Travel writing Books

Book SynopsisSome of the extraordinary women whose writings are including in this collection are observers of the world in which they wander; their prose rich in description, remarkable in detail. Mary McCarthy conveys the vitality of Florence while Willa Cather's essay on Lavandou foreshadows her descriptions of the French countryside in later novels. Others are more active participants in the culture they are visiting, such as Leila Philip, as she harvests rice with chiding Japanese women, or Emily Carr, as she wins the respect and trust of the female chieftain of an Indian village in Northern Canada. Whether it is curiosity about the world, a thirst for adventure or escape from personal tragedy, all of these women are united in that they approached their journeys with wit, intelligence, compassion and empathy for the lives of those they encountered along the way. Features writing from Gertrude Bell, Edith Wharton, Isabella Bird, Kate O'Brien, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and many others.Trade ReviewThis classic celebrates 300 years of female wanderlust and the theme of escape - whether the women are running away or towards something. With writing by 47 intrepid travellers including Mary Wollstonecraft on Scandinavia, Edith Wharton on Marrakech and Willa Cather on Le Lavandou, it's a meditation on the eternal allure of travel * BA High Life *A truly wonderful gift book for all armchair travellers ... 300 years of wanderlust are captured by women who travelled the world. * BOOKS *Attractive and engrossing anthology of women's travel writing * INDEPENDENT *A terrific anthology of women as warm in all corners of "abroad" * SCOTSMAN *The 47 authors have been responsible for some of the very best in travel writing, the results of some extraordinary journeys. Many have become classics. * SUNDAY TIMES *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom time immemorial Afghanistan has been both a fortress of faith and a mountainous crossroads. Through its high valleys merchants traded Chinese porcelains, bundles of indigo cloth, sacks of lapis lazuli, golden jewellery, emeralds and fine carvings from both east and west. Ancient scrolls and beliefs entered the land in the satchels of Buddhist pilgrims and in the baggage of military invaders - from Alexander the Great to Mughal, Persian and Arab conquerors and even the ill-fated armies of the British Raj. In this resonant account, Peter Levi seeks the clues which each migration left, in the company of the young Bruce Chatwin. Since his journey in the 1970s, Afghanistan has suffered forty years of invasion and civil war, making it all the more poignant to rediscover, with Levi, not a rocky wilderness guarded by fearsome tribes, but 'this highway of archangels/this theatre of heaven/the light garden of the God-forgiven angel King.'

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1966 Dervla Murphy travelled the length and breadth of Ethopia, first on a mule, Jock, whom she named after her publisher, and later on a recalcitrant donkey. The remarkable achievement was not surviving three armed robberies or the thousand-mile trail, but the gradual growth of affection for and understanding of another race.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn a post-exploration world, two relatively ordinary blokes, serving Royal Marines, decided they wanted an extraordinary 21st century adventure. In this refreshingly honest account they re-live the highs and lows of sailing and rowing a tiny open boat, completely unsupported, through one of the most iconic wilderness waterways on the planet - the Northwest Passage across the top of Canada. They describe battling with an Arctic storm miles from land and being caught in the worst sea ice for more than a decade. At one point they are forced to drag Arctic Mariner, their seventeen-foot boat, across ten miles of broken pack ice to reach open water. Their story is enriched by the Inuit people and the incredible wildlife they met along the way, including all-too-close encounters with both grizzly and polar bears. And they relate with honesty how the isolation and stresses of the high Arctic shaped the bond between their two very different personalities. This is neither an expose of global warming, nor a detailed study of Inuit culture. It is not particularly long on the historical quest for the Northwest Passage. It is quite simply the tale of two blokes, up north. b/w photographs, maps, drawings

Read more less

Book SynopsisMorris's intimate journals, written for a friend, unconsciously explore questions of travel, noting his reaction to the idea of leaving or arriving, to hurry and delay, what it means to dread a place you've never been to or to encounter the actuality of a long-held vision. Poet Lavinia Greenlaw draws out these questions as she follows in the footprints of Morris's prose, responding to its surfaces and undercurrents, extending its horizons. The result is a new and composite work, which brilliantly explores our conflicted reasons for not staying at home.Trade ReviewMorris's journals... are precious and unique because they are so simply and beautifully written with the informed sense of wonder of a deeply learned and sophisticated man. No one except Ruskin has ever put the case for beauty with such vehemence and clarity. Ian McQueen, The Guardian; At a time of endless half-truths and moral shilly-shallying, Morris's eccentric integrity shines out. Fiona MacCarthy; Greenlaw has brilliantly found a new form for writing about Morris, and for this we can only be grateful. Tony Pinkney in William Morris Unbound; The best book of travel written by an English poet is William Morris's Icelandic Journal. Geoffrey Grigson

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt the end of the 1960s, Kenneth Allsop, a famous television presenter and literary man-about-town, left London and settled amid the sunken lanes, ancient forests and chalk streams of west Dorset. He was at his very happiest here. He thought it the loveliest place on earth, and for three years he devoted a weekly newspaper column to his day-to-day life at the mill, brimming with humor and delight for the wildlife which shared his home. In the Country is not rustic or romantic. It is never unrealistic about agricultural modernisation and social change in the countryside. Yet, steeped with a deep sense of the past, Kenneth Allsop's writing speaks in defense of the natural world and stands firmly against the unchecked exploitation of the land. First published 1972 by Hamish Hamilton.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe siren-like qualities of the Sicilian capital are woven layer upon layer, each one revealing a stratum of the city's character. In Palermo, Robert Alajmo lays out a compelling series of reflections on the city's apparently endless facets. Disguised as a tourist's handbook but written from the view of a lifelong resident - with all the experience, affection, inside knowledge and frustrations that entails - Alajmo offers more than the ordinary recommendations for travellers. Palermo has been at history's crossroads since recorded time began; an archive of hidden cultural, architectural and culinary jewels. Its people, their politics and their secrets, are subtly revealed, as is the ineffable presence of the mafia in the cycles of daily life. Ultimately what is described is the essence of the city and its beauty.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLight, portable and high in value, amber is an ideal commodity for long-distance trade. An Amber Route, comparable to the Silk Road, ran from the Baltic to the Mediterranean for thousands of years. In Along the Amber Route, C.J. Schüler follows this route by bus, train and boat for 2,500 kilometres along river valleys, forest paths and Roman roads. His journey traces both the greatest fault lines of European geopolitics and his own family’s history. As he explores lands contested by Romans and Vandals, Teutons and Slavs, lost empires and the former Iron Curtain, Schüler must also confront his own family history, Nazism and the Holocaust.Trade ReviewCharming. * The Daily Mail *Wonderful account of the story of amber. * Late Night Live on ABC *This timely and powerful book is more than an enticing travelogue or a paean to amber. * The Financial Times *Packed with intriguing diversions through former Soviet states, the author's journey begins in St Petersburg's Amber Room and intertwines with the story of his grandfather's flight from Nazi Germany. * Lonely Planet *A rich and rewarding read, providing a kaleidoscopic multi-layered view of Central Europe.’ * BookBlast *Crisp, quirky dialogue and incisive scene-sketching [...] full of incident and anecdote and the oddest facts imaginable. Pure pleasure.Artfully woven into these stories is a contemporary travelogue of [Schüler’s] experience; a poetic memoir of his experience of constantly moving through these landscapesAn excellent book, and perfect holiday reading. Deeply moving. * Edward Biddulph, Oxford Archaeology *Schüler is the perfect guide to this complex history. * Vanora Bennett *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPointless, risky, absurd. Yes, that is the beauty of it – absurdly determined to metamorphose themselves into a glossy photograph seen in a glossy magazine that caused a spark of desire within the tinder-dry kindling of their imagination. They were consumed with all that the photograph promised until that reality could be made theirs: to achieve all of the experience, the life's journey implied within it, to redefine their already long lives, to change themselves, to fast-track to the achievement of the decades of experience exemplified by those young adventurers in that glossy photograph in that glossy magazine. What an absurd notion. For no other reason, it had to be: three quickly became five guys on heritage motorcycles, hooking up with an ex-Special Forces operative and a combat zone photographer to make it seven for a safari across the top of Africa. From Spain to Tangier, they traversed the Riff, navigated the Atlas Mountains, circled Cirque du Jaffar, and rode through the Gorges du Ziz. Rough-riding across Morocco has never been so much fun. Wild camping on the way under star-spattered sky, across unforgiving terrain where luxury is a warm sleeping bag. In places where if you don't guard it you lose it, and where changing co-ordinates on a fast and furious basis makes good sense. Through oft sudden lows where the warmth of a Moroccan welcome exceeds the heat from black coffee, honeyed mint teas, or a meal from a hot tajine. Until dusty boots touch down on the sands of the Sahara at Erg Chebbi to witness a new dawn rise.Trade ReviewPress – Octane magazine, Bike magazine. Author interviews: Talk Radio Europe, Adventure Rider Radio. Podcasts/video on https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/absurd

