Travel writing Books

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Palin has written and starred in numerous TV programmes and films, from Monty Python and Ripping Yarns to The Missionary and The Death of Stalin. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries, his journeys taking him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. His books include accounts of his journeys, novels (Hemingway's Chair and The Truth) and several volumes of diaries. From 2009 to 2012 he was president of the Royal Geographical Society. He received a BAFTA fellowship in 2013, and a knighthood in the 2019 New Year Honours list. He lives in London.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERFrom award-winning writer Nigel Slater, comes a new and exquisitely written collection of notes, memoir, stories and small moments of joy.''Nigel Slater's prose is the rarest delicacy of all: exquisite yet effortless, filled with heart, tenderness, yearning and humour'' ELIZABETH DAYFor years, Nigel Slater has kept notebooks of curiosities and wonderings, penned while at his kitchen table, soaked in a fisherman's hut in Reykjavik, sitting calmly in a moss garden in Japan or sheltering from a blizzard in a Vienna Konditorei.These are the small moments, events and happenings that gave pleasure before they disappeared. Miso soup for breakfast, packing a suitcase for a trip and watching a butterfly settle on a carpet, hiding in plain sight. He gives short stories of feasts such as a mango eaten in monsoon rain or a dish of restorative macaroni cheese and homes in on the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and the sound of water breathing at night in Japan.This funny and sharply observed collection of the good bits of life, often things that pass many of us by, is utter joy from beginning to end.I loved this. It is a secular book of hours thoughts and pleasures beautifully cadenced and generously placed' Edmund de Waal?Nigel Slater has a magical capacity to find beauty in the smallest moments. A nourishing, sustaining book' Olivia LaingHis evocative, uplifting observations are a balm for life: a prose-poem for eaters and a spiritual companion for thoughtful cooks. A true and enduring joy' Nigella LawsonYou can't always feel buoyant and grateful but noticing and getting pleasure from the seemingly insignificant is a good way to live. As he says, feel the small moments of joy' Diana Henry

Read more less

Book SynopsisRenowned historian Alistair Moffat traces the windswept story of the North Sea throughout British history and examines how it has shaped who we are and how we see ourselves

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first book from YouTube motorbike touring sensation with over 2 million followers, Itchy Boots.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTV presenter, writer and adventurer Alice Morrison gives her own unique and personal insight into Morocco, the place she's made her home. When Alice Morrison headed out to Morocco, it was to take on one of the most daunting challenges: to run in the famous Marathon des Sables. Little did she expect to end up living there. But once she settled in a flat in Marrakech, she was won over by the people, the spectacular scenery and the ancient alleyways of the souks. Soon she was hiking over the Atlas mountains, joining nomads to sample their timeless way of life as they crossed the Sahara desert, and finding peace in a tranquil oasis. Despite more than 10 million tourists coming to Morocco each year, there are remarkably few books about its people, their customs and the extraordinary range of places to visit, from bustling markets to vast, empty deserts. Alice makes sure she samples it all, and as she does she provides a stunning portrait of a beautiful country. As a lone woman, she often attracts plenty of curiosity, but her willingness to participate - whether thigh deep in pigeon droppings in a tannery or helping out herding goats - ensures that she is welcomed everywhere by a people who are among the most hospitable on the planet. Alice came to fame with her BBC2 series Morocco to Timbuktu, and now she joins the ranks of great travel writers who can bring a country vividly to life and instantly transport the reader to a sunnier place. If you're thinking of going to Morocco, or you want to recall your time there, Adventures in Morocco is the ideal book. 

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpaniards are reputed to be amongst Europe''s most forthright people. So why have they kept silent about the terrors of their Civil War and the rule of General Franco? This apparent ''pact of forgetting'' inspired writer Giles Tremlett to embark on a journey around Spain and its history. He found the ghosts of Spain everywhere, almost always arguing. Who caused the Civil War? Why do Basque terrorists kill? Why do Catalans hate Madrid? Did the Islamist bombers who killed 190 people in 2004 dream of a return to Spain''s Moorish past? Tremlett''s curiosity led him down some strange and colourful byroads, and brought him unexpected insights into the Spanish character.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZEThe original bestseller from the beloved author of UNDERLAND, LANDMARKS and THE LOST WORDS - Robert Macfarlane travels Britain''s ancient paths and discovers the secrets of our beautiful, underappreciated landscape''The Old Ways confirms Macfarlane''s reputation as one of the most eloquent and observant of contemporary writers about nature'' Scotland on SundayFollowing the tracks, holloways, drove-roads and sea paths that form part of a vast ancient network of routes criss-crossing the British Isles and beyond, Robert Macfarlane discovers a lost world - a landscape of the feet and the mind, of pilgrimage and ritual, of stories and ghosts; above all of the places and journeys which inspire and inhabit our imaginations.''Sublime... It sets the imagination tingling, laying an irresistible trail for readers to follow'' Sunday Times''Read this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again'' Metro''He has a rare physical intelligence and affords total immersion in place, elements and the passage of time: wonderful'' Antony Gormley

