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Why Travel Matters: A Guide to the Life-Changing Effects of Travel
by Craig StortiWhen you travel, you have a choice: You can be a tourist and have a nice time, or you can be a traveller - and change your life. Most people who travel want to get something out of the experience. They want to grow and be changed. Whether travelling for pleasure or work, on a trip of a lifetime, gap year or a short break away, Why Travel Matters will help you broaden your mind and bring back a different self from the one who set out.Using the wisdom of great travellers such as Paul Theroux, Freya Stark, George Orwell, Alexander Pope and Paul Bowles, plus the knowledge won during his years as an intercultural educator, Craig Storti lays out the ways we can approach travel for it to make a true impact. Covering the lessons we can learn from new approaches to daily life, the impact of environment and the ways we relate to ourselves, Why Travel Matters is a deeply practical guide to the transformational power of travel.
Why the Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands: From Amsterdam to Zwarte Piet, the acclaimed guide to travel in Holland
by Ben Coates*A SCOTSMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR* Stranded at Schiphol airport, Ben Coates called up a friendly Dutch girl he'd met some months earlier. He stayed for dinner. Actually, he stayed for good. In the first book to consider the hidden heart and history of the Netherlands from a modern perspective, the author explores the length and breadth of his adopted homeland and discovers why one of the world's smallest countries is also so significant and so fascinating. It is a self-made country, the Dutch national character shaped by the ongoing battle to keep the water out from the love of dairy and beer to the attitude to nature and the famous tolerance. Ben Coates investigates what makes the Dutch the Dutch, why the Netherlands is much more than Holland and why the colour orange is so important. Along the way he reveals why they are the world's tallest people and have the best carnival outside Brazil. He learns why Amsterdam's brothels are going out of business, who really killed Anne Frank, and how the Dutch manage to be richer than almost everyone else despite working far less. He also discovers a country which is changing fast, with the Dutch now questioning many of the liberal policies which made their nation famous.A personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history and an entertaining travelogue, Why the Dutch are Different is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. And loved it.
Why I Love Trains
by Daniel HowarthFeaturing children’s own words along with heart-warming pictures, this book is a perfect celebration of all that is special about trains!
Why I Love Quebec
by Daniel HowarthFeaturing children’s own words and heart-warming pictures, this board book, this is the perfect book for children living in, or visiting Quebec.
Why I Love Newfoundland and Labrador
by Daniel HowarthFeaturing children’s own words and heart-warming pictures, this board book, this is the perfect book for children living in, or visiting Newfoundland and Labrador!
Why I Love Australia
by Daniel HowarthFeaturing children’s own words and heart-warming pictures, this board book, this is the perfect book for children living in, or visiting Australia.
Why Did Europe Conquer the World?
by Philip T. HoffmanBetween 1492 and 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe. But why did Europe establish global dominance, when for centuries the Chinese, Japanese, Ottomans, and South Asians were far more advanced? In Why Did Europe Conquer the World?, Philip Hoffman demonstrates that conventional explanations—such as geography, epidemic disease, and the Industrial Revolution—fail to provide answers. Arguing instead for the pivotal role of economic and political history, Hoffman shows that if certain variables had been different, Europe would have been eclipsed, and another power could have become master of the world. Hoffman sheds light on the two millennia of economic, political, and historical changes that set European states on a distinctive path of development, military rivalry, and war. This resulted in astonishingly rapid growth in Europe's military sector, and produced an insurmountable lead in gunpowder technology. The consequences determined which states established colonial empires or ran the slave trade, and even which economies were the first to industrialize. Debunking traditional arguments, Why Did Europe Conquer the World? reveals the startling reasons behind Europe's historic global supremacy.
