Browse Results

Showing 5,901 through 5,925 of 9,035 results

The Routledge Handbook of Festivals

by Judith Mair

In recent times, festivals around the world have grown in number due to the increased recognition of their importance for tourism, branding and economic development. Festivals hold multifaceted roles in society and can be staged to bring positive economic impact, for the competitive advantage they lend a destination or to address social objectives. Studies on festivals have appeared in a wide range of disciplines, and consequently, much of the research available is highly fragmented. This handbook brings this knowledge together in one volume, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the most current research, debates and controversies surrounding festivals. It is divided into nine sections that cover a wide range of theories, concepts and contexts, such as sustainability, festival marketing and management, the strategic use of festivals and their future. Featuring a variety of disciplinary, cultural and national perspectives from an international team of authors, this book will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers of event management and will be of interest to scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, geography, marketing, management, psychology and economics.

Routledge Handbook of Hospitality Marketing

by Dogan Gursoy

This handbook analyzes the main issues in the field of hospitality marketing by focusing on past, present and future challenges and trends from a multidisciplinary global perspective. The book uniquely combines both theoretical and practical approaches in debating some of the most important marketing issues faced by the hospitality industry. Parts I and II define and examine the main hospitality marketing concepts and methodologies. Part III offers a comprehensive review of the development of hospitality marketing over the years. The remaining parts (IV–IX) address key cutting-edge marketing issues such as innovation in hospitality, sustainability, social media, peer-to-peer applications, Web 3.0 etc. in a wide variety of hospitality settings. In addition, this book provides a platform for debate and critical evaluation that enables the reader to learn from the industry’s past mistakes as well as future opportunities. The handbook is international in its constitution as it attempts to examine marketing issues, challenges and trends globally, drawing on the knowledge of experts from around the world. Because of the nature of hospitality, which often makes it inseparable from other industries such as tourism, events, sports and even retail, the book has a multidisciplinary approach that will appeal to these disciplines as well as others including management, human resources, technology, consumer behavior and anthropology.

Routledge Handbook of Hospitality Marketing

by Dogan Gursoy

This handbook analyzes the main issues in the field of hospitality marketing by focusing on past, present and future challenges and trends from a multidisciplinary global perspective. The book uniquely combines both theoretical and practical approaches in debating some of the most important marketing issues faced by the hospitality industry. Parts I and II define and examine the main hospitality marketing concepts and methodologies. Part III offers a comprehensive review of the development of hospitality marketing over the years. The remaining parts (IV–IX) address key cutting-edge marketing issues such as innovation in hospitality, sustainability, social media, peer-to-peer applications, Web 3.0 etc. in a wide variety of hospitality settings. In addition, this book provides a platform for debate and critical evaluation that enables the reader to learn from the industry’s past mistakes as well as future opportunities. The handbook is international in its constitution as it attempts to examine marketing issues, challenges and trends globally, drawing on the knowledge of experts from around the world. Because of the nature of hospitality, which often makes it inseparable from other industries such as tourism, events, sports and even retail, the book has a multidisciplinary approach that will appeal to these disciplines as well as others including management, human resources, technology, consumer behavior and anthropology.

The Routledge Handbook of Popular Culture and Tourism

by Christine Lundberg Vassilios Ziakas

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview and holistic analysis of the intersection between tourism and popular culture. It examines current debates, questions and controversies of tourism in the wake of popular culture phenomena and explores the relationships between popular culture, globalization, tourism and mobility. In addition, it offers a cross-disciplinary, cutting edge review of the character of popular cultural production and consumption trends, analyzing their consequences for tourism, spatial strategies and destination competitiveness. The scope of the volume encompasses various expressions of popular culture such as cinema, TV shows, music, literature, sports and heritage. Featuring a mix of theoretical and empirical chapters, the handbook problematizes and conceptualizes the ties and clusters of popular cultural actors, thereby positioning tourism within the wider context of creative economies, cultural planning and multimodal technologies. Written by an international team of academics with expertise in a range of disciplines, this timely book will be of interest to researchers from a variety of subjects including tourism, events, geography, cultural studies, fandom research, political economy, business, media studies and technology.

