination. Today the railway remains an important part of the Welsh and UK networks, providing trains that link north Wales with Cardiff and major English cities, as well as connecting with ferry services to Ireland.

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Book SynopsisOliver Bulleid's locomotives guides the reader in the quest to understand what motivated Mr Bulleid in his work as a senior engineer and manager, and tries, with as little bias as is reasonable, to make sense of some of the more controversial aspects of his activities. For example, why did OVB not pursue the ideal of a 2-8-2 for the Southern Railway? How did the 'Leader' project go so much out of control? What role did Bulleid play in the massive dieselisation programme in Ireland when he was CME there? How did the 0-6-6-0T turf-burning steam locomotive fit in with Ireland's traction policy, or did it? And why did ninety of his steam locomotives and ninety-four of 'his' diesels have to be rebuilt to make them either more economical or more reliable? These are fundamental questions to which the book provides the reader with answers based on the author's experiences or on those of people who knew Bulleid. OVB's undoubted successes are illustrated in words and photographs, too, to provide a hopefully balanced picture of one of Britain's more exciting railway engineers.

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Book SynopsisWORCESTER LOCOMOTIVE SHED is the third in a series of in depth studies of Western Region motive power depots. This provincial city was a busy and fascinating rail centre with main line passenger and freight services passing through alongside local passenger and freight tripping duties that together provided an endless panorama of railway activity. The Great Western Railway had a major locomotive depot here and this book takes a detailed look at the shed, how it functioned, its locomotives and its operational duties during the latter days of steam. As well as official records valuable detail and reminiscences have been gathered from former footplate and shed staff ensuring that local custom and practice is well recorded in the story. The depot's sub-sheds at Evesham, Honeybourne, Kingham and Ledbury are also all covered in detail as well as Worcester Locomotive Works. Worcester was also home to the fondly remembered ex-GWR diesel railcars and it was their last operational base at time of final withdrawal in 1962\. Their role in the area is well covered in photographs and words. Taken together the book is both a valuable historical record and a fascinating and readable story of a large motive power depot in the latter days of steam.

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Book SynopsisChurchward proposed a 5ft 8in wheeled 4-6-0 for mixed traffic duties in 1901 and it was seriously considered in 1905, but it took until 1936 before his successor, Charles Collett, realised the plan by persuading the GWR Board to replace many of the 43XX moguls with modern standard mixed traffic engines that bore a remarkable likeness to the Churchward proposal. David Maidment has written another in his series of Locomotive Portfolios' for Pen & Sword to coincide with the construction of a new Grange' at Llangollen from GW standard parts to fill the gap left by the total withdrawal and scrapping of one of that railway's most popular classes - to their crews at the very least. As well as covering the type's design and construction, the author deals comprehensively with the allocation and operation of the eighty locomotives and in particular has researched their performance and illustrated it with many examples of recorded logs from the 1930s as well as in more recent times. As in previous volumes, the author has added his own personal experiences with the engines and has sourced more than 250 photos, over 40 of which are in colour.

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Book SynopsisThe aim of this innovative series is to provide modelmakers and car enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference of both full-size cars and their scale models. Each book contains detailed technical information imparted through drawings and photographs while the meticulously researched full-colour profiles provides a complete reference for paint schemes and markings. In addition, every volume of the CarCraft series features summaries of design histories and operational careers, and reviews of available kits. The third book in the new CarCraft series, Jaguar E-Type, frames the legend of what many call the world's most beautiful car design. Sir William Lyons and Malcolm Sayer carved automotive history with this car across its 1960s-1970s incarnations from roadster to coup amid the fitting of Straight-Six, to V12 engines. With its new definition of sculptural styling, performance, handling and innovative style, the E-Type or XKE series in the USA, created a car of global impact that remains a great classic of all time. Here, experienced automotive writer, and industrial designer, Lance Cole pays tribute to the car in a detailed yet engaging commentary. New photography, the design story, and full coverage of the modelling options in synthetic materials and die cast metals, create a narrative of vital interest.

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Book SynopsisThe British Railways Pilot Scheme' orders of 1955 included ten BTH and ten NBL Type 1 locomotives, these being introduced during 1957-61 for use in East London, and on the Great Eastern and London, Tilbury & Southend lines. The BTH fleet subsequently expanded to forty-four, as a consequence of their light axle-loading and the availability of spare manufacturing capacity which BR chose to exploit in their quest to eliminate steam traction. Further construction of these two classes ceased after the fifty-four units, with preference being given to the highly reliable English Electric product which by mid-1962 had proliferated to 128 examples. The NBL fleet survived until 1968, being withdrawn after ten years of indifferent performance. The BTH locomotives followed by 1971, although four lingered on as carriage pre-heating units. Dramatic reductions in goods traffic during the 1960s/70s particularly impacted local trip and transfer freight duties, the bread and butter' work for the Type 1s, and it was inevitable that the less successful classes were retired from traffic first. This book looks at the short history of these two classes, making extensive use of archive sources, combined with the primary observations of numerous enthusiasts. Previously unpublished information, covering the introduction, appearance design and performance issues of the locomotives, form a central focus, and, allocations, works histories, storage and disposals, liveries and detail differences are covered in the same level of detail as previous volumes in the Locomotive Portfolio series.

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Book Synopsis_The Golden Age of Yorkshire Steam _includes a wealth of unique memories and experiences from a collection of railway enthusiasts, who in their youth were fascinated by the steam locomotives that ruled the rails. Discover what it was like growing up in York and experiencing the sights and sounds of the giants of the former LNER system, including A4s, A3s, A2s, A1s and V2s, along with the Jubilees, the Royal Scots, and Black Fives of the former LMS system and the BR Standards. Explore life on the footplate of the engines allocated to Royston shed, right up to the end of steam. Read about the push and pull service that ran from Cudworth - Barnsley - Cudworth across the iconic Oaks Viaduct, as well as the Barnsley - Doncaster and York - Doncaster journeys. Memories of Leeds, Normanton, Doncaster, Wath and Penistone are also included, in addition to shed layout drawings of Royston, Doncaster and York. Providing a fascinating insight into a railway system now long gone, this book is designed to ignite the memories of anyone who enjoyed the thrill of trainspotting during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when steam was still king and the introduction of diesel and electric traction appeared to have little impact on the railway scene.

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Book SynopsisThis is a book that looks at the 0-6-0 tender goods locomotives of the Southern Railway, from the steam locomotive classes taken over at the railway grouping in 1923, through to the two classes introduced during Southern Railway days, that of the Q and Q1 classes. The Southern Railway had a rich and varied number of 0-6-0 tender goods classes, originating from all three former main line pre grouping companies, many of them lasted until the late 1950s and early 1960s. Many of the older Victorian and Edwardian classes of locomotive taken over in 1923, did not last very long with the new company, but are covered here for historical and modelling interest.

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Book SynopsisThe outbreak of the Second World War had an enormous effect on the railway system in Britain. Keeping the trains running through times of conflict was not such a distant memory for the railway companies and their workers but in this second major war of the twentieth century, the task was to prove a very different one. The railway system no longer consisted of the hundreds of companies of the past, but the 'Big Four' still needed to learn how to work together and forget their differences for the war effort. The logistics of the mass evacuation of children, and transporting thousands of troops during the evacuation of Dunkirk and the preparations for D-Day, for instance, were unprecedented. At the same time, they had to cope with the new and constant threat of aerial bombing that military advances brought to the Second World War. The railway system, and the men and women who ran it, effectively served as another branch of the military during the conflict. At the end of the war, Winston Churchill likened London to a large animal, declaring that what kept the animal alive was its transport system. The metaphor could have been applied to the whole of Britain, and its most vital transport system was the railway. This book is a fascinating account of the important role that the railways played in the defence of the country as well as in their support of the Allied forces in theatres of war around the world. It brings to light the often forgotten stories of the brave and hard-working men and women who went to work on the railways and put their lives on the line.

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Book SynopsisIn a book of Porsche photography and engaging conversation, Lance Cole journeys through a personal passion for Porsche one that many supercar enthusiasts share. Herein light falls on sculpted metal and paint -shiny and less shiny. Throwing off the conventions of Porsche purism, yet at the same time always respecting the origins of Porsche, and the status of the 911, this is a book that celebrates the engineering and the design language of Porsche amid its culture. From an oily-rag 356 to old 911s and new 911s, with a brief alighting upon other cars of the Porsche clan, this is an eclectic collection of enthusiasts moments captured across a British Porsche landscape.

