BookTalk
In My Midsummer Morning (p) seasoned adventurer Alastair
Humphreys pushed himself to his very limits - busking his way
across Spain with a violin he can barely play. In 1935 a young
Englishman named Laurie Lee arrived in Spain. His idea was to
walk through the country, earning money for food by playing
his violin in bars and plazas. For 15 years, Alastair dreamed of
retracing Laurie Lee’s footsteps. The journey was his most
terrifying yet, risking failure and humiliation every day, and
finding himself truly vulnerable to the rhythms of the road and
of his own life. But along the way, he found humility,
redemption and triumph. It was a very good adventure.
For the history buffs amongst you, Habsburgs: The Rise and
Fall of a World Power (l) by Martyn Rady is a tempting read. In
it Rady tells the epic story of a dynasty and the world it built -
and then lost - over nearly a
millennium. From modest
origins, the Habsburgs grew in
power to gain control of the
Holy Roman Empire in the
fifteenth century. Then, in just
a few decades, their
possessions rapidly expanded
to take in a large part of
Europe stretching from
Hungary to Spain, and from
the Far East to the New World.
The family continued to
dominate Central Europe until
the catastrophe of the First
World War. ‘The Habsburgs’ is
the definitive history of a
remarkable dynasty that, for
4 5 4 5
better or worse, shaped Europe and the world.
Wine Trails Europe (h) is
the latest in the Lonely
Planet’s Wine Trails series.
This elegant hardback
focuses on European
wine. Trails cover such
revered regions as
Bordeaux, Mosel and
Rioja, as well as less-
famous terroirs such as
Rias Baixas in Spain and
Georgia’s Kakheti region.
The format remains the
same with winery profiles
written by experts and
details of where to stay
and eat.
Andalucia Map: Marco Polo Maps. Let the Marco Polo
Andalucia Road Map guide you around this beautiful region of
southern Spain. Discover miles of sandy beaches, stunning
mountain ranges, prehistoric caves and picturesque white-
washed villages with this highly durable, detailed, touring map
of Andalucia. It folds away easily and is always on standby to
help when you’re stuck. Perfect touring map - the scale is 1 :
200 000, ideal to help you tour the region by car or
campervan. Easy to use - the super clear mapping in strong
colours and clear text will help you navigate the region like a
local.
Key: (p) paperback, (h) hardback (l) large paperback.