Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The British Isles, A History of Four Nations
by Hugh Kearney
The Celts, Romans, Vikings, Normans and modern immigrants all make an appearance in this Canto Classics edition of Kearney's elegant and revisionist history of not just the English but also of the Scots, Welsh and Irish.
Eyewitness Guide Great Britain
by Eyewitness Guides
With 1,400 photos, maps and excellent introductory chapters, this guide offers both a general overview of Great Britain and a region-by-region look at its attractions.
Looking for Class, Days and Nights at Oxford and Cambridge
by Bruce Feiler
A witty, charming and astutely observed account of an American graduate student's year spent in the halls of England's most prestigious academic institutions.
Oxford, A Cultural Guide
by Martin Garrett
In this entertaining and brief guide to Oxford, Martin Garrett focuses on what makes Oxford -- Oxford. He takes readers from Oxford's days as an Anglo-Saxon outpost through the 20th century.
Great Britain and Ireland Map
by Kunth Verlag
A nicely detailed map showing both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:800,000.
Slow Cotswolds
by Caroline Mills
Connect with the people, places, environment and heritage of the Cotswolds and discover for yourself the well-known sights and the unsung delights of the English countryside -- not to mention the foibles of the locals -- in this personable guide.
Shakespeare, A Life
by Park Honan
A delightful, informative and up-to-date biography of The Bard, his life, work and times.
The Story of England
by Christopher Hibbert
Beautifully illustrated with color pictures, chronological charts, royal genealogies and maps, this popular history of English politics, economics and culture from the Neolithic Age to the 1990s is an excellent travel companion.
In Search of England
by H.V. Morton, Jan Morris (Introduction)
The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings through the English countryside in the early days of the motorcar. Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture and history of the place with his own keen observations.
A Writer's House in Wales
by Jan Morris
In this extended essay, Morris uses her much-loved 18th-century house as a point of departure for a meditation on Welsh identity.
The Shepherd's Life, A Tale of the Lake District
by James Rebanks
The owner of a family farm in the Lake District, James Rebanks covers the shepherd's way of life that he inherited from his father and grandfather, giving voice to his unique connection to the land and its history. Rebanks is a graduate of Oxford and an advisor to UNESCO.
The Wild Places
by Robert Macfarlane
MacFarlane climbs, walks and swims by day and spends his nights sleeping on cliff-tops and in ancient meadows and wildwoods in this marvelous exploration of the nature of the British Isles.
Angry Island, Hunting the English
by A. A. Gill
The splendidly irreverent London critic A.A. Gill includes scathing chapters on voice, humor, drink, animals, garden, sport and class in this comic manual to the English.
The Beatles in Liverpool: The Stories, the Scene, and the Path to Stardom
by Spencer Leigh
This slim biography explores Liverpool’s influence on the young Beatles and charts the seminal moments of one of history’s most revered rock bands.
Kingdom by the Sea
by Paul Theroux
This time, the prolific writer recounts a coastal journey around the British Isles in 1982, displaying his occasional ill temper alongside his celebrated ability to combine social history with a good old-fashioned traveler's tale.
A Concise History of Wales
by Geraint H. Jenkins
This brief, authoritative history of Wales and Welsh identity from prehistory to the present is by Garaint Jenkins, longtime director of the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies.
Cider With Rosie
by Laurie Lee
In this memoir of growing up in a small, remote village in the Cotswolds -- set against the backdrop of the First World War -- Lee captures an all-but-vanished rural way of life. Originally published in 1959.
The English Cathedral
by Peter Marlow
In this photographic tribute to each of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals (including the great UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Durham and Canterbury) award-winning photographer Peter Marlow evokes the greatness and humbling power of each magnificent building.
Londoners
by Craig Taylor
Drawing on the unforgettable stories of nearly 100 Londoners, Taylor provides a rich and vivid kaleidoscopic view of modern-day London through the diverse voices of those who, regardless of whether they love or hate it, capture the heart and soul of one of the world's greatest cities.
At Home with Beatrix Potter, The Creator of Peter Rabbit
by Susan Denyer
A photographic tour through Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's beautiful home in England's Lake District.
