Travel writing Books

Book SynopsisWe can all take that first step, to embrace this extraordinary life in all its darkness and beauty--beyond the land of shadows.

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Book SynopsisIn India''s tropical paradise, stands a town wrapped around a giant roundabout, where a canny caretaker with a French connection holds sway. Vying for his attention are two competing neighbours. Appu holds lessons for the living but Maya cares only for the dead. And a gastronome dog plays ball girl to tennis-loving nuns. At the centre is an imposing temple so ancient that no one knows exactly when it was built. Here, even a tiny railway station has set its own rules for acceptance and belonging. On the other side of the tracks, a baker runs errands for total strangers in the middle of a pandemic. Malgudi Days meets reality in the search for joy and belonging in a book that is alternatively heartwarming and hilarious. Anjana Menon takes you to a place that you wish stays that way forever, in these true stories of hope and resilience from a midway Kerala town.

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Book SynopsisA Woman's Journey Round the World with the aid of Ida Pfeiffer is an amazing travelogue that unveils the brilliant journey of a nineteenth-century Austrian explorer. Ida Pfeiffer, a girl in advance of her time, launched into an exquisite solo journey around the globe, defying societal norms and expectations of her generation. Pfeiffer's narrative takes readers on a fascinating expedition through various continents and cultures. Her adventures spanned from the distinguished islands of the South Pacific to the rugged landscapes of South America and the faraway areas of Asia. With keen observations, she vividly defined the various human beings, customs, and environments she encountered. What makes Pfeiffer's adventure particularly noteworthy is that she defied the conventions of her time, as ladies hardly ever ventured into the challenging world of exploration and journey. Her narrative isn't handiest an account of her bodily travels but also a testomony to her braveness, curiosity, and determination. A Woman's Journey Round the World presents a unique attitude on the 19th-century international, offering insights into the cultural diversity, herbal wonders, and societal structures of that technology. Pfeiffer's writing is marked by using its spirit of journey and her ability to transcend the limitations of her time, making her a trailblazer for ladies tourists and explorers.

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Book SynopsisSketches from Concord and Appledore and have been written with the aid of American author and pupil Frank Preston Stearns. The book is an interesting investigate the highbrow and cultural lifestyles of two remarkable locations: Concord and Appledore. People recognize Stearns for his eager observations and historic insights. In this book, he shows readers bright snapshots of Concord, Massachusetts, which was a center of intellectual sports at some stage in the transcendentalist movement. In his essays, he receives the spirit of the city by way of looking into its literary records, it's thrilling humans, and the paintings of philosophers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The collection also takes readers to Appledore Island, which is part of the Isles of Shoals and is nonviolent. It is off the coast of New Hampshire. Stearns paints a brilliant photo of this lovely region, searching at both its natural beauty and the artistic community that grew there. The articles provide thoughts on how the island affected amazing writers and artists who went there to discover idea in its peaceful setting. Sketches from Concord and Appledore is an essential piece of American highbrow records as it combines Stearns' know-how of the beyond together with his writing talent, which brings these two critical places to life for readers.

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

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

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIn Extreme Horizons, leading outdoor writer David Pickford takes us on an extraordinary journey of discovery through climbing, adventure motorcycling, wilderness travel, and nautical expeditions in some of the wildest places in Britain and across the world

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Book SynopsisThe Odyssey, one of the world's first recorded and greatest adventure tales, has everything one could ask for when you set out on a trip: romance, danger, excitement, treasures, historic locales, unexpected pit stops, good food and hospitality, new friends, and long-awaited reunions. This deluxe travel journal uses perfectly curated quotes from Samuel Butler's 19th century translation of the epic poem as a jumping-off point for introspective travel journaling. Along with ample space for recording day-to-day travel ups and downs, a series of guided questions will help the user frame their own travelogues as one worthy of the Muses.

