Category Archives: Travel Guides
A Brief History of the Private Lives of the Roman Emperors
With the recent success of `Rome` on BBC2, no one will look at the private lives of the Roman Emperors again in the same light. Anthony Blond`s scandalous expose of the life of the Caesars is a must-read for all interested in what really went on in ancient Rome. Julius Caesar is usually presented as
Tea, Addiction, Exploitation and Empire – A Brief History
Behind the wholesome image of the world`s most popular drink lies a strangely murky and often violent past. When tea began to be imported into the West from China in the seventeenth century, its high price and heavy taxes made it an immediate target for smuggling and dispute at every level, culminating in international incidents
Hanging by A Thread
Buckle up tight for an adrenaline-charged ride with doctor Emmanuel Cauchy on his most memorable missions with the world`s busiest helicopter rescue service. Radioed in at a moment`s notice, he and his team brave all conditions to reach survivors and victims, their helicopter frequently battered by winds as the pilot fights to keep control. Then
Mammoth Book on the Edge
No one sees clearer than an individual whose life is hanging by the finger tips on the edge of an abyss. Probing the furthest reaches of human daring and endurance, here are 28 of the great first-hand accounts of extreme mountaineering, from legendary names. Featuring: Heinrich Harrer – first conqueror of the notorious Eigerwand; Robert
London – The Autobiography
In “London: The Autobiography” the life of the capital is told, for the first time, by those who made it and saw it at first hand. From Roman times to the 21st century, Londoners and visitors to the city have recounted the extraordinary events, everyday life and character of this unique and influential city –
We Saw Spain Die
Based on a huge trove of diary and personal letter material regarding principally British and American, but also Russian and French, correspondents, “We Saw Spain Die” is a study of how the war correspondent came of age. It examines the problems – political, professional and personal, faced by some of the century`s greatest war correspondents
A Brief History of the Samurai: The True Story of the Warrior
From a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also
Food From Plenty
Our feelings about food and our attitude towards it are changing. Before long it won`t just be considered sensible to care about how and what we cook and how much we waste – it will be unacceptable not to. But Food From Plenty is not another tome bemoaning global warming and dwindling fish stocks. It
Mornings in Mexico
Much of D.H. Lawrence`s life was defined by his passion for travel and it was those peripatetic wanderings that gave life to some of his greatest novels. In the 1920s, Lawrence travelled several times to Mexico, where he was fascinated by the clash of beauty and brutality, purity and darkness that he observed there. The
Twelve Days in Persia
A year after Vita Sackville-West first travelled to Iran – a journey described in the classic “Passenger to Teheran” – she returned to the land that had so captured her imagination. For twelve days, with her husband and three friends, she embarked on a difficult and often dangerous journey through the rugged and wildly-beautiful Bakhtiari
Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian Legend
Shah Abbas (1571-1629) was shah of Iran from 1588 (when he assumed power by deposing his father, whom he later murdered) until his death in 1629. He is of critical importance in the history of Iran, restoring the power of the Safavids through war and the strategic negotiation of peace. He is still acclaimed for
Travelling the Incense Route
The Incense Route is one of the most ancient and important highways in the world. It was once a rival to the Silk Road, at a time when faith in the mystic power of incense was at its height and its traffic – frankincense and myrrh, spices from India, gold and exotic African animal skins
The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There
Bletchley Park was where one of the war`s most famous – and crucial – achievements was made: the cracking of Germany`s “Enigma” code in which its most important military communications were couched. This country house in the Buckinghamshire countryside was home to Britain`s most brilliant mathematical brains, like Alan Turing, and the scene of immense
The Telegraph Book Of The Olympics
For the record-breaking third time London will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2012. From the inception of Baron Pierre de Courbetin`s crusade to revive the Games of the ancient Greeks, in the 1890s, through the triumphs and disasters of twenty-nine Olympiads, The Daily Telegraph has been there to provide eye-witness accounts of the greatest
Just Boris
A major and controversial new biography of one of the most compelling and contradictory figures in modern British life. Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to most of us he is just `Boris` – the only politician of the age to be regarded in such familiar, even affectionate terms. Uniquely, he combines comedy with erudition,
Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia
Michael Korda`s Hero is an epic biography of the mysterious,Englishman whose daring exploits made him an object of intense fascination, known the world over as `Lawrence of Arabia. An Oxford Scholar and archaeologist, T.E. Lawrence was sent to Cairo as an intelligence officer in 1916 and vanished into the desert in 1917. He united and
