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Europe on a Shoestring: Big Trips on Small Budgets (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Sarah Johnstone

March 01, 2007
I love this book; I really do. Not only is there a whole wealth of interesting USEFUL information about every member country of Europe for travellers, but there's also a background on the continent, including its history, cultures, religions, currencies and loads more.

Excellent organisation means finding the information you want about a country is easy and the way the information is brought across in an energetic and exciting manner that really gets your juices flowing as it were.

Hell I read this book even if I'm not planning to go to the country in question just because is so interesting to read and at over 1200 pages you will definitely get your money's worth out of it.

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The "Times" Reference Atlas of the World (World Atlas)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
from: Times Books

April 07, 2008
There is a whole host of books called "Times atlas of the world", and I was terminally confused. Until I did a bit of homework, and came up with the following: (all prices quoted from Amazon, August 2008)

The biggest is called COMPREHENSIVE, costs £75 , is 47x32 cm, has 125 map plates (not pages, as most spread over 2 pages) and a 217-page index.

The next is the CONCISE, costs £37, is 37x27 cm, has 105 plates on 198 map pages, and a 140-page index to 130,000 names. And 32 city maps, which is something the biggest lacks!

The next is the UNIVERSAL, costs £ 33, is 32x27 cm, has 170 pages of maps (not plates - probably 90 plates), an index to 50,000 names, and 32 city maps.

The next is the ... Read More:

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Join Me: The True Story of a Man Who Started a Cult by Accident

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Danny Wallace

June 03, 2004
everything about danny wallaces projects seems very contrived, and false, it fairly obvious he approaches everything in a much more cynical way then his writing suggests, it seems much more likely he sits donw and thinks about the slimmest possible concept that he can get a book or tv series out of, the writing is of a very sixth form comedy style, and he realy forces up the word count to squeeze a book out of this material.
having somehow managed to get through the whole thing, i found it completely forced and just cant imagine what people find funny about this, the writing certainly isnt funny, the concept would possibly be if it were true, but its so obviously contrived, the observations are mundane, and pedestrian.
danny obviously ... Read More:

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Travelling Heroes: Greeks and Their Myths in the Epic Age of Homer

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Robin Lane Fox

September 04, 2008
everything about danny wallaces projects seems very contrived, and false, it fairly obvious he approaches everything in a much more cynical way then his writing suggests, it seems much more likely he sits donw and thinks about the slimmest possible concept that he can get a book or tv series out of, the writing is of a very sixth form comedy style, and he realy forces up the word count to squeeze a book out of this material.
having somehow managed to get through the whole thing, i found it completely forced and just cant imagine what people find funny about this, the writing certainly isnt funny, the concept would possibly be if it were true, but its so obviously contrived, the observations are mundane, and pedestrian.
danny obviously ... Read More:

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Times Concise Atlas of the World: Concise (World Atlas)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
from: Times Books

October 02, 2006
There is a whole host of books called "Times atlas of the world", and I was terminally confused. Until I did a bit of homework, and came up with the following: (all prices quoted from Amazon, August 2008)

The biggest is called COMPREHENSIVE, costs £75 , is 47x32 cm, has 125 map plates (not pages, as most spread over 2 pages) and a 217-page index.

The next is the CONCISE, costs £37, is 37x27 cm, has 105 plates on 198 map pages, and a 140-page index to 130,000 names. And 32 city maps, which is something the biggest lacks!

The next is the UNIVERSAL, costs £ 33, is 32x27 cm, has 170 pages of maps (not plates - probably 90 plates), an index to 50,000 names, and 32 city maps.

The next is the REFERENCE, ... Read More:

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Narrow Dog to Carcassonne

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Terry Darlington

May 03, 2006
I wish that I had read some of the other reviews here before buying this book. It is, quite simply, disjointed drivel which should never have been published. In fact, it is so bad that I'm not even taking it to the charity shop, it's going into the recycling bin.

Why did I buy it in the first place? Well, I bought two copies actually, one for my in-laws (who themselves sailed from Scotland to the Med through France) and one for me. My in-laws will be too polite to tell me that the book is rubbish but I think that I owe them an apology.

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Round Ireland with a Fridge

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Tony Hawks

May 01, 1999
A travelogue with a difference, or at least a fridge.

Or 'My self absorbed travels around various pubs in Ireland whilst trying to get my leg over'.

Hawks shows virtually no interest in the country he is visiting (he leaves the 'deeply spiritual' place he feels 'honoured' to be visiting to go to the pub (surprise) to watch a football match. (The photo's included in the book are of the fridge, cars and pubs, there is 1 - yes one, photo of some scenery)

His attitude is 'me, me, me' all the the way throuh, which to be honest might not be so bad if Hawks were a pleasant companion but unfortuantley he comes accross as an uninformed, patronising, buffoon. His 'jokes' are painfull (especially towards the end of the book where things ... Read More:

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The Most Amazing Places on Britain's Coast (Readers Digest) (Readers Digest) (Readers Digest) (Readers Digest) (Readers Digest)

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Reader's Digest

April 25, 2008
If, like me, you love water and find yourself in an area wondering what there might be to do to fill in a an evening's walk, this gazetteer is invaluable. Time and again it identifies the local gems, from sea caves to tea shops, ruined churches to secret bays.

If you want to plan a trip then the most spectacular places are highlighted with full page picture spreads. I love it.

Great photos, production, layout and maps (loads of them) too.

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Secret Churches

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Richard Surman

March 03, 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or ... Read More:

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Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope - and How to Find Them

Childrens Toy Shop > Travel > General
by: Guy Consolmagno, Dan M. Davis

November 01, 2000
I read somewhere that all telescopes should come with this guide and once you start using it you'll realise why. As I have mostly a south-westerly view of the sky I like to make the most of what I have so I turn to 'Turn Left...' and follow the easy diagrams and text to pick out the best of the constellation I am interested in.
The book gives you diagrams of what you'll see in the viewfinder as well as the telescope and although it can be a bit confusing to the novice when you first start you soon get the hang of star hopping and be delighted when you discover the gems above.
In fact having used this book quite often I find myself hopping around without it on my favourite sights. For example the other night I found the ring nebula in Lyra by remembering the ... Read More: