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TRAVEL BOOKS
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The London Compendium - Ed Glinert
Paperback in excellent, near new condition. Published by Penguin Books (2004). 500pp including index. NZD 7.50 / P & P: B The streets of London resonate with secret stories, from East End lore to Cold War espionage, from tales of riots, rakes, brothels, anarchy and grisly murders, to Rolling Stones gigs, gangland drinking dens, Orwell's Fitzrovia and Lenin's haunts. Ed Glinert has walked the length and breadth of the city to unravel its mysteries, travelling through time from the Romans' London wall to the new Olympic site at Stratford. This is London as you have never seen it before. Packed with stories on every conceivable subject from East End criminals to music, this is title covers England's capital city. Covering the whole span of London's social and political history, it brings the reader up to date with stories on the arts, immigration and architecture. 
The Sky Is falling On Our Heads - Rob Penn
A Journey to the Bottom of the Celtic Fringe Large Hardback with d/j in NEW condition. Sceptre Books (2004). 429pp inc. index. NZD 9.50 / P & P: B Rob Penn travels the length and breadth of the Celtic fringe (from the wilds of Scotland, via Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and the Isle of Man to the heart of Brittany) on a quest to get to the bottom of his Celtic roots. Along the way, dressed in a kilt and clutching a blackthorn stick he endeavours (with mixed and hilarious results) to become a Celtic poet. His odyssey takes him from standing on the table in the corner of an Irish pub, struggling to be heard over the shouts of the drinkers, to the stage at Lorient in Brittany where he must perform his less-than-spectacular poetry in front of an audience of 40,000. He is aided and abetted on his journey by a cast of colourful characters, including a Cornish lady with a penchant for men in kilts, the winner of the Whitest Buttocks in the Isle of Man Competition and a crystal-clutching Californian. 
Wet Behind the Ears - Peter Taylor
Large paperback in very good condition. Harper Collins NZ (2001). 246pp. NZD 6.00 / P & P: B Many adolescent boys dream of running away to sea, but Peter Taylor is one of the few who actually did. With some fast-talking and fictitious references, sixteen-year-old Peter found a position crewing on a British tramp steamer from sleepy Wellington to post-World War II England, and apartheid-riven South Africa. So began a series of journeys around the world, interspersed with time in ports throughout Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe. As the voyages unfold, a generous cast of characters help transform the wee Kiwi lad into a seasoned seaman. Peter crewed with many sailors - rough, cultured, reclusive or outgoing, all with different reasons for choosing a sailor's life, and experienced both comradeship and hardships on the sea. Gun-toting soldiers, terrifying hurricanes, Equatorial initiation ceremonies, the 1951 Waterfront Workers' strike and the sailor's catch cry of 'a girl in every port' all feature in this account of life at sea. 
It Was Better In Winter - Joyce Reid
A New Zealander Looks at Scandinavia Hardback in very good used condition. Some light water damage on the upper part of d/w (see scan). Pages not affected. Published by Collins Bros. and Co. NZ (1972). 192pp. Generously illustrated with B&W sketches by Garth Tapper. NZD 6.50 / P & P: B The tourist season in Denmark begins in the spring - but Joyce Reid's three months' stay in Aarhus, the country's second largest city took place in the autumn and early winter, while her professor husband taught at Aarhus University during his sabbatical leave from New Zealand. Many of the tourist attractions were closed, the weather was inhospitable - but the Danes are a friendly people and their country has its own characteristic tradition and atmosphere. Mrs Reid's sympathetic and receptive interest in her surroundings, her lively and warm appreciation of life in an historic country not entirely unlike New Zealand in its agricultural background, has resulted in a book every bit as delightfully readable and evocative as "A Caravan Close Behind", her previous book which told the story of a New Zealand family during a year spent touring Britain and Europe . 
A Year In Provence - Peter Mayle
Paperback in very good used condition. 200pp. Some age fading of the inside of covers. Published by Pan (1990). NZD 5.00 / P & P: A Who hasn't dreamed, on a mundane Monday or frowzy Friday, of chucking it all in and packing off to the south of France? Provençal cookbooks and guidebooks entice with provocatively fresh salads and azure skies, but is it really all Côtes-du-Rhône and fleur-de-lis? Author Peter Mayle answers that question with wit, warmth, and wicked candor in A Year in Provence, the chronicle of his own foray into Provençal domesticity. Beginning, appropriately enough, on New Year's Day with a divine luncheon in a quaint restaurant, Mayle sets the scene and pits his British sensibilities against it. "We had talked about it during the long gray winters and the damp green summers," he writes, "looked with an addict's longing at photographs of village markets and vineyards, dreamed of being woken up by the sun slanting through the bedroom window." He describes in loving detail the charming, 200-year-old farmhouse at the base of the Lubéron Mountains, its thick stone walls and well-tended vines, its wine cave and wells, its shade trees and swimming pool--its lack of central heating. Indeed, not 10 pages into the book, reality comes crashing into conflict with the idyll when the Mistral, that frigid wind that ravages the Rhône valley in winter, cracks the pipes, rips tiles from the roof, and tears a window from its hinges. And that's just January. In prose that skips along lightly, Mayle records the highlights of each month, from the aberration of snow in February and the algae-filled swimming pool of March through the tourist invasions and unpredictable renovations of the summer months to a quiet Christmas alone. Throughout the book, he paints colorful portraits of his neighbours, the Provençaux grocers and butchers and farmers who amuse, confuse, and befuddle him at every turn. A Year in Provence is part memoir, part homeowner's manual, part travelogue, and all charming fun. 
