Travel & Holiday Guides

After their 43-foot schooner was stove in by a pod of killer whales, the Robertson family spent 37 days adrift in the Pacific. With no maps, compass, or navigational instruments, and rations for only three days, they used every survival technique they could as they battled 20-foot waves, marauding sharks, thirst, starvation, and exhaustion.

An anthology of writings on exhibition practice from artists, critics, curators and art historians which address the contradictions posed by museum and gallery staged exhibitions, and the challenge of staging art presentations and displays.

A fascinating journey through Scotland's famous distilleries with legendary author Iain Banks No true Scotsman can resist the allure of the nation's whisky distilleries.

Guidebook and Ordnance Survey map booklet to the Coast to Coast Walk. The route stretches some 188 miles (302km) from St Bees on Cumbria's west coast to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire. It is suitable for most fit walkers and can be comfortably walked in around a fortnight. The full Coast to Coast route is described from west to east in 13 stages of between 10 and 21 miles, with high and low-level alternatives for crossing the Yorkshire Dales and comprehensive route summaries for those preferring to walk the trail in the opposite direction. The guidebook comes with a separate map booklet of 1:25,000 scale OS maps showing the full route. Clear step-by-step route descriptions in the guide are illustrated by 1:100,000 OS map extracts. The route description links together with the map booklet at each stage along the way, and the compact format is conveniently sized for slipping into a jacket pocket or the top of a rucksack. A comprehensive trek planner offers a helpful overview of facilities on route, and full accommodation listings and useful contacts can be found in the appendices. There is also a wealth of background information covering geology, history, wildlife and plants, and a list of further reading.

This guidebook describes 30 low-level day walks in the valleys, beside the lakes and on the low fells of the Lake District, suitable for walkers of all abilities. Each route is illustrated with OS map extracts, and range from 7 to 17km in length, with no technical difficulties over terrain from wide constructed trails to narrow paths on open fell. Walkers who know the Lakes well may have missed some of the lower gems covered here from delightful wooded glades and sparkling tarns hidden in green folds on the hillside to tumultuous waterfalls and glacier-carved valleys towered over by craggy mountains, this guidebook aims to seek out the best lower level walks the Lake District have to offer. Located across the whole of the Lake District, the walks are divided into five sections: South Lakes (Windermere, Coniston, Duddon and the south), Central Lakes (Ambleside, Langdale, Grasmere and Thirlmere), Western Valleys (Eskdale, Wasdale and the Buttermere area), North Lakes (Keswick, Borrowdale and Derwentwater) and Eastern Lakes (Ullswater and Patterdale).

The second book in V. S. Naipaul's acclaimed Indian trilogy. In 1964 V. S. Naipaul published An Area of Darkness, his semi-autobiographical account of a year in India. Two visits later, prompted by the Emergency of 1975, he came to write India: A Wounded Civilization. In this work he casts a more analytical eye than before over Indian attitudes, while recapitulating and further probing the feelings aroused in him by this vast, mysterious, and agonized country. What he saw and heard - evoked so superbly and vividly in these pages - reinforced in him a conviction that India, wounded by a thousand years of foreign rule, has not yet found an ideology of regeneration. A work of fierce candour and precision, it is also a generous description of one man's complicated relationship with the country of his ancestors. 'A devastating work, but proof that a novelist of Naipaul's stature can often define problems quicker and more effectively than a team of economists and other experts' The Times

Step back in time and discover the sights, sounds and smells of London through the ages in this enthralling journey into the capital's rich, teeming and occasionally hazardous past.Let time traveller Dr Matthew Green be your guide to six extraordinary periods in London's history - the ages of Shakespeare, medieval city life, plague, coffee houses, the reign of Victoria and the Blitz.We'll turn back the clock to the time of Shakespeare and visit a savage bull and bear baiting arena on the Bankside. In medieval London, we'll circle the walls as the city lies barricaded under curfew, while spinning further forward in time we'll inhale the 'holy herb' in an early tobacco house, before peering into an open plague pit. In the 18th century, we'll navigate the streets in style with a ride on a sedan chair, and when we land in Victorian London, we'll take a tour of freak-show booths and meet the Elephant Man.You'll meet pornographers and traitors, actors and apothecaries, the mad, bad and dangerous to know, all desperate to show you the thrilling and vibrant history of the world's liveliest city.

