Travel writing Books

Book Synopsis200 countries; one street each; seven years of travelling and collecting photos, stories, facts and figures about each country. This is not just another photography book. It reveals everything that a street means to society: education, wisdom, youth, experience, happiness, stories, food, and so much more. This is the raw material of life, drawn directly from the experiences of the Belgian photographer Jeroen Swolfs. Seeing the street as a unifying theme, he travelled in search of that one street in each place - sometimes by a harbour or a railway station - that comprised the country as a whole. Each stunning image conveys culture, colours, rituals, even the history of the city and country where he found them. Swolfs sees the street as a universal meeting place, a platform of crowds, a centre of news and gossip, a place of work, and a playground for children. Swolfs's streets are a matrix for community; his photographs are published at a time when the unique insularity of local communities everywhere has never been more under threat.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDSBeautiful, haunting, thought-provoking A book I will return to again and again' Bernardine EvaristoA gorgeously produced, hugely original examination of Black Britishness in the 21st centuryWhat is Black Britain?In 2021, award-winning poet Roger Robinson and acclaimed photographer Johny Pitts rented a red Mini Cooper and decided to follow the coast clockwise in search of an answer to this question. Leaving London, they followed the River Thames east towards Tilbury, where the Empire Windrush docked in 1948. Too often, that is where the history told about Black Britain begins and ends but Robinson and Pitts continued out of London, following the coast clockwise through Margate to Land's End, Bristol to Blackpool, Glasgow to John O'Groats and Scarborough to Southend on Sea. Here, the authors found not only Black British culture long overlooked in official narratives of Britain, but also the history of Empire and transatlantic slavery to which everTrade Review’This beautiful, haunting, thought-provoking fusion of poetry and photography offers us layers of society, the self, the subconscious and Britishness from a Black perspective. It’s a book I will return to again and again’ Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other ’Home is Not a Place has echoes of The Sweet Flypaper of Life but to compare them would do this work a disservice. It is a thing of brilliance, with its own immersive energy, pulling the reader in and allowing them to wander around the world of Black Britain created on these pages. In the authors’ hands, the quotidian becomes transcendent. Robinson’s words are as careful as they are masterful; Pitt’s casual gaze is warm and conversational. This is a book I have been waiting for’ Caleb Azumah Nelson, Costa Book Award-winning author of Open Water ‘Rich and evocative … Pitt’s photos capture the beauty of Black British culture’ Dazed – Praise for Afropean by Johny Pitts Winner of the Jhalak Prize 'A revelation' Owen Jones 'Afropean seizes the blur of contradictions that have obscured Europe's relationship with blackness and paints it into something new, confident and lyrical' Afua Hirsch A Guardian, New Statesman and BBC History Magazine Best Book of 2019 – Praise for A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson WINNER OF THE TS ELIOT POETRY PRIZE 2019 WINNER OF THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020 'Ranging from the most breath-taking poems about the Grenfell Tower fire to the most exquisitely moving poems about the premature birth of his son, who had to fight for his life in an incubator. His poems are deep, mature, moving and inventive.' Bernadine Evaristo for New Statesman

Read more less

Book SynopsisA must-read for modern-day visitors to the grand palace, this edition presents a selection of Washington Irving's tales, sketches, and essays on the subject from the original 1828 edition.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLisbon’s charm is legendary, but its vibrant 2,000-year history is not widely known, from its Roman legacy to its centuries under Moorish rule. Its journey from port town to Portugal's capital was not always smooth sailing—in 1755 the city was devastated by the largest earthquake ever to strike modern Europe, followed by a catastrophic tsunami and a six-day inferno that turned sand to glass. Barry Hatton unearths these forgotten memories in a vivid account of Lisbon’s colourful past and present, bringing to life the 1147 siege during the Iberian reconquista, the assassination of the king, the founding of a republic and the darkness of a modern dictatorship. He reveals the rich, international heritage of Portugal's metropolis—the gateway to the Atlantic and the unrivalled Queen of the Sea.Trade Review'An enchanting account of an enchanting city, where peoples from across the globe have converged over the last two and a half millennia.' -- David Abulafia, Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge and author of 'The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean'‘Hatton’s vivid account . . . is full of fascinating detail for those who love the city, from the origins of fado (the melancholic music of Lisbon) to the story of the exiles who haunted its streets during the Second World War.’ '[An] exotic history of triumph and riches, disaster and decline.''[A] jaunty, well-informed book on Lisbon . . . Hatton is an erudite guide, good at capturing the dense flavour of the city.'‘A companionable history of a darkly intriguing city . . . Hatton’s enjoyable . . . account provides a fascinating and sometimes disquieting backdrop to Lisbon’s uncanny ability to survive.’'Enchanting . . . and playful.'‘Intimate, witty, and entertaining . . . this vivid and eloquent guide to Lisbon’s past spills over with affection for the city.’

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter her husband died of cancer, 57-year-old Rosie set off to run around the world, raising money in memory of the man she loved. Followed by wolves, knocked down by a bus, confronted by bears, chased by a naked man with a gun and stranded with severe frostbite, Rosie''s breathtaking 20,000-mile solo journey is as gripping as it is inspiring.Rosie''s solo run around the world started out of sorrow and heartache and a wish to turn something around.Heartbroken when she lost her husband to cancer, Rosie set off from Wales with nothing but a small backpack of food and equipment, and funded by the rent from her little cottage. So began her epic 5-year journey that would take her 20,000 miles around the world, crossing Europe, Russia, Asia, Alaska, North America, Greenland, Iceland, and back into the UK.On a good day she''d run 30 miles, on a bad day she''d only manage 500 yards, digging herself out of the snow at -62 degrees C, moving her cart inches at a time. Every inch, every mile, was Trade Review‘Somewhere between Jilly Cooper and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Rosie Swale-Pope is an archetypal British survivor, the sort of woman to break both legs, think, “Bugger this”, and carry on marching.’ Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisMorocco is a country that has been much invaded, much traveled though, and much written about in many languages. Positioned at the entrance to Africa—or the entrance to Europe—it has seen deep cultural cross-fertilization and the emergence of a very distinct culture at the threshold of two worlds. Its history is exciting and colorful; its ancient cities extraordinary in their preservation; and its people magnetic. It has drawn travelers and writers for many centuries, and continues to do so today, with the result that there exists a rich seam of description and sometimes quizzical (but generally very fond) appreciation, which Martin Rose, a long-time resident of the country, has been able to mine for this fascinating anthology.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn enthralling guide to one of the world's great cities that blends history and insights into the present day from one of the most astute commentators on the politics of Istanbul'' PETER FRANKOPAN''A love letter to this ancient capital'' THE TIMESWalking along the crumbling defensive walls of Istanbul and talking to those he passes, Alexander Christie-Miller finds a distillation of the country's history, a mirror of its present, and a shadow of its future.Caught between two seas and two continents, Istanbul lies at the centre of the most pressing challenges of our time. With environmental decay, rapacious development and tightening authoritarianism straining its social fabric to breaking point, it represents the precipitous moment civilizations around the world are currently facing.In and around its crumbling Byzantine-era fortifications, Alexander Christie-Miller meets people who are experiencing the looming crisis and fighting back, sometimes triumphing despite the odds.To the City Trade Review EARLY PRAISE FOR TO THE CITY 'A love letter to this ancient capital…a work of storytelling skill and passion, a handsome tribute to a city that always transfixes' The Times 'The author is a sensitive and patient presence, piecing together these stories over many pages. Spending time at a teahouse, an animal shelter and a former Dervish hall that is now an academic institution, he brings to life the rich variety of these neighbourhoods. While Christie-Miller’s focus remains on the streets surrounding the walls, his characters offer broader insights into Turkey’s social and political make-up. He is also sensitive to the poetry of his surroundings, captured in moments of lyrical precision: “Behind them I saw the remains of the Byzantine sea wall hanging like a scrap of old parchment strung out to dry in the sun' Financial Times ‘Alexander Christie-Miller is an exceptionally fluent and imaginative writer who knows Turkey intimately’ Max Hastings 'An absorbing and thoroughly engaging study of modern-day Turkey. His research is first class, and he writes very well…Christie-Miller’s love of the city and its people shines through this wonderful book' Literary Review 'Between the ancient minarets that punctuate the city’s skyline, the author seeks out the real soul of Istanbul in its diverse peoples, past and present, by raising up voices rarely heard' National Geographic Magazine 'Alexander Christie-Miller has written a gripping portrait, with both the sweeping scope of a historian and the intimate, laser-like eye of a travel writer. This also a deeply humane account of a legendary city, not always well served by its leaders' Daniel Metcalfe author of Blue Dahlia

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere were vultures circling above us and I was told to keep moving in case they thought I was dead... Travels with a Brompton is a sparkling narrative about the adventures of an English couple and their folding bicycles over nearly 30 years of exploring France. This is a wine-fuelled account of sweaty pedalling and hard-earned freewheeling via cols, war memorials, lavender fields, and vineyards. It is a travel guide for those who long for two-wheeled trips in France and a lively read for the armchair traveller who chooses sofa over saddle. The author's Brompton, Modestine, is a descendant of the donkey Robert Louis Stevenson took on his travels in the Cévennes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn an old wooden sloop, Philip Marsden plots a course north from his home in Cornwall. He is sailing for the Summer Isles, a small archipelago near the top of Scotland that holds for him a deep and personal significance. On the way, he must navigate the west coast of Ireland and the Inner Hebrides. Through the people he meets and the tales he uncovers, Marsden builds up a haunting picture of these shores - of imaginary islands and the Celtic otherworld, of the ageless draw of the west, of the life of the sea and perennial loss - and the redemptive power of the imagination. The Summer Isles is an unforgettable account of the search for actual places, invented places, and those places in between that shape the lives of individuals and entire nations.Trade ReviewA truly remarkable writer -- Robert MacfarlaneMagical * Guardian *[Marsden] writes beautifully... In these islands at the edge of the Atlantic, he finds a rich tradition of myth, poetry and ancient lore that still speaks to us across the gulf of time * Guardian *I loved The Summer Isles from page one... Like one of those doorways so popular in Irish myth [it is] a portal not just to other places but to other times... marvellous -- Michael Kerr * Telegraph *A triumph... It is unlikely that a finer travel book will be published all year -- Hugh Thompson * Literary Review *Marsden brings characteristic elegance and insatiable curiosity to bear on his voyage; we are whisked along as passengers, alternately enchanted by this unforgettable coastline and apprehensive of its treachery. Even the most dogged land lubber cannot fail to be exhilarated by these stiff salt breezes -- Madeleine BuntingThe best book I've read on a sailing trip since Jonathan Raban's Coasting * Irish Independent *One of the most brilliant, imaginative and alluring travel books I have read in a long time -- William Dalrymple ‘Books of the Year’ * Wall Street Journal *By turns exhilarating and hauntingly poetic, this is a memorable book, full of reflection and wonder. Long after I'd finished reading it, part of me was still aboard Tsambika, peering into the distance, making out half-shapes, strange sea creatures, mythical kingdoms and snatches of ancient folk songs caught on the breeze... Sublime * Mail on Sunday *Beautifully written... As nail-biting as Conrad... Wonderful... Marsden is a subtle and elliptical writer. He never overstates and he is always doing more than it looks at first glance. So at the same time that this is both history and adventure, it is also a journey inward... [A book of] imaginative brilliance and precision... Marsden, more than anyone, understands that imagination, in its ability to conjure islands, is a solid thing * Elementum Journal *There is no better guide to the deep and dazzling meanings found on the western fringe of Europe than Philip Marsden -- Patrick BarkhamReading Philip Marsden's voyage is the only time in my life I shall want to be lost at sea. Shimmering, profound, and deeply mesmerizing -- John Lewis-StempelBattling unforgiving weather and repairing his boat on the fly, he shares the myths, legends and songs surrounding these mystery-shrouded islands * Wanderlust *Thrillingly alive * National Geographic Traveller *Philip Marsden [is] one of Britain's great sea writers... a truly beautiful voyage through people and poetry as well as the sea * Marine Quarterly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMedina Tenour Whiteman stands at the margins of whiteness and Islam. An Anglo-American born to Sufi converts, she feels perennially out of place—not fully at home in Western or Muslim cultures. In this searingly honest memoir, Whiteman contemplates what it means to be an invisible Muslim, examining the pernicious effects of white Muslim privilege and exploring what Muslim identity can mean the world over—in lands of religious diversity and cultural insularity, from Andalusia, Bosnia and Turkey to Zanzibar, India and Iran. Through her travels, she unearths experiences familiar to both Western Muslims and anyone of mixed heritage: a life-long search for belonging and the joys and crises of inhabiting more than one identity.Trade Review‘A sincere and nuanced reflection on race, identity and the author’s experiences as a white Muslim. … [with] beautiful prose and equally beautiful analogies.’ -- The New Arab'Whiteman shows considerable insight, sensitivity, and perception to many of the issues she introspectively ponders over at great length ... a wonderfully interesting and rewarding book, writing in an engaging and compelling style.' * Muslim World Book Review *‘A remarkably balanced, well-researched account of the Muslim world, with nine pages of resource material expanded upon at the back of the book. Each chapter in her book is a mini travelogue comprising of life and historical events crafted with eloquent writing and sharp-witted humour.’ -- The Daily Star'An important contribution to the conversation about diversity that deserves to be widely read. A rare perspective--peaceful, balanced, lucid and attractive. It might well be a glimpse into the future of a British Islam, confident in its identity, at ease with its setting.' -- Leila Aboulela, author of 'Bird Summons', 'Minaret' and 'The Translator''Medina Tenour Whiteman has approached a unique, complicated branch of Muslim identity with sensitivity and nuance. This book shows that faith is more than adherence to ritual--it is also a means to find oneself.' -- Hussein Kesvani, author of 'Follow Me, Akhi''A bold and beautifully written memoir of searing honesty and warmth. Whiteman gracefully grapples with the complex layers of identity, whiteness and culture as she maps out the landscape of her life, all the while drawing in history and belief in her uniquely eloquent style.' -- Remona Aly, journalist and broadcaster