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The most exhilarating history of mountaineering ... a riveting read' Jeremy Paxman 'A truly inspiring read' Sir Ranulph Fiennes 'It simply fizzes with insights into the sublime madness of mountaineering' Roger Deakin Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk of adventure, and to explore the strange impulses that have for centuries lead us to the world's highest places. WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARDTrade ReviewA truly inspiring read -- Sir Ranulph FiennesA marvellous, distinguished book that jolted my heart ... It simply fizzes with insights into the sublime madness of mountaineering -- Roger DeakinA gripping history of man's irresistible and sometimes fatal attraction to big hills -- Sunday TimesA magnificent book * New Scientist *A brilliant book, beautifully written -- GuardianMacfarlane's writing is exquisite and so evocative of his surroundings. As a reader it's difficult not to be drawn into his excitement for his subject matters. The books don't just make you want to keep reading, they make you want to climb or lose yourself or roam or hike, and experience some of what he's experiencing * Bath Life *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA classic in the making for our times' MONIQUE ROFFEYHaunting, beautifulAnima will live with me for a long time' CAL FLYNA beautiful book of passion and adventure She is simply sublime' HORATIO CLAREThe spellbinding new book by the prizewinning writer Kapka Kassabova tells the story of her time with the last moving pastoralists in Europe: a gripping portrayal of human-animal interdependence, and a plea for a different way of living. Living with one of these communities over the course of one summer, Kassabova experiences the intensity, brutality, beauty and isolation of their existence. She witnesses the epic, orchestrated activity of transhumance the seasonal movement of vast herds of sheep, along with shepherds and dogs. As she becomes attuned to the sacrifices inherent in this work and the rich histories that shaped this Balkan region, Kassabova finds herself drawn deeper into the tangled relationships at the heart of the small community. Anima is an extraordinary portrayal of pastoral life, where humans and animals exist in profound interdependence. Kassabova conjures the spirit of this remarkable place with intimacy and empathy, and helps us imagine how we might all begin to heal our broken relationship with the natural world.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRemarkable . . . skilful storytelling . . . intrepidly adventurous and unconventional . . . couldn't be more relevant. The kinship he felt with the Inuit on that first visit saw the publication of a literary work that was well ahead of its time. -- Michael Segalov * Observer *Fearless reverse ethnology . . . gorgeous descriptions . . . an eye for absurdity . . . Kpomassie is a writer of enviable and maybe indispensable amiability and serenity . . . With his gaze and his mind continually turned out and facing forward, he is up to every predicament he encounters; he has the mother wit, the equanimity and the self-confidence of the epic hero -- London Review of Books * Michael Hofmann *Beautiful, compassionate, insightful . . . inner and outer landscapes both richly and honestly detailed . . . the furthest a book has taken me . . . Astonishing -- Johny Pitts * author of Afropean *A fascinating snapshot of Inuit culture and a reminder of the common threads that bind us all . . . a first-rate storyteller to the whole world -- Noo Saro-Wiwa * The Times *It is a long way in miles, but even longer in resilience, adventurous persistence and uncanny charm. . . . Kpomassie's book contains a catalogue of his impressions, combined with striking passages of fine writing. The result is the curious double perspective of a naïve visitor, combined with the controlled distance of a writer -- Paul Zweig * The New York Times Book Review *Warm, witty and joyful -- Ann Morgan * Financial Times *Surprising . . . this beautifully written, page-turning piece of unjudgmental anthropological reportage by a black man finding his soul through seeking the soul of the Inuit recognises an important lesson for today. -- Sue Prideaux * The Times *Pioneering and unforgettable * Mr Porter *An ebullient snapshot of a vanished age -- John Self * Observer New Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLose yourself in this dazzling travelogue of the idyllic Greek Islands by the king of travel writing and real-life family member of The Durrells in Corfu. ''Incandescent.'' André Aciman''A magician.'' The Times''Invades the reader''s every sense ... Remarkable.'' Victoria Hislop ''Nobody knows the Greek islands like Durrell.'' New York Times White-washed houses drenched in pink bougainvillea; dazzling seascapes and rugged coastlines; colourful harbours in quaint fishing villages; shady olive and cypress groves; terraces bathed in the Aegean sun ... The Greek islands conjure up a treasure-chest of images - but nobody brings them to life as vividly as the legendary travel writer Lawrence Durrell. It was during his youth in Corfu - which his brother Gerald fictionalised in My Family and Other Animals, later filmed as The Durrells In Corfu - that his love affaiTrade Review'A magician.' - The Times'Invades the reader's every sense ... Remarkable.' - Victoria Hislop'Charming ... Delightful.' - Sunday Times'Our last great garlicky master of the vanishing Mediterranean.' - Richard Holmes'Like long letters from a civilized and very funny friend - the prose as luminous as the Mediterranean air he loves.' - Time

Read more less

Book SynopsisA journey along the Irish coast with powerful Irish woman beside you.At a crossroads in her life, Gráinne Lyons set out to travel Ireland?s west coast on foot. She set a simple intention: to walk in the footsteps of eleven pioneering Irish women deeply rooted in this coastal landscape and explore their lives and work along the way. As a Londoner born to Irish parents, she also sought answers in her own identity.As Gráinne heads north from Cape Clear Island where her great-grandmother was a lacemaker, she considers Ellen Hutchins, Maude Delap, Edna O?Brien, Granuaile and Queen Maeve among others from her unique perspective. Their homes ? in places that are famously wild and remote ? are transformed into sites of hope, purpose, opportunity and inspiration. Walking through this history, her journey reveals unexpected insight into emigrant identity, travelling alone, femininity and the trappings of an ?ideal? life.Against the backdrop and power of this great ocean, Wild Atlantic Women will inspire the twenty-first-century reader and walker to keep going, regardless of the path.