In early 2022, Andrew North was kidnapped by the Taliban. By the time he found himself imprisoned in a jail cell, he had been reporting from Afghanistan for two decades, coming to know hundreds of Afghans along the way. This book brings together both his and their stories.
Urban Good launches London Flipped, the first ever full-size upside down map of London. This innovative map offers a unique perspective on the capital, challenging conventional viewpoints and inviting Londoners and visitors alike to explore the city in a whole new way.
A Fresh Take on London
London Flipped rotates the traditional map of London by 180°, placing south at the top and north at the bottom. This playful yet thought-provoking reorientation is designed to disrupt conventional navigation and encourage users to reimagine their spatial relationships with the city.
Last night we hosted a wonderful conversation with travel writers Ben Aitken and Ash Bhardwaj where they talked about their latest books Here Comes the Fun and Why We Travel. They spoke about discovering the connections between our need for fun and our desire for travel, and exploring how a bit more of each can enrich our lives and boost our wellbeing – without breaking the bank or the planet.
My book,London’s Street Trees, which has just been published in an expanded and revised third edition, sets out to show you that London is in fact an urban arboretum. Any self-respecting botanical collection would be hard-pressed to grow the variety of trees that can be found gracing pavements across town. I reckon there are over 400 different species you can encounter in this great green city. No matter where you live, there are bound to be dozens growing within a few hundred metres of your front door.
To prove my point, I went in search of street trees near Stanfords’ Covent Garden shop. Here are ten different species I found:
Honey Locust (Gleditsia tricanthos) WC1. Image credit Paul Wood
1. Honey Locust, Slingsby Place – Just round the corner from Stanfords an elegant North American honey locust can be seen outside Bill’s restaurant. It is interesting to compare this tree to those on Endell Street, which you should approach with caution: they have weapons- grade thorns growing straight out of their trunks. The Slingsby Place tree is a thornless cultivar, so is a much safer bet for those intent on brushing up on their tree IDs.
We are very excited to have new editions of My Ibiza and My Formentera as our customers love them which we know because they always feature on our list of bestsellers.
These guides are so popular as they are unlike any other guides. Written, produced and illustrated by Hjordis Fogelberg, born and raised on the island of Ibiza, these guides are a personal collection of experiences gathered through trial and error.
Originally started in 2014 as the “My Ibiza & Formentera” guide, and was then split into two separate guides in 2018. Every year the guides are revised and every 2 years a new edition is published.
Currently on display on our gallery wall in the Stanfords Coffee House in our Covent Garden store, is a beautifully curated selection of Mike Hall’s maps.
These bold, colourful illustrated maps of London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London are inspired by colourful, modernist graphic design of the 1950s and 1960s.
Lonely Planet’s Guide to Death, Grief and Rebirth is an illuminating book that reveals how cultures and communities around the world grieve their loved ones – with lessons we can all learn from to help us all live (and die) well.
Divided into four key chapters: Celebrating, Commemorating, Mourning, and Offering, readers will discover resting places, burials, rituals, and symbols that have been associated with death throughout time.
Our Children’s Book of the Month for July is What a Wonderful Wordby Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Luisa Uribe.
Have you ever wished there was a word for friends who are like family to you, or for the way you hesitate when you’ve forgotten someone’s name? Did you know there was a special word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing the toilet? Or for when you search for something in the water using only your feet?