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Book SynopsisThroughout its length from London to Glasgow via Crewe and Carlisle, with a loop through the West Midlands and spurs to Holyhead,Liverpool and Manchester, the West Coast Main Line has consistently provided interest for those many with more than a passing interest in trains and travel. This book outlines the history of the route,its physical characteristics and sets the scene for the various passenger and goods traffic flows that sustained it; it then details the arrangements for motive power and train working through the era of change that was 1957 to 1963. The level of interest - as evidenced daily by the presence at the lineside of hordes of young spotters and other observers - was particularly high at that time as processions of trains hauled by fine express passenger locomotives and those more suited to other traffic passed by. The book also goes 'behind the scenes' to provide insights into the daily and seasonal challenges of managing that section of a wider railway network, as directed by the varying terms of relevant legislation, and a government increasingly concerned to shape the railways for the changing needs of the public, industry and the economy. The book will be of particular interest to those who simply recall those days by the lineside, those with an interest in detailed arrangements to provide and maintain suitable motive power, those with an interest in how the railway served the needs of the nation and modellers who seek information. The book is illustrated with colour and monochrome images and supported by maps.

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Book SynopsisIn 1957 the Western Region of BR identified a need for 400 Type 1 diesel locomotives for short-haul freight duties but it was 1964 before the first was introduced. General-purpose Type 1s were being delivered elsewhere but WR management regarded these as too expensive for their requirements. After completion of design work on the Western' locomotives, Swindon turned to creating a cheap no-frills' Type 1\. At 65% of the cost of the Bo-Bo alternative, the Swindon 0-6-0 represented a better fit' for the trip-freight niche. Since 1957 the privatised road-haulage industry had decimated BR's wagon-load sector; whilst the 1962 Transport Act released BR from its financially-debilitating public-service obligations, the damage had been done, and the 1963 Beeching Plan focused on closing unprofitable routes and associated services. By 1963 the original requirement for 400 Type 1s had been massively reduced. Fifty-six locomotives were constructed in 1964/65\. Continuing traffic losses resulted in the whole class becoming redundant by 1969\. Fortuitously, a demand for high-powered diesels on the larger industrial railway systems saw the bulk of the locomotives finding useful employment for a further twenty years. This book covers the life of these locomotives on British Railways; a companion volume will provide an extensive appraisal of "Their Life in Industry" for the forty-eight locomotives which made the successful transition after withdrawal from BR

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Book SynopsisThis volume covers the important main line section of line between Carmarthen and Fishguard Harbour, the terminus station opening in 1906 and replacing New Milford (later Neyland) as the previous main line terminus. In 1909 Cunard passenger liners between New York and Liverpool began calling at Fishguard and this book contains a fascinating account of this working lasting 3-4 years which saw fast connecting trains running to Paddington and the Continent via Dover. There were also important branches coming off this line at Whitland (for Pembroke Dock) and also to Cardigan, though the latter was closed in the Beeching cuts of 1964\. The book affords a detailed look at Whitland where the rail service has been completely transformed since the end of steam. We see the Milk services that ran from Whitland (as well as Carmarthen) and the Fish services from Milford Haven, as well as the Oil Trains which will feature in a later volume.