Patrick Leigh Fermor's Mani compellingly revealed a hidden world of Southern Greece and its past. Its northern counterpart takes the reader among Sarakatsan shepherds, the monasteries of Meteora and the villages of Krakora, among itinerant pedlars and beggars, and even tracks down at Missolonghi a pair of Byron's slippers.Roumeli is not on modern maps: it is the ancient name for the lands from the Bosphorus to the Adriatic and from Macedonia to the Gulf of Corinth. But it is the perfect, evocative name for the Greece that Fermor captures in writing that carries throughout his trademark vividness of description. But what is more, the pictures of people, traditions and landscapes that he creates on the page are imbued with an intimate understanding of Greece and its history.

This guidebook describes 40 day walks exploring Snowdonia. It showcases some of the best mountain walks in the area, with routes up Snowdon and Tryfan alongside other classic peaks like Y Garn, Cadair Idris and the Glyders. Routes are graded easy to strenuous and include airy and pulse-quickening scrambles such as Crib Goch and Bristly Ridge as well as the Snowdon Horseshoe, the Nantlle Ridge and a 2-day traverse of all 15 of Snowdon's peaks over 3000ft. Walks range in distance from 4 miles (6km) to 16 miles (26km). Clear route descriptions are accompanied by OS mapping, and for each walk there is key information about distance, grade, ascent, terrain, access and parking. With useful advice on where to stay and when to go, and an English-Welsh glossary, this book is an invaluable guide to discovering both the popular and less well-trodden corners of Snowdonia. Snowdonia can justifiably lay claim to some of the finest mountain walking in Britain, from the bristling, jagged ridges of Snowdon to the huge grassy mounds of the Carneddau and the stone-girt fortresses of the Glyderau. These are big mountains with big personalities, with glowering crags and deep rocky cwms. Whether you are based in Bala, Beddgelert, Llanberis, Betws-y-Coed, Dolgellau or Capel Curig, you'll find walks in this guidebook to suit you.

From the Pope of Trash himself, John Waters, Carsick is his hilarious (if not always 100% true) account of hitchhiking fearlessly into the heart of middle America.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.

'The book that redefined travel writing' Guardian Bruce Chatwin sets off on a journey through South America in this wistful classic travel book With its unique, roving structure and beautiful descriptions, In Patagonia offers an original take on the age-old adventure tale. Bruce Chatwin s journey to a remote country in search of a strange beast brings along with it a cast of fascinating characters. Their stories delay him on the road, but will have you tearing through to the book s end. It is hard to pin down what makes In Patagonia so unique, but, in the end, it is Chatwin s brilliant personality that makes it what it is His form of travel was not about getting from A to B. It was about internal landscapes Sunday Times

Maui is indeed a hiker's paradise. An impressive network of trails crisscross the second-largest Hawaiian island, from meditative beach walks to heady treks high atop a volcano. Hidden in cloud forest, more trails lead to tumbling waterfalls, hidden springs and groves of bamboo. Back down on the coast, treks lead to natural lava-rock blowholes and sea arches, past ocean pools, and deserted beaches. Wander across lava flows that feel primeval, examine ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs up close, or follow the King's Highway that Hawaiian royalty once trod. All this and more awaits on Maui's hiking trails, most of which are easily accessible day trips. From any point on the island, any of the dozens of trailheads pinpointed in this book is at most a couple of hours' drive away, and often far closer than that. Top Trails Maui presents 37 premier day hiking and overnight camping and backpacking trips suited to all levels of ability and interests. The book is divided into four major geographical areas: West Maui, Central/South Maui, East Maui/Upcountry, and Haleakala National Park. All of the trails offer scenic beauty and ease of access for hikers. Together, these trails represent the island's incredible diversity of ecological systems and environments, from lava flows and multi-colored cinder cones to cloud forests filled with native bird song and hidden waterfalls. Some of the hiking trails described here are popular with both locals and visitors, while others are virtually a local secret. With the Top Trails winning formula of easy-to-follow maps for every hike, trail-feature charts, feature icons, "e;don't get lost"e; trail milestones, and GPS waypoints, readers can easily identify the right trail for their interests, abilities, and available time.