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Silver Invicta is a stream of impressions from a fishing life, in its varying moods, coloured with plenty of whisky and eccentric company. Join Tom Harland on his light-hearted journeys with his fly rod; take part in his triumphs and disasters on rough, wild camping trips and share his encounters with the wildlife of Scotland’s rivers and lochs. The ‘Silver Invicta’ was the traditional fly which was taken by Tom’s first salmon and is also a nod to the spirit of Scotland’s embattled migratory fish. Tom has fished throughout his local Scottish Borders, England, the Western Isles and New Zealand (a country he lived and worked in for two years), but his real passion is for the brown trout of the hill lochs of Assynt in the North-west Highlands. Open this treasure trove of a book to share the pleasure the author finds through fishing respectfully in magical, wild, and seldom-visited places.Trade Review'A beautifully written paean to Scottish fishing' -- Richard Bath * Scottish Field *'gentle stories, well told, carefully and articulately written . . . A book to savour by a warm fire with an open bottle' -- Magnus Angus * Fly Fishing & Fly Tying Magazine *'Tom Harland’s new book The Silver Invicta is a stream of impressions from a fishing life, in its varying moods, coloured with plenty of whisky and eccentric company' * Fieldsports Journal *'Delightful . . . relaxed and light-hearted, a great read for anglers and others who just love wild places' -- Fred Carrie * Fish Wild *'A beautiful journal/reflection on fly fishing. Full of lovely writing, funny bits, advice and makes you want to get straight out on to the river' -- Sam Carlisle * FishPal Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor five months John Harrison journeys through this secret country, walking alone into remote villages where he is the first gringo the inhabitants have ever seen, and where life continues as if Columbus had never sailed. He lives at over 10,000 feet for most of the trip, following the great road of the Incas: the Camino Real, or Royal Road. Hand built over 500 years ago, it crosses the most difficult and dangerous mountains in all the Americas, diving into sweltering canyons and soaring up into the snows. 1500 miles, half of it on foot, take him from the Equator to Cuzco and the most magical city of all: Machu Picchu. He is attacked, gets lost and is trapped by floods, but only when he goes home does he lose what he wants most.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew Leaves from a Madeira Garden, from Tony Powell, introduces readers to the delights of twenty-first-century life on the beautiful Atlantic Island of Madeira.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith his sixtieth birthday looming, Colin Renton decides that it’s time to escape office life and focus on achieving some of his unfulfilled goals. He embarks on a year-long adventure that takes him from the busy streets of Edinburgh to the traffic-free roads, sodden fields and dusty paths of Europe’s winemaking regions. He laces up his running shoes and joins thousands of fellow athletes in races that test him over various distances, degrees of difficulty and levels of seriousness. His schedule, which culminates with a marathon debut, takes him to places he would otherwise not have visited. On his travels, he seeks out local wines that deserve a place in a carefully chosen twelve-bottle case, a process that throws up some fascinating insights and introduces him to a vintage crop of engaging characters. The crossover between running and wine uncorks a tale of endurance, curiosity and discovery, told in an accessible style and served up with a splash of local colour and a drop of wry humour. 'As midlife crises go, enthusiastic oenophile and runner Colin Renton's is one of the quirkiest and most enjoyable imaginable' - Richard Bath, Scottish FieldTrade Review'As midlife crises go, enthusiastic oenophile and runner Colin Renton's is one of the quirkiest and most enjoyable imaginable . . . unexpected and endearing, this is a travelogue with a difference, but it's all the better for that' -- Richard Bath * Scottish Field *'Quirky, original, and pleasantly intoxicating' -- Hugh MacDonald'A vintage performance. Like running and wine? Follow in the footsteps of Colin Renton and become a wine runner' * The Scotsman *'Imagine the amazing antioxidant benefits of combining your love for running with your love for drinking wine' * Ultrarunner Magazine *'An original, witty and thoroughly engaging tale' * The New European *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe third in a humorous travel series of six books about how to live the dream in a Mediterranean country. The author explores different local cultural themes in each title.

