Travel

Norman Douglas, one of the 20th century's great travellers in Italy, was for most of his life inextricably, passionately, connected (read more)

Norman Douglas, one of the 20th century's great travellers in Italy, was for most of his life inextricably, passionately, connected to the Bay of Naples. This breathtaking sweep of sea and coastline - dominated by Vesuvius and with Pozzuoli and Sorrento standing sentinel - was Douglas' first experience of Italy. It was here, on the island of Capri, that he died, some 55 years after first buying a villa in Naples. (hide)

Think back to when you first flew. When you first left the Earth, and travelled high and fast above its turning arc. When you looked (read more)

Think back to when you first flew.

When you first left the Earth, and travelled high and fast above its turning arc. When you looked down on a new world, captured simply and perfectly through a window fringed with ice. When you descended towards a city, and arrived from the sky as effortlessly as daybreak.

Published on 07/07/2016 (hide)

Lars Gustafsson and Agneta Blomqvist have written a personal guide to their Swedish homeland. Setting off from the south their journey (read more)

Lars Gustafsson and Agneta Blomqvist have written a personal guide to their Swedish homeland. Setting off from the south their journey leads them all the way up to Norrland, from the farms of Scania to the Laponian area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But it is the idyllic fjord in Bohuslan, in the Vastmanland region, as well as Lake Malar and Stockholm that they call home.

Alive with their varied interests and entertaining suggestions for excursions - from journeys across the forests and moors to collect berries and mushrooms, encountering the odd elk or wolf along the way, to visits to the graves of Kurt Tucholsky and Strindberg, Smile of a Midsummer Night is knowledgeable, loving and poetic. A must-have for all fans of Sweden. (hide)

Do you want to travel, but your friends or family don't? So why wait? Travelling alone is better than never travelling at all. In (read more)

Do you want to travel, but your friends or family don't? So why wait? Travelling alone is better than never travelling at all. In the Solo Travel Guide: Just do it we give you suggestions on how to plan, how to cope when you are at your destination alone, how to stay safe and even some suggestions on where to go - good destinations for the solo traveller, places with wonderful things to see but where you will not stand out from the crowd. We also offer inspiration - snippets from those women who set off centuries ago without a guide book, a mobile phone and very little advice.

Travel well - but just do it. (hide)

"Squirrels of the World", written by scientists with more than 100 years of collective experience studying these popular mammals, (read more)

"Squirrels of the World", written by scientists with more than 100 years of collective experience studying these popular mammals, is the first comprehensive examination of all 285 species of squirrels worldwide. The authors reveal virtually every detail of the family Sciuridae, which includes ground squirrels, tree squirrels, flying squirrels, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. Each species-from the familiar gray squirrel of American backyards to the exotic and endangered woolly flying squirrel of Pakistan-is described in a detailed account that includes distinguishing characteristics, ecology, natural history, conservation status, and current threats to its existence. (hide)

Published on 01/09/2015: Berlitz Pocket Guide St Lucia is a concise, full-colour travel guide that combines lively text with vivid (read more)

Published on 01/09/2015: Berlitz Pocket Guide St Lucia is a concise, full-colour travel guide that combines lively text with vivid photography to highlight the very best that this beautiful country has to offer. Easy-to-read sections cover everything from the island's rich, and at times turbulent, history and vibrant culture, to entertainment, food and drink. There are easy-to-follow routes provided within this guide, or you can simply pick the sights that interest you; in either case all main sights, including those particularly good for watersports, are cross-referenced on detailed full-colour maps throughout, providing instant orientation.

Full-colour photographs provide a visual introduction to this alluring destination and also make this guide a great souvenir after your trip. Practical travel information covers transport, accommodation, restaurants and more so you have all the information you need at your fingertips, including essential contact details. Small in size but big on detail, this guide is both durable and ultra portable, so it can go, wherever you go. (hide)

Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across (read more)

Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in the fascinating book that orginally accompanied his journey for the BBC1 series. 'Stephen Fry is a treasure of the British Empire.' - The Guardian Stephen Fry has always loved America, in fact he came very close to being born there.

Here, his fascination for the country and its people sees him embarking on an epic journey across America, visiting each of its 50 states to discover how such a huge diversity of people, cultures, languages, beliefs and landscapes combine to create such a remarkable nation. Starting on the eastern seaboard, Stephen zig-zags across the country in his London taxicab, talking to its hospitable citizens, listening to its music, visiting its landmarks, viewing small-town life and America's breath-taking landscapes - following wherever his curiosity leads him. Stephen meets a collection of remarkable individuals - American icons and unsung local heroes alike.
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This guide presents Switzerland's Jura Crest Trail. Also known as the Jura High Route (Swiss national route 5), this 310km long-distance (read more)

This guide presents Switzerland's Jura Crest Trail. Also known as the Jura High Route (Swiss national route 5), this 310km long-distance route traverses the sub-alpine mountains of the Swiss Jura from Dielsdorf near Zurich to Nyon on the shores of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), running roughly parallel to the Swiss-French border. With over 13,500m of ascent, the trail demands a moderate level of fitness and can be comfortably completed in around a fortnight.

The Jura Crest Trail is easily accessed from Zurich and Geneva. The region boasts excellent walking infrastructure and facilities, and although the trail crosses the mountains, you are seldom too far from civilisation. The guide contains all the information you need to plan and walk the route.
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Blue Ridge tacos, kimchi with soup beans and cornbread, family stories hiding in cookbook marginalia, African American mountain gardens-this (read more)

Blue Ridge tacos, kimchi with soup beans and cornbread, family stories hiding in cookbook marginalia, African American mountain gardens-this wide-ranging anthology considers all these and more. Diverse contributors show us that contemporary Appalachian tables and the stories they hold offer new ways into understanding past, present, and future American food practices. The poets, scholars, fiction writers, journalists, and food professionals in these pages show us that what we eat gives a beautifully full picture of Appalachia, where it's been, and where it's going. (hide)

For 60 years the Eurovision Song Contest has existed in a parallel universe where a song about the construction of a hydro-electric (read more)

For 60 years the Eurovision Song Contest has existed in a parallel universe where a song about the construction of a hydro-electric power station is considered cutting-edge pop, where half a dozen warbling Russian grandmothers are considered Saturday night entertainment, where a tune repeating the word 'la' 138 times is considered a winner, and where Australia is considered part of Europe During those sixty years we have witnessed scandals: in 1957, Denmark's Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler enjoyed an outrageously long 13-second kiss because the stage manager forgot to say 'cut' during the live broadcast. We have witnessed national outrage: the 1976 Greek entry was a savage indictment of Turkish foreign policy in Cyprus. But most have all we have witnessed silly costumes, terrible lyrics and performers as diverse as Celine Dion and Dustin the Turkey.

This book chronicles the 100 craziest moments in the history of Eurovision - the drag acts, the bad acts, the nul points heroes and the night in Luxembourg when the floor manager warned the audience not to stand up while they applauded because they might be shot by security forces. It captures some of the magic from this yearly event that continues to beguile and bemuse in equal measure. (hide)