Author: Richard Guise
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 095455874X
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 290
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Book Description
Richard Guise follows a unique 450-mile route across England on foot and on his trusty bike Tetley. His guide is the wiggly line that divides rivers flowing west from those flowing east, a choice that takes him over rolling downlands, along windy ridges, through remote villages, across ancient battlefields, past abandoned airfields and even -- surprisingly -- by boat through a network of canal tunnels that echo to the sound of cannon fire. Accompanying or accommodating him on parts of this serendipitous journey are an array of locals with their own stories to tell: the quail-raising smallholder, the bumptious yachtsman, cake fans, ferret fanciers, re-writers of history and more. The route itself turns out to have historical significance and Guise roots out odd tales of passion and heroism, vision and fear, drunkenness, conceit, deceit and murder.
Author: Barbara Schaff
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN: 3110498979
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 628
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Book Description
This handbook offers a systematic exploration of current key topics in travel writing studies. It addresses the history, impact, and unique discursive variety of British travel writing by covering some of the most celebrated and canonical authors of the genre as well as lesser known ones in more than thirty close-reading chapters. Combining theoretically informed, astute literary criticism of single texts with the analysis of the circumstances of their production and reception, these chapters offer excellent possibilities for understanding the complexity and cultural relevance of British travel writing.
Author: Richard Guise
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1326689894
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 128
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Book Description
Four English blokes of a certain age strike out from their Leicestershire local and head for the hills of the Dingle Peninsula. This laugh-out-loud tale of their short amble on the wild west coast of Ireland is packed with character and characters, beer and banter, daftness and a dolphin.
Author: Richard Guise
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0244812845
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 216
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Book Description
All day, every day we're surrounded by things that annoy us. So it's surprising we've had to wait until now for a reasonable list. Speaking up for irritated people all over Britain, the Old Geezer's Dictionary of Irritants points a decisive finger at offenders, with both gusto and humour.
Author: Richard Guise
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0244713472
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 246
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Book Description
For many Britons France has provided their first taste of that alien world called 'abroad' - and sometimes their last. Richard Guise has tracked down ten travellers' tales from three centuries, before venturing forth himself to follow some of their wanderings across the country. He finds out what's left from the sights they saw and how dramatically the country and its people changed over these turbulent times - taking in the years of the Grand Tour, the Revolution and the Napoleonic era; the coming of the railways, holidays and guide books; two world wars, recovery and prosperity; and the twenty-first-century threat of terrorism. His virtual companions include two Grand Tourers (Philip Thicknesse and Tobias Smollett - nicknamed Smelfungus), the man rumoured to have inspired Karl Baedeker, a future chairman of London County Council and Richard's own father, a D-Day survivor. They're not all complimentary about France and the French...
Author: Richard Guise
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1291736522
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 102
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Book Description
The Derbyshire villages of Draycott and Church Wilne have dozed quietly beside the left bank of the Derwent for more than a thousand years, barely registering a mention even in the history of the area. But have things really been as quiet as that? What about the case of the dodgy 18th-century vicar? The flying corpse? The combustible cricketer? And more disastrous, but unexplained, fires than you could shake a stick at. No, things are definitely not as quiet as they seem down by the Derwent. And anyway, why are the local inhabitants known as 'Neddies'?
Author: Robert Bluck
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 1836286597
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 187
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Book Description
An epic journey round the entire coastline of mainland Britain. Senior cyclists Robert and Steve ride for a fortnight at a time – on minor roads and traffic-free cycle tracks – covering 5,000 miles in eighty days. That’s like cycling from Madrid to Moscow and back again. Fuelled with cheese scones and carrot cake, they pedal through wild country and urban jungles, deep forests and industrial wasteland, flat farmland and mountainous landscapes. There are memories of Britain’s coastal history, extremes of poverty and wealth, incredibly steep hills in Devon and Cornwall, wonderful guest houses – and Scotland’s worst hotel. This day-by-day account of struggling with navigation or the weather – sometimes weeping with laughter – includes helpful information on the perfect touring bike, taking bikes on trains, what to take on tour, how to lose weight, and the invaluable Rules of Coastal Cycling. The whereabouts of Britain’s most spectacular hill climb and Britain’s worst road are also revealed – important information for anyone who wishes to set off on this journey. Almost two-thirds of us in Britain live within ten miles of the sea. Why not follow these tyre-tracks and cycle round some of this wonderful coastline?