Read more less

Book Synopsis“If you're looking for ideas, or planning a bucket-list adventure, you'll find page after page of sepia-tinted inspiration in the revised edition of teNeues' Nostalgic Journeys.” — Irish Independent The seaside or the mountains? Today’s most important vacation planning question never came up in days long past. Both seemed unappealing and nearly inaccessible. It wasn’t until the invention of the railroad that previously sparsely visited and overlooked areas opened up, and Thomas Cook, the tour operator and founder of modern tourism, was born. Fishing villages became sophisticated seaside resorts, remote mountain areas became destinations for hiking and skiing enthusiasts, and inns became grand hotels. Nostalgic Journeys takes you on a journey back in time, through the last two centuries: Ride the Orient Express to the East, cross the Atlantic on huge ocean liners, travel Route 66 through the United States, and break the sound barrier aboard the Concorde. As you browse through the pages of this book, you will get the idea that travelling was, and can be, more than just being stuck in a traffic jam or passing through numerous security checks. It can be a stylish and sometimes adventurous way to explore the world and return home feeling transformed by your many and varied experiences. Bon Voyage! Text in English and German.Trade Review"If you're looking for ideas, or planning a bucket-list adventure, you'll find page after page of sepia-tinted inspiration in the revised edition of teNeues' Nostalgic Journeys." - Irish IndependentTable of ContentsIntroduction Drawn to the Sea Full Steam Ahead The call of the Mountains New Palaces On the High Seas On the Road Above the Clouds

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the Catskills by John Burroughs is a nature essay collection that immerses readers in the splendor and serenity of the Catskill Mountains. Burroughs, an American naturalist and essayist, draws upon his deep connection with the herbal global to weave a tapestry of brilliant descriptions and insightful observations. The collection explores the diverse aspects of the Catskills, from the plants and fauna to the geological formations, with Burroughs' signature combo of clinical interest and poetic appreciation. Through his eager observations, he invites readers to experience the mesmerizing landscapes, babbling brooks, and dense forests that represent the vicinity. Burroughs delves into the changing seasons, capturing the essence of each with a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness of all dwelling things. His essays replicate a deep reverence for nature and a call to maintain its inherent beauty. In the Catskills is not only a documentation of the bodily attributes of the place however additionally an intimate mirrored image at the religious and rejuvenating factors of spending time in nature. Burroughs' eloquent prose and eager insights make this series a timeless birthday party of the herbal world, encouraging readers to increase a profound reference to the environment and find solace inside the tranquility of the Catskills.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHome to mythical kingdoms, wars and expeditions, and strange and magical beasts, the Himalayas have always loomed tall in our imagination. Overrun at different times by Buddhism, Taoism, shamanism, Islam and Christianity, they are a grand central station of the world's religions. They are also a plant hunter's paradise, a climber's challenge, and a traveller's dream.In his quest to explore the region's seismic history, Twigger seeks out the Nagas, who helped his grandfather build a camp for Allied soldiers near Imphal during the Second World War and takes the most scenic bike ride in the world from Lhasa to Kathmandu. The result is a sweeping, fascinating and surprising journey through the history of the world's greatest mountain range.Trade Review'Twigger leaves no mountain path untouched . . . lively, interesting, unusual and entertaining' -- Sara Wheeler * THE SPECTATOR *'A fascinating compendium of stories' * DAILY TELEGRAPH *'Very readable . . . White Mountain offers firm narrative and sweeping views' -- John Keay * TLS *'Real and imagined journeys in the Himalayas, by Robert Twigger, acclaimed author of Red Nile. A travelogue and expansive exploration of these mighty mountains that follows a meandering and often mythical path' * NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER *'Twigger is one of the best and most fascinating of recent travel writers. Following his excellent book on the Nile, Twigger goes into deeper territory with this "spiritual" biography of the Himalayas. Of course, in any such book, there are a lot of mountaineering tales and tragedy, but Twigger is far more interested in the spirituality of the people of Nepal and Tibet than he is with peaks and summits. Looking at Tibetan Buddhism as well as the area's bloody history, Twigger show the spiritual importance of this strange and haunting place' * CATHOLIC HERALD *Interesting and idiosyncratic... The author's style is by turns entertainingly conversational, essay-like and at times almost stream-of-consciousness ... The author, Robert Twigger, is a writer of considerable acclaim and a poet, which shows. His prose crackles ... It is a literate miscellany of obscure facts, characters and tales of history interwoven with philosophy, biography and autobiography. Not for everyone - but if you think you'll like it, you'll probably love it. I did -- Simon Ingram * TRAIL *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis prize-winning book is both an illustrated tour of a Tokyo rarely seen in Japan travel guides and an artist's warm, funny, visually rich, and always entertaining graphic memoir.Florent Chavouet, a young graphic artist, spent six months exploring Tokyo while his girlfriend interned at a company there. Each day he would set forth with a pouch full of color pencils and a sketchpad, and visit different neighborhoods. This stunning book records the city that he got to know during his adventures. It isn't the Tokyo of packaged tours and glossy guidebooks, but a grittier, vibrant place, full of ordinary people going about their daily lives and the scenes and activities that unfold on the streets of a bustling metropolis.Here you find businessmen and businesswomen, hipsters, students, grandmothers, shopkeepers, police officers, and other urban types and tribes in all manner of dress and hairstyles. A temple nestles among skyscrapers; the corner grocery anchors a diverse assortment of dwellings, cafes, and shops—often tangled in electric lines. The artist mixes styles and tags his pictures with wry comments and observations. Realistically rendered advertisements or posters of pop stars contrast with cartoon sketches of iconic objects or droll vignettes, like a housewife walking her pet pig, a Godzilla statue in a local park, and an urban fishing pond that charges 400 yen per half hour.This very personal guide to Tokyo is organized by neighborhood with hand-drawn maps that provide an overview of each neighborhood, but what defines them is what caught the artist's eye and attracted his formidable drawing talent. Florent Chavouet begins his introduction by observing that, "Tokyo is said to be the most beautiful of ugly cities." With wit, a playful sense of humor, and the multicolor pencils of his kit, he sets aside the question of urban ugliness or beauty and captures the Japanese essence of a great city in this genuinely vital portrait.Trade Review"His drawings are so wonderfully idiosyncratic and so beautifully detailed that what must have been a labor of love for him is no less a labor of delightful artistic genius." --Publishers Weekly starred review"[Tokyo on Foot] will make readers with wanderlust wish to drop their everyday responsibilities and trek through a foreign city. It will appeal to the armchair traveler who yearns for a bit of the exotic, the wanderer who wants to someday visit the Land of the Rising Sun, and, indeed, anyone who appreciates the marriage of grit and beauty, self-deprecating wit, and losing oneself in good pictures for a while." --ForeWord Reviews"From what Chavouet saw, did, ate--bugs, festivals, storefronts, a fake French mansion, random drinks and snacks--his illustrations catch perfect little details you'll never find in any guidebook. His myriad of people caught in the midst of their everyday lives are undoubtedly the book's highlight. […] By the time he's back in his native France, he's got an award-winning, fascinating book that surely makes for ideal reading for both armchair tourists and peripatetic travelers alike." --Book Dragon (Smithsonian Institute)