Starting with a simple question - 'Which way am I looking?' - Tristan Gooley blends natural science, myth, folklore and the history of travel to introduce you to the rare and ancient art of finding your way using nature's own sign-posts, from the feel of a rock to the look of the moon.With Tristan's help, you'll learn why some trees grow the way they do and how they can help you find your way in the countryside. You'll discover how it's possible to find North simply by looking at a puddle and how natural signs can be used to navigate on the open ocean and in the heart of the city. Wonderfully detailed and full of fascinating stories, this is a glorious exploration of the rediscovered art of natural navigation.The Natural Navigator Pocket Guide is a user-friendly, practical book and the beautiful illustrations are a useful tool to help travellers on their instrument-free journey.

The Old Patagonian Express tells of Paul Theroux s train journey down the length of North and South America. Beginning on Boston s subway, he depicts a voyage from ice-bound Massachusetts to the arid plateau of Argentina s most southerly tip, via pretty Central American towns and the ancient Incan city of Macchu Pichu. Shivering and sweating by turns as the temperature and altitude rise and plummet, he describes the people he encountered thrown in with the tedious, and unavoidable, Mr Thornberry in Lim n and reading to the legendary blind writer, Jorge Luis Borges, in Buenos Aires. Witty, sharply observed and beautifully written, this is a richly evocative account of travelling to the end of the line .

Jay Griffiths describes an extraordinary odyssey, courageous and sometimes dangerous, to wildernesses of earth and ice, water and fire. A poetic consideration of the tender connection between human society and wild lands, Wild is by turns funny, touching and harrowing. It is also a journey into that greatest of uncharted lands - wild mind - as Griffiths explores the words and meanings which shape our ideas and our experience of our own wildness. Part travelogue, part manifesto, this is a one-of-a-kind book from a one-of-a-kind author.

'You will hear it for yourselves, and it will surely fill you with wonder...'In this selection from Marco Polo's famous travel book, the intrepid Venetian describes the customs of India, recounts the story of the king who died eighty-four times and explains how to retrieve diamonds from snake-infested caves...Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.Marco Polo (1254-1324). Polo's Travels are available in Penguin Classics.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning is the moving follow-up to Laurie Lee's acclaimed Cider with RosieAbandoning the Cotswolds village that raised him, the young Laurie Lee walks to London. There he makes a living labouring and playing the violin. But, deciding to travel further a field and knowing only the Spanish phrase for 'Will you please give me a glass of water?', he heads for Spain. With just a blanket to sleep under and his trusty violin, he spends a year crossing Spain, from Vigo in the north to the southern coast. Only the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War puts an end to his extraordinary peregrinations . . .'He writes like an angel and conveys the pride and vitality of the humblest Spanish life with unfailing sharpness, zest and humour' Sunday Times 'There's a formidable, instant charm in the writing that genuinely makes it difficult to put the book down' New Statesman'A beautiful piece of writing' Observer

This is London in the eyes of its beggars, bankers, coppers, gangsters, carers, witch-doctors and sex workers. This is London in the voices of Arabs, Afghans, Nigerians, Poles, Romanians and Russians.This is London as you've never seen it before.Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-fiction 2016Shortlisted for the Ryszard Kapuscinski Award for Literary Reportage 2019'An eye-opening investigation into the hidden immigrant life of the city' Sunday Times'Full of nuggets of unexpected information about the lives of others . . . It recalls the journalism of Orwell' Financial Times'Ben Judah grabs hold of London and shakes out its secrets' The Economist

