"Polished, poignant... an inspiring story of true love."—Entertainment WeeklyA BEST BOOK OF 2019, NPR's Book ConciergeSHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BOOK AWARDOVER 400,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDEThe true story of a couple who lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England Just days after Raynor Winn learns that Moth, her husband of thirty-two years, is terminally ill, their house and farm are taken away, along with their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall. Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea, and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable and life-affirming journey. Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, The Salt Path is ultimately a portrayal of home—how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways. Read more

“Packed with insight and anecdote [this memoir] brings the Tower ravens to vivid life.” —George R .R. Martin, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of A Game of ThronesThe ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall.The title of Ravenmaster, therefore, is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets us in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.An intimate, and inspiring partnership has developed between the ravens and their human, the Ravenmaster, who shares the folklore, history, and superstitions surrounding the ravens and the Tower. Shining a light on the behavior of the birds, their pecking order and social structure, Skaife shows who the Tower’s true guardians really are—and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant.“An unending fount of raven lore.” —Petra Mayer, NPR“A beguiling, fascinating, and highly amusing account of the strangely magical birds.” —Helen MacDonald, The Atlantic“A natural storyteller, Skaife writes with affection and insight.” —PD Smith, The Guardian“Skaife] fill[s] in the story with scads of local color.” —Peter Lewis, The Boston Globe“Splendid.” —Booklist, starred review“A rollicking tale fit for nearly any armchair adventurer.” —Publishers Weekly Read more

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOKHere are two thousand years of London’s history and folklore, its chroniclers and criminals and plain citizens, its food and drink and countless pleasures. Blackfriar’s and Charing Cross, Paddington and Bedlam. Westminster Abbey and St. Martin in the Fields. Cockneys and vagrants. Immigrants, peasants, and punks. The Plague, the Great Fire, the Blitz. London at all times of day and night, and in all kinds of weather. In well-chosen anecdotes, keen observations, and the words of hundreds of its citizens and visitors, Ackroyd reveals the ingenuity and grit and vitality of London. Through a unique thematic tour of the physical city and its inimitable soul, the city comes alive. Read more

Now more than ever, you can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling through London. From the sacred stones of Westminster Abbey to the top of the London Eye, the city is yours to discover! Inside Rick Steves London you'll find:Fully updated, comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring London Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London to where to find the best tikka masala or fish and chips How to connect with local culture: Catch a show in Soho, take afternoon tea, or have a pint of English ale with Londoners in a pub Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a Pimm's Cup Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and world-class museums like the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Day trips to Windsor, Cambridge, and Stonehenge Detailed neighborhood maps and a fold-out city map for exploring on the go Covid-related travel info and resources for a smooth trip Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves London. Spending just a few days in the city? Try Rick Steves Pocket London. Read more

** USAToday Bestseller **The founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights explains why we’re searching for airfare all wrong, shares the strategies that have saved his two million newsletter subscribers a collective $500 million on airfare, and presents a bold new approach for how to see the world while never overpaying for flights again.When Scott Keyes booked flights to Italy for $130 roundtrip and Japan for $169 roundtrip, he didn’t just uncover amazing fares; it was the beginning of a new approach that makes travel possible for anyone who has dreamed of seeing the world.What’s stopping us all from traveling more? The confusion of buying airfare—not knowing when to book, where to buy, or what to pay.Take More Vacations is the guidebook for anyone hoping to turn one annual vacation into three. Readers will discover why the traditional way of planning vacations undercuts our ability to enjoy them, and how a new strategy can lead to cheaper fares and more trips. Why cheap flights never have to be inconvenient flights, and all the steps you can take to get a good fare even when you don’t have flexibility. The surprising best week for international travel, and how small airports actually get the best deals.Keyes challenges the conventional wisdom that it costs thousands of dollars to fly overseas and shows readers how to make previously unthinkable trips possible. Read more

In the tradition of A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun, acclaimed English travel writer Tahir Shah shares a highly entertaining account of making an exotic dream come true. By turns hilarious and harrowing, here is the story of his family’s move from the gray skies of London to the sun-drenched city of Casablanca, where Islamic tradition and African folklore converge–and nothing is as easy as it seems….Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Tahir Shah dreamed of making a home in that astonishing country. At age thirty-six he got his chance. Investing what money he and his wife, Rachana, had, Tahir packed up his growing family and bought Dar Khalifa, a crumbling ruin of a mansion by the sea in Casablanca that once belonged to the city’s caliph, or spiritual leader.With its lush grounds, cool, secluded courtyards, and relaxed pace, life at Dar Khalifa seems sure to fulfill Tahir’s fantasy–until he discovers that in many ways he is farther from home than he imagined. For in Morocco an empty house is thought to attract jinns, invisible spirits unique to the Islamic world. The ardent belief in their presence greatly hampers sleep and renovation plans, but that is just the beginning. From elaborate exorcism rituals involving sacrificial goats to dealing with gangster neighbors intent on stealing their property, the Shahs must cope with a new culture and all that comes with it. Endlessly enthralling, The Caliph’s House charts a year in the life of one family who takes a tremendous gamble. As we follow Tahir on his travels throughout the kingdom, from Tangier to Marrakech to the Sahara, we discover a world of fierce contrasts that any true adventurer would be thrilled to call home. Read more