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne grey dismal day, Janine Marsh was on a trip to northern France to pick up some cheap wine. She returned to England a few hours later having put in an offer on a rundown old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. This was not something she’d expected or planned for.Janine eventually gave up her job in London to move with her husband to live the good life in France. Or so she hoped. While getting to grips with the locals and la vie Française, and renovating her dilapidated new house, a building lacking the comforts of mains drainage, heating or proper rooms, and with little money and less of a clue, she started to realize there was lot more to her new home than she could ever have imagined.These are the true tales of Janine’s rollercoaster ride through a different culture – one that, to a Brit from the city, was in turns surprising, charming and not the least bit baffling.Trade ReviewWarm, uplifting, and effervescent...Janine's voice and humor bubbles right off the page, making you want to pack your bags and visit her fixer-upper home in rural France * Samantha Verant *If you've ever dreamed of discovering "the real France," you won't want to miss this delightful book * Keith Van Sickle *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the years he spent among the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq Wilfred Thesiger came to understand, admire and share a way of life that had endured for many centuries. Travelling from village to village by canoe, he won acceptance by dispensing medicines and treating the sick. In this account of his time there he pays tribute to the hospitality, loyalty, courage and endurance of the people, describes their impressive reed houses, the waterways and lakes teeming with wildlife, the herding of buffalo and hunting of wild boar, moments of tragedy and moments of pure comedy, all in vivid, engaging detail.Untouched by the modern world until recently, these independent people, their way of life and their surroundings have suffered widespread destruction under the regime of Saddam Hussein. Wilfred Thesiger''s magnificent account of his time spent among them is a moving testament to their now threatened culture and the landscape they inhabit.Trade Review"It is one thing to tell the story of an expedition . . . it is quite another to convey the atmosphere. . . . This is a richly rewarding book." —The Observer "His voyage through desert waters will remain, like his Arabian Sands, a classic of travel writing." —The Times (London)

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Kretschmer is sailing's practical philosopher as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. His crew has included CEOs, actors, writers, teachers, kids in essence, everyone. John's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice in seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are,Trade ReviewA remarkable and very enjoyable cocktail of blue water, action and wisdom. Kretschmer is a fine writer and an inspiration. * Tristan Gooley *[A] poignant, yet relatable tale … Kretschmer tells an insightful and quietly triumphant story. * Sail Magazine *[E]vocative and profound … indispensable … fascinating … A must-have for any sailor’s library. * The Florida Times Union *'Kretch' as his friends call him is a successful businessman, a compelling lecturer and raconteur and a splendid writer. This new book reminds me of Joseph Conrad’s first book The Mirror of the Sea, which was a memoir from his life as a ship captain and a refection on what a life at sea can teach an observant and thoughtful person. Kretch just may by our own modern-day Conrad, which in my book is no small thing. If you love sailing, life and good writing, you’ll enjoy Sailing to the Edge of Time.. * Blue Water Sailing *Kretschmer’s style as a storyteller is well defined, but in Sailing to the Edge of Time, readers will find hints of a new side of the sailor, one that contemplates bigger questions * Sailing Magazine *Sailing to the Edge of Time is amusing, poignant, terrifying and inspiring all in one, offering riveting accounts of [the author's] adventures around the world, from crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific to a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen. -- Charity de Souza * Trips to Discover: Best Travel Books of 2020 *Filled with all the adventure one expects from someone who has sailed around the world, it is also a poignant and inspirational account of how to live your life to the fullest. Kretschmer is not only a sailor; he’s a philosopher, and if you’re at all interested in thinking as deep as the ocean, this book is perfect for you. * Travel Pulse *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn extraordinary photographic exploration of North Korea, from a Westerner who lived in Pyongyang and explored the country beyond for nearly two years. What happens when you travel to a place where even basic truths are ambiguous? Where sometimes you can't trust your own eyes or feelings? Where the divide between real and imagined is never clear? For two years, Lindsey Miller lived in North Korea, long regarded as one of the most closed societies on earth. As one of Pyongyang's small community of resident foreigners, Lindsey was granted remarkable freedoms to experience the country without government minders. She had a front row seat as North Korea shot into the headlines during an unprecedented period of military tension with the US and the subsequent historic Singapore Summit. However, it was the connection with individuals and their families, and the day-to-day reality of control and repression, that delivered the real revelations of North Korean life, and which left Lindsey utterly changed from the woman who had nervously disembarked from her plane onto an empty runway just two years before. This is her extraordinary photographic account, a testament to the hidden humanity of North Korea.

Read more less

Book SynopsisI have learned many words for ''island'': isle, atoll, eyot, islet, or skerry. They exist in archipelagos or alone, and always, by definition, I have understood them by their relation to water. But the Chinese word for island knows nothing of water. For a civilisation grown inland from the sea, the vastness of mountains was a better analogue: (dao, ''island'') built from the relationship between earth and sky.Between tectonic plates and conflicting cultures, Taiwan is an island of extremes: high mountains, exposed flatlands, thick forests. After unearthing a hidden memoir of her grandfather''s life, written on the cusp of his total memory loss, Jessica J Lee hunts his story, in parallel with exploring Taiwan, hoping to understand the quakes that brought her family from China, to Taiwan and Canada, and the ways in which our human stories are interlaced with geographical forces. Part-nature writing, part-biography, Two Trees Make a Forest traces the natuTrade ReviewA finely faceted meditation on memory, love, landscape - and finding a home in language. Its short, shining sections tilt yearningly towards one another; in form as well as content, this is a beautiful book about the distance between people and between places, and the means of their bridging -- Robert MacfarlaneA beautiful, fully-realised tribute to a family and a brave, diligent search for understanding in the mist -- Amy LiptrotA subtle, powerful exploration of the relationship between people and place, and a luminous evocation of an extraordinary landscape -- Melissa HarrisonTwo Trees Make a Forest takes a twisting path through mountain passes, over tree roots, by spoon billed birds and into a family's past. In this thoughtful memoir, Lee asks the reader to wonder, what makes a homeland? Is it language, family, landscape? I was left with a full heart and a longing to learn the name of each tree that lines my own past -- Rowan Hisayo BuchananBoth clear-eyed and tender hearted, Two Trees Make a Forest is a profound and gorgeously written meditation on the natural and familial environments that shape us. Jessica J Lee is a poetic talent keenly attentive to the mysterious and sublime -- Sharlene TeoBeautiful -- Melissa Harrison * Observer *[A] luminescent exploration of family and landscape in Taiwan . . . The book details Jessica J. Lee's family's displacement from China, their migration to Taiwan after the Second World War and then to Canada in the 1970s, alongside Taiwan's turbulent history and a portrayal of the mountainous, cloud-forested island itself . . . Lee's description of her own journey through the Taiwanese landscape [...] combines a botanist's precision with a poet's eye and ear . . . In Two Trees Make a Forest, Lee has created a powerful, beautifully written account of the connections between people and the places they call home * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisPatrick Leigh Fermor''s Mani compellingly revealed a hidden world of Southern Greece and its past. Its northern counterpart takes the reader among Sarakatsan shepherds, the monasteries of Meteora and the villages of Krakora, among itinerant pedlars and beggars, and even tracks down at Missolonghi a pair of Byron''s slippers.Roumeli is not on modern maps: it is the ancient name for the lands from the Bosphorus to the Adriatic and from Macedonia to the Gulf of Corinth. But it is the perfect, evocative name for the Greece that Fermor captures in writing that carries throughout his trademark vividness of description. But what is more, the pictures of people, traditions and landscapes that he creates on the page are imbued with an intimate understanding of Greece and its history.Trade ReviewMani and Roumeli: two of the best travel books of the century * Financial Times *A masterpiece softened by warm, human understanding * Sunday Times *Marvellous... we are fortunate to have these unforgettable reports from the fields and the marshes, the peaks and the chasms, the taverns and the waterfronts of the Roumeli * Observer *A wandering scholar but with a difference: unlike the celebrated travellers of the past he has become part of the country he describes * Sunday Times *He is in the first flight of writers on Greece * The Times *John Murray is doing the decent thing and reissuing all of Leigh Fermor's main books ... But what else would you expect from a publisher whose commitment to geography is such that for more than two centuries it has widened our understanding of the world? * Geographical Magazine *Bringing the landscape alive as no other writer can, he uses his profound and eclectic understanding of cultures and peoples ... to paint vivid pictures - nobody has illuminated the geography of Europe better * Geographical Magazine *'Extraordinarily engaging . . . thanks to Leigh Fermor's ability to turn an insight into a telling phrase . . . a compelling story' * London Review of Books *Leigh Fermor is a writer's writer, a man whose prose is frequently and justifiably likened to poetry. He writes like an angel in other words -- and angels don't date * Justin Marozzi, Financial Times *'A Book For... The Greek islands' * Justin Marozzi, Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSylvain Tesson, found a radical solution to his need for freedom, one as ancient as the experiences of the hermits of old Russia: he decided to lock himself alone in a cabin in the middle taiga, on the shores of Baikal, for six months. Noting carefully his impressions of the silence, Sylvain Tesson shares with us an extraordinary experience.