The Routledge Handbook of Popular Culture and Tourism

by Christine Lundberg Vassilios Ziakas

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview and holistic analysis of the intersection between tourism and popular culture. It examines current debates, questions and controversies of tourism in the wake of popular culture phenomena and explores the relationships between popular culture, globalization, tourism and mobility. In addition, it offers a cross-disciplinary, cutting edge review of the character of popular cultural production and consumption trends, analyzing their consequences for tourism, spatial strategies and destination competitiveness. The scope of the volume encompasses various expressions of popular culture such as cinema, TV shows, music, literature, sports and heritage. Featuring a mix of theoretical and empirical chapters, the handbook problematizes and conceptualizes the ties and clusters of popular cultural actors, thereby positioning tourism within the wider context of creative economies, cultural planning and multimodal technologies. Written by an international team of academics with expertise in a range of disciplines, this timely book will be of interest to researchers from a variety of subjects including tourism, events, geography, cultural studies, fandom research, political economy, business, media studies and technology.

The Routledge Handbook of Second Home Tourism and Mobilities

by C. Michael Hall Dieter Müller

Second homes have become an increasingly important component of both tourism and housing studies. They can directly and indirectly contribute a significant number of domestic and international visitors to destinations and may be part of longer-term retirement, lifestyle and amenity migration that can have significant economic and social effects on communities and destination development. This volume offers an overview of different disciplinary and methodological approaches to second homes while simultaneously providing a broad geographical reach. Divided into four parts exploring governance, development, community and mobile second homes, the book provides a contemporary account of the major issues in an area of growing international interest. This timely handbook covers a wide range of dimensions – from planning to the role of second homes in development and the management of their impact. The international and cross-disciplinary nature of the contributions will be of interest to numerous academic fields in the social sciences, as well as urban and regional planners.

The Routledge Handbook of Second Home Tourism and Mobilities

by C. Michael Hall Dieter K. Müller

Second homes have become an increasingly important component of both tourism and housing studies. They can directly and indirectly contribute a significant number of domestic and international visitors to destinations and may be part of longer-term retirement, lifestyle and amenity migration that can have significant economic and social effects on communities and destination development. This volume offers an overview of different disciplinary and methodological approaches to second homes while simultaneously providing a broad geographical reach. Divided into four parts exploring governance, development, community and mobile second homes, the book provides a contemporary account of the major issues in an area of growing international interest. This timely handbook covers a wide range of dimensions – from planning to the role of second homes in development and the management of their impact. The international and cross-disciplinary nature of the contributions will be of interest to numerous academic fields in the social sciences, as well as urban and regional planners.

The Routledge International Handbook of Walking

by C. Michael Hall Yael Ram Noam Shoval

Walking is an essentially human activity. From a basic means of transport and opportunity for leisure through to being a religious act, walking has served as a significant philosophical, literary and historical subject. Thoreau’s 1851 lecture on Walking or the Romantic walks of the Wordsworths at Grasmere in the early 19th Century, for example, helped create a philosophical foundation for the importance of the act of walking as an act of engagement with nature. Similarly, and sometimes inseparable from secular appreciation, pilgrimage trails provide opportunities for finding self and others in the travails of the walk. More recently, walking has been embraced as a means of encouraging greater health and well-being, community improvement and more sustainable means of travel. Yet despite the significance of the subject of walking there is as yet no integrated treatment of the subject in the social science literature. This handbook therefore brings together a number of the main themes on the study of walking from different disciplines and literatures into a single volume that can be accessed from across the social sciences. It is divided into five main sections: culture, society and historical context; social practices, perceptions and behaviours; hiking trails and pilgrimage routes; health, well-being and psychology; and method, planning and design. Each of these highlights current approaches and major themes in research on walking in a range of different environments. This handbook carves out a unique niche in the study of walking. The international and cross-disciplinary nature of the contributions of the book are expected to be of interest to numerous academic fields in the social and health sciences, as well as to urban and regional planners and those in charge of the management of outdoor recreation and tourism globally.