Journey across Europe aboard a tandem tricycle in these two Victorian-era travelogues that take readers to England and Italy.A peasant in peaked hat and blue shirt, with trousers rolled up high above his bare knees, crossed the road and silently examined the tricycle. “You have a good horse,” he then said; “it eats nothing.” —from An Italian PilgrimageThe 1880s was an exhilarating time for cycling pioneers like Elizabeth and her husband Joseph. As boneshakers and high-wheelers evolved into tandem tricycles and the safety bike, cycling grew from child’s play and extreme sport into a leisurely and, importantly, literary mode of transportation. The illustrated travel memoirs of “those Pennells” were—and still are—highly entertaining. They helped usher in the new age of leisure touring, while playfully hearkening back to famous literary journeys. In this new edition, Dave Buchanan provides rich cultural contexts surrounding the Pennells’ first two adventures. These long out-of-print travel memoirs will delight avid cyclists as well as scholars of travel literature, cycling history, women’s writing, Victorian literature, and illustration.“In the airy, self deprecating style of Robert Louis Stevenson, an American couple captured the imaginations of UK and US readers through the five illustrated cycle-travel books they created beginning in the 1880s. . . . Elizabeth and Joseph Pennell succeeded in bringing the leisure touring idea to the forefront through their jaunts aboard a tandem tricycle outfitted with luggage racks. . . . Cycling historian Dave Buchanan contributes an enlightening introduction which grounds the couple in the literary/art world of the late nineteenth century and gives a gearhead sense of bicycling history. But Elizabeth’s delightful prose steals the show.” —Foreword Reviews Read more

Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to England.Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from climbing the mighty Scafell Pike in the Lake District, to punting past exquisite architecture in Cambridge, and digging into platters of fresh seafood on the North Norfolk Coast.Build a trip to remember with Lonely Planet's England travel guide:Our classic guidebook format provides you with the most comprehensive level of information for planning multi-week tripsUpdated with an all new structure and design so you can navigate England and connect experiences together with easeCreate your perfect trip with exciting itineraries for extended journeys combined with suggested day trips, walking tours, and activities to match your passionsGet fresh takes on must-visit sights including Stonehenge; Buckingham Palace; Salisbury Cathedral; and Barber Institute of Fine ArtsSpecial features on England’s fantastic festivals, landscapes of the north, and The West EndExpert local recommendations on when to go, eating, drinking, nightlife, shopping, accommodation, adventure activities, festivals, and moreEssential information toolkit containing tips on arriving; transport; making the most of your time and money; LGBTIQ+ travel advice; accessibility; and responsible travel Connect with English culture through stories that delve deep into local life, history, and traditions Inspiring full-colour travel photography and maps including a pull out map of LondonCovers: London; Canterbury & the Southeast; Oxford, the Cotswolds & the Thames Valley; Bristol, Bath & Southwest England; Devon & Cornwall; Cambridge & East Anglia; Birmingham & the Midlands; Yorkshire; Manchester, Liverpool & Northwest England; The Lakes, Cumbria & the Northeast Create a trip that's uniquely yours and get to the heart of this extraordinary country with Lonely Planet's England. Read more

Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves! This colorful, compact guidebook is perfect for spending a week or less in London: City walks and tours: Six detailed tours and walks showcase London's essential sights, including the National Gallery, the Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey, plus handy neighborhood breakdowns Rick's strategic advice on what experiences are worth your time and money What to eat and where to stay: Dig into hearty pub fare with the locals, wash down a classic fish n' chips with a pint, and linger over high tea Day-by-day itineraries to help you prioritize your time A detailed, detachable fold-out map, plus museum and city maps throughout Full-color, portable, and slim for exploring on the go Trip-planning practicalities like when to go, how to get around, and more Lightweight yet packed with valuable insight into London's history and culture, Rick Steves Pocket London truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Spending more than a week in the city? Try Rick Steves London! Read more