Read more less

Book SynopsisColin Thubron is an acknowledged master of travel writing, and the winner of many prizes and awards. His first writing was about the Middle East - Damascus, Lebanon and Cyprus. In 1982 he travelled into the Soviet Union in an ancient Morris Marina, pursued by the KGB, a journey he recorded in Among the Russians. From these early experiences developed his classic travel books: Behind the Wall (winner of the Hawthornden Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Award), In Siberia (Prix Bouvier), Shadow of the Silk Road and To a Mountain in Tibet (all available in Vintage). In 2010 Colin Thubron became President the Royal Society of Literature.Trade ReviewThubron's journey takes him through a spectacular, talismanic geography of desert and mountain... a whole glittering, terrible and romantic history lies abandoned along with thoughts of more prosperous times... Thubon's grasp of this fantastical past is impeccable, and he weaves its mysteries with modern images into a dazzling embroidery * The Times *Thubron writes with an originality and vividness that few contemporary authors can match * Independent *Although the heroic age of travellers in Central Asia has gone for ever, this book will still deserve, for the intense beauty of its pose and the observant clarity of its visions, to stand alongside the best of those classic travel writings of the past * Sunday Telegraph *This book is a masterpiece of travel writing... in plain English, it's a classic * New Statesman *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I hereby bet Tony Hawks the sum of One Hundred Pounds that he cannot hitchhike round the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, within one calendar month'A foolhardy attempt to win a drunken bet led to Tony Hawks having one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life.Trade ReviewNot just brilliantly written, but far too hilarious to read alone in a public place * Sunday Independent, Ireland *Hawks's account shows the Irish at their whimsical best * Daily Telegraph *Very light-hearted, he captures the generosity, warmth and humour of Ireland * Red *Part autobiography, part travelogue, part insane Guinness-addled ramblings * Irish Times *Absolutely brilliant from start to finish - Tony Hawks is just as funny at the written word as he is on the box * Doncaster Courier *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux''s compelling account of his final African journey.Heading north from Cape Town, through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola, Paul Theroux makes a final journey along Africa''s western edge. The end of the line is the Congo but Theroux discovers that his trip''s pleasures are tempered by a growing sense that the Africa which so long ago helped form him has vanished, along with the hopes of many of its people. Yet after 2,500 miles Theroux finds that though this will be his ultimate African adventure there are still surprises to be found by the traveller prepared to step off the beaten track.''A melancholic, farewell journey . . . Theroux does all this inimitably, and more, getting better the more detours he takes'' Evening Standard''Hard to put down, brutal honesty. Theroux proves himself a sharp observer of human foibles and a master of pithy description. The book he has crafted out of

Read more less

Book SynopsisI hadn''t been planning on making Mexico my new home, but the little house on the sea was all that I had left . . . Intimate, honest and touching, this is the story of Deborah Rodriguez''s often hilarious journey of self-discovery. Forced to flee her life in Afghanistan, she leaves behind her friends, her possessions and her two beloved businesses: a hair salon and a coffee shop.But life proves no easier ''back home''. After a year living in California where she teeters on the edge of sanity, Deborah makes a decision: she''s going to get the old Deb back. So, at the age of forty-nine, she packs her life and her cat, Polly, into her Mini Cooper and heads south to a pretty seaside town in Mexico. Home is now an unassuming little house on Carnaval Street.If you liked Eat, Pray, Love you will love The House on Carnaval Street. Rodriguez''s story speaks to every woman, mother, sister, wife - to anyone who has ever questionTrade ReviewReaders who fell in love with Rodriguez's chronicle of life in Afghanistan [The Kabul Beauty School] will surely revel in this candid, intimate tale of starting over in middle-age in a new country * Kirkus Reviews *Fans of Rodriguez's brash and honest tone will thoroughly enjoy this next installment in her remarkable story * Publishers Weekly *This inspirational read is bound to appeal to anyone contemplating their second or third act * Booklist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisChina and India have always been seperated not only by the Himalayas, but also by the impenetrable jungle and remote areas that once stretched across Burma. Now this last great frontier will likely vanish - forests cut down, dirt roads replaced by superhighways, insurgencies ended - leaving China and India exposed to each other as never before. This basic shift in geography is as profound as the opening of the Suez Canal and is taking place just as the centre of the world''s economy moves to the East. Thant Myint-U has travelled extensively across this vast territory, where high-speed trains and gleaming shopping malls now sit alongside the last remaining forests and impoverished mountain communities. In Where China Meets India he explores the new strategic centrality of Burma, the country of his ancestry, where Asia''s two rising giant powers - China and India - appear to be vying for supremacy. Part travelogue, part history, part investigation, Where Chin