By Any Means - Charley Boorman
Large paperback in excellent condition. Minor age fading of pages edge. Numerous colour illustrations. Sphere (2008). 260pp. NZD 7.00 / P & P: B Bikes have always been Charley's first love, but he also enjoys a challenge. So when the chance comes to travel across three continents 'by any means', he jumps right in. Four million captivated viewers watched Charley Boorman complete his adventure - LONG WAY DOWN - which took him from John O'Groats to Cape Town. Along with Ewan McGregor he achieved not only this amazing feat, but also circumnavigated the globe on the LONG WAY ROUND. In between these two incredible journeys, he found the time to compete in the Dakar Rally, telling his story in his bestselling book RACE TO DAKAR. Charley's passion for travel and adventure continued in this new challenge - BY ANY MEANS. Travelling from his home town in Co Wicklow all the way to Sydney, he will use any means he can to reach his destination, via transport as diverse as steam train, horse, boat, kayak, truck, and tuk-tuk. And of course his beloved motorbike! Whether crossing the Black Sea, trekking through Tibet, riding an elephant in India or hiking through the forests of Papua New Guinea, this will be a unique opportunity to meet fascinating people and explore extraordinary places. With trademark enthusiasm, dedication and good humour, Charley's new trip is set to be his most challenging yet. 
Culture Shock: New Zealand - Peter Oettli
A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquettes Paperback in excellent, as new condition. MarshallCavendish (2006). 264pp. NZD 9.50 / P & P: B Whether you're conducting business, traveling for pleasure, or even relocating abroad, one mistake with customs or etiquette can leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. International travellers, now more than ever, are not just individuals from the United States or China, but ambassadors and impression makers for the country as a whole. This edition is A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquettes of New Zealand. The book provides full explanations of social and business customs and use practical examples and personal stories. It also includes a helpful Appendix of Dos and Don'ts and even provides a cultural quiz to test your understanding...!! Newly updated, redesigned, and resized for maximum shelf appeal for travellers of all ages, Culture Shock! country and city guides make up the most complete reference series for customs and etiquette you can find. This are not just a travel guide; it is guide for a way of life. 
The Open Cage - Daniel Start
The Ordeal of The Irian Jaya Hostages Large paperback in very good used condition. Published by Harper Collins (1998). 338pp. NZD 5.00 / P & P: A This is the true story of the kidnap and survival of scientists, making a study of the flora and fauna of Papua New Guinea, by freedom fighters opposed to the Indonesian government. Start was the British biologist leading an expedition investigating and cataloguing various plants and animals, and specifically focusing on the fish in an isolated region of the island's mountain jungles. He had taken the expedition to Indonesia, after months of negotiation with the government and excruciating paper work and delays at various bureaucratic levels. They were stationed in Irian Jaya, on the island of Papua, on the Indonesia side near the border with the independent Papua New Guinea. High on the mountainous spine of this island shared between the two countries, this group of scientists were taken hostage by Papuan rebel warriors. The author has a lot of good information on the cultural characteristics of the various tribes in Irian Jaya. The group was working primarily in the Nduga tribal lands, the village of Mapnduma. Smart writes the book in diary format, but with the full discussion and background, carrying us with him through the halls of the government mazes, then finally along the ridges and through the jungles of the region he has wanted to explore and catalogue. Likewise the daily details of the ordeal he and his colleagues endured are recorded in clear, scientific detail. But though clinically clear, the pathos is not missing. We feel the stress Smart and his colleagues experienced, the injuries, the insults, the uncertainty. This is truly an adventure story. Its excitement is only heightened by the chilling realization that this really happened. Before they returned safe to the Western world two of the Indonesian members of their group were hacked to death in front of them by the rebels. 