Among the Believers is V.S. Naipaul's classic account of his journeys through Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia; 'the believers' are the Muslims he met on those journeys, young men and women battling to regain the original purity of their faith in the hope of restoring order to a chaotic world. It is a uniquely valuable insight into modern Islam and the comforting simplifications of religious fanaticism.'This book investigates the Islamic revolution and tries to understand the fundamentalist zeal that has gripped the young in Iran and other Muslim countries . . . He is a modern master.' - Sunday Times'His level of perception is of the highest, and his prose has become the perfect instrument for realizing those perceptions on the page. His travel writing is perhaps the most important body of work of its kind in the second half of the century.' - Martin Amis, author of Time's Arrow.

'Sacks is rightly renowned for his empathy . . . anyone with a taste for the exotic will find this beautifully written book highly engaging' Sunday Times Always fascinated by islands, Oliver Sacks is drawn to the Pacific by reports of the tiny atoll of Pingelap, with its isolated community of islanders born totally colour-blind; and to Guam, where he investigates a puzzling paralysis endemic there for a century. Along the way, he re-encounters the beautiful, primitive island cycad trees - and these become the starting point for a meditation on time and evolution, disease and adaptation, and islands both real and metaphorical in The Island of the Colour-Blind.

The New York Times bestseller Gloria Steinem had an itinerant childhood. Every fall, her father would pack the family into the car and they would drive across the country, in search of their next adventure. The seeds were planted: Steinem would spend much of her life on the road, as a journalist, organizer, activist, and speaker. In vivid stories that span an entire career, Steinem writes about her time on the campaign trail, from Bobby Kennedy to Hillary Clinton; her early exposure to social activism in India; organizing ground-up movements in America; the taxi drivers who were "e;vectors of modern myths"e; and the airline stewardesses who embraced feminism; and the infinite contrasts, the "e;surrealism in everyday life"e; that Steinem encountered as she travelled back and forth across the country. With the unique perspective of one of the greatest feminist icons of the 20th and 21st centuries, here is an inspiring, profound, enlightening memoir of one woman's life-long journey.

Brighton has long been an important seaside town, and today draws in visitors from all over Britain and beyond for its varied nightlife, rich history and attractive waterfront. In 1800, Brighton had forty-one inns and taverns, and by 1860 there were well over 450, echoing the town's growth in popularity through the Regency and early Victorian eras. A recent resurgence of interest in real ale has also seen a welcome boom in micro-breweries, placing Brighton firmly on the beer-lover's map. David Muggleton takes us on a tour of these watering holes, including the long-established venerable Greyhound, elegant Regency Cricketers, high-Victorian Colonnade, elaborate mock-Tudor King & Queen and the English Renaissance revivalist Good Companions, the pub reputed to have opened on the very day that the Second World War began. Brimming with quirky tales and fascinating facts, this carefully crafted guide initiates readers into the fascinating history of Brighton's pubs.

Iain Sinclair explores modern London through a day's hike around the London Overground route.Echoing his journey in London Orbital over a decade ago, Iain Sinclair narrates his second circular walk around the capital. Shortly after rush-hour and accompanied by a rambling companion, Sinclair begins walking along London's Overground network, or, 'Ginger Line'. With characteristic playfulness, detours into folk history, withering assessments of the political classes and a joyful allegiance to the ordinary oddball, Sinclair guides us on a tour of London's trendiest new transport network - and shows the shifting, changing city from new and surprising angles.'He is incapable of writing a dull paragraph' Scotland on Sunday'Sinclair breathes wondrous life into monstrous man-made landscapes' Times Literary Supplement'If you are drawn to English that doesn't just sing, but sings the blues and does scat and rocks the joint, try Sinclair. His sentences deliver a rush like no one else's' Washington PostIain Sinclair's books include London Orbital, Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire, Downriver (which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Encore Award) Ghost Milk and American Smoke. He lives in Hackney, East London.