Why Did Europe Conquer the World?
by Philip T. HoffmanBetween 1492 and 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe. But why did Europe establish global dominance, when for centuries the Chinese, Japanese, Ottomans, and South Asians were far more advanced? In Why Did Europe Conquer the World?, Philip Hoffman demonstrates that conventional explanations—such as geography, epidemic disease, and the Industrial Revolution—fail to provide answers. Arguing instead for the pivotal role of economic and political history, Hoffman shows that if certain variables had been different, Europe would have been eclipsed, and another power could have become master of the world. Hoffman sheds light on the two millennia of economic, political, and historical changes that set European states on a distinctive path of development, military rivalry, and war. This resulted in astonishingly rapid growth in Europe's military sector, and produced an insurmountable lead in gunpowder technology. The consequences determined which states established colonial empires or ran the slave trade, and even which economies were the first to industrialize. Debunking traditional arguments, Why Did Europe Conquer the World? reveals the startling reasons behind Europe's historic global supremacy.
Who’s Buried Where in London (Shire Library #770)
by Peter MatthewsLondon's many cemeteries, churches and graveyards are the last resting places of a multitude of important people from many different walks of life. Politicians, writers and military heroes rub shoulders with engineers, courtesans, artists and musicians, along with quite a few eccentric characters. Arranged geographically, this comprehensive guide describes famous graves in all the major cemeteries and churches in Greater London, including Highgate, Kensal Green, Westminster Abbey, and St Paul's Cathedral, as well as the City churches and many suburban parish churches. The book gives biographical details, information on the monuments, and is richly illustrated. As well as being an historical guide, it also serves as an indispensable reference guide for any budding tombstone tourist.
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?: A Tour of Presidential Gravesites
by C-SPANIn this newly updated book, C-SPAN provides a comprehensive guide to the final resting places of our nation's presidents. As much about the presidents' lives as it is about their burial sites and how to visit them, this book belongs in the glove box of every traveler and the bedside table of every American history fan. Contributions from presidential historian Richard Norton Smith and an afterword by historian Douglas Brinkley add to this unique look at the American presidency.
Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?: A Tour of Presidential Gravesites
by C-SPANSome presidents have been larger than life but none of them have been larger than death. Brian Lamb has visited the gravesites of every American president, living and dead, in order to put together this book, with assistance from the staff of C-SPAN. Heavily illustrated and with contributions from historians Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley, Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? is about the presidents' lives as much as it is about their final resting places. The book's collection of the presidents' last words, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "I have a terrific headache" to John Adams's "Thomas Jefferson still survives" offers a poignant and sometimes humorous look at the last moments of the great men. This is a great way to encounter the presidents, from the great ones to the near-forgottens. Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? belongs in the glove box of every traveler and the bedside table of every fan of the American presidency and American history.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire - The Quiz Book
by UnknownTwenty years after it last aired, Who Wants to be a Millionaire burst back onto our screens for a week of shows this spring. A record 6 million viewers were shouting at the TV as contestants took on the new host, lifelines and questions. A second mini-series will air in November to celebrate the show's anniversary and this is the ultimate quiz-book for readers to take on the challenge at home. The perfect stocking filler for this Christmas, this interactive book is packed with a thousand questions that everyone can have a go at, from £100 answers that everyone should know, to the formidable £1,000,000 question. But it's a game of skill, too: should you save your lifelines? who do you ask on phone a friend? when do you set your safety line?The real question is, can anyone play a perfect game and make it to the top?
White Waters and Black
by Gordon MacCreaghWith a wicked eye for absurdities, Gordon MacCreagh recounts his adventures with eight "Eminent Scientificos" as they set out to explore the Amazon in 1923 without any idea of what lies ahead of them: rapids, malaria, monkey stew, and "dangerous savages." A combination of Twain's The Innocents Abroad and a cautionary tale for explorers, this is one of the most honest accounts ever written of a scientific expedition.
The White Tiger: WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008
by Aravind AdigaWINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master. The White Tiger presents a raw and unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and its technology and outsourcing centres. The first-person confession of a murderer, The White Tiger is as compelling for its subject matter as for the voice of its narrator - amoral, cynical, unrepentant, yet deeply endearing.
