Jude Brosnan

Guest Post from Clare Hammond author of ‘On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey Through Occupied Myanmar’

Being a map and travel bookshop, we are famous for showing people the world from the comfort of their armchairs. When we can’t travel somewhere, we really rely on maps, books and travel writers to help us learn about the history of a country and its people so we can keep ourselves informed. A perfect example of this is Clare Hammonds new book On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey Through Occupied Myanmar. Here she shares with us some things she has learnt while travelling by rail around Myanmar.

Tips for rail travel in Myanmar

By Clare Hammond

In 2016, while working as a journalist in Myanmar, I came across an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country – railways not shown on any other publicly available maps at the time.

It inspired me to pack a small backpack and set out on a three-month journey to piece together the story of why these mysterious railways were built. This journey would transform my understanding not only of Myanmar’s modern history but also of Britain’s colonial past. I hope my new book, On the Shadow Tracks, will inspire others to discover more about this shared history, including by (one day) travelling to Myanmar. Which brings me to my first tip for rail travel…

Author Event: High Caucasus by Tom Parfitt

To celebrate the paperback launch of this 2024 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, Travel Book of the Year shortlisted book, Tom Parfitt came to Stanfords last night to talk to Tom de Waal about High Caucasus. It was such a fascinating, moving and sobering evening hearing these two experts on the region talk about reminiscences and predictions.

Map of the Month: Philip’s RGS Outdoor Britain

Our Map of the Month for July is the Philip’s RGS Outdoor Britain: An Atlas for Adventure.

Ever wanted to explore Britain’s finest National Parks, go surfing on the best beaches or follow the Pilgrims’ Trail? Philip’s RGS Outdoor Britain maps it all, from the majestic heights of the Scottish Highlands to the lush valleys of Wales and all the heritage and activities in between.

This ultimate outdoor companion clearly illustrates all the parks, trails, long distance footpaths, pilgrim routes and much more. So grab your boots (or swimmers), pack your rucksack, and reconnect with nature.

Contains information on the following:

Book of the Month: Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield

Our Book of the Month for July is Storm Pegs: A Life Made In Shetland by Jen Hadfield.

In her late twenties, celebrated poet Jen Hadfield moved to the Shetland archipelago to make her life anew. A scattering of islands at the northernmost point of the United Kingdom, frequently cut off from the mainland by storms, Shetland is a place of Vikings and myths, of ancient languages and old customs, of breathtaking landscapes and violent weather. It has long fascinated travellers seeking the edge of the world.

Author Talk: Atlas of Imagined Cities by Matt Brown, Rhys B. Davies and Mike Hall

Last night we welcomed the award winning team from Atlas of Imagined Cities, Matt Brown, Rhys B. Davies and Mike Hall to Stanfords for a fun filled evening.

Following the success of their Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award winning previous book Atlas Of Imagined Places, this new atlas looks specifically at cities.

From the Ghostbusters HQ in New York to Nemo’s fish tank in Sydney, from the Phantom of the Opera’s Parisian lair to scenes from Grand Theft Auto in LA, this is an amazing atlas of imaginary locations in real-life cities around the world. Locations from film, TV, books, computer games and comics are ingeniously plotted on a series of beautiful vintage-looking maps.

Stanford’s New Two Inch Map of London and its Environs. 1913

We are about to celebrate the 111th birthday of our Stanford’s New Two Inch Map of London and its Environs, 1913.

Published by Edward Stanford Ltd, 12,13 & 14 Long Acre . W.C . 1st July 1913.

This map from our Edward Stanford Cartographic Collection archive shows the capital the year before WW1 broke out at a scale of two inches to one mile.

Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common sitting just outside the thick red line showing the Boundary of the Administrative Country of London

A thick red line shows the Boundary of the Administrative Country of London while a thinner red line shows the Boundary of the City of London.

Edwardian London saw a great deal of new building development which was halted by WW1 so not too many major changes would have occurred to this map for a few years.