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe startling history of Anson's voyage round the world in 1740. A quite remarkably erudite and deeply informed book' Patrick O'Brian, Daily TelegraphAnson's voyage of 1740-44 holds a unique and terrible place in British naval history. The misadventures of this first attempt by Royal Navy ships to sail round the world make a dramatic story of hardship, disaster, mutiny and heroism. Only one of Anson's squadron, the flagship Centurion, completed its mission. The other vessels were wrecked, scuttled or forced back in shattered condition. Out of 1850 officers and men who sailed from Spithead in September 1740, almost fourteen hundred died, most from disease or starvation. With crews ravaged by scurvy, Anson's ships were battered by relentless storms as they attempted to round Cape Horn. Two of the six men-of-war in the squadron turned back, their captains to face later accusations of desertion. A third, the Wager, was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Chile in circumstances in

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A magnificent tale of obsession and adventure'' The IndependentAfter a heavy night of tequila, flatmates Dave and Danny set off on what turns out to be a 24,000-mile journey to meet all the other Dave Gormans in the world. They visit Scotland, Israel, America, France and Ireland. They even hold a party in London where 50 Dave Gormans attend, including two women who have kindly changed their name via deed-poll. Silly, but engrossing, fascinating and addictive - and a touching, funny story of two friends who grow to share a mutual obsession.''A warm, funny, life-enhancing book'' The GuardianThe average Dave Gorman is 37, 5''6 and works in the financial sector. Our Dave Gorman is 29, is a Perrier Award-nominated comedian and writer. His TV work has earned him two BAFTAs for The Mrs Merton Show as well as his own BBC2 series. Danny Wallace is a writer, producer and award-winning journalist, whose work has appeared in numerous Trade ReviewA magnificent tale of obsession and adventure * The Independent *Gorman is becoming the Bill Bryson of stand-up: charming, whimsical, adventurous and laced with belly laughs * Sunday Times *You'll like this so much you may want to change your name to Dave Gorman * The Big Issue *A warm, funny, life-enhancing book * The Guardian *You'll like this so much you may want to change your name to Dave Gorman * Big Issue *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sharply funny travelogue from a fantastic travel writer. Lucy Edge tells the story of her personal quest for serenity and yogic flexibility through the ashrams and gurus of India.After over a decade spent working and drinking too much in the world of advertising, Lucy decided she had to leave town for an altogether more spiritual and, well, meaningful way of life - And whilst she was at it, she could acquire a newly lithe and supple body. Would she come home looking like Christy Turlington and pick up some Buddhist serenity on the way? Or did something much funnier, interesting and complicated happen? Did she fall in love - with a place and its people?A divine comedy of the Western obsession with life''s deeper meaning, a yogic experiment and a love letter to India, this is a very funny book from a wonderful travel writer.Trade ReviewA hilarious, hopeless and desperate quest -- Chris Stewart, author of Driving Over LemonsNeither boringly cynical or stupidly gullible, she's open-minded, warm and funny * Independent on Sunday *A light hearted account of one lady's search for mystic India which offers fun and witty observations on the current obsession with finding life's deeper meaning, while offering a eulogy to India's varied and beautiful land and people-scapes * Yoga and Health *A quirky travelogue... Edge strikes a nicely satirical note and the characters she meets along the way make perfect fodder for gentle fun-poking * Easy Living *A witty account of a journey through India's ashrams * Health and Fitness Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuzanna Clarke has worked as a photojournalist for more than two decades, contributing to national and international newspapers, magazines and books. Currently, she is the arts editor of a major Australian newspaper. Born in New Zealand, she grew up in several parts of Australia. In her twenties she lived in a Welsh commune, an Amsterdam squat and a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. With her husband, she divides her time between their homes in Brisbane, Australia and Fez, Morocco.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt''s 1989, and Emma and her best friend Dee head to the USA to make their fortune. But completely inept and virtually unemployable, they discover that they can''t even get a job in McDonald''s.Forced to travel from California to New York with only pennies in their pockets, they bounce from scrape to scrape, surviving on their wits and the kindness of strangers. Bad luck and misfortune throw everything their way - snakes, earthquakes, black magic and incontinent dogs. They even get kidnapped by a sex-crazed midget in a Ferrari. This never happened to Jack Kerouac.A startlingly honest and ridiculously funny book, I Left My Tent in San Francisco tells the miraculous story of how the hapless pair made it back alive to tell the disastrous tale.Trade ReviewI love her writing * Jon Ronson *Hilarious * Heat *The female Bill Bryson... a very funny read... brilliant. -- Christian O'Connell * Radio Five Live *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor most people giving up the day job and moving to a beautiful area of France and living off the vines is an impossible but delicious dream. In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband decided to sell up in Britain and emigrate to the Dordogne. Their idea was to buy a house with a few vines attached and employ someone to tend to the wine while they earned their living with some financial consultancy work. There followed a series of disasters: the stock market crashed leaving their small holding as their sole source of income; the first red wine harvest turned to vinegar; and Patricia''s husband returned to Britain, unable to cope with the stress. He never returned. Patricia Atkinson, whose only knowledge of wine up to that moment was ''that it came from a bottle'' and who had not a word of French, was left to salvage their life savings form the vineyards. What follows is a remarkable story of struggle and transformation whereby her tiny 4 hectare plot has become a major estate of 21 heTrade Review[an] eloquent tale * Citylife *Remarkable . . . an extraordinarily affecting read -- Carla McKay * Daily Mail *Enthralling . . . you end up admiring this plucky, warm-hearted woman and lusting to sample her vinous output -- Christopher Hirst * The Independent *Should be required reading for anyone enjoying the vineyard dream...an impressive human story * Spectator *Amazing and amusing . . . unputdownable * The Lady *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwenty years ago, Jacqueline Yallop was leading guided walks at Nenthead, one of a network of model' villages which sprang up across Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A life-long fascination was born.From Scotland's New Lanark Mills to the Arts and Crafts cottages of Port Sunlight, Yallop visits these utopian experiments to explore their rich histories. Looking at everything from sewage systems to sculpture, chocolate to coal, and free trade to electoral emancipation, this book is a personal exploration of why and how these village utopias came about, what they tell us about the past, and how they still resonate with us today.Trade ReviewCompelling * Independent *This is a fascinating book, a glimpse through the keyhole of homes that turn out to be stages set for a performance. -- Lucy Lethbridge * Financial Times *Intriguing... The descriptions of place, surface and mood are sharp and tangible * Guardian *A fascinating study of how human life is moulded and shaped by big money. It is…sobering. -- Charlie Gilmour * Independent On Sunday *Provides valuable food for thought. -- Gillian Tindall * Literary Review *

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe original Boogie, reluctant hero of the South West Peninsular Path, was the Mongrel from hell. Mark Wallington''s New Boogie, like New Labour, appears a much trendier and more wholesome incarnation -until, that is, Mark gets him on the Pennine Way. This is the big one in every sense. Clearly Boogie will do fine -but will Mark be up to the task?