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John Waters is putting his life on the line. Armed with wit, a pencil-thin moustache, and a cardboard sign that reads 'I'm Not Psycho', he hitchhikes across America from Baltimore to San Francisco, braving lonely roads and treacherous drivers. But who should we be more worried about, the delicate film director with genteel manners or the unsuspecting travelers transporting the Pope of Trash? Along the way, Waters fantasizes about the best and worst possible scenarios: a friendly drug dealer hands over piles of cash to finance films with no questions asked, a demolition-derby driver makes a filthy sexual request in the middle of a race, a gun-toting drunk terrorizes and holds him hostage, and a Kansas vice squad entraps and throws him in jail. So what really happens when this cult legend sticks out his thumb and faces the open road? Laced with subversive humour and warm intelligence, Carsick is an unforgettable ride with a wickedly funny companion - and a celebration of America's weird, astonishing, and generous citizens.

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Book SynopsisRobert Twigger, poet and travel author, was in search of a new way up England when he stumbled across the Great North Line. From Christchurch on the South Coast to Old Sarum to Stonehenge, to Avebury, to Notgrove barrow, to Meon Hill in the midlands, to Thor''s Cave, to Arbor Low stone circle, to Mam Tor, to Ilkley in Yorkshire and its three stone circles and the Swastika Stone, to several forts and camps in Northumberland to Lindisfarne (plus about thirty more sites en route). A single dead straight line following 1 degree 50 West up Britain. No other north-south straight line goes through so many ancient sites of such significance.Was it just a suggestive coincidence or were they built intentionally? Twigger walks the line, which takes him through Birmingham, Halifax and Consett as well as Salisbury Plain, the Peak district, and the Yorkshire moors. With a planning schedule that focused more on reading about shamanism and beat poetry than hardening hisTrade ReviewRobert Twigger's travelogues have always had a wonderful globetrotting sense of adventure. Here, he attempts something closer to home; walking the "line" that connects Stonehenge and Lindisfarne and other ancient landmarks... An extended ramble, literally, which becomes a consideration of life, family and the nature of beauty -- Ben East * THE OBSERVER *There are some non-fiction books which are held together by the sheer force of the author's personality alone. Robert Twigger's new volume is one such. Its spine, both literally and metaphorically, is a walk from Christchurch in Dorset to the island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland, a more or less straight line at 1 degree 50 west along the major watershed of English rivers ... His mind goes everywhere, but a certain levity and self-deprecating humour is marbled throughout it. Self-deprecation seems quintessentially English and somehow a Zen Buddhist loss of self at one and the same time here. I doubt there will be published a book so manic and pensive, so cheerful, so able to polish your eyes to see things anew (why are most houses built around right angles rather than circles?) -- THE SCOTSMAN * Stuart Kelly *A fascinating meditation on ancient wisdom wrapped inside an adventure across modern Britain, this marvellously entertaining book offers a challenge to travel writing and a casket of treasures to readers * Nick Jubber, author of 'Epic Continent' *Twigger is an errant knight, who uncovers a hidden sense of England on his walk along this mystical route. A masterful conjuror of images and ideas, he can describe a blistered toe with the same enthusiasm he brings to the wistful call of the cuckoo. He turns his bright gaze on all manner of shamanic shapes and shifting ghosts in the land and reveals much about his own innermost thoughts on writing and the journey through life itself. This is a rare book with much wisdom spun around a seemingly well known set of places * Tim Ecott, author of 'The Land of Maybe: A Faroe Islands Year' *Robert Twigger is not so much a travel writer as a thrill-seeking philosopher * ESQUIRE *Rob Twigger is the perfect guide to the Great North Line. He is a vagabond seer in the tradition of Alfred Watkins: connecting the dots, glimpsing the past, anticipating the future. I loved it -- Jon Day, author of 'Homing'A bona fide media daredevil with brains and balls beyond the norm * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Twigger reminds us that the adventurous spirit of the British explorer is alive and well, and Voyageur is a fine addition to the genre * GUARDIAN *Twigger has found a narrative voice all too rare in contemporary travel writing: clear-eyed, unaffected, deadpan, slyly witty and unobtrusively erudite * MAIL ON SUNDAY *