The past is a foreign country. This is your guidebook. A time machine has just transported you back to the fourteenth century. What do you see? How do you dress? How do you earn a living and how much are you paid? What sort of food will you be offered by a peasant or a monk or a lord? And more important, where will you stay? The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England is not your typical look at a historical period. This radical new approach shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. All facets of everyday life in this fascinating period are revealed, from the horrors of the plague and war to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and medieval haute couture. Through the use of daily chronicles, letters, household accounts, and poems of the day, Morti-mer transports you back in time, providing answers to questions typically ignored by traditional historians. You will learn how to greet people on the street, what to use as toilet paper, why a physician might want to taste your blood, and how to know whether you are coming down with leprosy. From the first step on the road to the medieval city of Exeter, through meals of roast beaver and puffin, Mortimer re-creates this strange and complex period of history. Here, the lives of serf, merchant, and aristocrat are illuminated with re-markable detail in this engaging literary journey. The result is the most astonishing social history book you're ever likely to read: revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of violence, exuberance, and fear. Read more

Filled with stunning color photos, a unique guidebook that opens the doors to sixty of London’s most intriguing lesser-known places: “A joy.” —Evening StandardFrom museums and places of worship to some of the most historic and ornate shops, houses, and hostelries, take a trip through the city’s hidden treasures and discover landmarks strange, gaudy, grand, and inventive. Describing the history and character of each place, this book uncovers a wealth of stories about an endlessly fascinating world capital. Discover:Historical Homes like the Charles Dickens Museum, Strawberry Hill House, and Kew Palace and the Royal Botanical GardensFood and Drink Spots like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Smithfield Meat Market, and The Black FriarPalaces of Entertainment such as The Rivoli Ballroom, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and Gala Bingo Hall TootingPlaces of Worship including Westminster Cathedral, Welsh Baptist Chapel, Bevis Marks Synagogue, and Peace Pagoda Battersea ParkRemarkable Shops like LassCo Salvage, Truefitt and Hill, Steinway & Sons, and The Roof Gardens in KensingtonScience and Education Attractions like Kempton Steam Museum, Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, and Royal Institution of Great BritainInns of Court from The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn to the Temple ChurchUnusual Museums including The Royal Airforce Museum, Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, Geffrye Museum of the Home, Musical Museum, and Wimbledon WindmillPraise for Peter Dazeley and Mark Daly’s Unseen London“A thrilling tour behind the closed doors of the capital city’s buildings.” —Daily Telegraph“Dazeley captures the atmosphere of each building to perfection.” —Daily Express“Fascinating.” —Fabric magazine Read more

Residents tell their stories in a “kaleidoscopic portrait of a great, messy, noisy, daunting, inspiring, maddening, enthralling, constantly shifting” city (The New York Times Book Review).Londoners is a fresh and compulsively readable view of one of the world’s most fascinating cities—a vibrant narrative portrait of the London of our time, featuring unforgettable stories told by the real people who make the city hum. Craig Taylor has spent years traversing every corner of the capital, getting to know the most interesting Londoners, including the voice of the London Underground, a West End rickshaw driver, an East End nightclub doorperson, a mounted soldier of the Queen’s Life Guard at Buckingham Palace, and a couple who fell in love at the Tower of London—and now live there. With candor and humor, this diverse cast—rich and poor, old and young, native and immigrant, men and women (and even a Sarah who used to be a George)—shares indelible tales that capture the city as never before. “Fans of Studs Terkel’s insightful oral histories will be delighted to discover a successor in Taylor . . . His book brings London to life as it is—ever changing, ever eternal, ever unforgettable.” —Library Journal (starred review) “A treasury of compact vignettes from voices that are rarely heard but come closer to the truth of the city than any travel brochure or official document.” —Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “Delightful. . . . In Taylor’s patient and sympathetic hands, regular people become poets, philosophers, orators.” —The New York Times Book Review “Remarkable.” —San Francisco Chronicle Read more

A Transatlantic Adventure Fueled by Tea and Hedgerow FruitWhen American Claire Craig Evans married a charming British man, there was a cost for the snappy banter and countless offers of tea: she had to uproot life as she knew it and relocate to the UK. Who wouldn’t want to move to an enchanted island where mysterious women with dewy complexions made jam in thatched cottages with millennia-old lichen attached?Sure, experienced American expats offered nuggets of wisdom (“Bring over a lifetime supply of taco seasoning!”) but they weren’t even mild comfort as Claire tried to avoid death, jail, and wayward sheep while learning to navigate zebra crossings and drive on the “wrong” side of the road.The allure of a jet-setter lifestyle vanished as fast as Air India sent her Samsonite to Delhi instead of London Heathrow. Would more tea help her figure out how long she’d been wearing the single pair of underwear in her possession? (That was the jetlag talking. They do have underwear in the UK, too.)High Tea and the Low Down is a keenly-observed memoir full of laugh-out-loud moments as Claire experiences the reality of English living. If she couldn’t even pass a pub quiz, how would she ever pass the infamous Life in the UK test, the high-stakes hurdle required to stay on British soil (and with her husband) indefinitely? Read more

Before New York Times bestselling author Bill Bryson wrote The Road to Little Dribbling, he took this delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation of Great Britain, which has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie’s Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. Read more