The Routledge International Handbook of Walking: Leisure, Travel And Wellbeing

by C. Michael Hall Yael Ram Noam Shoval

Walking is an essentially human activity. From a basic means of transport and opportunity for leisure through to being a religious act, walking has served as a significant philosophical, literary and historical subject. Thoreau’s 1851 lecture on Walking or the Romantic walks of the Wordsworths at Grasmere in the early 19th Century, for example, helped create a philosophical foundation for the importance of the act of walking as an act of engagement with nature. Similarly, and sometimes inseparable from secular appreciation, pilgrimage trails provide opportunities for finding self and others in the travails of the walk. More recently, walking has been embraced as a means of encouraging greater health and well-being, community improvement and more sustainable means of travel. Yet despite the significance of the subject of walking there is as yet no integrated treatment of the subject in the social science literature. This handbook therefore brings together a number of the main themes on the study of walking from different disciplines and literatures into a single volume that can be accessed from across the social sciences. It is divided into five main sections: culture, society and historical context; social practices, perceptions and behaviours; hiking trails and pilgrimage routes; health, well-being and psychology; and method, planning and design. Each of these highlights current approaches and major themes in research on walking in a range of different environments. This handbook carves out a unique niche in the study of walking. The international and cross-disciplinary nature of the contributions of the book are expected to be of interest to numerous academic fields in the social and health sciences, as well as to urban and regional planners and those in charge of the management of outdoor recreation and tourism globally.

Royal Events: Rituals, Innovations, Meanings (Routledge Advances in Event Research Series)

by Jennifer Laing Warwick Frost

Royal events such as coronations and jubilees encompass a wide spectrum of planned events involving monarchs and their families that are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. Royal events may have a long heritage, but often involve traditions that are invented, revived or undergoing major innovations in response to changing times or to meet different purposes. The change from absolutism towards constitutional monarchies has seen a shift towards using royal events to promote national identity, community and inclusiveness. While the function and meaning of royal ritual and ceremony is a product of its particular political, economic and cultural context, conversely, royal events are often an influence on the broader milieu. This book is the first to explore royal events within the context of Events Studies, and takes an historical approach, examining the development of royal events through different periods. It starts with four broad pre-modern eras, namely Classical, Byzantine, the Dark Ages and the Medieval Period, then moves through to the early modern dynasties such as the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Bourbons and on to contemporary times, incorporating the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the current reign of Elizabeth II, including the legacy of Diana and an analysis of current issues affecting royal events. Themes emphasised throughout include the institutional dynamism of royalty, the invention of tradition, the ritual structure of events, the impact of the media and the influence of individual tastemakers. This multidisciplinary work will appeal to postgraduate students and academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, history, tourism, events and sociology.

Royal Events: Rituals, Innovations, Meanings (Routledge Advances in Event Research Series)

by Jennifer Laing Warwick Frost

Royal events such as coronations and jubilees encompass a wide spectrum of planned events involving monarchs and their families that are strategically designed to reinforce the role of royalty within social and political structures. Royal events may have a long heritage, but often involve traditions that are invented, revived or undergoing major innovations in response to changing times or to meet different purposes. The change from absolutism towards constitutional monarchies has seen a shift towards using royal events to promote national identity, community and inclusiveness. While the function and meaning of royal ritual and ceremony is a product of its particular political, economic and cultural context, conversely, royal events are often an influence on the broader milieu. This book is the first to explore royal events within the context of Events Studies, and takes an historical approach, examining the development of royal events through different periods. It starts with four broad pre-modern eras, namely Classical, Byzantine, the Dark Ages and the Medieval Period, then moves through to the early modern dynasties such as the Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Bourbons and on to contemporary times, incorporating the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the current reign of Elizabeth II, including the legacy of Diana and an analysis of current issues affecting royal events. Themes emphasised throughout include the institutional dynamism of royalty, the invention of tradition, the ritual structure of events, the impact of the media and the influence of individual tastemakers. This multidisciplinary work will appeal to postgraduate students and academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including cultural studies, history, tourism, events and sociology.

Ruby Red Shoes Goes To Paris (Ruby Red Shoes #2)

by Kate Knapp

Join Ruby Red Shoes on her second adventure: in Paris!Ruby Red Shoes and her grandmother are on holiday in Paris and Ruby is fizzing with excitement as she explores. She practices her best French, eats buttered baguettes, and scoots about with a special new friend who shows her the sights. It's a time she'll treasure forever.Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris is a charming, heartwarming tale about the wonders of travelling, featuring gorgeous full-colour illustrations. This is the second installment in Kate Knapp's Ruby Red Shoes series – find out more about Ruby, her grandmother and her home in the first book in the series: Ruby Red Shoes: A Very Aware Hare.