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe land of the Iranians, known to European travelers for centuries as Persia, is a land of mountains, deserts, plains, and forests. The author adds to our understanding with his selection of three thousand years of descriptive writing. He allows us to visit the courts of Cyrus and Xerxes, to ride out with the Parthians and Sassanians.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world is full of places that inspire and bring us joy: they might be exceptionally beautiful, resonant with history, untouched by civilisation or rich in memory. This is an atlas that gathers together some of the most enchanting and reinvigorating places around the world in order to heal and captivate, including beautiful destinations in Greece, Italy, Japan, America, Chile and Australia, to name but a few. We’re taken to the tops of mountains, solitary cliffs, elegant cities and also some less expected locations: airports, hydroelectric stations and meteorite craters. Great travellers have always known that travelling can broaden the mind; here we see how it can also heal it. A Therapeutic Atlas reminds us that the world is far broader and more inspiring than we tend to appreciate day to day. Tempting images are combined with short essays that discuss the power of particular places to help us with the difficulties of being human. We locate places that are therapeutic because they coax us out of familiar patterns of thought and liberate our minds. This is a book that can be read when travelling, as a real-life atlas, but as importantly, when travel is difficult, it reminds us that there is no place like home and the sanctuary of our own bed.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRichard Holmes's great work of biographical exploration, published alongside its sister volume Sidetracks'.In 1985, Richard Holmes published a small book of essays called Footsteps and the writing of biography was changed forever. A daring mix of travel, biographical sleuthing and personal memoir, it broke all the conventions of the genre and remains ons of the most intoxicating, magical works of modern literary exploration ever published.Sleeping rough, he retraces Robert Louis Stevenson''s famous journey through the Cevennes. Caught up in the Parisian riots of the 1960s, he dives back in time to the terrors of Wordsworth and of Mary Wollstonecraft marooned in Revolutionary Paris and then into the strange tortured worlds of Gérard de Nerval. Wandering through Italy, he stalks Shelley and his band of Romantic idealists to Casa Magni on the Gulf of Spezia.Trade ReviewThis exhilarating book, part biography, part autobiography, shows the biographer as sleuth and huntsman, tracking his subjects through space and time.' HILARY SPURLING, Observer 'Nothing is simple in this intricate, complicated and fascinating book, which is like a set of Russian dolls, biography containing travel-writing containing autobiography containing and so on… Holmes is indeed a biographer and a romantic in every sense.' RICHARD BOSTON, Guardian

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe man with the gun pushed me down onto the carpet. I tried to cower to make my body curl smaller, instinctively covering my head.Oh God, please don't kill me.' My words clung to my teeth and now my whole body was so cold. All I had left were these words.'Please. Please don't kill me. Jesus. God. Please.'I wanted to live and I knew it with absolute certainty. I don't want to die.Emma Slade was a high-flying debt analyst for a large investment bank, when she was taken hostage in a hotel room on a business trip to Jakarta. She thought she was lucky to come out of it unscathed, but over the ensuing weeks and months, as the financial markets crashed, Emma became her own distressed asset as the trauma following the event took hold.Realising her view on life had profoundly changed she embarked upon a journey, discovering the healing power of yoga and, in Bhutan, opening her eyes to a kinder, more peaceful way of living.From fast-paced City life to the stillness of Bhutan's Himalayan mountains, Set Free is the inspiring true story of Emma's astonishing life lived to extremes and all that that entails: work, travel, spirituality, Buddhism, relationships, and the underlying question of what makes a meaningful life.Trade ReviewThis book chronicles the gradual transformation from a high-flying financial advisor to a committed Buddhist nun through the course of work, relationships, motherhood and finally spiritual commitment. A good read for all those involved in practising a spiritual path in a western context. * Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, author, teacher and Buddhist nun *a remarkable story * Emma Barnett, Radio 5 live *this is a story which needed to be told not just for Emma and the children of Bhutan, but for the world... utterly compelling * Spectrum Magazine *this is an amazing woman with an amazing story * Davina McCall *It's an amazing story and what's most remarkable about it is the personality of Slade herself. She is an exceptional individual * Suzi Feay, Literary Journalist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter a decade of making documentaries about offbeat characters on the fringes of US society, Louis had the urge to return to America and track down the people who most fascinated him. It would be a reunion tour, but this time without the cameras and the sense of performance being filmed inevitably brings. It would allow him to get closer to people, to discover what really motivated them and what had happened to the assorted dreamers, outlaws and eccentrics since he last saw them.On a journey that took him from the porn sets of Los Angeles to the gangsta rappers of Memphis, from a convention of UFO contactees in Arizona to Northern Idaho for a festive get-together of neo-Nazis, he asked what 'weird people' have to tell us about our own secret natures. Had he learned anything about himself by being among them? Do we choose our beliefs or do our beliefs choose us?Louis Theroux's first book is a hilarious, thought-provoking and at times surreal voyage into the heart of weirdness.Trade ReviewCrammed with original insights * Guardian *What Theroux actually shows us in this exhilarating read is that the barmy and bizarre are still very much alive and kicking * Sunday Express *Compelling reading * FT Magazine *'The original guru of American psychosis.' -- Times * The Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1: Prologue Chapter - 1: Thor Templar Chapter - 2: JJ Michaels Chapter - 3: Ike Turner Chapter - 4: Mike Cain Chapter - 5: Hayley Chapter - 6: Jerry Gruidl Chapter - 7: Mello T Chapter - 8: Oscody Chapter - 9: Marshall Sylver Chapter - 10: April, Lamb and Lynx Unit - Epilogue : 1