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Book SynopsisA pilot's love letter to the world's greatest cities from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Skyfaring'A journey around both the author's mind and the planet's great cities that leaves us energised, open to new experiences and ready to return more hopefully to our lives' ALAIN DE BOTTONGrowing up in his small hometown, Mark Vanhoenacker spun the illuminated globe in his bedroom and dreamt of elsewhere - of distant, real cities, and a perfect metropolis that existed only in his imagination.Now, as a commercial airline pilot, Mark has spent more than two decades crossing the skies of our planet and touching down in the cities he'd always longed to see. Imagine a City celebrates the metropolises he has come to know and love through the lens of the hometown his heart has never left. From the sweeping roads of Los Angeles and the old gates of Jeddah to the intricate, dream-inspired plan of Brasília, he shows us with warmth and fresh eyes the extraordinary places that billions of us call home.'Vanhoenacker... has a near-bottomless appetite for fresh sights and guidebook curiosities... Intimate and thoughtful' PICO IYER, AIR MAIL'A love letter to the cities he's returned to again and again... Vanhoenacker captivates when describing the silent beauty of a world glimpsed from above' Washington Post'Eloquent... A love song to cities the world over' Wall Street JournalTrade ReviewImagine a City... will enchant and even move anyone who feared in recent years for the future of both travel and urbanism -- Janan Ganesh * Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2022* *Vanhoenacker is exceptionally well travelled, and an exceptionally curious and widely read observer... He doesn't waste an hour, and with every return his engagement with each city deepens... Superb -- Jonathan Buckley * Times Literary Supplement *Dreamy and erudite... [Vanhoenacker is] a most likeable, warm-hearted narrator with an original world view -- Melanie Reid * The Times *Imagine a City is really about home... a variation on the Great Expectations narrative, with our young hero feeling uncomfortable where he grows up, flying the nest for a series of transformative experiences but discovering he can never quite leave home nor fully return * Spectator *What makes Mark Vanhoenacker's Imagine a City such a joy, is that this is a travel book entirely rooted in modernity and globalization... but which nonetheless retains the wide-eyed wonder, not so much of a 19th-century explorer as of a medieval pilgrim -- Tim Hannigan * Asian Review of Books *In this new work, Vanhoenacker... plunges deeper into his own past growing up in Pittsfield as a gay man... His autobiographical vignettes are searching and touching, delivered with an affectionate lyricism -- Pico Iyer * Air Mail *More personal [than Skyfaring], but with the same reassuringly precise and perceptive voice -- Tom Robbins * Financial Times, *Summer Reads of 2022* *Mark Vanhoenacker is a beautiful, lyrical writer who uses his experience as a pilot to bring us constantly in touch with the transcendent and the other-worldly -- Alain de BottonA enriching memoir of how a sensitive, introverted boy's yearning for escape and acceptance found its fulfilment in the life of an airline pilot... A touching survey of human dreams and endeavours and a hymn to the quiet pleasures of returning, in the flesh or in memory, to the intimate geography of one's hometown -- Patrick GaleRefreshingly personal and moving... This absorbing modern twist on the age-old story of flying the nest, yet yearning for home, will transport you around the globe and back again without leaving your seat -- Mark Ovenden, author of AIRLINE MAPS and LONDON UNDERGROUND BY DESIGNI absolutely love the way Mark Vanhoenacker writes about the world; he gives you a whole new way of seeing -- Jenny Colgan, author of SUNRISE BY THE SEAAn utterly remarkable and original travel book. Like Jan Morris and Pico Iyer, Vanhoenacker weaves memoir and travelogue, using his unusual perch as a pilot to take us on an incredible journey to dozens of cities around the world. Like Italo Calvino, he somehow weaves it all into one, a painfully beautiful cubist city of memory and dreams that rises out of his warm and lyrical prose -- Andrew Blum, author of TUBES and THE WEATHER MACHINEA tour de force of descriptive power and honesty; I can think of no other book like this one -- Tom Zoellner, winner of the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award for NonfictionQuietly thoughtful without being either self-conscious or -indulgent. Vanhoenacker retains a refreshing sense of good fortune and even amazement that one can step into a cylindrical metal tube and emerge hours later into different air, different sunlight and a different world picture -- Peter Neville-Hadley * South China Morning Post *Mark Vanhoenacker...weaves an account of this hugely gifted writer's small-town gay boyhood through evocations of the cities around the world he has come to love as an airline pilot * Daily Mail, *Books of the Year* *Beautiful, meditative and insightful * Shafik Meghji, author of Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia *Few books nowadays truly break new ground but Mark Vanhoenacker succeeds in doing so with Imagine a City. Sensitive, smart and utterly fascinating, I have recommended it to almost everyone I know * Caroline Eden, journalist and author of Red Sands: Reportage and Recipes Through Central Asia, from Hinterland to Heartland *Mark Vanhoenacker is more than a British Airways pilot with the soul of a poet - he is without doubt the greatest travel writer since Bruce Chatwin * Tony Parsons, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Your Neighbour’s Wife *You couldn't ask for a more literary pilot to have up at the sharp end of your next flight than Mark Vanhoenacker...[but] flying isn't so front and centre of his book Imagine a City, this time it's about where his flying takes him. * Tony Wheeler, author and co-founder of Lonely Planet *