Now is the time to explore Iceland - tourism is booming and your kroona will go further than you think. The Rough Guide to Iceland shows you the very best this exceptional country has to offer: from the party capital, Reykjavik, with its white nights and northern lights, to the newest volcanic hotspots at Holuhraun and Eyjafjallajokull. Come eye to eye with the giants of the deep on a whale watching tour, take a dip in the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon, or hike to the isolated highland valley of orsmork. This sixth edition of The Rough Guide to Iceland includes stunning full-colour photos to inspire your travels through this vivid country of lavafields and bubbling mudpools, detailed maps to help you on your way and expert background on everything from smoked salmon to sagas. With the budget-conscious Rough Guide in your hand, you'll soon realise that Iceland - from its transport to accommodation and food - isn't as expensive as you might have thought. Make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to Iceland.

After a decade of making documentaries about offbeat characters on the fringes of US society, Louis had the urge to return to America and track down the people who most fascinated him. It would be a reunion tour, but this time without the cameras and the sense of performance being filmed inevitably brings. It would allow him to get closer to people, to discover what really motivated them and what had happened to the assorted dreamers, outlaws and eccentrics since he last saw them.On a journey that took him from the porn sets of Los Angeles to the gangsta rappers of Memphis, from a convention of UFO contactees in Arizona to Northern Idaho for a festive get-together of neo-Nazis, he asked what 'weird people' have to tell us about our own secret natures. Had he learned anything about himself by being among them? Do we choose our beliefs or do our beliefs choose us?Louis Theroux's first book is a hilarious, thought-provoking and at times surreal voyage into the heart of weirdness.

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships. Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include: * customs, values, and traditions * historical, religious, and political background * life at home * leisure, social, and cultural life * eating and drinking * do's, don'ts, and taboos * business practices * communication, spoken and unspoken

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include* customs, values, and traditions* historical, religious, and political background* life at home* leisure, social, and cultural life* eating and drinking* dos, don'ts, and taboos* business practices* communication, spoken and unspoken"e;Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers."e; Sunday Times Travel"e;... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries."e; Global Travel"e;...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas."e; Observer"e;...as useful as they are entertaining."e; Easyjet Magazine"e;...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world."e; New York Times

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience. Contents include* customs, values, and traditions* historical, religious, and political background* life at home* leisure, social, and cultural life* eating and drinking* do's, don'ts, and taboos* business practices* communication, spoken and unspoken"e;Culture Smart has come to the rescue of hapless travellers."e; Sunday Times Travel"e;... the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries."e; Global Travel"e;...full of fascinating-as well as common-sense-tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas."e; Observer"e;...as useful as they are entertaining."e; Easyjet Magazine"e;...offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world."e; New York Times

The spectacular Beijing Olympics of 2008 signalled China's arrival as a superpower on the world stage. The global economic crisis that followed in 20089 saw it become banker to the West, poised to eclipse the United States. This new edition of Kathy Flower's bestselling Culture Smart! China has been revised and updated by the author to take on board the transformation in China's fortunes and the changing face of Chinese society. As China flexes its economic and political muscle abroad, ordinary people feel a new pride in their country's achievements. The embrace of free-market capitalism by the communist state has spread prosperity to many, with fortunes being made by some. But it has created losers as well as winners, particularly in the countryside. Gone is the security of the state's ';iron rice bowl' provision for life, and unemployment or dispossession have opened up social gaps that could threaten its stability. For the moment the rumbling discontent is below the radar and under control, and for millions the Chinese virtues of enterprise, industry, and patience are paying handsome dividends.This edition of Culture Smart! China is completely revised, making it the indispensable visitors' guide to the complexities of a rapidly changing world power whose ancient culture and traditions owe little to the West.