The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy And The Wrecking Of Henry I's Dream
by Charles SpencerThe sinking of the White Ship on the 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest disasters that England has ever suffered. Its repercussions would change English and European history for ever.
White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World
by Geoff DyerSHORTLISTED FOR STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR From a trip to The Lightning Field in New Mexico, to chasing Gauguin's ghost in French Polynesia, White Sands is a creative exploration of why we travel. Episodic, wide-ranging and funny, Geoff Dyer blends travel writing, essay, criticism and fiction with a smart and cantankerous wit that is unmatched. From one of the most original writers in Britain, this is a book for armchair travellers and procrastinating philosophers everywhere.
The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland
by Hugh ThomsonOne man goes in search of the lost cities of the Amazon in the Inca heartland.The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon. Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.
The White Road: a pilgrimage of sorts
by Edmund De Waal** A Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller **"Other things in the world are white but for me porcelain comes first"A handful of clay from a Chinese hillside carries a promise: that mixed with the right materials, it might survive the fire of the kiln, and fuse into porcelain – translucent, luminous, white.Acclaimed writer and potter Edmund de Waal sets out on a quest - a journey that begins in the dusty city of Jingdezhen in China and travels on to Venice, Versailles, Dublin, Dresden, the Appalachian Mountains of South Carolina and the hills of Cornwall to tell the history of porcelain. Along the way, he meets the witnesses to its creation; those who were inspired, made rich or heartsick by it, and the many whose livelihoods, minds and bodies were broken by this obsession. It spans a thousand years and reaches into some of the most tragic moments of recent times. In these intimate and compelling encounters with the people and landscapes who made porcelain, Edmund de Waal enriches his understanding of this rare material, the ‘white gold’ he has worked with for decades.** Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4 **
The White Nile Diaries
by John HopkinsIt all began at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, in 1961:Two young Princetonians have returned to New York from South America. With the fire for adventure still burning in their veins, they are tempted by a mysterious letter from Kenya and plan a trip across Africa. They buy a white BMW motorcycle and paint the words “The White Nile” on the tank, to honor the route they will follow.In limpid, elegant prose John Hopkins describes deadly salt flats where tourists vanish without a trace, mysterious Saharan oases, and the funerals of young Tunisians killed by the French Foreign Legion. In Leptus Magna he conjures visions of ancient Rome and visits Homer's fabled island of the Lotus Eaters. They escape armed vigilantes in the Tunisian desert, and are chased by the border patrol across Libyan sands. They climb the Great Pyramid at Giza at dawn, endure “The Desert Express” across the Nubian desert, and travel by paddlewheel steamer through the Sudd, a swamp bigger than Britain. But the final adventure, at the idyllic Impala Farm at the foot of Mount Kenya, turns out to be a poisoned paradise.
White Mountain: A Cultural Adventure Through The Himalayas
by Robert Twigger'Robert Twigger is not so much a travel writer as a thrill-seeking philosopher' EsquireThe Himalayas beckon and we go ... Some to make real journeys and others to make imaginary ones. These mountains, home to Buddhists, Bonpos, Jains, Muslims, Hindus, shamans and animists, to name only a few, are a place of pilgrimage and dreams, revelation and war, massacre and invasion, but also peace and unutterable calm.In an exploration of the region's seismic history, Robert Twigger unravels some of these real and invented journeys and the unexpected links between them. Following a meandering path across the Himalayas to its physical end in Nagaland on the Indian-Burmese border, Twigger encounters incredible stories from a unique cast of mountaineers and mystics, pundits and prophets. The result is a sweeping, enthralling and surprising journey through the history of the world's greatest mountain range.