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Book Synopsis__________Out now: The most entertaining and fascinating book about architecture and design, from the wildly popular podcast 99% Invisible. __________A New York Times Bestseller'Full of surprises and quirky information . . . a fascinating journey through the over-familiar.' - Financial Times, Best Books of 2020'[A] diverse and enlightening book . . . The 99% Invisible City is altogether fresh and imaginative when it comes to thinking about urban spaces.' -The New York Times Book Review'A delightful book about the under-appreciated wonders of good design' - Tim Harford, bestselling author of The Undercover Economist and Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy'99% Invisible goes deep on the design and architecture we tend to overlook - this is it in glorious guidebook form . . . fascinating.' Wired__________This is 99% Invisible. __________A beautifully designed guidebook to the unnoticed yet essential elements of our cities, from the creators of the wildly popular 99% Invisible podcast Have you ever wondered what those bright, squiggly graffiti marks on the sidewalk mean?Or stopped to ponder who gets to name the streets we walk along?Or what the story is behind those dancing inflatable figures in car dealerships?99% Invisible is a big-ideas podcast about small-seeming things, revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse. The show celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity, with intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs.Now, in The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to Hidden World of Everyday Design, host Roman Mars and coauthor Kurt Kohlstedt zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs. With deeply researched entries and beautiful line drawings throughout, The 99% Invisible City will captivate devoted fans of the show and anyone curious about design, urban environments, and the unsung marvels of the world around them.__________You are about to see stories everywhere, you beautiful nerd. Now get out there.'If you've ever wondered why our world is the way it is, this show has your answers' The Hustle'99% Invisible...is completely wonderful and entertaining and beautifully produced...' Ira Glass, This American Life'The hugely inventive 99% Invisible treats the design of everyday things like a forensic science.' WIREDTrade ReviewThe ideal companion for city buffs, who'll come away seeing the streets in an entirely different light. - Kirkus Here is a field guide, a boon, a bible, for the urban curious. Your city's secret anatomy laid bare -- a hundred things you look at but don't see, see but don't know. Each entry is a compact, surprising story, a thought piece, an invitation to marvel. Together, they are almost transformative. To know why things are as they are adds a satisfying richness to daily existence. This book is terrific, just terrific. - Mary Roach, author of Stiff and GruntI can hear Roman's dulcet tones as I read through this book. It's absolutely fascinating to get an in depth look at the city through their eyes, my walks will never be the same again. 100% brilliant. - Roma Agrawal, author of Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our StructuresWe usually define cities in terms of their bigness, so it's easy to forget that our daily experience of any city is made up of countless tiny, intimate encounters. Just as Jane Jacobs did fifty years ago, Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt provide a new way of seeing urban life, finding secrets and surprises behind every sewer grate, storefront, and street sign. - Michael Bierut, design critic and author of How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, Make Things Look Better, Make People Laugh, Make People Cry, and (Every Once in a While) Change the WorldConversational, bite-size entries [and] beautiful tricolor illustrations . . . A field guide for anywhere. - BooklistThe 99% Invisible City brings into view the fascinating but often unnoticed worlds we walk and drive through every day, and to read it is to feel newly alive and aware of your place in the world. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry, and it reminded me to always read the plaque.' - John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All The Way Down[A] diverse and enlightening book . . . The 99% Invisible City is altogether fresh and imaginative when it comes to thinking about urban spaces. - The New York Times Book Review'The Invisible City is not a book, but a pair of magic glasses that transform the mundane city around you into a vibrant museum of human ingenuity.' - Justin McElroy, podcaster and New York Times bestselling author of The Adventure Zone

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Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY MONISHA RAJESH, award-winning author of Around the World in 80 Trains'If I were asked to enumerate the pleasures of travel, this would be one of the greatest among them - that so often and so unexpectedly you meet the best in human nature.' Growing up in near-poverty and denied a formal education, Freya Stark had nurtured a fascination for the Middle East since reading Arabian Nights as a child. But it wasn't until she was in her thirties that she was able to leave Europe. Boarding a cargo ship to Beirut in 1927, she went on to became one of her generation's most intrepid explorers - her adventures would take her to remote areas in Turkey, the Middle East and Asia. The Valleys of the Assassins chronicles Stark's treks into the wilderness of western Iran on the hunt for treasure and in an attempt to locate the long-fabled Assassins in Alumut, an ancient Persian sect. Entering Luristan on a mule, draped in native clothing, Freya bluffs her way past border guards and sets off into uncharted territory; places where few Europeans, and no European women, had ventured. Stark was a woman of indefatigable energy, who often travelled with only a single guide and on a shoestring budget, and who was undeterred by discomfort and danger. Hailed as a classic upon its first publication in 1934, The Valleys of the Assassins is an absorbing account of people and place. Full of wit and rich in detail - and also in humanity - her writing brings to vivid life the stories of the ancient kingdoms of the Middle East.