Redlands - Derek Townsend
The Story of an Australian Shire Hardback with d/j, both in excellent condition. Bookplate on fep. Numerous colour photographs. Published by Derek Townsend (First Edition 1986). 244pp inc. index. NZD 9.50 / P & P: B Queensland - in Brisbane's Backyard, Redlands is a region steeped in history and culture. It is home to a vibrant indigenous culture stretching back more than 20,000 years, as well as being the site of some of the earliest European settlements in Australia. In a larger sense, this book is much more than the story of a single town or Shire; it is the history of Australia. It will not be placed on the buyer's shelf and forgotten. It will be thumbed through and treasured. It will breathe life into memories, give a new form and substance to history. 
To The Ends of The Earth - Journeys of the Great Explorers
by Jon Balchin Large format paperback in excellent, new condition. Arcturus (2006). 208pp. Numerous B&W illustartions and photos. NZD 5.50 / P & P: B "I determined never to stop until I had come to the end and achieved my purpose." - David Livingstone (1813-1873), African explorer. Fascinated by what lies beyond the boundaries of human experience, men and women have throughout history been irresistibly drawn to venture into the unknown. Lavishly illustrated, To the Ends of the Earth charts the astonishing feats of history's most intrepid explorers. From the early voyages of the Ancient Greek mariner Colaeus, who first discovered that beyond the Mediterranean lay a far greater ocean, to the compelling tale of the race for the Poles, this book encompasses the discovery and exploration of the great continents and oceans of the world. Whether motivated by the prospect of conquest, the spirit of scientific enquiry, nationalism, fanaticism, or just plain curiosity, the explorers in this book dared to seek out the most remote and inhospitable places on Earth and in so doing changed forever our perception of the planet. 
I Never Knew That About England - Christopher Winn Hardback with d/w, both in excellent, near new condition. Name/date..? written (and blotted out) on title page. Published by Ebury Press (2005). 278pp. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: B This is the ultimate journey around England. Christopher Winn takes us to each county, to see where history happened, where people and ideas were born, where dreams took flight and where men and women now rest from their labours. To tread in their footsteps, to touch and experience some of what inspired and moved them is to capture some of the flavour of their lives and make their stories alive and real. Crammed with facts and information, I Never Knew That About England celebrates the places and people that make the country unique and includes history, legends, firsts, supremes, unusuals, inventions, birthplaces and gossip. You'll be able to visit the bridge where Pooh and Piglet played Poohsticks and see where Alfred burnt the cakes. In a small village in Bedfordshire you can visit the graveyard where Long John Silver and Wendy rest. These stories will bring any place that you visit to life (keep one copy in the car and one in the house!) and enable you to discover the rich and surprising history of England. "A treasure trove of unknown delights!" -- Terry Wogan "A marvellously entertaining and instructive read- a compendium of facts and anecdotes that offers an exciting new kind of guide to England." -- Simon Jenkins "I never knew there was so much I never knew!" -- Gyles Brandreth "A beautiful guide to the lore of the villages, towns and cities of England. After reading about each county, I want to pack the car and go there immediately. It's a Christmas pudding of a book, immensely rich and not to be eaten at one sitting" -- Guy Browning The Times "Hoards of fascinating facts, tantalising tales and titillating trivia" -- The Lady 
Ascend the Nile - Garth Macintyre and friends
Large Paperback in excellent new condition. Numerous colour illustrations. Published by Random House NZ (2009). 256pp. NZD: 8.50 / P & P: B In just under two months New Zealanders Garth MacIntyre and Cam McLeay (who lives in Uganda) and Brit Neil McGrigor had travelled 5311 km up the world's largest river, and their expedition to find the source of the Nile was going as well as could be expected. But that all changed when they wrecked both a motorised craft and a support aircraft while battling heavy rapids in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. When British friend Steve Willis rescued them in his Landrover - McGrigor having badly broken and burned his leg - they were ambushed by the RLA, a rebel group notorious for abducting and enslaving children. This ambush resulted in one of the group being killed. Grieving and traumatised, the men abandoned the expedition. Six months later they returned to complete it. They'd endured fear and fire, air accidents and toxic mushrooms, guerrillas and bullets and their comradeship had only strengthened. This is an epic adventure story that combines curiosity, geography and history with the dangers of a wild river, wildlife, disease and guerrillas. 
Unsuitable for Ladies - Jane Robinson (Editor)
An Anthology of Women Travellers Large paperback in good used condition. Some light fading on pages edge. Published by Oxford University Press (1995). 471pp. NZD: 7.50 / P & P: B Real ladies do not travel-or so it was once said. This collection of women's travel writing dispels that notion by showing how there are few corners of the world that have not been visited by women travellers. There are also few difficulties, physical or emotional, real or imagined, that have not been met and overcome by these women. Life is never dull for Jane Robinson's intrepid women. From an encounter with a snake in the Amazon jungle to shipwreck and kidnap on the Barbary Coast, this book includes tales of derring-do and great danger. It also tells tales of unimaginable hardship, including caring for a family in an ammunition cart during the siege of Delhi and a journey through Tibet that leaves its author childless and widowed. There is no such thing as a typical woman traveller-and there never has been-as this exhilarating anthology shows on a journey of its own through sixteen centuries of travel writing. So get ready for adventure and excitement with some of the most extraordinary characters you are ever likely to meet. Isabella Bird, Karen Blixen, Christina Dodwell, Jan Morris, Dervla Murphy, Freya Stark, and Rebecca West are among almost 200 authors in this new anthology of women's travel writing. 