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the National Geographic Reader's Award 2018 Shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year 2018 Shortlisted for the BBC Countryfile Magazine Country Book of the Year 2018 'For all the islomaniacs out there, Patrick Barkham's Islander looks unmissable' Robert Macfarlane 'Brimming with nature, this is a fitting tribute to the strangeness and beauty of our British isles' Financial Times 'Islander is a charming and attractive book... his shrewd study of the islander mentality [...] could stand for the entire country' Spectator The British Isles are an archipelago made up of two large islands and 6,289 smaller ones. Some, like the Isle of Man, resemble miniature nations, with their own language and tax laws; others, like Ray Island in Essex, are abandoned and mysterious places haunted by myths, ghosts and foxes. There are resurgent islands such as Eigg, which have been liberated from capricious owners to be run by their residents; holy islands like Bardsey, the resting place of 20,000 saints, and still a site of spiritual questing; and deserted islands such as St Kilda, famed for the evacuation of its human population, and now dominated by wild sheep and seabirds. In this evocative and vividly observed book, Patrick Barkham explores some of the most beautiful landscapes in the British Isles as he travels to ever-smaller islands in search of their special magic. Our small islands are both places of freedom and imprisonment, party destinations and oases of peace, strangely suburban and deeply wild. They are places where the past is unusually present, but they can also offer a vision of an alternative future. Meeting all kinds of islanders, from nuns to puffins, from local legends to rare subspecies of vole, he seeks to discover what it is like to live on a small island, and what it means to be an islander.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the years, authors, artists and amblers aplenty have felt the pull of the Thames, and now travel writer Tom Chesshyre is following in their footsteps.He's walking the length of the river from the Cotswolds to the North Sea - a winding journey of over two hundred miles. Join him for an illuminating stroll past meadows, churches and palaces, country estates and council estates, factories and dockyards. Setting forth in the summer of Brexit, and meeting a host of interesting characters along the way, Chesshyre explores the living present and remarkable past of England's longest and most iconic river.Trade ReviewAn enjoyable refuge from everyday life * Clive Aslet, The Times *I found myself quickly falling into step beside Tom Chesshyre, charmed by his amiable meanderings, pointed observations and meetings with strangers along the way... but most of all Chesshyre champions the joys of a good walk through fascinating surroundings - with beer and blisters at the end of the day * BBC Countryfile Magazine - Fergus Collins *Readers should perhaps prepare themselves for a whole new wave of Whither England? type books in the months and years ahead, and Chesshyre's is a not unwelcome early attempt to answer that seemingly urgent question. * Ian Sansom, Times Literary Supplement *'Beautifully written and exquisite in observation, Tom Chesshyre's latest book, From Source to Sea is a fitting tribute to the mighty Thames that flows like a golden thread through the history of Britain. * Harry Bucknall, author of Like a Tramp, Like a Pilgrim *Chesshyre cuts an engaging figure... He has a true journalist's instinct for conversational encounters - Kurdistani picnickers in the river meadows upstream of London, pub thugs in the badlands of the lower Thames, other Thames Path pilgrims he rubs up against along the way. He also demonstrates a nose for a juicy tale, from a pre-Raphaelite ménage-àtrois at Kelmscott Manor to the discreet nookie column in the Marlow Free Press. Chesshyre's journey is rich in history and thick with characters, fables and happenstance - a highly readable and entertaining saunter along England's iconic river. * Christopher Somerville, author of Britain’s Best Walks *Chesshyre's book stands out from other accounts of walking the Thames Path in its contemporary (post-Brexit, pre-Trump) immediacy. A portrait of England and the English in our time, it is peppered with fascinating historical and literary markers. It's also a usefully opinionated guide to watering-holes and B&Bs from the sleepy Cotswold villages to the dystopian edgelands of the estuary. * Christina Hardyment, author of Writing the Thame *Journalist Tom Chesshyre has produced a readable, richly entertaining and highly informative book in From Source to Sea * Chris Gray, The Oxford Times *The result is this enjoyable travelogue, guiding the reader through the delightful towns and cities strung like pearls along the river, the 'liquid history' of the Thames from the Romans to the Profumo Affair and the beloved works of art and literature inspired by life on its banks, most famously Alice in Wonderland, Three Men in a Boat and The Wind in the Willows... a welcome addition to the Thames cannon. * Richard Tarrant, The Lady *Beautifully written and exquisite in observation, Tom Chesshyre's latest book, From Source to Sea is a fitting tribute to the mighty Thames that flows like a golden thread through the history of Britain. * Harry Bucknall, author of Like a Tramp, Like a Pilgrim *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Jonathan Raban is simply one of the great writers of non‐fiction at work today. I hold his work in awe.' Robert Macfarlane 'Unfailingly witty and entertaining.' Salman RushdieFollowing in the footsteps of countless emigrants, Jonathan Raban takes ship for New York from Liverpool, to explore how succeeding generations of newcomers have fared in America. He finds a country of massive contrasts, between the Street People and the Air People in New York, between small town and big city, between thrusting immigrants and down-at-heel native Americans. Having outgrown his minute rented New York apartment, he heads for Guntersville, Alabama, where he settles for a few months as a good ol' boy in a cabin on the lake with a 'rented' elderly lab. From there he flies to the promise of Seattle, discovering its thrusting but alienated Asian community and thence to the watery lowlife of Key West. The result is a breathtaking observation of the States – a travelogue, a social history and a love letter in one.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘I am already planning the next adventure. The wanderlust that infected me has no cure.’It all started in Fishguard in the mid-1970s when, aged fifteen, Martyn Howe and a friend set off on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path armed with big rucksacks, borrowed boots, a Primus stove and a pint of paraffin, and a thirst for adventure. After repeating the route almost thirty years later, Martyn was inspired to walk every National Trail in England and Wales, plus the four Long-Distance Routes (now among the Great Trails) in Scotland. His 3,000-mile journey included treks along the South West Coast Path, the Pennine Way, the Cotswold Way and the West Highland Way. He finally achieved his ambition in 2016 when he arrived in Cromer in Norfolk, only to set a new goal of walking the England and Wales Coast Paths and the Scottish National Trail.In Tales from the Big Trails, Martyn vividly describes the diverse landscapes, wildlife, culture and heritage he encounters around the British Isles, and the physical and mental health benefits he derives from walking. He also celebrates the people who enrich his travels, including fellow long-distance hikers, tourists discovering Britain’s charm, farmers working the land, and the friendly and eccentric owners of hostels, campsites and B&Bs.And when he is asked ‘Why do you do it?’, the answer is as simple as placing one foot in front of the other: ‘It makes me happy.’Table of ContentsIntroduction1 – Pembrokeshire Coast Path2 – The Ridgeway3 – South West Coast Path4 – Thames Path5 – Offa’s Dyke Path6 – Glyndwr’s Way7 – Pennine Way8 – Cotswold Way9 – North Downs Way10 – South Downs Way11 – Hadrian’s Wall12 – Yorkshire Wolds Way13 – Cleveland Way14 – Pennine Bridleway15 – Southern Upland Way16 – West Highland Way17 – Great Glen Way18 – Speyside Way19 – Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path