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBookshop Tours of Britain is a slow-travel guide to Britain, navigating bookshop to bookshop. Across 18 bookshop tours, the reader journeys from the Jurassic Coast of southwest England, over the mountains of Wales, through England's industrial heartland, up to the Scottish Highlands and back via Whitby, the Norfolk Broads, central London, the South Downs and Hardy's Wessex. On their way, the tours visit beaches, castles, head down coal mines, go to whiskey distilleries, bird watching, hiking, canoeing, to stately homes and the houses of some of Britain's best-loved historic writers - and last but not least, a host of fantastic bookshops.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA city with a reputation to maintain, Melbourne is famous variously for being Australia’s coffee capital, the Europe of Australia and consistently ranked amongst the top most liveable cities in the world. CultureShock! Melbourne takes both long- and short-term residents through the city’s inner workings. The city offers world-class urban landscapes and experiences, spiced with a uniquely Melburnian spirit: a stroll along the Yarra River surrounded by a glittering skyline and artisanal sandwich in hand, top-drawer entertainment, restaurants helmed by celebrity chefs, or even a simple breakfast of toast with smashed avo’ and a flat white at a legendary café along a boulevard. Get the most out of your stay in Melbourne with this essential guide to one of the jazziest, most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'An absolute gem of a book' Alastair HumphreysFirst published in 1926, The Gentle Art of Tramping is as relevant now as then. Tramping is an approach: to nature, to humankind, to nations, to beauty, to life itself. This lost classic is a breath of fresh air for world-weary souls. It is a gentle art; know how to tramp and you know how to live. Know how to meet your fellow wanderer, how to be passive to the beauty of nature and how to be active to its wildness and its rigour. The adventure is not the getting there, it's the on-the-way'. It is not the expected, it is the surprise.Trade ReviewAn absolute gem of a book -- Alastair Humphreys * Microadventures, Local Adventures for Great Escapes *A hymn to the wilderness of the the British Isles -- Robert Macfarlane * The Wild Places *A wonderful book, so many of its points as valid now as they were a hundred years ago. A great catalyst for getting people off their backsides and out into wild places, with its can-do attitude ... The pages of my copy are so dog-eared from turning down the corners to mark yet another quotable gem that I can hardly close it. -- Christopher Somerville * The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain *Beware this book, it's a wolf in sheep's clothing - a thrillingly subversive life philosophy dressed in alluring practical advice. Strongly recommended for rebels and the restless -- Tristan Gooley * The Natural Navigator *The Gentle Art of Tramping is Mr. Graham’s masterpiece * New York Herald *Table of ContentsForeword 1. We Set Out 2. Boots 3. The Knapsack 4. Clothes 5. Carrying Money 6. The Companion 7. Whither Away? 8. The Art of Idleness 9. Emblems of Tramping 10. The Fire 11. The Bed 12. The Dip 13. Drying after Rain 14. Marching Songs 15. Scrounging 16. Seeking Shelter 17. The Tramp as Cook 18. Tobacco 19. Books 20. Long Halts 21. Foreigners 22. The Artist’s Notebook 23. Maps 24. Trespassers’ Walk 25. A Zigzag Walk 26. The Open For the Reader to Contribute A Note on the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn uplifting, humorous memoir of a mother building a new life on a beautiful Sicilian island. Reeling from a broken relationship, Ros Belford decides the best chance she has of healing, while giving her daughters a childhood to remember, is to move to Italy and live by the sea. After a false start in a town where machismo is ingrained, they find the small, lush, delightful island of Salina. Izzy and Juno grow up playing on the beach, learning to swim over volcanic bubbles, hearing tales of Aeolian witches and watching Stromboli erupt on the horizon. It is not entirely paradise, however. The school is atrocious, there are power cuts and an earthquake, and property speculators threaten the island''s fragile beauty. But an eclectic community of islanders take them to their hearts, friendships are forged and Salina becomes home. Full of humanity, vitality, honesty and optimism, Children of the Volcano is for anyone unwilling to give up dreams of adventure and excitement simply because of parenthood, lack of money and not getting things right the first time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChris Broad is a British filmmaker and founder of the Abroad in Japan Youtube channel, one of the largest foreign Youtube channels in Japan with over 2.5 million subscribers and 400 million views.Over 10 years and 200 videos, Chris has visited all of Japan's 47 prefectures, focussing Abroad in Japan on travel, culture, food and covered contemporary issues through documentaries on the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. His experiences have made him a sought after voice on life inside Japan, featured on the BBC, Tedx, NHK and the Japan Times.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBill Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's best-loved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had left as a youth.Of course there were things Bryson missed about Blighty but any sense of loss was countered by the joy of rediscovering some of the forgotten treasures of his childhood: the glories of a New England autumn; the pleasingly comical sight of oneself in shorts; and motel rooms where you can generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercing shriek and the sound of a female voice pleading, 'Put the gun down, Vinnie, I'll do anything you say.'Whether discussing the strange appeal of breakfast pizza or the jaw-slackening direness of American TV, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life.Trade ReviewOne of his best books -- Scott Bradfield * Independent *Delightful bite-size essays that exude affection while debunking the ridiculous with wonderful succinctness... This is not a book to be read in a single sitting. It is one to be savoured -- Martin Fletcher * The Times *Bill Bryson's answer to Alistair Cooke's Letter From America...not only hilarious but also insightful and informative -- Jeremy Atiyah * Independent on Sunday *Bryson is great when explaining the idiosyncracies of America to middle England and making it funny... He is both serious and contemtuously funny * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBestselling author Giles Tremlett traverses the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible primer for visitors, curious readers and hispanophiles. 'Tremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule' Guardian 'Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style' The Times Spain's position on Europe's south-western corner has exposed it to cultural, political and actual winds blowing from all quadrants. Africa lies a mere nine miles to the south. The Mediterranean connects it to the civilizational currents of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and Byzantines as well as the Arabic lands of the near east. Bronze Age migrants from the Russian steppe were amongst the first to arrive. They would be followed by Visigoths, Arabs, Napoleonic armies and many more invaders and immigrants. Circular winds and currents linked it to the American continent, allowing Spain to conquer and colonize much of it. As a result, Spain has developed a sort of hybrid vigour. Whenever it has tried to deny this inevitable heterogeneity, it has required superhuman effort to fashion a 'pure' national identity – which has proved impossible to maintain. In España, Giles Tremlett argues that, in fact, that lack of a homogenous identity is Spain's defining trait.Trade ReviewTremlett is a fascinating socio-cultural guide, as happy to discuss Spain's World Cup win as its Moorish rule * Guardian *Negotiates Spain's chaotic history with admirable clarity and style * The Times *Provides an excellent whistle-stop tour through the history that explains it all... Brisk and readable telling * New Statesman *Aimed at curious visitors and hispanophiles alike, this accessible trot through the country's history covers everything from Spain's connections to the ancient empires of Rome and Byzantium, to its colonisation of swathes of the Americas * BBC History Magazine *España is well researched, beautifully produced and, as far as generic primers go, an exemplar of its kind * TLS *Giles Tremlett is adept at grabbing the reader's attention, opening his brief history with a revealing vignette... Tremlett's book with appeal to anyone interested in Spain's past, present, or future * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom world renowned photographer Michio Hoshino, and with half a million copies sold in Japan, this enduringly popular collection recounts Hoshino's experiences with the wildlife and offers his reflections of our place within it.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Reading Brodsky''s essays is like a conversation with an immensely erudite, hugely entertaining and witty (and often very funny) interlocutor'' Wall Street JournalWatermark is Joseph Brodsky''s witty, intelligent, moving and elegant portrait of Venice. Looking at every aspect of the city, from its waterways, streets and architecture to its food, politics and people, Brodsky captures its magnificence and beauty, and recalls his own memories of the place he called home for many winters, as he remembers friends, lovers and enemies he has encountered. Above all, he reflects with great poetic force on how the rising tide of time affects city and inhabitants alike. Watermark is an unforgettable piece of writing, and a wonderful evocation of a remarkable, unique city. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book is a radical idea. By walking the ancient landscape of Britain and following the wheel of the year, we can reconnect to our shared folklore, to the seasons and to nature. Let this hauntological gazetteer guide you through our enchanted places and strange seasonal rituals: SPRING: Watch the equinox sunrise light up the floating capstone of Pentre Ifan and connect with the Cailleach at the shrine of Tigh nam Bodach in the remote Highlands SUMMER: Feel the resonance of ancient raves and rituals in the stone circles of southwest England's Stanton Drew, Avebury and the Hurlers AUTUMN: Bring in the harvest with the old gods at Coldrum Long Barrow, and brave the ghosts on misty Blakeney Point WINTER: Make merry at the Chepstow wassail, and listen out for the sunken church bells of the lost medieval city of Dunwich

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis*A SCOTSMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR* Stranded at Schiphol airport, Ben Coates called up a friendly Dutch girl he'd met some months earlier. He stayed for dinner. Actually, he stayed for good. In the first book to consider the hidden heart and history of the Netherlands from a modern perspective, the author explores the length and breadth of his adopted homeland and discovers why one of the world's smallest countries is also so significant and so fascinating. It is a self-made country, the Dutch national character shaped by the ongoing battle to keep the water out from the love of dairy and beer to the attitude to nature and the famous tolerance. Ben Coates investigates what makes the Dutch the Dutch, why the Netherlands is much more than Holland and why the colour orange is so important. Along the way he reveals why they are the world's tallest people and have the best carnival outside Brazil. He learns why Amsterdam's brothels are going out of business, who really killed Anne Frank, and how the Dutch manage to be richer than almost everyone else despite working far less. He also discovers a country which is changing fast, with the Dutch now questioning many of the liberal policies which made their nation famous.A personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history and an entertaining travelogue, Why the Dutch are Different is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. And loved it.Trade ReviewIn Why the Dutch are Different, a torch beam of scrutiny plays across the country's past and its lesser known foibles. Author Ben Coates has produced an insightful gem. - Scotsman - Books of the YearA book as quietly appealing as its subject and full of fascinating details. Coates is entirely convincing in his affectionate portrait. - ProspectVivid and informative. Coates intertwines the nation s journey to its modern iteration with his own adaptation to the Dutch lifestyle. An accomplished debut. - GeographicalI thoroughly recommend this book. Why the Dutch are Different provides the answers to all the questions I had but didn't dare ask about the Netherlands. I eagerly sat up late into the night reading, laughing often and enjoying the ride into my adopted homeland. - DutchNewsFascinating. Thoroughly researched and well thought out, Why the Dutch are Different takes us on a journey that goes beyond red-lit windows and Anne Frank to the true depths of the country. Ben Coates's day-to-day life sits effortlessly alongside deeper dives into history and folklore. A friendly read that strikes the right balance between teaching and entertaining. - The BookbagOne of the few books on our near-neighbour, Coates gets under the skin of a nation renowned for its liberalism. - The Bookseller