Ruby Red Shoes: A Very Aware Hare (Ruby Red Shoes #1)

by Kate Knapp

Ruby Red Shoes is a white hare who lives in a prettily painted caravan with her grandmother. Ruby is gentle, cheerful and enchanting. She is a very aware hare and loves animals and people, trees and nature, flowers and sunshine – not forgetting red shoes . . . She also loves to travel! But home is where her heart lies and she loves nothing better than tending to her chickens, drinking peppermint tea and eating strawberry jam.Ruby Red Shoes: A Very Aware Hare is a charming, heartwarming tale about a hare who treats everyone's feelings with great care, featuring gorgeous full-colour illustrations. This is the first installment in Kate Knapp's Ruby Red Shoes series – follow Ruby on her next adventure in Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris.

Rural Tourism: New Concepts, New Research, New Practice

by Bernard Lane and Elisabeth Kastenholz

This book describes, analyses, celebrates and interrogates the rise of rural tourism in the developed world over the last thirty years, while explaining its need to enter a new, second generation of development if it is to remain sustainable in all senses of that word. Contributors include 29 leading researchers, practitioners and commentators from ten countries around the world. Subjects covered include the ongoing evolution of rural tourism as a genre; its numerous niche markets, and market trends; community involvement, and its impacts on rural landscape conservation and society. Special attention is paid to product development in rural tourism, including food and beverage tourism, avitourism and landscape appreciation. Management Issues are also dealt with, as is the impact of internet booking systems on both commercial performance and regional and national rural tourism governance. There is a review of trends in academic research in rural tourism with an analysis of 1848 refereed and published research papers since 2000. This book is a worthy successor to Bramwell & Lane’s pioneering 1994 publication, Rural Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

Rural Tourism: New Concepts, New Research, New Practice

by Bernard Lane Elisabeth Kastenholz

This book describes, analyses, celebrates and interrogates the rise of rural tourism in the developed world over the last thirty years, while explaining its need to enter a new, second generation of development if it is to remain sustainable in all senses of that word. Contributors include 29 leading researchers, practitioners and commentators from ten countries around the world. Subjects covered include the ongoing evolution of rural tourism as a genre; its numerous niche markets, and market trends; community involvement, and its impacts on rural landscape conservation and society. Special attention is paid to product development in rural tourism, including food and beverage tourism, avitourism and landscape appreciation. Management Issues are also dealt with, as is the impact of internet booking systems on both commercial performance and regional and national rural tourism governance. There is a review of trends in academic research in rural tourism with an analysis of 1848 refereed and published research papers since 2000. This book is a worthy successor to Bramwell & Lane’s pioneering 1994 publication, Rural Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

Sagas of Salt and Stone

by Robin Noble

The islands of Orkney are distinct, perhaps that bit wild. Remote, surrounded by an endless ocean and dominated by an infinite sky, which brings either brilliant light or days of wind that makes everything taste of salt. This remarkable landscape has the power to bewitch people, and Robin Noble has been in its thrall for a lifetime.In Sagas of Salt and Stone he takes us on a personal voyage of adventure and discovery of the archipelago, its history, nature and people – from its seabird colonies and startling rock formations to its fishermen's huts and the Ring of Brodgar. Robin reflects on what has changed and is changing in Orkney, sharing stories of golden summer days and relentless winter storms, of past friendships and family travails. He highlights the best that Orkney has to offer and elucidates its power to inspire and to provide succour for troubled souls.Sagas of Salt and Stone is nothing less than his love letter to Orkney and its people."Magical … The lovely style of the author's writing… brings his subjects to life with a lightness of touch and thoughtfulness that succeeds in being both accessible and thought-provoking.” Undiscovered Scotland; "A wonderful and evocative celebration of the land and people of Orkney." Anna Ritchie

Sailing to the Edge of Time: The Promise, the Challenges, and the Freedom of Ocean Voyaging

by John Kretschmer

John Kretschmer is sailing's practical philosopher – as much a doer as a thinker. And that is the overarching theme of this chronicle of a sailing life. Often amusing, sometimes poignant, occasionally terrifying but always inspiring, his deeply personal account is a welcome reminder of the good life waiting at sea. With hundreds of thousands of nautical miles under his keel, John's adventures have taken him several times around the world, with challenging crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, a narrow escape from a coup in Yemen, an unlikely deliverance from a coral reef off Belize as well as more serene, introspective passages where trade winds are blowing and stories are flowing. His crew has included CEOs, actors, writers, teachers, kids – in essence, everyone. John's narrative is interwoven with practical tips and advice in seamanship, but also, and just as importantly, his hard-won insights about making the most of our lives. He truly believes we find out who we really are, and what we are capable of, far from the shackles of land, when we find a place where time changes shape – days may merge into one another, but minutes are memorable. To live adventurously is to live more fully, and that is the life John Kretschmer continues to live. In this book he shares his simple profundities that will inspire those who live to sail, and those seeking something more rewarding from life.

