United Kingdom and Ireland

 

The Sea

John Banville

The narrative voice in The Sea is at once dispassionate and poetic, detached and cynical and yet filled with sadness and regret.  It is partly this which makes the ending all the more powerful, shocking and perfect.  This is a brilliant novel about a series of moments, one in particular,  crystallized in time and the effect they have on the one so helplessly tangled in them.    Never have I been so in agreement with the panel of Booker judges in their choice of a winner.

Picador 2005

ISBN 9780330483292

pbk £7.99

Secret Scripture, The

Sebastian Barry

The mental hospital where psychiatrist Dr Grene works is about to shut down, and he sets about investigating the history of his patient Poseanne.  She was committed there as a young woman and now - her records long lost - is approaching her hundredth birthday.  At the same time, Roseanne is looking back on the tragedies and passions of her life through a secret journal: her turbulent childhood in rural 1930s Ireland, and the subsequent marriage which would finally bring her happiness.  When Dr Grene finally uncovers the circumstances of her arrival at the hospital, it leads to a secret that will shock them both.

Faber 2009

ISBN 9780571215294

Pbk £7.99

Big Walks of the South

David Bathurst

From the South Downs Way to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, there is no better way to discover the spectacular diversity of southern Britain's landscape than on foot. Whether you enjoy exploring green and gently rolling valleys or tackling rugged cliff-top paths, there are walks here to keep you rambling all year round. An indefatigable walker, David Bathurst has unlaced his boots to produce this invaluable and definitive companion to the ten best-loved long-distance footpaths in the south of Britain, with each split into manageable sections. Combining practical, detailed descriptions with an appreciation of the beauty and history of the British countryside, this in an indispensable guide for both experienced and novice walkers alike.

Summersdale Publishers 2010

ISBN 9781849530248

Pbk £7.99

Big Walks of the North

David Bathurst

From the South Downs Way to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, there is no better way to discover the spectacular diversity of southern Britain's landscape than on foot. Whether you enjoy exploring green and gently rolling valleys or tackling rugged cliff-top paths, there are walks here to keep you rambling all year round. An indefatigable walker, David Bathurst has unlaced his boots to produce this invaluable and definitive companion to the ten best-loved long-distance footpaths in the south of Britain, with each split into manageable sections. Combining practical, detailed descriptions with an appreciation of the beauty and history of the British countryside, this in an indispensable guide for both experienced and novice walkers alike.

Summersdale Publishing 2010

ISBN 9781849530231

Pbk £7.99

Big Walks of Great Britain

David Bathurst

From the South Downs Way to Offa's Dyke, from the Thames Path to the Norfolk Coast Path, from Pembrokeshire to the West Highlands, there are big walks here to keep you rambling all year round. And what better way to discover the landscapes of Great Britain, from green and gentle dales to majestic mountains and rugged cliffs? An indefatigable walker, David Bathurst has unlaced his boots to produce this invaluable companion to the fifteen best-loved long-distance footpaths of Great Britain. His appreciation of the beauty and history of the British countryside and his light-hearted style will appeal to novice and experienced walkers alike. This comprehensive guide to the best big walks offers detailed descriptions of the trails and a wealth of geographical, historical and practical information, including route maps and places of interest along the way.

Summersdale Publishers 2007

ISBN 9781840245660

Pbk £9.99

Discover Great Britain

Lonely Planet

A trip planner to Great Britain which takes you to the best of the region, and shows you how to make the most of your time.

We also have all other titles in the exciting Lonely Planet Discover range.

Lonely Planet

ISBN 9781742200958

£16.99

Pax Britannia: The Climax of Empire

Jan Morris

Jan Morris recreates the British Empire at its dazzling climax - the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, celebrated as a festival of imperial strength, unity and splendour. This classic work of history portrays a nation at the very high of its vigour and self- satisfaction, imposing on the rest of the world its tradition and tates, its idealists and rascals.

Pax Britannia is the second volume of the Pax Britannia Trilogy.

"Ebulliently readable. Morris has admirably captured the confusion of the brilliance and squalor, dynamic energy and bizarre comedy that made up the imperial picture of 1897." The Economist

Faber and Faber 1968, 1998

ISBN 9780571194674

Pbk £9.99

Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat

Jan Morris

In the third volume of the Pax Britannia Trilogy Jan Morris traces the momentous decline and fall of the British Empire from 1897 to the death of Winston Churchill in 1965. With characteristic brilliance, this narrative history describes the long retreat and final dissolution of the British Empire.

Faber and Faber 1978, 1998

ISBN 9780571194681

Pbk £9.99

H. V. Morton - In Search of England

Nick Creagh-Osborne writes:

Written in 1927, and reprinted again by Methuen this year, In Search of England is the book which articulated for the survivors of the First World War what it was that was so dear and precious that they endured all the carnage and destruction of battle to preserve it.  Similarly their children and grandchildren were equally inspired by Morton's vision which acted as a reminder of what they in turn were fighting to preserve in the Second World War.  The tens of thousands of previous Methuen editions on the shelves of countless second hand bookshops are a testament to the book's enormous popularity and influence.

"In Search of England" is an elegy for what was so nearly lost twice in the last century,  and a paean of praise for a country, its people and their way of life.  The book is also a call to arms and a memento mori that this world of English elms reflected in slow flowing English rivers, softly undulating English hills, mist filled valleys at sunset, ancient churches filled with recumbent effigies of Norman knights, wood smoke and thatched cottages, profusions of roses and wild flowers, and the deep slumbering quiet of the English countryside is quintessentially a part of ourselves and is ultimately worth dying to preserve.

Methuen 2006

ISBN 0413544907

Pbk £9.99

Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara

JM Synge

JM Synge was a tireless traveller who, while celebrating the beauties of the Irish Landscape, never flinched from describing the harsh, unromantic reality of rural life.  Jack B. Yeats's evocative drawings were intended to accompany these accountsof Synge's travels, and they are now published together again for the first time in 100 years.

SERIF 2009

(Originally publshed in 1911 by Maunsel and Co. Ltd, Dublin)

(Illustrated by Jack B Yeats)

ISBN 9781897959657

Pbk £9.99

London For Londoners

Time Out

This is a brilliant companion for any London dweller regardless of income, age or familial status.  It is a non-demographic specific guide for Londoners, by Londoners.  It is a thorough, comprehensive guide to eating, drinking, shopping, visiting art galleries, going to the theatre, seeing a film or just going for a stroll in this most wonderful, albeit confusing and sprawling, capital city.  There are also some indispensable little tips about the neighbourhood highs and low.

Random House 2008

(Second edition - first published in 2006)

ISBN 9781846700569

Pbk £12.99

I Never Knew That About Britain: The Quiz Book

Christopher Winn

A Follow up to the incredibly popular I Never Knew That About Britain,  This book is a veritable treasure trove of questions about our lovely islands for the most relaxed to the most hardcore of trivia fans and everyone in between.

Ebury Press 2009

ISBN 9780091933043

Hbk £9.99

 

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