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1945, Indonesia's declaration of independence promised: 'the details of the transfer of power etc. will be worked out as soon as possible.' Still working on the 'etc.' seven decades later, the world's fourth most populous nation is now enthusiastically democratic and riotously diverse - rich and enchanting but riddled with ineptitude and corruption. Elizabeth Pisani, who first worked in Indonesia 25 years ago as a foreign correspondent, set out in 2011, travelling over 13,000 miles, to rediscover its enduring attraction, and to find the links which bind together this disparate nation. Fearless and funny, and sharply perceptive, she has drawn a compelling, entertaining and deeply informed portrait of a captivating nation.Trade ReviewPisani is relentlessly curious and her ability to pitch up anywhere and grasp the essence of the place is truly impressive. [Indonesia Etc.] gives a vivid sense of what Indonesia feels, smells and tastes like. For anyone about to visit the country, her book is an essential companion -- Misha Glenny * Guardian *Truly memorable... Pisani is a force of nature... vastly intelligent, doggedly curious, spectacularly multilingual... [This is] a treasure of a volume -- Simon Winchester * Wall Street Journal *Pisani takes on many big themes [but] her erudition is never dull... Beautifully written and richly entertaining * Economist *A sharply written, politically infused travelogue. [Full of] comic mishaps, punchy insights and [a] journalist's eye for the telling detail -- Ben Bland * Financial Times *Pisani writes well and has an outsider's eye for the extraordinary and the idiosyncratic... Sharp [and] enjoyable -- Richard Cockett * Literary Review *A lively condensation of some of her encounters with a country that is as disparate in its politics as it is in its geography and people * New Statesman *Pisani's perceptiveness is as honed as her wit is wise -- Tom Adair, ‘Travel book of the year’ * Scotsman *An affectionate portrait of a diverse, dynamic and eccentric country -- Tom Robbins * Financial Times *Lucidly analytical but affectionate... a colourful and entertaining travelogue -- Maria Misra * Prospect *Read it, even if you don't think you're interested in Indonesia-it's inspiring on so many levels, from the boundless curiosity and warmth of the author to the country's spectacular miracle of geo-political confidence and experimentation -- Emma Larkin, author * Everything is Broken *Pisani not only travels a dizzying amalgam of the 13,500 islands that comprise Indonesia, but she also follows their history from the seventh century forward with fluidity and ease. There are few other books - or authors - to attempt such a daunting task -- Eliza Griswold, author * The Tenth Parallel *Intrepid and passionate, Elizabeth Pisani takes readers on board a hilarious series of jury-rigged forms of transportation, from bustling, insane Djakarta to the smallest and remotest islands and country villages of Indonesia. By the end, exhausted, dusty, thirsty, and laughing, we feel we know this idiosyncratic country in all its moving complexity. Profound, lasting, a masterpiece of its genre-and so much fun! -- Amy Wilentz, author * The Rainy Season *A clear-eyed and smart look at a rising Asian giant that has defied all conventional wisdom -- Vali Nasr, author * The Dispensable Nation *A brave, lively writer opens up a wondrous, changing nation * Kirkus *Great * Wanderlust *Pisani is an erudite and adventurous travelling companion. This is a humane, intelligent travelogue that makes an initially daunting subject come gloriously alive * Sunday Business Post *A fascinating travelogue.... Indonesia Etc. is surely the richest account of contemporary Indonesia yet to be published * IndonesiaExpat *An absorbing 13,000-mile ramble around this sprawling, little-known archipelago -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *[Full of] clarity, wit and style -- Duncan Graham * Jakarta Post *Pisani brings to life a beguiling picture of Indonesia... [with] exquisite imagery * Sydney Morning Herald *Pisani is a one-woman word torrent -- Susan Mansfield * Scotsman *Accessible, entertaining [and] vividly described -- Sophie Ibbotson * Geographical Magazine *A warm and punchy travelogue -- Tom Chesshyre ‘Travel book of the year’ * Times *A richly entertaining account -- Books of the year * Economist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions.From Austria's Nightjet to Scotland's Caledonian Sleeper and Finland's Santa Claus Express, Rajesh invites us on a multi-year adventure aboard the world's most wondrous night trains. Along the way she samples reindeer stew on the night-train to Norway, sips on pisco sours while riding the Belmond Andean Explorer to the shores of Lake Titicaca and considers a game of cricket down a carriage on the Shalimar Express.A decade ago night trains were giving way to budget airlines and high-speed rail. But as people search for slower and more environmentally friendly ways to travel, night trains are in the midst of a renaissance. By turns romantic and hilarious, Moonlight Express brings us along for the ride and drops us back at the platform before sunrise.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Short of doing it yourself, the best way of escaping into nature is to read a book like A Walk in the Woods.' New York TimesIn the company of his friend Stephen Katz (last seen in the bestselling Neither Here nor There), Bill Bryson set off to hike the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuous footpath in the world. Ahead lay almost 2,200 miles of remote mountain wilderness filled with bears, moose, bobcats, rattlesnakes, poisonous plants, disease-bearing tics, the occasional chuckling murderer and - perhaps most alarming of all - people whose favourite pastime is discussing the relative merits of the external-frame backpack. Facing savage weather, merciless insects, unreliable maps and a fickle companion whose profoundest wish was to go to a motel and watch The X-Files, Bryson gamely struggled through the wilderness to achieve a lifetime's ambition - not to die outdoors.A Walk in the Woods is now a major feature film starring Robert Redford, Emma Thompson and Nick Offerman.Trade ReviewChoke-on-your-coffee funny * Washington Post *This is a seriously funny book -- Sue Townsend * The Sunday Times *Short of doing it yourself, the best way of escaping into nature is to read a book like A Walk in the Woods... Mr Bryson has met this challenge with zest and considerable humor... a funny book, full of dry humor... the reader is rarely anything but exhilarated * The New York Times *Entertaining and often illuminating -- Paul Johnson * Sunday Telegraph *Irreverent, wildly funny, crowded with anecdotes and observation * Ideal Home *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST PAPERBACK OF 2021* Shortlisted for the 2021 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year prize* A critically-acclaimed Sunday Times, Spectator and Independent Book of 2020* Now with colour photography by Michael Turek'Richly absorbing... An impressive exploration of Siberia's terrifying past.' Guardian'Evocative and wonderfully original.' Colin Thubron__________Siberia's expansive history is traditionally one of exiles, bitter cold and suffering. Yet there is another tale to tell.Dotted throughout this remote and beautiful landscape are pianos created during the boom years of the nineteenth century. They tell the story of how, ever since entering Russian culture under the influence of Catherine the Great, piano music has run through the country like blood. How these pianos made the journey into this snow-bound wilderness in the first place is remarkable. That they might be capable of making music in such a hostile landscape feels like a miracle.The Lost Pianos of Siberia is an absorbing story about a piano hunt - a quixotic quest through two centuries of Russian history and eight time zones stretching across an eleventh of the world's land surface. It reveals not only an unexpected musical legacy, but profound and brave humanity in the last place on earth you might expect to find it.__________What readers are saying about The Lost Pianos of Siberia:***** 'You know a book's good when, on finishing it, you just want to start again.'***** 'Beautifully written, full of compelling anecdotes celebrating Siberia's extraordinary history.'***** 'The most unusual and intelligent way to tell a travel story.'Trade ReviewAn extraordinary encounter with a wildly fascinating and astonishingly ill-known region... This is a wonderful book. * Sunday Times *The ultimate quest for the oddest objects - pianos - in the most unlikely place - Siberia. But Roberts makes it much more than that, an elegant and nuanced journey through literature, through history, through music, murder and incarceration and revolution, through snow and ice and remoteness, to discover the human face of Siberia. I loved this book. * Paul Theroux *An impressive exploration of Siberia's terrifying past. * Guardian *An exuberant, eccentric journey through Russian vastness, European history and Russian culture, The Lost Pianos of Siberia is a quixotic quest, a picaresque travel adventure and a strange forgotten story, all wrapped into one fascinating book. * Simon Sebag-Montefiore *What shines through in this book is Roberts' genuine, humane affection for and fascination with the people she meets in Siberia. * Literary Review *A stunning example of modern historical travel writing * Independent *A richly observed cultural history... thrilling. * New Statesman *Fascinating account of Siberia’s horrific legacy told with great verve… Roberts is a wonderfully lyrical writer. * The Observer *Beautifully written... A unique short history of Russia from Catherine the Great to Putin... A sense of the extraordinary marks every page. * History Today *Captures Siberia's wildness, but favours its enchantments. * Times Literary Supplement *Courage, patience, erudition and a sympathetic imagination… A travel book of rare quality. * Dervla Murphy *Roberts achievement is to vividly bring us into a hidden landscape that in an over-travelled world retains its mystique. Through her painterly depiction of the people she encounters, she infuses the epic with the intimate and reveals how sometimes looking is more important than finding * Business Post Magazine *Utterly absorbing - a wonderful addition to the story of resilience, tragedy and triumph that are the hallmarks of Siberia. Roberts displays an empathy and understanding worthy of this deeply haunted, strangely fascinating land. * Benedict Allen *Roberts' writing is beguiling. * The i *A modern-day Freya Stark. * Tatler *The Lost Pianos of Siberia is one of those magical books that captures the imagination and draws you into the beauty and majesty of Siberia. Idiosyncratic in style – part travelogue, part history, part detective trail – it is full of wonderful stories about human endurance through adversity and the transformative power of music in the most remote and forgotten outposts of this vast territory. A book to savour and remember. * Helen Rappaport, author of THE LAST DAYS OF THE ROMANOVS *Utterly fascinating and revealing to anyone who only knows Siberia through its Great Myth as a forgotten, frozen Nowhere. * Christopher Somerville *A thrilling adventure to the ends of the earth, where sunlight glitters in the snowdrifts and the strains of the exile's song floats through the air. Pack your suitcases for Siberia - Sophy Roberts' gorgeous prose will summon you there like a smell. * Cal Flyn, author of THICKER THAN WATER *What worlds this book traverses! From gilded recital halls to the haunts of Siberian tigers; from remote penal colonies to volcanic islands in the Bering Sea: I felt as if I had travelled through places I had only dreamed of, following these magical instruments through landscapes and histories so full of tragedy and hope. * Daniel Mason, author of THE PIANO TUNER *Absolutely intoxicating. Such vivid detail, rich atmosphere, heartbreak, and elegance. Sophy Roberts melds research and personal experience to trace the paths of political prisoners, convicts, and conscripts determined to find beauty in exile, and track down the regal pianos now scattered in villages, museums, and storehouses across the largest country on earth. Some cherished and some neglected, these pianos tell of the musical colonization of a continent, and their stories sing. * Jonathan C. Slaght, author of OWLS OF THE EASTERN ICE *Romance and tragedy, gulags and tower blocks, princes and oligarchs and of course tigers and pianos, Roberts captures all the wonder and heartbreak of an entire Empire in one feast of a book. * Ben Rawlence, author of CITY OF THORNS and RADIO CONGO *Not-to-be-missed travel. * The Tablet *Beautifully constructed, clear-eyed and generous-spirited. * Will Atkins, author of THE MOOR and THE IMMEASURABLE WORLD *Stories endure in this compelling debut. * Wanderlust *A noble quest to understand the dazzling respect for music embedded in Russian culture. * Country Life *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn inspiring and reflective memoir about walking the 1,000km route from where World War I ended to Auschwitz