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Book SynopsisWho are you? Why are you, you? What kind of person do you want to be?You Are A Global Citizen challenges us to take a deeper look at our role as global citizens, from the armchair traveller to the frequent flyer and everyone in between, providing a springboard for us to understand the world and other cultures by first understanding ourselves.This uniquely accessible guided journal ignites your inner curiosity and encourages self-discovery through thought-provoking questions about the cultures you have experienced - including your own - all while helping you become a more inquisitive, aware, observant, and engaged world citizen. Whether you've never left home, are studying at university, looking to live and move abroad, or simply eager to explore your own identity within a global society, You Are A Global Citizen will help you understand how the outside world impacts what's going on inside your mind, and vice versa. In three sections covering your origins, your internal environment and your external environment, with space for reflection at the beginning and end, Damon Dominique, pioneer of the modern day social media travel scene and star of countless popular You Tube travel vlogs and documentaries, shares his insights and stories from a decade of globetrotting, guiding you through questions such as, 'Would you be happy if you knew you had to live in your hometown for the rest of your life?', 'What culture or country do you remember romanticizing about as a kid?', and 'How do you feel about a global language?', with the ultimate goal of encouraging you to consider the fundamental questions about who you are, what culture is and what it means to live in a global society, beyond the borders of our minds and countries.Trade ReviewDamon is this generation's Anthony Bourdain. His online documentation of his curiosity about the world around us has fueled conversation and deeper thinking for years. Now, we have his playbook to do the same. He's made You Are a Global Citizen into an interactive map that forces you to question your preconceived thoughts and beliefs on your way to becoming a better citizen of the world. -- Mark Borum, Director of Business Development at Teachable

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Book SynopsisIn this rapturous memoir, writer and activist Laura Coleman shares the story of her liberating journey in the Amazon jungle, where she fell in love with a magnificent cat who changed her life. Laura was in her early twenties and directionless when she quit her job to backpack in Bolivia. Fate landed her at a wildlife sanctuary on the edge of the Amazon jungle where she was assigned to a beautiful and complex puma named Wayra. Wide-eyed, inexperienced, and comically terrified, Laura made the scrappy, make-do camp her home. And in Wayra, she made a friend for life. They weren’t alone, not with over a hundred quirky animals to care for, each lost and hurt in their own way: a pair of suicidal, bra-stealing monkeys, a frustrated parrot desperate to fly, and a pig with a wicked sense of humor. The humans, too, were cause for laughter and tears. There were animal whisperers, committed staff, wildly devoted volunteers, handsome heartbreakers, and a machete-wielding prom queen who carried Laura through. Most of all, there was the jungle—lyrical and alive—and there was Wayra, who would ultimately teach Laura so much about love, healing, and the person she was capable of becoming. Set against a turbulent and poignant backdrop of deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and forest fires, The Puma Years explores what happens when two desperate creatures in need of rescue find one another.Trade ReviewAn Amazon Best Book of the Month: Biographies & Memoirs “The Puma Years is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the animals rescued by a sanctuary, Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi, in Bolivia. And it is the heartwarming story of the relationship that grew up between Laura Coleman and a puma, a relationship that only deepened over the years. I visited the sanctuary years ago—what a wonderful place, dedicated staff and passionate volunteers. Engaging and inspiring—you will love this book.” —Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace “Coleman’s adrenaline rush–inducing debut transports readers along on her 2007 adventure to the Amazon jungle of Bolivia…Coleman’s purpose-finding journey also offers a call to action for addressing the heartbreaking circumstances of wild animals in peril.” —Publishers Weekly “Readers will be hooked by Coleman’s compelling storytelling right from the opening pages…There are poignant breakthroughs, unsettling setbacks, terrifying dangers, narrow escapes, heartbreaking separations and reunions, and hookups and relationships, all channeled through Coleman’s honest, wry, self-effacing, and always entertaining narrative…This is an amazing tale, one that readers will remember.” —Booklist (starred review) “A funny and compelling true story of courage, endurance, and self-discovery. The Puma Years is a hymn to the sorrows and joys of finding kinship with the animal world.” —Gregory Norminton, author and environmentalist “Impassioned, honest, unexpected and often very funny. A book about being consumed by the wild, in all its difficulty and damage, with a vivid cast of humans and animals.” —Nick Hunt, author of Where The Wild Winds Are “The Puma Years is an utterly wonderful book. It is a memoir, a love letter to a puma, and through that love comes the utter heartbreak of the forests. It is not just astonishingly good as a book, but it brings to life the full earthy reality of the forests, its swamps and iridescence, its wild beauty and rottingness, while so poignantly articulating its destruction. It is quite brilliant.” —Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental Journey and Why Rebel