The Salt Path: The uplifting true story. A Sunday Times Bestseller. Shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize

by Raynor Winn

The uplifting true tale of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey of salvation across the windswept South West coastline. Now a Top Ten Sunday Times Bestseller'The landscape is magical: shape-shifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely . . . It's a tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything . . . home was no longer about bricks and mortar. It was a state of mind' The Sunday Times Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable journey.The Salt Path is an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world. Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told.' Jackie Morris

Scientific Practices in European History, 1200-1800: A Book of Texts

by Peter Dear

Scientific Practices in European History, 1200–1800 presents and situates a collection of extracts from both widely known texts by such figures as Copernicus, Newton, and Lavoisier, and lesser known but significant items, all chosen to provide a perspective on topics in social, cultural and intellectual history and to illuminate the concerns of the early modern period. The selection of extracts highlights the emerging technical preoccupations of this period, while the accompanying introductions and annotations make these occasionally complex works accessible to students and non-specialists. The book follows a largely chronological sequence and helps to locate scientific ideas and practices within broader European history. The primary source materials in this collection stand alone as texts in themselves, but in illustrating the scientific components of early modern societies they also make this book ideal for teachers and students of European history.

Scientific Practices in European History, 1200-1800: A Book of Texts

by Peter Dear

Scientific Practices in European History, 1200–1800 presents and situates a collection of extracts from both widely known texts by such figures as Copernicus, Newton, and Lavoisier, and lesser known but significant items, all chosen to provide a perspective on topics in social, cultural and intellectual history and to illuminate the concerns of the early modern period. The selection of extracts highlights the emerging technical preoccupations of this period, while the accompanying introductions and annotations make these occasionally complex works accessible to students and non-specialists. The book follows a largely chronological sequence and helps to locate scientific ideas and practices within broader European history. The primary source materials in this collection stand alone as texts in themselves, but in illustrating the scientific components of early modern societies they also make this book ideal for teachers and students of European history.

A Scottish Journey: Personal Impressions of Modern Scotland

by James McEnaney

‘Scotland as I saw it on this journey is vibrant and exciting and very much alive, a tartan patchwork of the past, present and future of the country woven together by all those people who have ever called it ‘home’ and all the others who will.’ James McEnaney sees Scotland as a ‘complicated and conflicted place’ that needs a disruption of the status quo. He presents the country as he found it on his journey – struggling with contemporary mistakes and historic wrongs, but also bustling with energy and expectation, ultimately offering glimpses of the better, brighter future which might just be on the way.

The Sea Takes No Prisoners: Offshore voyages in an open dinghy

by Peter Clutterbuck

This is a classic real-life story of derring do on the high seas, complete with extreme risk, last-minute ingenuity and many near-misses. Beginning in the 1960s, this book tells of the real life adventures of the author as a boy – a time of boarding schools, long holidays and an unbelievable (to today's parents) amount of freedom and danger. Encouraged by his parents (who lived abroad) to become more independent and self-sufficient, Peter decided to see how far he could get in his family's small open dinghy Calypso. Aged 16, he spent a winter restoring her, before pootling straight out into a force 7 gale and very nearly capsizing, after which he headed back to land to plan even more extreme adventures. Calypso was a Wayfarer, a small (16ft) and very popular class of open dinghy; a boat designed for pottering around coastlines and estuaries during the day. But along with the occasional brave crewmate, Peter managed to sail her across the Channel, through the Bay of Biscay, down the French canals and into the Mediterranean, then up into the North Sea and the Baltic to Oslo, living aboard for three months at a time. These were some of the longest voyages that anyone had ever achieved in an open boat, where (as Peter says) you 'have to be like a tightrope walker, concentrating on balance day and night, fully aware of the consequence of relaxing your vigilance'. He survived huge waves, nine rudder breakages in heavy seas, dismasting, capsizes, and hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation. He also managed it on a tiny budget, working as a farm labourer, hitchhiking everywhere, and at times living on one meal of cereal a day, to save the maximum amount for his boat. Charming, quite British in style, beautifully written and a lovely insight into a seemingly golden time, this is primarily a great read, but will be of huge practical use to anyone wanting to go that bit further in their dinghy. It also includes a lovely Foreword by world-famous yachtsman Brian Thompson.

