Civil War Reading

Today let me recommend two good books about a pivotal event in US history, the American Civil War. Both of these books are rather hefty volumes (totalling over 1600 pages between them) which makes the ongoing winter evenings a perfect time to tackle them. Continue reading Civil War Reading

A short visit to Mississippi

By Gregor Swiderek

Mississippi has a problem with its reputation. Most visitors to the US either completely forget about its existence, or worse, have such a bad and prejudicial view of the Magnolia State that they give it a wide berth. So let me write a few words about it.

We got to Mississi ppi driving south from Memphis on the Interstate 55 and our entry was, lets say, less than grand. The state boundary cuts across the far outskirts of Memphis so the only way of knowing that you have crossed it is to look for a small sign on the side of the suburban looking freeway indicating the beginning of the DeSoto County.

After this less than spectacular welcome we booked ourselves into a motel in the small town of Senatobia, 26 miles from the border. We stayed on its outskirts in yet another cluster of chain motels and fast food establishments next to the freeway exit. For example our motel (Days Inn) had a franchise of the Waffle House on site and was next to three big gas stations as well as branches of Pizza Hut, KFC, Wendy’s, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and Subway. So far, so boring.

But the following day things got much better. For a start the I-55 happened to be way more scenic than I thought it would be. Looking at the road map I was expecting a flat and straight freeway running along the fields and farms, instead we got gently undulating and quite heavily forested landscapes all the way to Jackson. Continue reading A short visit to Mississippi

Book Review: American History books by Nick Bunker, Dan Snow and Lawrence N. Powell

by Gregor Swiderek        

Even when I’m not travelling to America I continue reading books on that subject. Today I would like to share with you three fascinating titles about the early colonial history of America. The first two especially are close to my interests as they investigate in depth early British – American links.

So, the first book I would like to mention is Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World by Nick Bunker. It describes in great detail the crucial events of the late 16th and early 17th centuries which lead to the establishment of the Plymouth Plantation by the “pilgrims”. Actually, this book is as much about British history as it is about American. In fact it probably tells us more about Britain and Europe in those years than about America. The book concentrates on the Puritan movement which developed at that time and which flourished in a few regions of England from where the majority of the influential pilgrims came from. Bunker concentrates on Nottinghamshire and some parts of Sussex. He also describes the political and religious situation in Britain in those years as well as the European wars, politics and economy (which all contributed to establishing New Plymouth). This book is well researched and investigates many different angles to an otherwise well known but often simplified and stereotypical story of the pilgrims. There is for example a great chapter describing puritans exiled in Leiden which provides great insight into Dutch history and British – Dutch links. Continue reading Book Review: American History books by Nick Bunker, Dan Snow and Lawrence N. Powell

Book review: Jean-Claude Izzo’s Garlic, Mint, & Sweet Basil

Tim Cleary reviews the late Jean-claude Izzo’s collection of essays about Marseilles, European Capital of Culture 2013..

A few years ago I read, in translation, an honest and quite hard-hitting novel about a formerly “respectable” man who travels south through France– now as a tramp – to see the sun of his beloved Marseilles before he dies. A Sun For the Dying had an impact on me as a humane look at what matters most when you have nothing left at all. I had plans to read more novels by the late Marseillais author,Jean-Claude Izzo (1945 – 2000), and to try to tackle his Marseilles Trilogy as the seminal texts of the Mediterranean Noir movement, but other interests and ideas distracted me.

It was with delight then that I saw, recently, on display in a bookshop, the sky-blue cover of a posthumously published collection of essays by the same author.Garlic, Mint, & Sweet Basil, published by Europa Editions in May this year, set my mind racing about the least French of the French cities, her ties to the other shores of the Mediterranean and the cultural impact of this openness and cultural contact on the inhabitants of this port. Continue reading Book review: Jean-Claude Izzo’s Garlic, Mint, & Sweet Basil

Top 5 Valentine's Day Gifts for Him and Her

The most romantic day of the year is fast approaching, and no doubt you’re thinking of sourcing a travel or literary-themed gift for your loved one. To help make things a little easier, we’ve compiled our top five Valentine’s Day gifts for him and her:

Valentine’s gifts for him:

Stanfords World Map Wallet

1. Stanfords World Map Wallet

Launched only at the start of this year, the Stanfords World Map Wallet celebrates the world as it appeared in the early 1920s, with Europe on the wallet’s cover and Africa on the inside – two continents that have undergone huge changes and that, incidentally, will now do an excellent job storing your other half’s change. Two full-size partitions provide space for banknotes, while two front pockets will happily accommodate credit cards.

> Buy the Stanfords World Map Wallet! Continue reading Top 5 Valentine's Day Gifts for Him and Her

Our Top 7 Reads for 2013

Stanfords staff reveal which books they’re looking forward to reading in 2013:

Alone on the Ice

David Mantero

Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration, David Roberts

David, our travel guides specialist, is looking forward to the release of David Roberts’ Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration – a confident title for a story that, at first glance, is scarcely believable. In January 1913, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition was pulling a sledge towards base camp, 100 miles away. Suddenly, the dogs at the front were gone, and not long after, Douglas Mawson, the expedition’s leader, fell through the same snow bridge. An extraordinary tale of survival followed. Despite crawling for much of the way and the soles of his feet detaching from the rest of his body, a skeletal Mawson arrived at base camp, against all odds, just over three weeks later. With the release of this book, David believes Mawson may become one of polar exploration’s legendary figures. Continue reading Our Top 7 Reads for 2013

Top 5 Stocking Fillers

We take a look inside the Stanfords online Christmas store one final time to reveal the top five stocking filler ideas.

Mini Hottie Union Jack

1. Union Jack Mini Hottie Hand Warmer

Keep the spirit of 2012 alive – and your hands warm – with this Union Jack-decorated self-heating hand warmer. Resembling a miniature hot water bottle wrapped up in a tiny knitted roll-neck cover, the hand warmer itself consists of a PVC pouch filled with gel. Inside the gel is a small metal disc – click this with your fingers and the pack will gently warm up – as if by magic – keeping your fingers toasty in the freezing winter weather for minutes on end. After it finally runs out and you want to use it again, simply pop the pouch in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes.

> Buy the Union Jack Mini Hottie Hand Warmer! Continue reading Top 5 Stocking Fillers

Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Kids

The latest excursion into the Stanfords online Christmas store reveals the top 10 Christmas gift ideas for kids.

Animal Hands

1. Animal Hands

What’s your child’s favourite animal? A giraffe perhaps, or a zebra? Maybe even a slithery snake… whichever species from the animal kingdom your little one prefers, they’ll love Animal Hands – a set of eight temporary finger puppet tattoos featuring entire animal faces and their iconic markings and colours. Suitable for all the family, all you need to bring them to life is a splash of water and your hands – it’s that simple. If your house feels a bit like a farmyard on Christmas Day, it certainly will do now! Perfectly safe for little hands, full instructions are included.

> Buy Animal Hands! Continue reading Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Kids