Read more less

Book SynopsisA modern classic on exploring and understanding the Antarctic, the most uncharted place on our planet. Terra Incognita is a meditation on the landscape, myths and history of one of the remotest parts of the globe, as well as an encounter with the international temporary residents of the region - living in close confinement despite the surrounding acres of white space - and the mechanics of day-to-day life in extraordinary conditions. Through Sara Wheeler, the Antarctic is revealed, in all its seductive mystery.''Antarctica could hope for no better chronicler: spirited, humorous and highly intelligent, she is also a writer of rare talent'' ObserverTrade ReviewAntarctica could hope for no better chronicler: spirited, humorous and highly intelligent, she is also a writer of rare talent * Observer *Penetrating, vivacious and often amusing, Wheeler's record has a sharp authenticity * The Times *She writes with a consistent wry wit... she never lacks empathy, compassion or generosity for people whose values, background and gender were the polar opposite of hers...What she has done could not be done better * Independent *Her book is an impressive achievement, one genuinely brushed by the ghosts of the past -- Beryl Bainbridge * Literary Review *Terra Incognita deserves to be a bestseller...a wonderful book and terrific corrective to the polar bulldust periodically emitted by Sir Ralph Wotsisname and others of his ilk * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRedmond O''Hanlon describes his extraordinary three-week trip on an Orkney trawler as it journeys far into the north Atlantic in search of its catch. Young skipper Jason Schofield has a 2 million pound overdraft on his boat, the Norlantean, which is why he has to go out in a Category One Force 12 hurricane when the rest of the Scottish fleet has run for shelter. O''Hanlon may not be much help when it comes to seamanship - in the words of one of the crew, he doesn''t know his arse from his tit - but he is able to wax lyrical on the amazing deep-sea fish to be found north of the Wyville Thomson Ridge: greater argentine, flying squid, blue ling, the truly disgusting hagfish and many other exotics.Combining humour with erudition, O''Hanlon has written a vivid and compulsively readable account of a journey that for sheer terror beats all his previous adventures.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe reissue of a Simon Winchester classicIn 1985 Simon Winchester, struck by a sudden need to discover exactly what was left of the British Empire travelled 100,000 miles back and forth from Antarctica to the Caribbean to visit the far-flung islands that are all that remain of what once made Britain great. His adventures in these distant and forgotten ends of the earth make compelling and often funny reading. With a new introduction and additional material in many of the chapters, this revised edition tells us what has happened while the author''s been away.Table of ContentsThe plan; British Indian Ocean territory and Diego Garcia; Tristan; Gibraltar; Ascension Island; St Helena; Hong Kong; Bermuda; The British West Indies; The Falkland Islands; Pitcairn and other territories; some reflections and conclusions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHenry Miller (1891-1980) is one of the most important American writers of the 20th century. His best-known novels include Tropic of Cancer (1934), Tropic of Capricorn (1939), and the Rosy Crucifixion trilogy (Sexus, 1949, Plexus, 1953, and Nexus, 1959), all published in France and banned in the US and the UK until 1964. He is widely recognised as an irreverent, risk-taking writer who redefined the novel and made the link between the European avant-garde and the American Beat generation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho formed and shaped the English language? David and Hilary Crystal take us on a journey through Britain to discover the people who gave our language its colour and character; Saxon invaders, medieval scholars, poets, reformers, dictionary writers. Part travelogue, part history, this beautifully illustrated book is full of unexpected delights.Trade ReviewWhat makes this book stand out is Crystals narrative which is chatty and colloquial... I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have an interest in language and history, so this ticked all the boxes for me, but it reaches across a range of interests meaning that geographers, historians, linguists, archaeologists and those with an interest in the origins of the country would get a lot out of it. * Sonya Lipczynska, Reference Reviews *An absorbing read * The Good Book Guide *an attractive and digestible book * Shropshire Star, Toby Neal *An original idea, enjoyably realised, this is an entertaining, handsomely illustrated guide * Independent, Christopher Hirst *sparkling new book * The Press (York) *Table of Contents1. Pegwell Bay: arrival ; 2. Caistor St Edmund: the earliest known English word ; 3. Undley Common: the first recorded English sentence ; 4. Jarrow: Bede and the origins of English ; 5. Lindisfarne: glossaries and translations ; 6. Ruthwell: the finest runic inscription ; 7. Stourton and Edington: King Alfred and the birth of English ; 8. Maldon: the ultimate warrior wordsmith ; 9. Winchester: the first standard English ; 10. Cerne Abbas: Aelfric and the first English conversation ; 11. Ely: Wulfstan and Old English style ; 12. Peterborough: the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ; 13. Battle and Normans Bay: the French connection ; 14. Bourne: Orrm and English spelling ; 15. Areley Kings: Layamon's English Chronicle ; 16. Chester and Berkeley: Higden, Trevisa, and the rise of English ; 17. Rhuddlan: the English language in Wales ; 18. Manorbier: little England beyond Wales ; 19. Dunfermline: the birth of Scots English ; 20. Talbot Yard, London SE1: Chaucer and Middle English ; 21. Canterbury: from ancient to modern ; 22. Cursitor Street, London EC4: Chancery and standard English ; 23. Tothill Street, London SW1: Caxton and printing English ; 24. St Albans: Juliana Berners and collective nouns ; 25. Paston: a family of letters ; 26. Lutterworth: John Wycliffe and Bible translation ; 27. North Nibley: William Tyndale and the English Bible ; 28. Chichester: William Bullokar and the first English grammar ; 29. Suffolk Lane and St Paul's, London EC4: Richard Mulcaster and the status of English ; 30. Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare and English idiom ; 31. Park Street, London SE1: Shakespeare and linguistic innovation ; 32. Oakham: Robert Cawdrey and the first dictionary ; 33. Willoughby: John Smith and new Englishes ; 34. East India Dock, London E14: the East India Company and global English ; 35. Hampton Court Palace: King James and his Bible ; 36. Black Notley: John Ray and English proverbs ; 37. Aldwincle: John Dryden and an English Academy ; 38. Old Broad Street, London EC2: the Royal Society and scientific English ; 39. Rochdale: Tim Bobbin and local dialect ; 40. Lichfield: Johnson and the dictionary ; 41. Old St Pancras Church, London NW1: John Walker and pronunciation ; 42. York: Lindley Murray and English grammar ; 43. Alloway: Robert Burns and Scots ; 44. Peebles and Edinburgh: the Chambers brothers and encyclopedic English ; 45. Grasmere: William Wordsworth and poetic language ; 46. West Malvern: Roget and the thesaurus ; 47. Bath: Isaac Pitman and English shorthand ; 48. Oxford: James Murray and the Oxford English Dictionary ; 49. Winterborne Came: William Barnes and speech-craft ; 50. Higher Bockhampton: Thomas Hardy and Wessex dialect ; 51. Saltaire: Joseph Wright and English dialects ; 52. Hinton St George: Henry Fowler and English usage ; 53. Ayot St Lawrence: George Bernard Shaw and spelling reform ; 54. Laugharne: Dylan Thomas and Welsh English ; 55. Tilbury: the Empire Windrush and new dialects ; 56. University College, London WC1: Daniel Jones and English phonetics ; 57. University College, London WC1: the Survey of English Usage ; Regional Grouping ; Index of Places ; General Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“A delightful and immersive guide to the city of Rome and the philosophical tradition it embodies concerning the good life, or as we would say today, the meaning of life. Travelers seeking ancient wisdom among the city’s famous buildings and works of art could ask for no better companion.” * Donald Robertson, author of 'How to Think Like a Roman Emperor' *“I have been a Roman for over half a century, but I’ll be sure to use Samuelson’s Guide the next time I visit my native city. I will look at it quite differently!” * Massimo Pigliucci, author of 'How to Be a Stoic' *“Rome as a Guide to the Good Life immerses us in glorious works of art and architecture. But in Rome, every aspect of life, from Raphael to food to gesticulation, is an art. Rather than guiding us through the labyrinth of the city’s streets, Samuelson guides us through the labyrinth of life, more daunting than any streetscape.” * Ingrid D. Rowland, author of 'Giordano Bruno' and 'The Collector of Lives' *“In this elegantly written book, Samuelson takes us by the elbow and leads us to his favorite places and works of art in the Eternal City, spinning stories about their history, pointing out their beauties and contradictions, and reflecting on their philosophical meanings. Whether you travel to Rome with this book as your guide, or read it from the comfort of an armchair, Samuelson teaches us ancient lessons that can enrich our modern lives.” * Lori Erickson, author of 'Holy Rover,' 'Near the Exit,' and 'The Soul of the Family Tree' *"A stimulating, thoroughly readable mix. . . For the seasoned Romanist as well as a first-time visitor, this is an excellent vade mecum for our times. All will read it with profit and enlightenment: it will certainly accompany my next trip." -- Sir Michael Fallon * Classics for All *"A breezy and eclectic tour of the Eternal City in which [Samuelson] introduces readers to both physical and philosophical delights.” * WORLD *"The book stands out in its dual appreciation for Rome as a locus for the sweet life and the life of the mind. . . . The author’s wit, enthusiasm, and willingness to turn his head and squint his eyes while looking at what seemingly has been picked over by centuries of cicerones makes reading Rome as a Guide like being on the most engaging of walking tours." * ClassicalEd Review *"As he leads us through the city, Samuelson introduces the largest philosophical questions and shares what the legacy of Roman culture has to teach us by way of answer. The result is an erudite guide to the city’s heritage that offers eloquent instruction on how to conduct ourselves and make meaning in the face of life’s enduring uncertainties.”​ -- James Mustich * In the Company of Books newsletter *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Philosophy as a Guide to la Dolce Vita I Build Not Thereon 1 Die on Your Journey: The Question of Rosa Bathurst’s Tombstone 2 Build on Tragedy: The Humility of Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath 3 Put Down Roots in the Uprooted: The Piety of Bernini’s Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius II Remember Death 4 Be Not for Yourself Alone: Cicero in the Ruins of the Forum 5 Take the View from Above: Marcus Aurelius in the Saddle III Reap the Day 6 Conquer Your Fear: Lucretius versus the Roman Triumph 7 Dare to Be Wise: Horace’s View of the City IV Love and Do What You Will 8 Hold Humanity Sacred: Seneca or Augustine versus the Colosseum 9 Crash through the Floor: The Mysteries of the Basilica of San Clemente 10 Make a Golden Ass of Yourself: The Metamorphoses in Agostino Chiti’s Villa V Make a Palace of Your Memory 11 Be the Conversation: The Philosophy of Raphael’s School of Athens 12 Unlock the Soul in Your Soul: Giordano Bruno in the Campo de’ Fiori Conclusion: What Resists Time Is What’s Ever Flowing Acknowledgments Appendix: Rome by Way of the Winged Eye Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDeals with the author's journeys in the Levant, the exotic land that stands at the crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean, and northeast Africa. Part travelogue, part field guide, and part literary appreciation, this title assembles six interlinked essays that explore the seaboard of the Levant and its deserts.Trade Review"Gabriel Levin offers a privileged glimpse into otherwise closed worlds, and he does this with brio, wit, and a gently ironic sensibility. Each essay in The Dune's Twisted Edge is distinctive and memorable, but taken together they form a compelling pattern that arises from Levin's strong affinity for landscape. This isn't only because he is so good at evoking the varied terrains in which he moves, but also because of the central and abiding insight of the book: that landscape and language are mysteriously conjoined." -Eric Ormsby, author of Ghazali: The Revival of Islam"

