Stanfords Blog

Top 3 Birds in South America

My Top Three Birds in South America

by Michael Webster, author of The Condor’s Feather

For five years we followed and filmed birds the length of the continent. We started in Tierra del Fuego and blazed trails in our Toyota Hilux along the length of the Andes all the way to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. We survived dust storms in Patagonia, treacherous floods in the rainforests, slept in sub-zero temperatures with the aid of oxygen masks and finally were inches away from being swept out to sea. It was our love for birds and supporting those protecting them that kept us going. Out of a list of a thousand species seen here are the three species that resonate in my memories.

Five Favourite Children’s Books with Maps in them

Our Children’s Book of the Month is the very fitting for Stanfords The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant. We return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to ‘The Hatmakers’. Here, Tamzin tells us about her favourite children’s books featuring maps.

Five Otherlands to Visit Across Deep Time

Our Book of the Month for February 2022 is Otherlands: A World in the Making by Thomas Halliday. It is an epic, exhilarating journey into deep time, showing us the Earth as it used to exist, and the worlds that were here before ours. Travelling back in time to the dawn of complex life, and across all seven continents, award-winning young palaeobiologist Thomas Halliday gives us a mesmerising up close encounter with eras that are normally unimaginably distant.

In this guest blog post, Halliday explores five otherlands to visit across deep time.

Children’s Book of the Month: The Mapmakers

Stanfords Children’s Book of the Month for February 2022 is The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant, illustrated by Paola Escobar. All our copies are signed by the author.

Return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker in this soaring magical sequel to The Hatmakers. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor, A Pinch of Magic and Harry Potter.

Map of the Month: 1904 Stanford’s Map of the Siberian Railway

Our Map of the Month for February 2022 is the 1904 Stanford’s Map of the Siberian Railway.

The Stanford’s Map of the Siberian Railway is from a fascinating series of reproductions from our Edward Stanford Cartographic Collection archive.

Depicting the great land route to China and Korea, this map was published by Edward Stanford, Long Acre on the 1st February 1904.

This vital rail route was also known as the Moscow Highway or the Tea Route because of the large quantities of tea exported from China. It connected European Russia to Siberia and China. Construction started in 1730 and was not completed until the mid 19th-century.

Book of the Month: Otherlands

Our Book of the Month for February 2022 is ‘Otherlands: A World in the Making’ by Thomas Halliday.

‘Otherlands’ is an epic, exhilarating journey into deep time, showing us the Earth as it used to exist, and the worlds that were here before ours. Travelling back in time to the dawn of complex life, and across all seven continents, award-winning young palaeobiologist Thomas Halliday gives us a mesmerising up close encounter with eras that are normally unimaginably distant.

Walking Safaris in the Wild Heart of Kenya

Author Denis Costello follows the tracks to Kenya’s finest walking safari destination

-By Denis Costello, co-author of Walking Safaris of South Africa

If setting out with the right attitude is the first step to a successful journey, then travelling to the right altitude is the key to walking safari heaven. Nowhere proves this better than Kenya, where most safaris are at a higher elevation than Ben Nevis, and in Kenya the perfect intersection of biodiversity and walking conditions is found in the country’s heartland on the Laikipia Plateau.

The Fairy Tellers’ Trail

The Stanford Dolman Award winning author, Nicholas Jubber’s new book The Fairy Tellers: A Journey into the Secret History of Fairy Tales looks at the global origins of the fairy tales we all know so well.

Here, Nicholas takes us on a brief fairy tellers’ trail:

How to Live Icelandic

How to Live Icelandic is the ultimate insider’s guide to the northerly nation of Iceland. Written by Icelanders Nína Björk Jónsdóttir and Edda Magnus, this book is your one-stop guide to all things Icelandic,so the world can benefit from the special blend of old Norse wisdom with liberal modern attitudes. This beautiful book is full of inspiration and insight into this progressive and peaceful nation that has freedom, community and equality at its core, revealing why Iceland remains one of the happiest countries in the world.

Nina and Edda have put together their Top 5 insights that everyone should know about Iceland.

Children’s Book of the Month: The Last Bear

Stanfords Children’s Book of the Month for January 2022 is The Last Bear by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold.

There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life…