Last week we hosted an event with Ed Peppitt where he spoke about his new book The Beacon Bike: Around England and Wales in 327 Lighthouses.
Author Talk: The Beacon Bike by Ed Peppitt
Author: Jude Brosnan
Children’s Book of the Month: Children of the World
Our Children’s Book of the Month is Children of the World by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.
Discover what daily life is like for children across the world as we explore everything from food to family, and learn how to greet new friends in lots of different languages.
See where it’s polite to slurp your food and bad manners to give the thumbs up, and find out where you might travel to school by cable car or sleep on an oven bed at night!
Continue reading Children’s Book of the Month: Children of the World
Book of the Month: A History of the World in 47 Borders
Our Book of the Month for May is A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps by Jonn Elledge.
People have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been maps to draw on. Sometimes rooted in physical geography, sometimes entirely arbitrary, these lines might often have looked very different if a war or treaty or the decisions of a handful of tired Europeans had gone a different way. By telling the stories of these borders, we can learn a lot about how political identities are shaped, why the world looks the way it does – and about the scale of human folly.
From the Roman attempts to define the boundaries of civilisation, to the secret British-French agreement to carve up the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, to the reason why landlocked Bolivia still maintains a navy, this is a fascinating, witty and surprising look at the history of the world told through its borders.
‘Fascinating and hugely entertaining’ – Marina Hyde
‘By turns surprising, funny, bleak, ridiculous, or all four of those at once’ – Gideon Defoe.
A History of the World in 47 Borders is available now for £25. Our copies are signed by the author while stocks last.
Map of the Month: London Greenground Map
Our Map of the Month for May is the London Greenground Map by graphic designer and map maker Helen Ilus.
Exclusive to Stanfords this Spring/ Summer.
The London Greenground Map is the largest greenground map to date – connecting 1,200 green spaces with 20 inspirational lines for exploring the London-wide network of parks, rivers, nature reserves, woods and wetlands. Covering all London boroughs so that every neighbourhood can find nature on their doorstep.
Three Enchanting Islands to visit in the Mediterranean
Travel with Laura Coffey through Greek Myth with Enchanted Islands, a magical story of love, loss and the real-life islands that inspired the oldest travel story of all time…
A lyrical odyssey about love, loss and Greek myth, Enchanted Islands is a new book that weaves together Laura’s experience navigating heartbreak and grief with her quest to map the real-life islands that inspired the wanderings of Homer’s epic hero, Odysseus. Stephen Fry called it “magical and captivating – hugely recommended” It’s not remotely academic, and you don’t need to know anything about Greek myth to enjoy it.
“If you love memoir and Greek mythology this is a delight. Coffey escapes a grim and lonely pandemic for volcanos and orange-blossom brioche, kingfishers and tales of Circe. But life lies ready to sting, like the Medusa jellyfish she encounters on her evening swims. A spellbinding book about growing up, grieving and the Gods” ― Clare Pollard, author of Delphi
Stanfords fans will love this book because it blends together travel and maps, two of our favourite things. And interestingly none of the islands Laura visited were in modern-day Greece. You’ll need to read the book to find out where she went…
Author Talk: Taking the Risk with Hilary Bradt
Last night we hosted a sold out event with Hilary Bradt in conversation with Matthew Parris as they discussed her new book and our April Book of the Month Taking the Risk: My adventures in travel and publishing.
Book Launch: A History of the World in 47 Borders by Jonn Elledge
Last night we hosted the launch of a very “Stanfords’ book; A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps by Jonn Elledge.
Book Launch: The Innocents by Bridget Walsh
Last week we hosted the launch of The Innocents by Bridget Walsh
Stanfords Staff Selects: Books for Earth Day
To commemorate Earth Day, seven members of our Stanfords team have picked one thought-provoking book that celebrates the environmental global movement and highlights the importance of protecting our planet.
Faye picked:
by Isabel Losada
£12.99
“This book was immensely liberating for me. It was the first time I felt like knowledge is power. I am excited to spread the word of Isabel Losada.”
Continue reading Stanfords Staff Selects: Books for Earth DayHappy Trig Week/ Our bestselling OS Explorer Maps
On 18 April 1936 a group of surveyors gathered around a white concrete pillar in a field in Ashby and began the retriangulation of Great Britain.
That trig pillar is still standing 88 years on, along with thousands more around the country. Still much loved by walkers today, Trig Bagging is a growing hobby. Just search for the red triangles on your Ordnance Survey maps.
If you fancy going Trig Bagging, here are our bestselling Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps of 2024 (so far):
Continue reading Happy Trig Week/ Our bestselling OS Explorer Maps