Author: Ann Treneman
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
ISBN: 1849546614
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 249
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Book Description
Ann Treneman, the award-winning Times writer best known for her incisive parliamentary sketches, has branched out - to graveyards. In this riveting book she takes you to the most interesting graves in Britain. You'll meet the real War Horse, the best 'funambulist' ever, Byron and his dog Boatswain, Florence Nightingale and her pet owl Athena, prime ministers, kings and queens, highwaymen, scientists, mistresses, the real James Bond and, of course, M. Then there are writers, painters, poets, rakes and rogues, victims, the meek and mild and the just plain mad. This unique book is made up of a hundred entries, each telling the story of one or more graves. Some are chosen for who is in them, others for the grave itself. Some of the entries are humorous, some are poignant, but all tell us something about the British way of death. At times absurd, at times astounding, in Finding the Plot Ann Treneman provides an entertaining guide to the Anglo-Saxon underworld.
Author: Roy Strong
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643131001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 413
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Book Description
The Story of Britain is an accessible one-volume history that clearly depict Britain's origins—and explain how the past shaped the nation's current identity. He begins the story of Britain from the very earliest recorded Celtic times, and with this new edition has now brought it up to date via the Blair years and into the present day of Brexit Britain. A magnificently eloquent volume, the narrative chronicles two thousand years of Britain's history, the triumph of its people, the glory of its culture, and its dramatic influence on other nations of the world, especially the United States. It is a remarkable achievement and, with his passion, enthusiasm and wide-ranging knowledge, Strong is the ideal narrator. The book is ideally suited for everyone who cares about Britain's past.
Author: Sharon Maas
Publisher: Thread
ISBN: 1800197233
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304
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Book Description
‘I was utterly mesmerized… powerful, moving, and heartwarming… I devoured this book, and it is no doubt a five-star read.’ Goodreads reviewer Perhaps it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it’s true that you only know what you truly love when you no longer have it. But I wouldn’t have known any of this if I hadn’t left it all behind to discover where my home truly was… Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard, eating fresh mangos straight from the tree and tucked up on her granny’s lap losing herself in books. But with her father campaigning for the country’s independence and her mother away for work, there’s a void in Sharon’s heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in these books look like her, her insatiable curiosity leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school. Life at a conservative, Christian school is quite different from Sharon’s liberal, atheist upbringing. Girls march silently and single file along corridors and earn badges for deportment. There are twice-daily hymns, grace before and after meals and mandatory bedside prayers. And, all the girls are posh and white, while Sharon is the only one with dark skin. Will she ever fulfil her dream of horseback riding over green hills and going on adventures like her literary heroes? And has she truly found what she was looking for in this chilly corner of the world, thousands of miles away from home? You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas’s extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams. Praise for The Girl from Lamaha Street: ‘To say this story was inspirational would be an understatement. I was utterly mesmerized… As a woman of color, I recognized myself and my experiences in the pages of this memoir… powerful, moving, and heartwarming… I devoured this book, and it is no doubt a five-star read.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal. This was a beautiful read and I learnt so much. I cried and I smiled and there was nothing more that I wanted from this book. Truly a gem.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Enlightening… powerful… Beautifully written… I found myself turning and turning, immersed in the story. A wonderful, evocative read.’ Nicki’s Book Blog ‘Engaging and intriguing… so good that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘An incredibly moving, truly inspiring story of the power of determination. An absolutely stunning read.’ Katharine Birbalsingh ‘Fascinating and poignant… an astoundingly honest and intimate memoir.’ Angela Petch