Read more less

Book SynopsisCharles Darwin joined HMS Beagle when he was just 22 at the request of Captain FitzRoy, who wanted to have a naturalist on board. The ship set sail from Plymouth Sound on 27 December 1831 and returned nearly five years later on 2 October 1836. The journey took Darwin from the Cape de Verde Islands to Mauritius, visiting locations as varied as Brazil, Tierra del Fuego, the Galapagos archipelago, South Africa, New Zealand and the Azores. Darwin’s book is a vivid travel diary of this trip with personal anecdotes and observations on religious beliefs and racial typecasting, as well as a detailed scientific field journal covering biology, geology and anthropology. He found bones of extinct mammals, experienced volcanoes and discovered many new bird species. The book was instantly acclaimed and the insights he gained through his investigations eventually led to his theory of natural selection.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAway from the five-star hotels and beyond luxury hideaways, Tom Chesshyre travels to see the real, unexplored Maldives, skirting around the archipelago's periphery, staying at simple guesthouses, and using cargo ships and ferries. He discovers that beyond the glossy brochures lies an almost undiscovered country that is brimming with life, yet also a paradise teetering on the brink of trouble.In the Maldives outsiders used to be banned from islands not officially endorsed as tourist resorts, but now a thousand sandy shores can be visited in this remote nation deep in the Indian Ocean the flattest on Earth.This is island-hopping for the twenty-first century, sailing around 600 miles of the most beautiful islands and atolls on Earth, often to communities that have not seen an outsider for decades, ...and gatecrashing the odd posh hotel.Trade ReviewIn Gatecrashing Paradise Tom sets out to explore the other Maldives, not the one where all the tourists go. Until quite recently tourists were very restricted when it came to Maldives travel. That's changed and as a result small guest houses and hotels have sprung up and you can make your way like Tom around the island by local ferry services and domestic flights. You don't need an economics degree to know most of the money from the five star resorts would have gone straight back to their overseas owners. Tom [travels] all around the scattered atolls of the low lying nation where he encounters climate change concerns (nothing is naturally much more than two or three metres above sea level), worker exploitation, tsunami fears and some decidedly murky politics, often as opaque as the lagoon waters are transparent. -- Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely PlanetTom Chesshyre bravely and entertainingly exposes the dimensions of the Maldives that the tourist board is strangely shy of illuminating. -- Simon CalderI loved Gatecrashing Paradise. It should be mandatory reading for all visitors. -- Francisca Kellett, Travel editor at TatlerRevealing aspects of a surprising little tropical nation wholly unknown to holidaymakers, Gatecrashing Paradise compares honorably with Arthur Grimble's A Pattern of Islands. -- Alexander Frater, author of Chasing the MonsoonChesshyre is an affable and enthusiastic traveller, and his sojourn in the Maldives covers interesting ground in a country full of contrasts. * Times Literary Supplement *Gatecrashing Paradise is an entertaining travelogue that visits the corners most tourists never see. * Marie Claire *'Away from the sumptuous water villas of the Maldives, trouble is brewing in this renowned 'honeymoon heaven'. This is the story of a nation you won't read in your glossy weekend supplement. * The Journalist, the magazine of the National Union of Journalists *Gatecrashing Paradise clearly depicts a guesthouse scene largely undiscovered, which offers the chance to experience the warm communities and rich culture of island life. * Minivan News: Independent News for the Maldives *I loved it. Tom Chesshyre discovers that beyond the glossy brochures lies an almost undiscovered country that is brimming with life, yet also a paradise teetering on the brink of trouble. * Mrs. O Around the World *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Mak is the history teacher everyone should have had' Financial TimesFrom the author of the internationally acclaimed In Europe, a stunning history of our present, examining the first two decades of this most fragile and fraught new millennium.How did the great European dream turn sour? And where do we go from here?In this illuminating book, Geert Mak - one of Europe's best-loved commentators - charts the seismic events that have shaped people's lives over the past twenty years. He moves through the rocky expansion of the EU, the aftermath of 9/11 and terrorist attacks across Europe, the 2008 financial crash and the euro crisis, and on to the rise of right-wing populism and Brexit.Like no other, Mak blends history, politics and culture with the stories and experiences of the many Europeans he meets on his travels. He brings this continent to life, and asks: what role does Europe now play, and how might we face our fresh challenges together?'A powerful, humane and serious mind' Guardian'Mak is a truly cosmopolitan chronicler' IndependentTrade ReviewInstinctively cosmopolitan, Mak sweeps over his home continent in a colourful, convivial sprawl well captured in Liz Waters' pacy translation. * Financial Times *Compelling... Anecdotal nuggets sparkle on every page. * Economist *Absorbing... an illuminating odyssey... Mak is an astute observer. -- Piers Brendon * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt's 2017. Three friends in their twenties decide to take a year off, shunning the career ladder to drive from Italy to China, following the ancient Silk Roads. On Being from Nowhere relates their 23,000-km-long journey, which lasts over a hundred days, traverses sixteen countries and fulfils a childhood dream of exploration. Sponsors provide the trio with just enough money to cover the journey between Venice and Beijing, in exchange for news on China's modern-day Silk Road-type initiatives, such as its 'One Belt, One Road', a trillion-dollar infrastructure project seeking to improve the connections between Chinese and European markets. The debut of Giulio De Osis, On Being from Nowhere, is more than a travel narrative following in the steps of great writers such as Marco Polo and Nicolas Bouvier. As the friends venture east, they find themselves contemplating their identities, the responsibilities that come with travel and what it means to travel at a time when borders are closing - when, to quote former UK Prime Minister Theresa May people who believe they 'are a citizen of the world' are actually 'a citizen of nowhere'. Individual chapters relate experiences and encounters in Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China. The friends are interrogated by the authorities, deal with a broken-down car and fear for their life in a storm in the Kyrgyz mountains. The friends' own stories weave around those of the varied cast of characters they meet along the way - providing opportunities for the protagonists to think about their surroundings, their own identities and the meaning of travel. On Being from Nowhere merges the story of the Silk Roads, with those of its modern inhabitants and the adventures of a group of three friends indulging in the journey of a lifetime. It is part travelogue, part adventure story, part cultural history and part self-examination. This is a book for people who love travel writing, for travel buffs interested in the Silk Road regions and their history, and for anybody who has experienced a young adult's wanderlust and the drive to explore.Table of ContentsCONTENTS I. ITALY II. THE BALKANS III. TURKEY IV. GEORGIA V. AZERBAIJAN VI. IRAN VII. TURKMENISTAN VIII. UZBEKISTAN IX. KYRGYZSTAN X. KAZAKHSTAN XI. CHINA

Read more less

Book SynopsisCommunist Albania was unlike any other European nation. It was a 'hermit state' ruled by a dictator, Enver Hoxha, who presided over a repressive Stalinist regime. When John Watkins visited Albania in the late 1980s, he saw peasants toiling in the fields and enormous state-owned factories scarred the landscape. In 1991, the old regime was overthrown. Hoxha's statues were pulled down and his books burned. But reminders of his Albania were everywhere: in the monotonous apartment blocks and derelict factories; in the old collective farms and irrigation channels; in the thousands of bunkers that still dotted the landscape. But how much deeper did Hoxha's influence go? What marks had he left on the political system and on the nation's psyche? To answer these questions, the author returned to the places he had visited in the 1980s. He started in Shkoder and travelled south through Durres and Tirana to Sarande. He had taken photos on those first tours. He wanted to find the exact spots where he had taken them, so he could use them as a barometer of change. But the real power of the images lay not just in their evocation of the past, but in the connections they allowed him to make in the present. Through the photos, he was able to talk to Albanians from different generations and walks of life. For those born after 1991, they were revelatory, images of a world they knew little about. For older people, they were a key that unlocked memories, both good and bad. These exchanges, together with eyewitness research over thirty years, have given the author an in-depth insight into how Albanians are coping with the transition from dictatorship to an often-chaotic free market economy. As Albania emerges as a modern democratic state, this book reveals that it is still struggling with the legacy of its traumatic past. 'Enver Hoxha's Long Shadow,' a colourful account of this enigmatic country's landscapes and people, is essential reading for anyone wanting a fuller understanding of contemporary Albania.Trade Review'A stimulating overview of a changing society complete with all its future uncertainties.' - New Eastern Europe; 'Watkins is a knowledgeable, clear-sighted fellow-traveller of the ideologically unrestricted variety, and there is nothing else like his book on the market.--Studies in Travel Writing

Read more less