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Book SynopsisBefore Joy Adamson went to Africa, before Margaret Mead sailed to Samoa, a Kansas teenager named Osa Leighty married pioneering photographer Martin Johnson. Together the Johnsons flew and sailed to Borneo, Kenya, and the Congo, filming Simba and other popular nature movies with Martin behind the camera and Osa holding her rifle at the ready in case the big game star should turn hostile. Illustrated with scores of the dramatic photos that made the Johnsons famous, this bestselling memoir retraces their careers in rich detail, with precisely observed descriptions and heart-stopping anecdotes.Trade Review"books of adventure are so numerous….[But] this one is unique. It has the human quality of a novel and the permanence of social history." —Katherine Woods, The New York Times"Tells the whole story unaffectedly and with a simple charm that is highly engaging. It belongs on any list of Americana, for the Johnsons were as American as Davy Crockett." —Joseph Wood Krutch, The Nation"A pleasant, forthright…exciting book." —Clifton Fadiman, The New Yorker"It makes good reading…at this dark hour, as good an ‘escape story’ as you are apt to run into for some time." —Atlantic Monthly"I MARRIED ADVENTURE is a fine book on many counts…A good travel book, a good adventure book, a good book about animals, a good book on photography, and , best of all…a good human story about two extremely likable people, told by one of them with simplicity, humor, [and] warmth." —Rose Feld, Books"It isn’t just the animal-lover who will cherish this story. Anyone who likes a thrilling tale (a true one, too) with a plucky, nervy, cheerful, and charming hero and heroine is all set. I MARRIED ADVENTURE is as rare and real as the people who made it possible."—Olga Owens, Boston Transcript"The reader is impressed with the tremendous industriousness of these two people, their physical endurance, their patience, their understanding of animals and natives, and their love for each other….[The] old and young will enjoy this book. It is splendidly illustrated." —M.N. Baker, Library Journal"Every page of her book is readable and exciting: the photographs are plentiful and have all the dramatic quality that we are used to in the camera work of the author and her husband." —Manchester Guardian

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Book SynopsisA mountain lodge 5,000 feet up in Washington State’s Cascades mountains, accessible only by skis—or an SUV tricked out with bulldozer-size snow tires. A sleek cabin just 80 minutes from Manhattan, overlooking the property’s pond and 19 acres of woodland. A romantic, eco-friendly escape in the misty mountains of Bali’s Gunung Agung volcano. A glass-domed Finnish hut offering unobstructed views of the Northern Lights. Whether readers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure or a quiet retreat, a cozy night around a firepit or a summery lakefront sojourn, Cabin Tripping delivers. Divided into six chapters—Forest, Tropics, Mountain, Arctic, Water, and Desert—the book features a curated collection of over 80 of the most incredible cabins available to rent all over the globe. Each cabin profile includes information on how to get there, activities to enjoy in the area (hiking trails, fishing holes, thermal spas, and more), and tips like when to plan your visit to maximize your “leaf-peeping” or whale-watching opportunities.

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Book SynopsisAfloat, originally published as Sur l’eau in 1888, is a book of dazzling but treacherously shifting currents, a seemingly simple logbook of a sailing cruise along the French Mediterranean coast that opens up to reveal unexpected depths, as Guy de Maupassant merges fact and fiction, dream and documentation in a wholly original style. Humorous and troubling stories, unreliable confessions, stray reminiscences, and thoughts on life, love, art, nature, and society all find a place in Maupassant’s pages, which are, in conception and in effect, so many reflections of the fluid sea on which he finds himself-happily but forever precariously-afloat. Afloat is thus a book that in both content and form courts risk while setting out to chart the meaning, and limits, of freedom, a book that makes itself up as it goes along and in doing so proves as startling and compellingly vital as the paintings of Maupassant’s contemporaries van Gogh and Gauguin.