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A thoughtful, beautifully photographed book that will be enjoyed as much as a cover-to-cover read as a cookbook." -- Mark Diacono * Delicious Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat started out as an innocent board game inspired Rich Smith to undertake a daring crime spree across the United States - a journey to break the dumbest American laws on the statute books.In the Land of the Free, it is illegal to:- Lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory (South Dakota)- Play a trumpet with the intention of luring someone to a store (California)- Catch a fish with a lasso (Tennessee) Rich''s first problem was narrowing down the huge choice of laws to just twenty-five. The second was persuading his mate Bateman to come along, to do some of the driving - and possibly provide bail money. The third was finding someone who was willing to help him break his first law: one of San Francisco''s oldest statutes, which related to oral sex. No, Bateman couldn''t help with that one.Join Rich as he attempts his one-man crime wave - almost as difficult as a one-man Mexican wave.Trade ReviewBrilliant and funny...An outrageous romp of a book that feels like it's been waiting for someone to write it forever * Sunday Sport *Smith and a friend go on a mission to break 25 of America's dumbest laws, such as falling alseep in a cheese factory and catching fish with a lasso. Hilarious * Nuts magazine *Opinion is divided in the office on this one... half of us (the girl half) has fallen in love with this student joker and think traversing America while breaking its ridiculous laws is a funny idea...The other half is full of bravado about how they did this sort of thing all the time while at university, too. Either way, it's good for a titter on a long-haul flight * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs Islam and the West prepare to clash once again, Jason Webster embarks on a quest to discover Spain''s hidden Moorish legacy and lift the lid on a country once forged by both Muslims and Christians. He meets Zine, a young illegal immigrant from Morocco, a twenty-first century Moor, lured over with the promise of a job but exploited as a slave labourer on a fruit farm. Jason''s life is threatened as he investigates the agricultural gulag, Zine rescues him, and the unlikely pair of writer and desperado take off on a rollercoaster ride through Andalucía. While Jason unveils the neglected Arab ancestry of modern Spain - apparent in its food, language, people and culture - Zine sets out on his own parallel quest, a one-man peace mission to resolve Muslim-Christian tensions by proving irresistible to Spanish señoritas.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe point of all this has nothing to do with finding yourself. It's about what you can do to lose what you don't need.'It's a dark rainy afternoon on Dublin's jammed M50 motorway. The rain is hammering on the windscreen of Daniella Moyles' car. She is 26, a highly successful radio presenter, model and influencer, but panic is building in her head and chest, the internal state of affairs she has been trying to ignore finally spilling over into something undeniably physical. She is frozen, petrified, looks to her boyfriend and says, I don't know who or where I am.'This day changed Daniella's life. It derailed almost everything she had worked to achieve and set her on a new path.Jump is the story of what happened when Daniella quit her job to backpack around the world for two years, and how freedom from the trappings of what society considers success leads to true contentment, strength and authenticity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisI love Anna''s writing, and I adore stories of adventuring women'' Dolly Alderton''Humorous, emotional and useful'' Grazia''A beautiful memoir'' Dawn O''Porter''Warm, witty and gorgeously written'' The Pool ''Even armchair travellers will get a vicarious thrill from Departures'' Red***************A call-to-action for adventurers everywhere, Departures is about the power of travel to transform us, heal us, challenge us and turn us into everyday adventure-seekers even after we return to the grind back home.Have you ever turned up on a post-heartbreak holiday hopelessly unprepared and been forced to sleep on the floor wrapped up in a curtain? How about that eagerly-awaited solo adventure when you had to be airlifted home? Or what about the time you went to a fascinating European cultural capital and neglectedTrade Review[Anna's] stories of growing up via far-flung adventures and eye-opening city breaks are so warm, witty and gorgeously written that it's hard not to find yourself on Skyscanner within half an hour of cracking the book open. Plus she has the most helpful advice, from how to 'prescribe' yourself a hotel to the real secret to beating jet lag. Perfect snow-week escapism * The Pool *A beautiful memoir about travel and letting go -- Dawn O'Porter * Sunday Telegraph *We defy anyone to read intrepid journalist Anna Hart's travel memoir and not resolve to dust off their passport and embark on some new adventures. A call to action for women everywhere, Hart writes about the transformative and healing power of travel - and how its effect can last way past touchdown at Heathrow * Smallish *Just in time for the summer holidays is this great book from travel writer Anna Hart, which is part memoir, part how-to guide on making any holiday an adventure and having the same adventures back home. From Bali to LA, New Zealand to er, Margate, even armchair travellers will get a vicarious thrill from Departures * Red *Having worked with and been friends with Anna for years, it was fun to read about her globe-trotting adventures. I could hear her laugh behind the tales of some of her crazier adventures and thought it was brave to share some of the scarier and rougher parts of traveling alone as well as an insight in to trying to do it all in the grips of depression. I read it in one day and look forward to experiencing the next chapter with her. -- Jamie Klingler * iNews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor fourteen years, critic Joe Queenan walked past the Winter Garden Theater in New York City without once even dreaming of venturing inside to see Cats. One fateful afternoon in March 1996, however, having grown weary of his hopelessly elitist lifestyle, he decided to buy a half-price ticket and check out Andrew Lloyd Webber''s record-breaking juggernaut. No, he did not expect the musical to be any good, but surely there were limits to how bad it could be. Here, Queenan was tragically mistaken. Cats, what Grease would look like if all the cast members were dressed up like KISS, was infinitely more idiotic than he had ever imagined. Yet now the Rubicon had been crossed. Queenan had involuntarily launched himself on a harrowing personal oddyssey: an 18-month descent into the abyss of American popular culture. At first, Queenan found things to be every bit as atrocious as he expected. John Tesh defiling the temple of Carnegie Hall reminded him of Adolf Hitler goose-stepping in the shadow

Read more less

Book SynopsisFeatures, perhaps the most fashionable, talked about, photographed city in Africa, which is home to Yves St Laurent, the Bransons and others.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA woman I won't forget ... a book that people will love. Diana Athill, Jean Rhys' publisher and award-winning biographer. My aunt's love of Dominica and its people is as freshly painted as if it happened yesterday. Katie Fforde, novelist. Elma Napier's remarkable memoir chronicles her love affair with the wild Caribbean island of Dominica. It began in 1932 when she turned her back on London's high society to build a home in Calibishie, a remote village on Dominica's north coast. There are tales of literary house parties, of war and death, smugglers and servants and, above all, of stories inspired by her political life as the only woman in a colonial parliament. She writes deftly about the island's turbulent landscapes and her curiosity about the lives and culture of its people. Elma Napier was born in Scotland in 1892, the daughter of Sir William Gordon Cumming, who was accused of cheating while playing cards with the Prince of Wales. After living in Australia for nine years, Nap

