Off the Map – Alastair Bonnett
When you live in the age of Google Maps, what’s left to explore? Travel’s always been fuelled by the romance of discovery, which is why Alastair Bonnett’s thoughtful Off The Map makes for a fascinating delve into uncharted, forgotten and lost places. But it’s not just a trivia-tastic anthology of remote destinations but a nifty piece of psycho-geography, explaining our human need for these cartographical conundrums.
Tiny Stations – Dixe Wills
Dixe Wills is also exploring little oddities. Following on from Tiny Islands and Tiny Campsites, Tiny Stations sees Wills take a tour of the UK’s rarely used request railway stops – those often created for a particular use or a sole (usually rich) owner. Wills’ journeys may be more curious than compelling but it’s certainly a fun ramble through some of the nation’s more eccentric nooks and crannies.
Savannah Diaries – Brian Jackman
Having spent the past 40 years roaming sub-Saharan Africa, journalist Brian Jackman has finally collected together his experiences of this vast, spectacular region. The Savannah Diaries looks back at Jackman’s explorations, monitoring each region through the decades as the land and its celebrated residents have undergone environmental and conservational change. This is a collection of inspiring, passionate and often rather depressing insights from the real deal.
Kipling and the Sea – Rudyard Kipling and Andrew Lycett
Rudyard Kipling’s stock has diminished along with his (supposedly) beloved Empire, but Kipling and the Sea is an unsinkable reminder of his worth as a travel writer. Collecting together some 50 years of often-beautiful nautical writings, poetry and musings – the hard evidence of long days spent on deck – this book will mist up the glasses of even the saltiest seadog.