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Book SynopsisOf Canoes and Crocodiles is a story of adventure in the remote and threatened landscapes of Papua New Guinea. In 2018, Tony Robinson-Smith and his wife Nadya Ladouceur bought dugout canoes and paddled down the Sepik, the country's longest river. Traveling with local guides and staying in their villages, Tony and Nadya ate smoked piranha and sago pancakes, heard tales of river gods and sorcerers, marvelled at rainbow bee-eaters and cat-size flying foxes, sank in a tropical storm, got lost in mosquito-infested swamplands, and hid from pirates in mangroves near the sea. As the narrative follows the bends of the river, Robinson-Smith incorporates into its flow descriptions of crocodile initiation rites, village big men, the barter system, raskolism, and sing-sings. He reflects on clan loyalty, colonization, Christian missionaries, bride price, the environmental impacts of foreign logging and mining, and the joys and fears of following the current down a long, snaky waterway in a volatile A

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Book SynopsisStories Left in Stone explores CÃceres and Extremadura, Spain, by immersing the reader in local histories, food, art, and conversation.

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Book SynopsisDiscover Europe with the 'Only In' Guides! These ground breaking city guides are for independent cultural travellers wishing to escape the crowds and understand cities from different and unusual perspectives. Unique locations, hidden corners and unusual objects. A comprehensive illustrated guide to more than 80 fascinating and unusual historical sites in one of Europe's most beautiful capital cities including, Hidden cellars, secret gardens, wild valleys, and forgotten cemeteries. From prehistoric man and the Premyslids to the Communist era and the Velvet Revolution this guide covers an incredible array of sites including, The Faust House, the Hunger Wall, the British sewers, The Alchemists' tower, The Prague Bambino, a one-armed photographer, the headless knight, and John Lennon's Wall.

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Book SynopsisTucked away in the eastern end of the Himalayas lies Bhutan - a tiny, landlocked country bordering China and India. Impossibly remote and nearly inaccessible, Bhutan is rich in natural beauty, exotic plants and animals, and crazy wisdom. It is a place where people are genuinely content with very few material possessions and the government embraces 'Gross National Happiness' instead of Gross National Product. In this funny, magical memoir, we accompany Linda Leaming on her travels through South Asia, sharing her experiences as she learns the language, customs and religion; her surprising romance with a Buddhist artist; and her realisations about the unexpected path to happiness and accidental enlightenment. As one of the few Americans to have lived in Bhutan, Leaming offers a rare glimpse into the quirky mountain kingdom so many have only dreamed of. For over ten years, Leaming has lived and worked in the capital city of Thimphu, where there are no traffic lights and fewer than 100,000 people. "If enlightenment is possible anywhere," she writes, "I think it is particularly possible here." With fantastic lessons from the Bhutanese way of life, beautiful evocations of this unspoiled land and a love story which is founded on the new peace she found in Bhutan, this book will appeal to anyone who wants to go on a voyage of discovery: to a foreign land or within the self.Trade ReviewAs engaging and magical as Bhutan itself, written with heart and insight, Married to Bhutan is a wonderful memoir and a great journey. Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief

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Book SynopsisTrade Review12 Coming-Soon Cookbooks We Can’t Wait to Read “Katie is essentially living my dream with this book. She spent months as an apprentice with some of Europe’s most acclaimed experts to study the art and science of fermentation. This book includes travel stories, historical tidbits, and recipes for classics in the world of wine, bread and cheese.” — Marissa Mullen, Food52.com The 11 Most Anticipated Cookbooks in 2021 “Do...I really need to explain why you're going to want this cookbook? It takes a look at how each of these European staples are made, from harvest to fermentation.” — Delish.com “Every page is fantastic. . . . It’s a magical book, brilliant, delightful, and luscious, with a bunch of really unique and beautiful recipes. . . . I have a little shelf only dedicated to cheese, and this is where I put her book. It's going to be on hand for the rest of my life.” — Rachael Ray “Equal parts armchair travelogue, cookbook and science primer. . . . [Katie] also reveals tidbits from her personal journey as an expat discovering herself abroad, which will keep you turning the pages long after you’ve polished off a slice of White Wine and Olive Oil Cake.” — Food Network “In this book, we follow along on her journey as she meanders through England, Italy, and France, discovering the secrets of these three timeless foods. . . . The book leads with captivating stories and overflows with culinary revelations, memorable characters, and simple, tasty recipes.” — Real Simple “Who wouldn’t agree that the magical trio of cheese, wine, and bread elevates the art of food and of life? . . . Quinn's ability to transport readers into new adventures matches the best of travel writing. No wonder that this could be a post-COVID prompt to explore the staffs of life.” — Booklist (starred review) “[A] charming debut, a thoughtful fusion of journalism and memoir. . . . Quinn’s curiosity and passion will delight foodies and fans of travelogues. . . . . A transportive love letter to the joys and complexities of these iconic fermented foods.” — Library Journal (starred review) “Get ready to join my friend Katie on a wild trip through Europe as she dives headfirst into the world of fermentation. With her characteristic enthusiasm and wit, she introduces us to some of mankind's oldest and smallest allies—the microbial partners we rely on to transform milk into cheese, grapes into wine, and grain into bread.” — J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab “Katie Quinn takes the reader on a delicious journey in this meditation on cheese, wine, and bread, the fermented foods that are among the cornerstones of human culture. An erudite and enthusiastic look at the science, the creators, the issues, and the flavors that inform these daily staples.” — Fuchsia Dunlop, author of The Food of Sichuan “Katie’s honest curiosity about food and the many ways it intersects with a culture’s identity is infectious. She is a dynamic and compelling storyteller who will surely inspire readers to go on their own culinary adventures. This is a fantastic new addition for food-driven travelers!” — Lindsey Tramuta, author of The New Parisienne “Katie's writing is unique and immediately inviting, blending memoir with travel documentary with food-science study to illuminate the people and processes behind some of our favorite foods. Cheese, Wine, and Bread should be on any reading list for people who love food and travel, or who just want to know what makes the best mac and cheese tick.” — Kristen Miglore, author of Genius Recipes “An engaging odyssey through some of our favorite fermented items, written with infectious enthusiasm by Katie Quinn. Open-hearted and buoyant, the book weaves together her hands-on experiences in Europe and introduces us to a rich cast of people who make, sell and care about these traditions. A book about the transformative wonders of fermentation.” — Jenny Linford, author of The Missing Ingredient “Quinn shares everything she learned [in Europe about cheese, wine, and bread]. . . along with plenty of recipes to help you live vicariously through her adventures. . . . This book will leave you wondering why you’ve never run off to Europe to fulfill your culinary dreams, if you weren’t wondering that already.” — The Takeout “Dreaming of European cuisine while waiting to travel again? Join food author and YouTube host Katie Quinn in Cheese, Wine, and Bread . . . Sift through drool-worthy photos, informative discussions, and DIY recipes that will have you experiencing faraway places from the comfort of your home.” — Culture Cheese Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe Writer's Journey invites you to follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the travels that inspired their greatest works. Trade Review'This is a must read for lovers of literature, especially those with a lust for travel. But the book is much more than this in that it opens windows allowing the reader to view travel with fresh horizons. As Christie said, quoted in The Writer’s Journey, “Not until you travel alone do you realize how much the outside world will protect and befriend you.” The Writer’s Journey can be your friend.' -- Travel Begins at 40“As I prepare to head down to Devon to lead a writing retreat, this arrives. All about the journeys writers have taken, and how the travel has inspired them. Perfect!” -- Dan Thompson“When writers step outside of their familiar surroundings, special things can often happen, as this collection charting the 35 routes that changed the lives and legacies of some literary giants, from Charles Dickens to Herman Melville, adroitly shows.” -- Wanderlust "Best Travel Books of 2022 so far"Table of ContentsIntroduction Hans Christian Andersen Becomes a Novelist in Italy Maya Angelou Loses Her Heart to Ghana W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood Go to War Jane Austen Gets a Whiff of Sea Air (and Seaweed) in Worthing James Baldwin Falls for Paris in the Fall Basho Takes the Narrow Road to the Deep North Charles Baudelaire Fails to Make It to India Elizabeth Bishop Is Bowled Over by Brazil Heinrich Böll Is Enchanted by the Emerald Isle Lewis Carroll Finds Another Wonderland in Russia Agatha Christie Boards the Orient Express Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens Are Far from Idle in Cumbria Joseph Conrad Sees True Horror in the Congo Isak Dinesen in and out of Africa Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Discovers the Perfect Place to Bury Sherlock Holmes F. Scott Fitzgerald Bathes in the Light on the French Riviera Gustave Flaubert Indulges Himself in the Orient Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Gets Lost in Italy Graham Greene Learns to Love Life Again in Liberia Hermann Hesse Goes East in Search of Enlightenment Patricia Highsmith Spots a Likely Character in Positano Jamaica and Haiti Cast a Spell on Zora Neale Hurston Jack Kerouac Goes on the Road for the First Time Jack London Pans for Gold in the Klondike Federico García Lorca Takes a Bite of the Big Apple Katherine Mansfield Mines Her Time at a German Spa for Stories Herman Melville Sees the Watery Parts of the World Alexandr Pushkin Convalesces in the Caucasus and the Crimea J.K. Rowling Gets a Train of Thought on the Line from Manchester to London Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Crashes into the Headlines Sam Selvon Sails to England Bram Stoker Stakes Out Dracula in Whitby Sylvia Townsend Warner Finds Poetry in the Essex Marshes Mary Wollstonecraft Soothes a Broken Heart in Scandinavia It’s All Greek to Virginia Woolf Selected Bibliography Index Picture Credits ​

