Travel

At home, I'm a cantankerous old git. On the boat, after a week's cruising, I'm just a cantankerous old git with dirty hair.Steve (read more)

At home, I'm a cantankerous old git. On the boat, after a week's cruising, I'm just a cantankerous old git with dirty hair.Steve Haywood has a problem. He doesn't know where he comes from.

In the south, people think he's a northerner; in the north, they think he's from the south. Judged against global warming and the sad demise of Celebrity Big Brother, this hardly registers highly on the Richter scale of world disasters. But it's enough to worry Steve.
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National Geographic's flagship Atlas of the World, now in its 11th edition, provides authoritative maps of every country, ocean, (read more)

National Geographic's flagship Atlas of the World, now in its 11th edition, provides authoritative maps of every country, ocean, and region of the world, as well as thematic maps and accompanying graphics showing important population, environmental, and economic patterns. Organized by continent and reflecting today's political boundaries and identities, this authoritative atlas is an indispensable reference for schools and libraries, as well as the latest resource for home browsing and study. A thematically organized opening section uses current data to visualize urgent concerns, such as Earth's last wild places, changing freshwater availability, human migration and refugee movement, and human rights conditions globally. (hide)

This guide covers all the main towns and regions of the island of Cuba, helping travelers negotiate one of the Caribbean's best-kept (read more)

This guide covers all the main towns and regions of the island of Cuba, helping travelers negotiate one of the Caribbean's best-kept secrets up to now. Travel information and tips for Havana, Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguin are all updated in this latest edition. The book also includes detailed colonial city walks and regional drives, complete with maps and booking information, as well as interesting features on topography, Che Guevara, reefs, Cuban baseball, rum, and cigar making. (hide)

A glimpse of life inside the world's most secretive country, as told by Britain's best-loved travel writer. In May 2018, former Monty (read more)

A glimpse of life inside the world's most secretive country, as told by Britain's best-loved travel writer. In May 2018, former Monty Python stalwart and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin spent two weeks in the notoriously secretive Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a cut-off land without internet or phone signal, where the countryside has barely moved beyond a centuries-old peasant economy but where the cities have gleaming skyscrapers and luxurious underground train stations. His resulting documentary for Channel 5 was widely acclaimed. (hide)

For the first time, Kenneth Bae tells the full story surrounding his arrest and imprisonment in North Korea. Not Forgotten is a modern (read more)

For the first time, Kenneth Bae tells the full story surrounding his arrest and imprisonment in North Korea. Not Forgotten is a modern story of intrigue, suspense, and heart. Driven by his passion to help the people of North Korea, Bae moves to neighboring China to lead guided tours into the secretive nation.

Six years later, after eighteen successful excursions in and out of the country, Ken is suddenly stopped at the border: he inadvertently brought his hard drive, that reveals the true nature of his visits, to customs. He is arrested, brought to Pyongyang for further questioning, and sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor. His crime? Attempting to overthrow the North Korean government.
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'A fizzingly entertaining and enlightening book' Daily Telegraph 'Mesmerising' Geographical Magazine 'A fascinating delve into uncharted, (read more)

'A fizzingly entertaining and enlightening book' Daily Telegraph 'Mesmerising' Geographical Magazine 'A fascinating delve into uncharted, forgotten lost places. But it's not just a trivia-tastic anthology of remote destinations but a nifty piece of psycho-geography, explaining our human need for these cartographical conundrums.' Wanderlust In a world of Google Earth, in which it is easy to believe that every discovery has been made and every adventure already had, Off the Map is a stunning testament to how mysterious our planet still is. From forgotten enclaves to floating islands, from hidden villages to New York gutter spaces, Off the Map charts the hidden corners of our planet.

And while these are not necessarily places you would choose to visit on holiday - Hobyo, the pirate capital of Somalia, or Zheleznogorsk, a secret military town in Russia - they each carry a story about the strangeness of place and our need for a geography that understands our hunger for the fantastic and the unexpected. But it also shows us that topophilia, the love of place, is a fundamental part of what it is to be human. Whether you are an urban explorer or an armchair traveller, Off the Map will inspire and enchant.

You'll never look at a map in quite the same way again. (hide)

Japan has often been thought of as a closed country, but before the country was closed in 1635 many travellers from the West were (read more)

Japan has often been thought of as a closed country, but before the country was closed in 1635 many travellers from the West were able to experience its unique traditions and culture. Their accounts speak of legends of powerful dragons and devils, tales of the revered emperor and the protocol surrounding him, following complex etiquette in everything from tea ceremonies to footwear, and bloodthirsty warlords who exacted cruel and unusual punishments for the smallest of crimes. In Old Japan Antony Cummins uses these captivating eyewitness accounts to reveal fascinating facts and myths from the mysterious Land of the Rising Sun.

Published:20 Aug 2018 (hide)

What would happen if you were cycling to the office and just kept on pedalling? Needing a change, Mike Carter did just that. Following (read more)

What would happen if you were cycling to the office and just kept on pedalling? Needing a change, Mike Carter did just that. Following the Thames to the sea he embarked on an epic 5,000 mile ride around the entire British coastline - the equivalent of London to Calcutta. He encountered drunken priests, drag queens and gnome sanctuaries.

He met fellow travellers and people building for a different type of future. He also found a spirit of unbelievable kindness and generosity that convinced him that Britain is anything but broken. This is the inspiring and very funny tale of the five months Mike spent cycling the byways of the nation. (hide)

Gary and Joanie McGuffin's Paddle Your Own Canoe set a new standard for paddling instruction books. In this companion title, they (read more)

Gary and Joanie McGuffin's Paddle Your Own Canoe set a new standard for paddling instruction books. In this companion title, they use the same model for the art of kayaking. They offer expert, step-bystep instructions on all of the sport's essential techniques.

They discuss the kayak's Inuit history, types of kayaking, recommended kayak sizes and shapes, and proper gear and clothing. Illustrated with more than 600 colour photographs and illustrations, Paddle Your Own Kayak is designed for both seasoned and novice kayakers, offering guidance on: Balancing the body; Strokes and maneuvers; Paddling fundamentals; Recoveries and rescues; Carrying and launching; Weather and water conditions techniques; Staying centred; Navigation methods. A special section on kayak camping provides good advice on what to look for in a destination, how to select a site, packing your kayak, setting up tents and shelters, meal preparation, water filtration, first aid and much more.^^^Stocked 30 April 2012^^^ (hide)

As seen on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series Monty Don's Paradise Gardens, a full colour exploration of the astonishing beauty of (read more)

As seen on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series Monty Don's Paradise Gardens, a full colour exploration of the astonishing beauty of twenty-nine Islamic paradise gardens from Iran, Turkey, India, England, Spain and Morocco. In the Islamic tradition, a garden with its central elements of water, the scent of fruit trees, and places for rest and reflection, celebrate heaven on earth. Paradise gardens play a central role in everyday life in the Islamic world, yet little is known about them.

Monty Don and acclaimed photographer, Derry Moore, set off on a journey to find out more about the principles and immersive delights of paradise gardens and how a very different culture and climate has influenced garden design round the world. Their journey covers twenty-nine gardens from the Real Alcazar and the Alhambra in Spain, and Le Jardin Majorelle in Morocco, to Highgrove and a Mughal garden in Bradford in England. There are some spectacular and rarely seen examples such as Pasargadae and the Maidan in Isfahan, Iran, the birthplace of paradise gardens, as well as the more renowned examples such as Turkey's Topkapi Palace and the Amber Palace and Taj Mahal in India. (hide)