Independent Bookshop Week

Independent Bookshop Week 2024 was last week: Saturday 15 – Saturday 22 June and our owner Vivien Godfrey has written a few words of thanks to all our wonderful customers:

-by Vivien Godfrey

Launched in 2006 Independent Bookshop Week (IBW) is a celebration of independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland. Here at Stanfords IBW is very important to us because it highlights the vital role independent bookshops like us play in their communities, it also gives us a chance to thank all our customers for choosing us.

Since 1853, explorers, adventurers and authors have relied on the expert knowledge of our staff to help them plan expeditions and write books. As an independent bookshop with rent, taxes and expert staff (many of whom have worked for Stanfords for over 30 years) we have expenses that web only businesses do not have.

Author Event: Lost Paths by Jack Cornish

Last night we hosted an event with Jack Cornish and heard all about his new book Lost Paths.

Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths reach into, and connect, communities across England and Wales. By 2026, 10,000 miles of undiscovered footpaths around Britain stand to be lost. Jack Cornish has dedicated the last five years of his life to walking these forgotten routes, and this book, The Lost Paths, is the result. It is Jack Cornish’s hope that The Lost Paths will show just how special these forgotten rights of way are, and how embedded each path is in the history of Britain.

Footpaths, tracks, country lanes and urban streets illuminate how our ancestors interacted with and shaped their landscapes in the pursuit of commerce, salvation, escape, war, and leisure. Paths are an often-overlooked part of our everyday life and our country’s history, crucial to understanding the cultural and environmental history of us in the landscape.

After dedicating his time and energy to fighting for their survival, The Lost Paths is Jack’s personal journey and exploration of the deep history of English and Welsh footways. This narrative history takes us through ancient forests, exposed mountainsides, urban back streets and coastal vistas to reveal how this millennia-old network was created and has been transformed.

This is a celebration of an ancient network and a rallying cry to reclaim what has been lost and preserve it for future generations.

The Lost Paths is available now for £20. We have signed copies while stocks last.

Read a Guest Blog Post from Jack Cornish about Ways to Spot a Lost Path.

Book Launch: Children of the Volcano by Ros Belford

Last night we hosted the launch of Ros Belford’s new book Children of the Volcano: Finding Freedom and Making a Home for Three in Sicily.

This is an uplifting, humorous memoir of a mother building a new life on a beautiful Sicilian island.

Reeling from a broken relationship, Ros Belford decides the best chance she has of healing, while giving her daughters a childhood to remember, is to move to Italy and live by the sea.

After a false start in a town where machismo is ingrained, they find the small, lush, delightful island of Salina. Izzy and Juno grow up playing on the beach, learning to swim over volcanic bubbles, hearing tales of Aeolian witches and watching Stromboli erupt on the horizon. It is not entirely paradise, however. The school is atrocious, there are power cuts and an earthquake, and property speculators threaten the island’s fragile beauty. But an eclectic community of islanders take them to their hearts, friendships are forged and Salina becomes home.

Full of humanity, vitality, honesty and optimism, Children of the Volcano is for anyone unwilling to give up dreams of adventure and excitement simply because of parenthood, lack of money and not getting things right the first time.

Children of the Volcano by Ros Belford is available now for £19.99. We have signed copies while stocks last.

Guest post: Tom Chesshyre takes us all aboard for a midlife ride… to Istanbul and back

-by Tom Chesshyre.

You don’t have to be a backpacker on a gap year setting out to ‘find yourself’ to enjoy an Interrailing adventure in Europe. You’re still allowed a bit of self-discovery along the tracks later in life. Nothing wrong with that. Just hop on board and follow the classic route of the inaugural Orient Express in 1883 from Paris to Istanbul along the tracks taken by the great and the good during train travel’s golden age

THIS book began on a park bench in London’s Soho, not far from Stanfords’ excellent Covent Garden shop – in the company of an old university pal.

We were drinking Red Stripe lagers and discussing this and that: the state of the world (not so great), Britain (ditto), modern life in general and how we were faring with it (at the beck and call of emails and various other little electronic messages).

We had both just passed 50. We both felt the urge to ‘break free’ for a while. Circumstances (and tolerant people around us) would allow us to do this. We both enjoyed trains. We both loved Europe. And there they were: Europe’s train tracks, lying across the Channel waiting to be explored; cheaply, thanks to an Interrail promotion.