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Book SynopsisPeter Clutterbuck was lucky enough to be a teenager in the 1960s, when long summer holidays meant uninhibited opportunities to find freedom - and danger. He proceeded to set out on incredible voyages across the high seas in a 16 foot open dinghy. With a series of intrepid crew he first sailed across the Channel, then braved the notorious Bay of Biscay, cruised the Mediterranean, before tackling the North Sea and Baltic. Sailing on the edge, often on stormy nights, Peter and his crew survived towering waves, gales, capsizes, dismasting, nine rudder breakages, getting lost in fog, and hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation. Beautifully and charmingly written, with plenty of offbeat humour, this is a lovely insight into a golden age of freedom and adventure. With a Foreword by world-famous yachtsman Brian Thompson.Trade ReviewTorn between staying at sea to face probable disaster and running onto a lee shore where they may yet have a ghost of a chance, what follows is seamanship of the highest order. * Tom Cunliffe, Yachting World *The sailing is white knuckled, the resourcefulness breathtaking. * Yachting Monthly *A tremendous book. * Classic Sailor magazine *A classic real-life story of derring do on the high seas, complete with extreme risk, last-minute ingenuity and many near-misses. * All at Sea *An object lesson in how to turn dreams into reality, of how to complete extremely risky challenges. -- Brian Thompson * Foreword *The events described, and the hardships not described, are so extreme as to seem suicidal. -- John Mardall, Editor * Maritime *

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Book SynopsisFrom the sierras of New Mexico to the streets of New York and LA by night-"a sort of luminous, geometric, incandescent immensity"-Baudrillard mixes aperçus and observations with a wicked sense of fun to provide a unique insight into the country that dominates our world. In this new edition, leading cultural critic and novelist Geoff Dyer offers a thoughtful and perceptive take on the continued resonance of Baudrillard's America.Trade ReviewOccasionally provocative and almost always infuriating ... America is filled with perceptive, almost poetic observations. * Rolling Stone *Since de Tocqueville, French thinkers have been fascinated with America. But when it comes to mysterious paradoxes and lyrical complexity no French intellectual matches Jean Baudrillard in contemplating the New World. * The New York Times *A mixture of crazy notions and dead-on insights, America is a valuable (and voluble) picture of what Mr. Baudrillard calls 'the only remaining primitive society' ... ours. * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis'A perfect read for a Mediterannean beach' Daily TelegraphWhen Chris travelled from Sydney to Dublin, he never dreamed his life was about to change forever. There he meets Daniela - one L, smile as you say it to pronounce it correctly - and it's amore at first sight. Before he can say si, he's uprooted to follow her to her sun-kissed hometown of Andrano, Puglia, tucked in the heel of southern Italy.The whitewashed houses, olive groves and cobblestone lanes are beautiful, but soon Chris is getting to grips with everyday Italian life. There's infuriating bureaucracy, an anarchic road system and - biggest challenge of all - Daniela's mamma, who's determined to convert him to the Catholic faith and build an extension on her house where the couple might live la dolce vita.WINNER OF THE GROLLO RUZZENE FOUNDATION PRIZETrade ReviewA perfect read for a Mediterranean beach... Genuinely funny. * Daily Telegraph *Keeps you turning pages long into the night * Real Travel *Gets right under Italy's skin. Few books about living in foreign climes are written as entertainingly, beautifully or romantically. * Sydney Morning Herald *An intriguing book, very well written, well structured, entertaining and sometimes even challenging... a delightful and often humorous account of the author's evolving relationship with Italy as he comes to grips with everyday reality there... anecdotes provide both humour and vivid images of Italians and Italian life. -- Judges of the Grollo Ruzzene Foundation PrizeHarrison manages to get right under Italy's skin without stereotyping the people he meets and situations he finds himself in... Many have written books about their experiences living in foreign climes but few have done it as entertainingly, beautifully and - surprisingly - romantically as Harrison does here. * Sydney Morning Herald & Melbourne Age *This is a funny and touching tale about the cultural divide with a sweet and passionate love story at its heart. Enjoy Head Over Heel and its taste of la dolce vita * The Courier Mail *Dramatic, sensual and affectionately amusing, Head Over Heel is as good as a holiday. -- John Bell, The Bell Shakespeare Company