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntrepid presenter Nicholas Crane investigates eight epic journeys, following in the footsteps of our greatest indigenous explorers.Trade ReviewThis began as a television series, but the printed version, generously illustrated, is sparkling, and in many ways much more rewarding * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *wonderfully written and superbly illustrated with photos, maps, and prints * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *This began as a television series, but the printed version, generously illustrated, is sparkling, and in many ways much more rewarding * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *wonderfully written and superbly illustrated with photos, maps, and prints * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner - Edward Stanford Travel Memoir of the Year 2019.Shortlisted - Rathbones Folio Prize, RSL Ondaatje Prize, and Somerset Maugham Award 2019.In 2013 Guy Stagg made a pilgrimage from Canterbury to Jerusalem. Though a non-believer, he began the journey after suffering several years of mental illness, hoping the ritual would heal him. For ten months he hiked alone on ancient paths, crossing ten countries and more than 5,500 kilometres. The Crossway is an account of this extraordinary adventure.Having left home on New Year’s Day, Stagg climbed over the Alps in midwinter, spent Easter in Rome with a new pope, joined mass protests in Istanbul and survived a terrorist attack in Lebanon. Travelling without support, he had to rely each night on the generosity of strangers, staying with monks and nuns, priests and families. As a result, he gained a unique insight into the lives of contemporary believers and learnt the fascinating stories of the soldiers and saints, missionaries and martyrs who had followed these paths before him.The Crossway is a book full of wonders, mixing travel and memoir, history and current affairs. At once intimate and epic, it charts the author’s struggle to walk towards recovery, and asks whether religion can still have meaning for those without faith.A BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' in 2018.Trade ReviewThe Crossway is in many ways classic travelogue, so classic indeed that early admirers have drawn parallels with Patrick Leigh Fermor. Stagg certainly has a way with words . . . But in addition – and unlike the rather stiff-upper-lipped Leigh Fermor – Stagg allows an emotional honesty to filter through the golden prose . . . a luminous and occasionally (almost in spite of itself) numinous account . . . moving and thought-provoking -- Peter Stanford * Observer *Having finished this account, I felt dazed. Dazed at the thought of all that I’d learnt from its pages about 2,000 years of Christianity, dazed at how immediate its author had made so many centuries-old stories feel, and dazed at the strangeness and brilliance of this extraordinary travelogue. -- Rebecca Armstrong * i newspaper *The journey as redemptive recovery is a well-worm trope, but there is no glib ending here. I really enjoyed this book. -- Sara Wheeler * Spectator *Such pitch-perfect prose that he has already attracted comparisons with Patrick Leigh Fermor’s celebrated accounts of his youthful travels * The Tablet *A sublime, intense, and intimate account of a journey that becomes a kind of dream in search of solace and, perhaps, even a kind of faith. As the author walks on, across a continent, through history, time, the natural and human world – and the spaces in between – it is hard not to believe you are there, by his side. Beautifully written, filled with strange encounters and extraordinary language, The Crossway is a meditation, an escape, a confrontation, a losing and a finding. It is a timely antidote to our disconnected times. -- Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan and RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTARThe extraordinary story of a pilgrimage to find out the meaning of pilgrimage. Completely absorbing, personal, often funny, and full of fascinating encounters - an enlightening book from an exciting new writer. -- Sarah Bakewell, author of At The Existentialist CaféThe journey is remarkable – a hike of thousands of miles across Europe, undertaken with rare bravery and stamina. But what is really extraordinary about Guy Stagg’s The Crossway is the writing – acutely sensitive, hyper-alert and unflagging in its exploration of the strange depths and by-ways of human belief -- Philip Marsden, author of Rising GroundI loved it. Odd that a journey made to find salvation (a kind of 5,500 kilometre Stations of the Cross taking almost a year to walk) should turn out to be such a page turner. The reason is Stagg himself – an engaging, challenging, endlessly interesting companion who just happens to write formidably well. Travel writing has a bright new star. -- Alexander Frater, author of Chasing the MonsoonGuy Stagg makes a pilgrimage across Europe, into history and, most powerfully, the (troubled) interior of his soul. He takes us on a journey full of wonder and woe, poetry and pain; writing in prose that’s as sure-footed as it is unsettling in its honesty. A brave and beautiful account of a man’s search for meaning -- Rhidian Brook, author of The AftermathA gorgeous and moving book -- Jamie Quatro, author of Fire SermonA marvellous book. There’s a lovely plainsongish immediacy to the telling that I found hugely beguiling, and (unusually) Stagg is as effective on people as he is on place. It’s also a generous piece of self-reckoning -- William Atkins, author of The MoorThe Crossway is moving and unique, with the sense that no one else can write like this about such places as the abbeys of France, the cities of Rome and Istanbul or the daunting landscape of pilgrimage and the often astonishing people whom Guy Stagg meets. At the book’s heart is his own story; troubled, he seeks redemption and hope. Does he find them? He makes his search into a story that is gripping and uplifting -- Max Egremont, author of Forgotten Land: Journeys Among the Ghosts of East PrussiaGuy Stagg has bared his soul and soles in this epic account of walking from England through Italy, the Balkans, Istanbul, Cyprus, Lebanon and on to Jerusalem. His fabulously open hearted account easily bears comparison with the great walking and monastery books of Patrick Leigh Fermor, except he goes further in revealing the damage, and how it might be repaired . . . solvitur ambulando indeed! -- Robert Twigger, author of Red Nile and Angry White Pyjamas After suffering years of severe mental illness, Stagg embarks on a journey from Canterbury to Jerusalem, hoping that the 5,500km walk along medieval pilgrim paths will heal him. Travelling alone, and relying on shelter provided by churches, monasteries and nunneries en route, he faces down many demons along the way, getting caught up in violent snowstorms, the demonstrations in Istanbul's Taksim Square, and a terrorist attack. A BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" at publication, it's one of the most compelling travel books I've read in a long time, as well as a thought-provoking meditation on what it means to have faith in our turbulent contemporary world * Bookseller *Behind the cliché of the most important journey in life being the one taken inside oneself lies a timeless and powerful and vital truth: that the goal of such a quest, with all its anguish and revelation and excruciating realisations, is a place of great and lasting calm. This is the core of Guy Stagg’s necessary and beautiful book. -- Niall Griffiths, author of GritsThe Crossway is a gentle, kind, generous-spirited book, rich in detail, encounter and history. But most importantly, this is the story of a young man, from a secular world, who undertakes a pilgrimage to try and mend himself – a courageous inner journey. -- Neil Griffiths, author of As a God Might BeWhat a privilege it's been to read this compelling and moving book, to travel with a writer who records everything he sees and feels with such care and passion. The writing is beautiful and his voice so engaging, so unflinchingly honest, throughout. I finished The Crossway and just wanted the author to keep walking. -- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of RaptorStagg poignantly recounts not just his own journey as a spiritually-charge Paddy Leigh Fermor but that of the saints, soldiers and pilgrims who trod the path centuries before him. * New Statesman *He writes beautifully, he really does . . . And he has this extraordinary honesty; he lays himself bare for the reader . . . It's wonderful, it