Last Tango in Toulouse - Mary Moody
Paperback in excellent, near new condition. Pan (2003). 282pp. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: B The year of her fiftieth birthday, gardening writer Mary Moody ran away from home, family and work for six months to live in a remote French village. Her book about these experiences, 'Au Revoir', struck a chord with tens of thousands of readers. Yet those experiences were to mark a beginning rather than an end. They were six months that turned the rest of her life upside down. Amid these dramatic mid-life changes Mary found herself grappling with some intense emotional situations including the rediscovery of a sister not seen by the family for nearly fifty years and a romantic entanglement which almost ended her marriage. 'Last Tango In Toulouse' is Mary's compelling account of these changes in her life. Written with humour, warmth and passion, and an often searing honesty, it shows that life really can begin again at 50. 
The Mad Keen Wine Buff's Road Trip - Phil Parker
Paperback in excellent near new condition. Published by random House NZ (2008). 376pp inc. index. NZD: 5.00 / P & P: B Another in Random House's successful Mad Keen Road Trip series, this book follows the format of the Mad Keen Golfer's, Fisherman's and Mountain-biker's Road Trip books and is the perfect volume for wine buffs wanting to make a long weekend of touring through New Zealand various wine regions. With well-considered itineraries for visits within regions (and sub regions), maps and extensive notes on varietals, wine styles and wine trends (so readers can find bone up on what sets a Waipara pint noir apart from a Central pinot noir, for example) this book has huge appeal to both the beginner wine connoisseur and the more wine- familiar. Philip Parker is a wine tour guide who runs private tours for wine buffs. He knows his wines and he is familiar with all the wine regions, all of which he visited to research this book. 
Summer Landscape - Monica Redlich
Vintage hardback in VG+ condition, red cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine. D/w in good used condition, a few rips at top & bottom of spine (see pic). Numerous b&w period photos. Pages faintly tanned. Inscribed as a birthday present on fep. Duckworth (1952). 232pp inc. index. NZD: 8.50 / P & P: B This wholly charming new travel book -- personal, fresh, witty, and devised on an entirely original plan -- will give further lasting pleasure to the many thousands who read, and are still reading, Monica Redlich's Danish Delight (published I939). In the earlier book she described her first year of married life in Copenhagen; in Summer Landscape she returns on holiday to Denmark with her husband (now Danish Consul-General in New York), staying for a time with her parents in England on the way. The contrasts and parallels between the summer landscapes of New England, the English Midlands and Denmark, is one of the themes of the book: but its special charm lies in the gaiety and enthusiasm of the author. Every moment of every day is new and exciting to her: and her high spirits are communicated without reserve or hesitation to her readers. In this work, too, Monica Redlich shows herself in a new role, that of photographer: almost all the excellent photographs in this book are taken by the author herself, and the printing of the whole book by lithography enables them to be conveniently disposed next the matter to which they refer, so that the reader does not have to be constantly turning the pages backwards and forwards. 
Village London - Andrew Duncan
Original Walks through 25 London Villages Paperback in excellent, near new condition. Numerous colour photos and maps. Published by New Holland (1997). 160pp inc. index. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: B Aimed both at tourists from overseas and Londoners eager to discover a different side of their city, this unique, walking guide (now made available again in paperback) reveals the unexpected country character of London's inner boroughs and outer suburbs. In 22 meticulously planned, original walks, "Walking Village London" uncovers London's prettiest and most historic villages - from bustling Kensington and Rotherhithe in the city centre to hilltop Monken Hadley in the north and unspoilt Carshalton in the south. Celebrated historian Andrew Duncan is the reader's personal guide, providing fascinating historical and anecdotal information on the villages, as well as the colourful characters who have populated and shaped them through the centuries. Full-colour photographs capture each village's refreshing rural charms, while clear, easy-to-follow route maps pinpoint places of interest and the best restaurants and cafes to be found en route. This title is suitable for: overseas tourists seeking to veer off the beaten track; London residents; and, history enthusiasts and walkers. Andrew Duncan is a celebrated historian and expert on London. He has walked and guided popular tours in the capital for many years, always combining a love of places with a professional interest in their history. |