UK

London is an exciting, vibrant and often noisy city but this busy metropolis also has a quiet side. Siobhan Wall encourages Londoners (read more)

London is an exciting, vibrant and often noisy city but this busy metropolis also has a quiet side. Siobhan Wall encourages Londoners and visitors to the capital to wander away from the crowds and discover calm amid the hustle and bustle. This is a guide to over 100 quiet places to enjoy the art and culture that London has on offer, from small museums and light-filled galleries to hushed libraries, characterful bookshops and places to find beautifully designed, handcrafted objects.

With evocative photographs and a short description for each location, including travel, access and contact details, Quiet London: Culture reveals hidden, tranquil places in one of the world's liveliest cities. (hide)

It was the railway's Titanic. An horrific crash involving five trains in which 226 died and 246 were injured, it remains the worst (read more)

It was the railway's Titanic. An horrific crash involving five trains in which 226 died and 246 were injured, it remains the worst disaster in the long history of Britain's rail network. The location was the isolated signal box at Quintinshill, on the Anglo-Scottish border near Gretna; the date, 22 May 1915, Most of the casualties were Scottish soldiers on their way to fight in the Gallipoli campaign.

Territorials setting off for war on a distant battlefield, they were cut down instead on home soil - victims, it was said, of serious incompetence and a shoddy regard for procedure in the signal box, Two signalmen were sent to prison. But startling new evidence reveals that the failures which led to the disaster were far more complex and wide-reaching than signalling negligence. The Real Story Behind Britain's Worst Rail Disaster - When Truth Joined the Death Toll, exposes what really happened at Quinbtinshill - and why. (hide)

***Stocked 15 July***Fourth in the Anguished English series, this updated collection of verbal bloopers will have word nerds in stitches. (read more)

***Stocked 15 July***Fourth in the Anguished English series, this updated collection of verbal bloopers will have word nerds in stitches. Pulling together a hilarious array of unfortunate typos, misplaced modifiers, malapropisms, and unintended double-entendres, the grammatical gaffes of the innocent, the negligent, and the downright pompous are all brought to light. From the gas station sign stating "Eat Here and Get Gas" to the church bulletin that reads "Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a health lunch", hundreds of linguistic blunders are gathered from every layer of society and presented in this jocular assemblage, extracted exactly as they were originally presented. (hide)

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in London.With the self-guided tours in this (read more)

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in London.With the self-guided tours in this book, you'll explore historic Big Ben, bustling Trafalgar Square, and the Tower of London-home of the crown jewels. Learn how to save time and money on the Tube, and how to avoid the mobs at the Changing of the Guard. Investigate London's world-class museums, where you can trace Western civilization from the Magna Carta and Shakespeare to Van Gogh and Picasso.
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Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted (read more)

Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation's heart and became the bestselling travel book ever, and was also voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the twentieth anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey round Britain to see what has changed.

Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, by way of places that many people never get to at all, Bryson sets out to rediscover the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly unique country that he thought he knew but doesn't altogether recognize any more. Yet, despite Britain's occasional failings and more or less eternal bewilderments, Bill Bryson is still pleased to call our rainy island home. And not just because of the cream teas, a noble history, and an extra day off at Christmas. (hide)

"Robert Burns in Time and Place" is a brand new title in the "Scotties Books" series which contain a wealth of interesting facts, (read more)

"Robert Burns in Time and Place" is a brand new title in the "Scotties Books" series which contain a wealth of interesting facts, stimulating activities, web sites and suggestions for places to visit. The year 2009 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns but studying the life and work of the poet is no longer just a celebration around his birthday, but can be embedded across the school curriculum. The book looks at Ayrshire, Scotland and the wider world as they were in his time and which shaped his experiences and his work. (hide)

Make the most of your time on Earth[trademark] with The Rough Guide to Great Britain. The Rough Guide to Great Britain is the definitive (read more)

Make the most of your time on Earth[trademark] with The Rough Guide to Great Britain. The Rough Guide to Great Britain is the definitive insider's guide to a country rich in history, heritage and culture. Discover the best of what Britain has to offer, with detailed accounts of the country's world-class attractions, from the British Museum to Edinburgh Castle, aided by crystal-clear maps and plans.

Get insider tips on Britain's vital, restless cities, from Bristol to Glasgow, and enjoy the bucolic attractions of its countryside, hiking along its walkers' trails or relaxing on one of its more spectacular beaches. We also steer you towards all the best places to stay, from boutique hotels to cool campsites, and to eat and drink, from Michelin-starred restaurants and gourmet gastropubs to budget cafes and traditional pubs, giving you clear, balanced reviews for all budgets. You'll find lavish photography and easy-to-use maps throughout the guide, too, helping you to make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to Great Britain.
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The ninth edition of the Rough Guide to Wales is the ultimate travel guide to this incredibly varied country, with stunning photography (read more)

The ninth edition of the Rough Guide to Wales is the ultimate travel guide to this incredibly varied country, with stunning photography throughout. Whether you want to trek the Pembrokeshire Coast Path or let loose at Green Man festival, have a slap-up meal in foodie Abergavenny or chug through the Snowdonia mountains on the Ffestiniog Railway, you'll find all the practical details and inspiring ideas you'll need. Spanning the length and breadth of Wales, from tiny valley towns to bustling cities, this is the most comprehensive guide to the country.

Plan your trip using our colour-coded maps and up-to-date listings on the best places to stay, eat and drink in every corner of Wales. Whether you want detailed background or a quick idea of the highlights of each region, The Rough Guide to Wales has it all. Make the most of your time on Earth[trademark] with The Rough Guide to Wales. (hide)

High Wycombe, or simply Wycombe, has had a long and remarkable past: the Royal military academy was founded in the town in the late (read more)

High Wycombe, or simply Wycombe, has had a long and remarkable past: the Royal military academy was founded in the town in the late eighteenth century before moving to Sandhurst; Charles I passed through on his way to the scaffold in 1649; and Benjamin Disraeli, MP for the town between 1874 and 1880, made his first political speech from a portico in the high street. His home, Hughenden Manor, was used by bomber command planners during the Second World War, and it was there that the maps for the Dambusters raid on the Ruhr dams were created. Beneath the main high street is a honeycomb network of secret tunnels, originally thought to serve some clandestine purpose but in fact used by the brewery to transport beer to the many pubs throughout Wycombe as it was easier than negotiating the crowded streets.

Nearby is the village of Penn, the ancestral home of William Penn, founder of the city of Philadelphia and from whom the state of Pennsylvania takes its name. His sons lie buried in the churchyard. Bizarrely, the same churchyard contains the graves of David Blakeley, murdered by Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, and the infamous Soviet spy, Donald Maclean.

Pub Date:01/01/2017 (hide)

A personal tour of twenty of the UK's most beguiling houses in this much loved area of western England. Author and architectural (read more)

A personal tour of twenty of the UK's most beguiling houses in this much loved area of western England. Author and architectural historian, Jeremy Musson, and Cotswolds-based photographer Hugo Rittson Thomas, offer privileged access to twenty houses, from castles and manor houses, as well as eighteenth- and nineteenth-century mansions, revealing their history, architecture and interiors, in the company of their devoted owners. In the footsteps of artists and designers including Humphry and George Repton, and Victorian visionary, William Morris, who inspired the arts and crafts movement, and others such as Detmar Blow, Norman Jewson, Clough Williams-Ellis and Oliver Hill, we find a series of fascinating country houses of different sizes and atmospheres, which have shaped the English identity. (hide)