The White Lantern And Other Pursuits
by Evan S ConnellNever has master storyteller Evan Connell been more enthralling than in these incandescent pages - tales of real-life adventure ranging from the archaeology of Olduvai gorge to the exploration of the Antarctic; from Viking voyages to an Ice Age xylophone. Never has reality so far surpassed mere fiction or fantasy than in this magnificent volume.
The White Island: The Colourful History Of The Original Fantasy Island,ibiza
by Stephen ArmstrongThe White Island is, and always has been, a magnet for hedonists. Its history reads like a history of pleasure itself. It is also a story of invasions and migrations, of artists and conmen, of drop-outs and love-ins. The Carthaginians established a cult to their goddess of sex there, and named the island after Bez, their god of dance. Roman centurions in need of a bit of down time between campaigns would go to Ibiza to get their kicks. And over the centuries, cultures around the Med have used the island either as a playground or a dump for the kind of people who didn't quite fit in back home, but who you'd probably quite like to meet at a party...This is the history of Ibiza, the fantasy island, framed by one long, golden summer where anything can happen - and it usually does.
White Hart Red Lion: The England of Shakespeare's Histories
by Nick AsburyTo this day The White Hart and The Red Lion are two of the most popular names for a public house in England – both talismans that served as the insignia for Richard II and the banished Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, who usurped the throne in 1399.Nick Asbury acted in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s famed Histories cycle which staged Shakespeare’s vision of the deposition of Richard II through to the notorious Battle of Bosworth in 1485. With fellow RSC actors for company, Nick travels the country visiting the buildings, landscapes and former sites of war and intrigue that feature in the plays, and asks the question: what is it about the England of Shakespeare’s Histories that continues to fascinate? From Alnwick to Eastcheap, Windsor Castle to a Leicester car park, this is his snapshot of England and its people, then and now.‘John Shakespeare, William’s father, was an Ale Taster before he was a glover and luminary of Stratford-upon- Avon, so in his footsteps I and my travelling players will be exploring the hostelries and byways of an England forged on the battlefields, triumphs and betrayals of TheHistories: on the one hand, Red – be it a pub or bloody Rose. On the other hand, White – be it the alabaster tombs of broken Princes or the quill of a playwright from Stratford-upon- Avon.’‘This bloody MG is so light it’s like driving a roasting tin. At the next turning, forewarned this time, I make the corner cheering victoriously and drive straight into a snow driftft that could swallow a bus let alone the mid-life crisis that is this MG. It turns out I am in the one area where it is as bad as they say it is. I dig myself out and reverse back on to the mainroad, all the time thinking life would be much better on a horse.’‘England, the tolerant bearer of religion that was the flower of the Northern Renaissance, was fast becoming a useless fist clothed in an old glove. It was fighting a war abroad, the cause of which it was not party to, and the execution of which was undermined by in-fighting at home. Plus ça change.’‘Geoffrey and I are swept like pooh sticks into Rouen. The road keeps tumbling down and the one time we want traffic lights to stop us, to catch our breath and to establish where we are, is of course the one time we are carried along on a river of green. We swoop into thecentral town square over cobbles that surely can’t be for everyday access, and on a hunch we turn right, only then realising that our hotel is in front of us and we have arrived. It’s the most remarkable entrance to a town I have ever made. We haven’t stopped once fornavigation, traffic lights or junctions and yet here we are.’
White Fang (HarperCollins Children’s Classics)
by Jack LondonThis beautiful HarperCollins Children’s Classics edition is perfect for every bookshelf.
White Boy Running
by Christopher HopeIn the run up to the 1987 election Christopher Hope returned to his native South Africa after a twelve-year absence. The nature of that year's whites-only election and the bitter defeat of the liberals led him to write this satirical, evocative portrait of what it looked and felt like growing up in a country gripped by an absurd, racist insanity.Full of exquisite and despairing descriptions, Hope weaves together journalistic commentary and his own personal story as he encounters the bloody battles that have divided his homeland. This is a mordantly witty account of escape, displacement and disillusionment, and a modern classic of journalistic memoir.