really is wonderful. -- John Maytham's Book Review * CapeTalk Radio *Poignant and poetic . . . an extraordinary journey . . . much of the book is taken up with absorbing accounts of saints and pilgrims, crusaders and revolutionaries . . . the narrative contains some captivating imagery * Times Literary Supplement *The Crossway is eventful, engaging, and often beautiful. But it is the author’s inner journey – how his pilgrimage heals him, or fails to – that hooks the reader . . . The Crossway defies easy summary because it refuses easy consolation * Theo's Think Tank *Stagg’s walk and the book that has resulted from it, is a brave, even bravura, performance. * Catholic Herald *Stagg set off on a journey hoping to heal years of mental illness and the result of his travelogue is a moving and thought-provoking insight into the minds – and often homes – of modern day believers. * Judges of the Edward Stanford Travel Awards 2019 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough the centre of China’s historic capital, Long Peace Street cuts a long, arrow-straight line. It divides the Forbidden City, home to generations of Chinese emperors, from Tiananmen Square, the vast granite square constructed to glorify a New China under Communist rule. To walk the street is to travel through the story of China’s recent past, wandering among its physical relics and hearing echoes of its dramas. Long Peace Street recounts a journey in modern China, a walk of twenty miles across Beijing offering a very personal encounter with the life of the capital’s streets. At the same time, it takes the reader on a journey through the city’s recent history, telling the story of how the present and future of the world’s rising superpower has been shaped by its tumultuous past, from the demise of the last imperial dynasty in 1912 through to the present day.Trade Review‘Filled with insights, observations and anecdotes, Chatwin brings to life the past – and present – of one of the world’s great cities in an account that is as thoughtful as it is informative.’Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History, Worcester College, Oxford'Bringing together past and present, personal and political, Jonathan Chatwin gives readers a thoughtful and deeply-informed account of modern China through the marvellous device of a stroll down Beijing's longest avenue - and all in lucid and compelling prose.'Rana Mitter, Director of the University China Centre, University of Oxford'Even the most dedicated flâneur has to work hard to find the charm in Chang’an Avenue, the main thoroughfare of, as Jonathan Chatwin rightly describes it, the "glorious mess of Beijing". Industrial relics, bankrupt theme parks, rabbit hutch housing, paranoid Communist Party elite boltholes and Tiananmen’s ghosts all loom large. But Chatwin walks the walk and, along the way dissects the street, its denizens and its enduring role in China’s history and collective modern traumas. 'Paul French, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Peking and City of Devils: A Shanghai Noir'Jonathan Chatwin offers a distinctive window onto Beijing's past and present by taking readers along with him on a long trek down an important thoroughfare. An appealing mix of anecdotes from a journey and digressions backward in time make Long Peace Street a novel addition to the rich literature on China's sprawling capital.' Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellor's Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, coauthor of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know'This three-dimension, moving timeline along the heart of imperial and contemporary Beijing made me want to head out the door and follow Chatwin's flaneur footsteps. "Long Peace Street" seamlessly blends history and reporting, shining a light on both the capital's neglected bookends and its dense core. I couldn't put it down.'Michael Meyer, author of The Last Days of Old Beijing, In Manchuria, and The Road to Sleeping Dragon'Long Peace Street is a brilliant achievement. To read this book is to travel with an engaging writer as he explores the China of today and the raw pathos of its past. Long Peace Street gives its readers an insight essential for a sophisticated understanding of Chinese society today.'M. A. Aldrich, author of The Search for a Vanishing Beijing: A Guide to the Capital of China through the Centuries'As a dive into Beijing’s history and an excursion through its present, Long Peace Street is entertaining, informative, well-written and companionable.'Post Magazine -- .Table of ContentsIntroductionDay one: Shougang Iron and Steel to Tiananmen1 Capital Iron and Steel – origins – the Great Leap Forward – a bad neighbour – future plans2 New suburbia – the city in history – the hutong – Shijingshan Amusement Park3 Change – ring roads and the New Beijing – Great Olympics4 Babaoshan ghosts – the cemetery – the life of Peng Dehuai – return to Hunan5 A diversion – straightness – the road as metaphor6 Military markings – Tomb of the Princess – new regime, new capital? – the Military Museum7 Diaoyutai State Guesthouse – December 1980 – ‘To Rebel is Justified’ – Chairman Mao’s dog8 Big roofs – Capital Museum – pailou – some history9 Muxidi Bridge – petitions and protests – May Fourth – Democracy Movement – 1976 – 1978 – 1989 – the aftermath10 Rainbows – walls, walls, and yet again walls – breaches – New Year’s Day in Xi’an – demolition – socialist core values11 A hungry refrain – little grey streets – reform and opening-up – state owned enterprises12 An assassination – Middle and Southern Seas – imperial pretensions – Xinhuamen – paranoia – hidden places – Mao at ZhongnanhaiDay two: Tiananmen to Sihui Dong subway station13 The middle of the Middle Kingdom – hidden tales of Tiananmen – the Great Helmsman14 A walk to Tiananmen – into the Forbidden City – intruders15 Four days in the Forbidden City16 Out of the Forbidden City – scholar trees – dislocation – destruction – impressions of Beijing – going native – Legation Street today – fireworks over Tiananmen17 The man who died twice – Wangfujing – a literary traveller – the end of the Qing – Morrison and Yuan Shikai – a sad coda – Palm Sunday in Sidmouth18 Oriental Plaza – walking in cities – the Imperial Observatory – origins of the Chinese calendar – the Jesuits – the Republican calendar – time in modern China19 Outside the wall – the Grand Canal and the eastern suburbs – 22nd August 1967 – all palaces are temporary palaces – Forsan et haec olim – red20 One city – the east is rich – weird architecture – mall life – underground21 G103 – the story of a nation – the endEpilogueIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom childhood, Charles Dickens was fascinated by tales from other countries and other cultures, and he longed to see the world. In Dickens and Travel, Lucinda Hawksley looks at the journeys made by the author - who is also her great great great grandfather. Although Dickens is usually perceived as a London author, in the 1840s he whisked his family away to live in Italy for year, and spent several months in Switzerland. Some years later he took up residence in Paris and Boulogne (where he lived in secret with his lover). In addition to travelling widely in Europe, he also toured America twice, performed onstage in Canada and, before his untimely death, was planning a tour of Australia. Dickens and Travel enters into the world of the Victorian traveller and looks at how Charles Dickens's journeys influenced his writing and enriched his life.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Elegantly written, full of wit and charm, this is travel writing at its very best' Orlando FigesIn the summer of 1849, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy's legendary revolutionary hero, fled Rome and led 4,000 of his men hundreds of miles through Umbria and Tuscany, then across the Apennines, Italy's mountainous spine, toward the refuge of the Venetian Republic. After thirty-two exhausting days of skirmishes and adventures, only 250 survivors reached the Adriatic coast.This hair-raising journey is brought vividly to life by bestselling author Tim Parks, who in the blazing summer of 2019, followed in Garibaldi's footsteps. A fascinating portrait of Italy past and present, The Hero's Way is a celebration of determination, creativity and desperate courage.Trade ReviewA single page might contain a delightful mix of history, referencing accounts of the original journey...together with accounts of incidents that bring a smile to the reader's face... Tim Parks will remain a favourite author of mine * Writing Magazine *

Read more less