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe perfect book * Sir Ranulph Fiennes *Wonderfully stimulating * Michael Palin *Gooley is a fine writer with a philosophical passion for the subject ... his advice is at times glorious in its simplicity and fascinating in its execution ... his advice is so well structured that even enthusiastic amateurs will find plenty to get to grips with -- Laurence Mackin * Irish Times *Wonderful... This is the sort of charming and inspiring book you want to recommend and buy for others. A must for any lover of the outdoors -- Tim Jepson * Daily Telegraph *This in-depth book gives us the tools to re-engage with our natural world in a clear and understandable way. I love it! * Bear Grylls *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA poetic meditation on life and death, by one of the most renowned and respected film-makers and intellectuals of our time. In November 1974, when Werner Herzog was told that his mentor Lotte Eisner, the film-maker and critic, was dying in Paris, he set off to walk there from Munich, ‘in full faith, believing that she would stay alive if I came on foot’. Along the way he recorded what he saw, how he felt, and what he experienced, from the physical discomfort of the journey to moments of rapture. It is a remarkable narrative – part pilgrimage, part meditation, and a confrontation between a great German Romantic imagination and the contemporary world. This edition of the book is being published for the first time as a classic piece of proto-psychogeography, to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of the legendary director’s walk.Trade Review'Surely the strangest, strongest walking book I know, it tells the story of a winter pilgrimage, made in desperation and in hope. At once a diary, a blizzard of weather and memories, and the record of a ritual: only Herzog could have written this weird, slender classic.' Robert Macfarlane * Robert Macfarlane *Herzog's pilgrimage is a fugue and an absurdist comedy as rich as anything in his cinema'. Iain Sinclair * Iain Sinclair *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJupiter''s Travels -Ted Simon''s astonishing 4 year motorbike journey around the world The book that inspired Ewan McGregor''s Long Way RoundIn the late 1970s Ted Simon set off on a Triumph and rode 63,000 miles over four years through fifty-four countries in a journey that took him around the world. Through breakdowns, prison, war, revolutions, disasters and a Californian commune, he travelled into the depths of fear and reached the heights of euphoria.He met astonishing people and was treated as a spy, a welcome stranger and even a god. For Simon the trip became a journey into his own soul, and for many others - including bikers Charley Boorman and Ewan McGrergor - it provides an inspiration they will never forget.This classic text, which has informed a whole genre of travel writing in the thirty years since it was first published, will never be bettered for sheer adventure, passion, humour and honesty.Brought up in England by

Read more less

Book Synopsis**Soon to be a major film starring Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner - Girl Who Fell From the Sky**On December 24th 1971, the teenage Juliane boarded the packed flight in Peru to meet her father for Christmas. She and her mother fought to get some of the last seats available and felt thankful to have made the flight. The LANSA airplane flew into a heavy thunderstorm and went down in dense Amazon jungle hundreds of miles from civilization.She fell two miles from the sky, still strapped to her plane seat, into the jungle. She was the sole survivor among the 92 passengers, which included her mother. Juliane's unexplainable survival has been called a modern-day miracle.With incredible courage, instinct and ingenuity, she crawled and walked alone for 11 days in the green hell of the Amazon. She survived using the skills she'd learned in assisting her parents on their research trips into the jungle before coming across a loggers hut, and, with it, safety. Now she tells her fascinating story for the first time and shares not only the private moments of her survival and rescue but her inspiring life in the wake of the disaster.Trade ReviewShe did not leave the airplane, the airplane left her. -- Werner Herzog, director of Grizzly ManJuliane Koepcke writes compellingly of the crash and her unusual childhood * Financial Times (DE) *Exhilaratingly written. * Express (DE) *Her memoir is a gripping account of a harrowing adventure and an inspiring life. * Publishers Weekly *Her account of the 11-day trek is enthralling. In shock and suffering from injuries, she made it to a river s edge without her eyeglasses, wearing just a minidress and one sandal. It was rainy season, so there was no fruit to eat. She was either freezing or boiling, set upon by bugs. She contended with stingrays, snakes, king vultures and caimans. Eventually, local woodcutters found her and mistook her for a water goddess. Brought to safety, she became an international icon of hope. * Maclean's Magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Without any doubt, London is one of the best cities in the world for modern architecture. But it is also one of the biggest cities in the world, and it does not make a display of its best things. A visitor looking for new buildings in the City and the West End might well be justified in turning away with a shudder. Yet delightful things may be waiting for him in Lewisham or St. Albans.' Ian Nairn, from the 'Foreword' to Modern Buildings in London. As one of the few architectural critics to eschew purely aesthetic modes of analysis, Ian Nairn's timeless books on modern urban cities have been hailed as some of the most significant writing about contemporary Britain, while also being praised as alternative 'guidebooks' for curious travellers. First published in 1964, Modern Buildings in London celebrates the character of buildings that were immediately recognisable as 'modern' in 1964, many of which were not the part of the well-known landscape of London but instead were gems that Nairn stumbled across. Written 'by a layman for laymen', Nairn's take on modern design includes classic buildings such as the Barbican, the former BBC Television Centre and the Penguin Pool at Regent's Park Zoo as well as schools, old timber yards, ambulance stations, car parks and even care homes.Trade Review‘Like many Oldie readers, I have an in-built prejudice against modern architecture . . . Now I've read the [Modern Buildings in London], my cycle routes around London town have been greatly enriched. I now notice modern buildings and realise that some are great.’ -- Tom Hodgkinson * Oldie *'A timely reminder of both the changing nature of aesthetics, how buildings shape a neighbourhood while also being a reflection of the wants and needs and vision of the future purveyed at the time.’ * Camden New Journal *‘[An] utterly joyful book... Nairn’s descriptive writing is delicious and at times hilarious... Suffice it to say that after an extraordinary 60 years, Nairn’s passion for modern buildings in London has barely aged, and is a totally charming and informative narrative that entices you back to enjoy, all over again, your favourite MoMobuildings in London.' * Building Design *‘This book is something of a ‘ghost gazetteer’, but it’s not only a period curiosity, and manages to speak more broadly to the art of criticism itself as well as displaying Nairn’s idiosyncratic knack of recognizing sheep and goats in London’s post 1930s re-fit.’ * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be given your own remote islands? Thirty years ago it happened to Adam Nicolson.Aged 21, Nicolson inherited the Shiants, three lonely Hebridean islands set in a dangerous sea off the Isle of Lewis. With only a stone bothy for accommodation and half a million puffins for company, he found himself in charge of one of the most beautiful places on earth.The story of the Shiants is a story of birds and boats, hermits and fishermen, witchcraft and catastrophe, and Nicolson expertly weaves these elements into his own tale of seclusion on the Shiants to create a stirring celebration of island life.Trade Review'Exceptionally well done, beautifully written, personal yet panoramic.' Observer 'An extraordinarily outward-looking book…a truly passionate attention to detail…. A love-letter no one else could hope to write so well.' Sunday Telegraph 'A passionate evocation, a compression of observation and anecdote which catches you up in its intelligence as well as its enthusiasm, and fill you with homesickness for a place you've never been to.' Daily Telegraph 'Generous, exuberant and a vividly written narrative…. history, travel-writing and memoir of the best sort.' Spectator 'Sharply observed, a finely written work, one to be savoured, turned over and over like a good whisky.' Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlthough Daniel Everett was a missionary, far from converting the Pirahãs, they converted him. He shows the slow, meticulous steps by which he gradually mastered their language and his gradual realisation that its unusual nature closely reflected its speakers' startlingly original perceptions of the world. Everett describes how he began to realise that his discoveries about the Pirahã language opened up a new way of understanding how language works in our minds and in our lives, and that this way was utterly at odds with Noam Chomsky's universally accepted linguistic theories. The perils of passionate academic opposition were then swiftly conjoined to those of the Amazon in a debate whose outcome has yet to be won. Everett's views are most recently discussed in Tom Wolfe's bestselling The Kingdom of Speech. Adventure, personal enlightenment and the makings of a scientific revolution proceed together in this vivid, funny and moving book.Trade ReviewDestined to become a classic -- David Papineau * The Independent *Everett writes simply and persuasively about language ... a fascinating thesis ... his courage and conviction should give linguists pause for thought -- Andrew Anthony * Guardian *A remarkable book. It is written with an immediacy even a Pirahã might envy, and its conjunction of physical and intellectual adventure is irresistible -- John Carey * Sunday Times *This is an astonishing book: a work of exploration, into the most distant place and language, but also a revelation of the way language is shaped by thought and circumstance. -- Ben Macintyre * The Times *Fascinating * The Times *"Going native" has seldom led to a book as challenging and appealing as this memoir -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *Thorough, thought-provoking ... vivid details are combined with broader questions -- Anita Sethi * Independent on Sunday *Quite extraordinary * Sunday Tribune *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZEFrom the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS''Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly'' Independent Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature, and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to describe land, nature and weather.Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms, and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it.''Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving. A bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place'' Financial Times''A book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over'' GuardianTrade ReviewPublisher's description. The number one bestselling book from the author of The Old Ways. This is a celebration of the unique relationship between language and place; a field guide to nature writers from Roger Deakin to Nan Shepherd; and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable, poetic, funny, peculiar and endangered words to describe the natural world. * Penguin *Thoughtful and lyrical writing . . . It's gorgeous -- Katy Guest * Independent on Sunday *Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving . . . Landmarks is both a bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place * Financial Times *His writing has a confidence and enjoyment, a passionate purpose . . . he celebrates our vast, but evaporating, vocabulary for the landscape * Daily Telegraph *A story like this is salutary...Landmarks is a book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over. * Guardian *The writing is full of clarity and internal reflections and the chapters ripple over into each other like a linked chain of mountain pools.... What is remarkable about these words is how precise they are, and how deeply local. They feel as if they somehow grew out of the land itself. A delight. * Sunday Times Magazine *The mood is one of celebration... [Landmarks is] the product of an active academic intelligence and emotional generosity, irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly * Independent *

Read more less