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis'All mountaineers develop differently. Some go higher, some try ever-steeper faces and others specialise in a particular range or region. I am increasingly drawn to remoteness – to places where few others have trod.'The Wild Within is the third book from Simon Yates, one of Britain's most accomplished and daring mountaineers. With his insatiable appetite for adventure and exploratory mountaineering, Yates leads unique expeditions to unclimbed peaks in the Cordillera Darwin in Tierra del Fuego, the Wrangell St-Elias ranges on the Alaska-Yukon border, and Eastern Greenland. Laced with dry humour, he relates his own experience of the rapid commercialisation of mountain wilderness, while grappling with his new-found commitments as a family man. At the same time he must endure his role in the film adaptation of Joe Simpson's Touching The Void, having to relive the events of that trip to Peru for a Hollywood director.Yates' subsequent escape to the some of the world's most remote mountains isn't quite the experience it once was, as he witnesses first hand the advance of modern communications into the wilderness, signalled by the ubiquitous mobile phone masts appearing in once-deserted mountain valleys. He is left to dwell on the remaining significance of mountain wilderness and must rediscover what the notion of 'wild' means for him now.Trade Review"This book makes essential reading." (Simon Richardson, Climber magazine). "...a very good read, full of great stories and inspiration. It should be on the reading list of any budding expeditioneer." (Kenton Cool, Climb Magazine). "The Wild Within by Simon Yates is more than a standard mountaineering memoir. Yates is an insightful writer." (Lindsay Griffin, Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature). "In some ways The Wild Within is a lament for a lost world of wilderness and the reader leaves with a tinge of sadness that the world is so linked up, but it's also a celebration that the spirit of wilderness John Muir so eloquently described as being essential to the human soul. It's a big departure from previous books Against the Wall and The Flame of Adventure, but a departure that's more than succeeded." (Dave Mycroft, MyOutdoors.co.uk). "The Wild Within takes the reader to the outer limits of mountaineering experience and frames the journey in all its elemental power and mystery. The author's first book for Vertebrate can be considered a success. It can only further cement his reputation as a romantic wanderer and wilderness narrator." (John Appleby, Footless Crow). "Simon Yates has the rare ability to capture the reader's attention in the first few sentences and then to maintain interest until the very last sentence in the book. This personal tale of adventure and remarkable mountaineering skill is one that I couldn't put down until I had finished it!" (Joyce Wilson, Keswick Reminder).Table of ContentsIntroductionCordillera Darwin – Tierra Del Fuego MapOne That’s Very AmbitiousTwo Not Very ProfessionalThree The Way of the GauchoFour All Your Front TeethFive Life is GoodSix More Like Being AbroadSeven It Might not be the HardestMilne Land – Eastern Greenland MapEight A Plane CrasherNine It’s Like PantomimeTen I’ll Never Do Anything BetterWrangell-St Elias Ranges – Alaska/Yukon MapEleven Not for the Faint-HeartedEpilogueAcknowledgements

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.’

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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 *

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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

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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

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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 *

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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 *

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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.

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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 *

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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 *

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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 *

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