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Book SynopsisEliza Fay’s origins are obscure; she was not beautiful, rich, or outlandishly accomplished. Yet the letters she wrote from her 1779 voyage across the globe captivated E. M. Forster, who arranged for their British publication in 1925. The letters have been delighting readers ever since with their truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists and turns, their earthy humor, and their depiction of an indomitable woman. When the intrepid Mrs. Fay departed from Dover more than two hundred years ago, she embarked on a grueling twelve-month journey through much of Europe, up the Nile, over the deserts of Egypt, and finally across the ocean to India. Along the way her party encountered wars, territorial disputes, brigands, and even imprisonment.Fay was a contemporary of Jane Austen, but her adventures are worthy of a novel by Daniel Defoe. These letters—unfiltered, forthright, and often hilarious—bring the perils and excitements of an earlier age to life.

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Book SynopsisPhotographs and stories that explore the people and landscapes of small-town Texas

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Book SynopsisA narrative history of the craft cocktail renaissance, written by a New York Times cocktail writer and one of the foremost experts on the subject.A Proper Drink is the first-ever book to tell the full, unflinching story of the contemporary craft cocktail revival. Award-winning writer Robert Simonson interviewed more than 200 key players from around the world, and the result is a rollicking (if slightly tipsy) story of the characters—bars, bartenders, patrons, and visionaries—who in the last 25 years have changed the course of modern drink-making. The book also features a curated list of about 40 cocktails—25 modern classics, plus an additional 15 to 20 rediscovered classics and classic contenders—to emerge from the movement.

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Book SynopsisSave time and money with in-depth reviews, ratings, and details from the trusted source for a successful Walt Disney World vacation. How do some guests get on the big, new attraction in less than 20 minutes while others wait for longer than 2 hours—on the same day? Why do some guests pay full price for their visit when others can save hundreds of dollars? In a theme park, every minute and every dollar count. Your vacation is too important to be left to chance, so put the best-selling independent guide to Walt Disney World in your hands and take control of your trip. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2025 explains how Walt Disney World works and how to use that knowledge to stay ahead of the crowd. Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and debut author Becky Gandillon know that you want your vacation to be anything but average, so they employ an expert team of researchers to find the secrets, the shortcuts, and the bargains that are sure t

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Book SynopsisFrom the most trusted name in travel, Frommer’s Yosemite & Neighboring Parks is a savvy, easily carryable, completely up-to-date guide to one of the United States' most storied vacation destinations. With helpful advice and honest recommendations, the book covers these parks iconic attractions, plus their hidden gems. This guide contains: Insider advice on the best ways to experience some of the country's most dazzling natural landscapes, including tips on the best views, the best backcountry trails, the best scenic drives, and the best activities outside of the parks Insightful commentary on park landmarks and specific trails Detailed practical information, including tips on safety, advice for beginning backpackers, and when and where to go to avoid crowds Opinionated write-ups of hotels, campgrounds, and restaurants―no bland descriptions or lukewarm recommendations here Exact prices listed for every establishment and activity, so there's no guessing or nasty surprises Helpful maps throughout About Frommer's: There’s a reason Frommer’s has been the most trusted name in travel for more than 60 years. Arthur Frommer created the best-selling guide series in 1957 to help American servicemen fulfill their dreams of travel in Europe, and since then, we have published thousands of titles, become a household name, and helped millions upon millions of people realize their own dreams of seeing our planet. Travel is easy with Frommer’s.

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Book SynopsisA city of tropical heat, ramshackle beauty, and its very own cadence--a city that always surprises--Havana is brought to pulsing life by New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky.Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky presents an insider's view of Havana: the elegant, tattered city he has come to know over more than thirty years. Part cultural history, part travelogue, with recipes, historic engravings, photographs, and Kurlansky's own pen-and-ink drawings throughout, Havana celebrates the city's singular music, literature, baseball, and food; its five centuries of outstanding, neglected architecture; and its extraordinary blend of cultures.Like all great cities, Havana has a rich history that informs the vibrant place it is today--from the native Taino to Columbus's landing, from Cuba's status as a U.S. protectorate to Batista's dictatorship and Castro's revolution, from Soviet presence to the welcoming of capitalist tourism. Havana is a place of extremes: a beautifully restored colonial city whose cobblestone streets pass through areas that have not been painted or repaired since long before the revolution.Kurlansky shows Havana through the eyes of Cuban writers, such as Alejo Carpentier and José Martí, and foreigners, including Graham Greene and Hemingway. He introduces us to Cuban baseball and its highly opinionated fans; the city's music scene, alive with the rhythm of son; its culinary legacy. Through Mark Kurlansky's multilayered and electrifying portrait, the long-elusive city of Havana comes stirringly to life.

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