The Sea Takes No Prisoners: Offshore voyages in an open dinghy

by Peter Clutterbuck

This is a classic real-life story of derring do on the high seas, complete with extreme risk, last-minute ingenuity and many near-misses. Beginning in the 1960s, this book tells of the real life adventures of the author as a boy – a time of boarding schools, long holidays and an unbelievable (to today's parents) amount of freedom and danger. Encouraged by his parents (who lived abroad) to become more independent and self-sufficient, Peter decided to see how far he could get in his family's small open dinghy Calypso. Aged 16, he spent a winter restoring her, before pootling straight out into a force 7 gale and very nearly capsizing, after which he headed back to land to plan even more extreme adventures. Calypso was a Wayfarer, a small (16ft) and very popular class of open dinghy; a boat designed for pottering around coastlines and estuaries during the day. But along with the occasional brave crewmate, Peter managed to sail her across the Channel, through the Bay of Biscay, down the French canals and into the Mediterranean, then up into the North Sea and the Baltic to Oslo, living aboard for three months at a time. These were some of the longest voyages that anyone had ever achieved in an open boat, where (as Peter says) you 'have to be like a tightrope walker, concentrating on balance day and night, fully aware of the consequence of relaxing your vigilance'. He survived huge waves, nine rudder breakages in heavy seas, dismasting, capsizes, and hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation. He also managed it on a tiny budget, working as a farm labourer, hitchhiking everywhere, and at times living on one meal of cereal a day, to save the maximum amount for his boat. Charming, quite British in style, beautifully written and a lovely insight into a seemingly golden time, this is primarily a great read, but will be of huge practical use to anyone wanting to go that bit further in their dinghy. It also includes a lovely Foreword by world-famous yachtsman Brian Thompson.

The Sealwoman's Gift: the Zoe Ball book club novel of 17th century Iceland

by Sally Magnusson

'A remarkable feat of imagination ... I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent1627. In a notorious historical event, pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 people into slavery in Algiers. Among them a pastor, his wife, and their children.In her acclaimed debut novel Sally Magnusson imagines what history does not record: the experience of Asta, the pastor's wife, as she faces her losses with the one thing left to her - the stories from home - and forges an ambiguous bond with the man who bought her. Uplifting, moving, and sharply witty, The Sealwoman's Gift speaks across centuries and oceans about loss, love, resilience and redemption.SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN | THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD | THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE | THE PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE | THE WAVERTON GOOD READ AWARD | A ZOE BALL ITV BOOK CLUB PICK'Sally Magnusson has taken an amazing true event and created a brilliant first novel. It's an epic journey in every sense: although it's historical, it's incredibly relevant to our world today. We had to pick it' Zoe Ball Book Club'A powerful tale of Barbary pirates ... richly imagined and energetically told' Sunday Times 'An extraordinarily immersive read ... examining themes of motherhood, identity, exile and freedom' Guardian'Fascinating ... a really, really good read' BBC R2 Book Club'The best sort of historical novel' Scotsman 'A lyrical tale' Stylist 'A poetic retelling of Icelandic history' Daily Mail 'Compelling stuff' Good Housekeeping'Icelandic history has been brought to extraordinary life... An accomplished and intelligent novel' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, author of Why Did You Lie?'Vivid and compelling' Adam Nichols, co-translator of The Travels of Reverend Ólafur Egilsson

The Secret Surfer

by Iain Gately

SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARDS. Recovering from a hip replacement operation, and suffering from a mid-life crisis, Iain Gately sets out to catch a tube. This is no London underground train, but rather that evanescent space, beneath the lip of a breaking wave, that every surfer yearns to visit. In all his years of surfing, Iain Gately has never caught one. He realises it is now or never. His quest takes him to the Atlantic beaches of England's West Country, and to the sandbars and reefs of Galicia and the Canary Island. By turns funny, energetic and inspiring, The Secret Surfer is a tale of self-knowledge through endeavour, a beguiling blend of black humour, adventure and soul searching. Above all, it is a rousing call to all of us not to give up too soon.

Refine Search

Showing 5,901 through 5,925 of 9,035 results