A stunning tour of China, its people, and its history. Chosen as one of the best travel books of 1996 by the New York Times Book Review. Rising in the mountains of the Tibetan border, the Yangtze River, the symbolic heart of China, pierces 3,900 miles of rugged country before debouching into the oily swells of the East China Sea. Connecting China's heartland cities with the volatile coastal giant, Shanghai, it has also historically connected China to the outside world through its nearly one thousand miles of navigable waters. To travel those waters is to travel back in history, to sense the soul of China, and Simon Winchester takes us along with him as he encounters the essence of China--its history and politics, its geography and climate as well as engage in its culture, and its people in remote and almost inaccessible places. The River at the Center of the World is travel writing at its best: lively, informative, and thoroughly enchanting. Read more

Drawing on untapped new sources, the first global history of the Indian Expeditionary Forces in World War I While their story is almost always overlooked, the 1.5 million Indian soldiers who served the British Empire in World War I played a crucial role in the eventual Allied victory. Despite their sacrifices, Indian troops received mixed reactions from their allies and their enemies alike-some were treated as liberating heroes, some as mercenaries and conquerors themselves, and all as racial inferiors and a threat to white supremacy. Yet even as they fought as imperial troops under the British flag, their broadened horizons fired in them new hopes of racial equality and freedom on the path to Indian independence. Drawing on freshly uncovered interviews with members of the Indian Army in Iraq and elsewhere, historian George Morton-Jack paints a deeply human story of courage, colonization, and racism, and finally gives these men their rightful place in history. Read more

From the First World War to the waning days of the Cold War, a poignant exploration on what it means to be European at the end of the twentieth-century. Geert Mak crisscrosses Europe from Verdun to Berlin, Saint Petersburg to Srebrenica in search of evidence and witnesses of the last hundred years of Europe. Using his skills as an acclaimed journalist, Mak locates the smaller, personal stories within the epic arc of history-talking to a former ticket-taker at the gates of the Birkenau concentration camp or noting the neat rows of tiny shoes in the abandoned nursery school in the shadow of Chernobyl. His unique approach makes the reader an eyewitness to a half-forgotten past, full of unknown peculiarities, sudden insights and touching encounters. Sweeping in scale, but intimate in detail In Europe is a masterpiece. Read more

The powerful story of a 1,000-mile healing walk—from the lochs of Scotland to England's southwest coast—in a remarkable evocation of modern-day Britain.Raynor Winn knows that her husband Moth’s health is declining, getting worse by the day. She knows of only one cure. It worked once before. But will he—can he?—set out with her on another healing walk? The Cape Wrath Trail is hundreds of miles of grueling terrain through Scotland's remotest mountains and lochs. But the lure of the wilderness and the beguiling beauty of the awaiting glens draw them northwards. Being one with nature saved them in their darkest hour years earlier—and their hope is that this experience can work its magic again. So Raynor and Moth embark on an incredible thousand-mile journey: from Scotland to the familiar shores of the South West Coast Path, from Northumberland to the Yorkshire moors, and from Wales to home again. As they map with each step the landscape of their island nation, they find themselves facing existential questions—about themselves and about their country—during this epic, inspiring odyssey. Read more

“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.” —Jenny Linford, author of The Missing IngredientIn this delightful, full-color tour of France, England, and Italy, YouTube star Katie Quinn shares the stories and science behind everyone's fermented favorites—cheese, wine, and bread—along with classic recipes.Delicious staples of a great meal, bread, cheese, and wine develop their complex flavors through a process known as fermentation. Katie Quinn spent months as an apprentice with some of Europe’s most acclaimed experts to study the art and science of fermentation. Visiting grain fields, vineyards, and dairies, Katie brings the stories and science of these foods to the table, explains the process of each craft, and introduces the people behind them. What will keep readers glued to the book like a suspense novel is Katie's personal journey as an expat discovering herself abroad; Katie's vulnerability will turn readers into fans, and they'll finish the book feeling like they're her best friends, trusted with her innermost revelations.In England, Katie becomes a cheesemonger at Neal's Yard Dairy, London’s preeminent cheese shop—the beginning of a journey that takes her from a goat farm in rural Somerset to a nationwide search for innovating dairy gurus.In Italy, Katie offers an inside look at Italian winemaking with the Comellis at their family-owned vineyard in Northeast Italy and witnesses the diversity of vintners as she makes her way around Italy.In France, Katie meets the reigning queen of bread, Apollonia Poilâne of Paris' famed Poilâne Bakery, apprentices at boulangeries in Paris learning the ins and outs of sourdough, and travels the country to uncover the present and future of French bread.Part artisanal survey, part travelogue, and part cookbook, featuring watercolor illustrations and gorgeous photographs, Cheese, Wine, and Bread is an outstanding gastronomic tour for foodies, cooks, artisans, and armchair travelers alike. Read more

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