Recently updated on January 17th, 2020 at 11:19 pm
Our Travel Directors are avid readers. They know one of the best ways to soak up the essence of a region or city is through a powerful novel or fascinating account set there. So we’ve asked for their recommendations of engrossing reads that get you under the skin of the destinations they know so well.
Eve Hand recommends Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks
Destinations : Ireland
“…captures the small town feel of a country of almost 6 million inhabitants…encounters reveal the charm and warmth of the Irish.”
After a drunken bet, Tony Hawks literally travelled around Ireland with a fridge. Needless to say, a month spent on the road with his frosty companion provided the perfect set-up for amusing, touching and even surreal encounters with the locals. Ideal travel reading for those who like a lot of humour – from belly laughs to wry smiles – to go with their insights into regional sensibilities.
Veronica Stel recommends Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Destinations : St Petersburg, Moscow and Russia
“An incredible story based upon real events and wonderful descriptions of sites in St. Petersburg and Moscow that you really want to read more about Russia.”
A grand novel in the Russian tradition, combining historical facts with the very personal story of one woman. Headstrong and principled, we follow her epic transition from a teenage aristocrat on the eve of the Russian Revolution to the wayward wife of a rising Red leader in the darkest hours of Stalin’s dictatorship.
Korrie Goff recommends Appetite for America : Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the Wild West – One Meal at a Time by Stephen Field
Destinations : South-west USA
“…an easy and interesting read into the ‘hidden’ story of tourism in the American West. I have found a new appreciation for the Fre Harvey Co. and the impeccable service he provided to his guests year after year.”
Sometimes real history is also a gripping yarn. Fried’s well-researched book paints a vivid and readable portrait of the life and times of Fred Harvey, charismatic founding father of America’s pioneering service industry. Charting his entrepreneurial rise, it’s a reminder that the innovations of a distinctly American approach to feeding a nation didn’t start with the advent of the new globalised fast food industry.
Catrin Griffiths recommend The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
Destinations : Oslo and Norway
“Norway is so much more interesting than just a country of fjords, trolls and mountains: a dark, thrilling Oslo that guests won’t see…hopefully!”
The Snowman sees Inspector Harry Hole on the trail of a serial killer who has been plucking women from their homes in Oslo. There’s never a shortage of quintessentially Norwegian gallows humour; gripping holiday reading, with Nesbo’s chilling suspense and cloying anxiety, conveyed through characters and acutely observed details.
Carmine Sannuto recommends In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
Destinations: Toronto and Southern Ontario
“…does a wonderful job chronicling the growth of Toronto in the early to mid 20th century, capturing the essence of both Canada and its largest city by drawing on the experiences of newly arrived immigrants who contributed to its expansion. ”
Winner of the Booker Prize, Ondaatje’s later novel, In the Skin of a Lion, sees characters from his international bestseller The English Patient resurface in 1920s Toronto. While the thrust of the action might focus on the strange and peculiar experiences of the protagonist- he earns his living tunnelling beneath Lake Ontario in search of a missing millionaire – this is also very much the story of the novel’s other main character: Toronto.
Rob Early recommends Judgement of Paris by George Taber
Destinations: California, especially Napa and Sonoma wine country
“Great detail on the history of the California wine history with personalised stories of the great winemakers and owners. ”
The perfect accompaniment to a trip to California’s wine regions. Taber was the only journalist present at the now legendary blind wine tasting in Paris in 1976, when a panel of the most influential French wine experts judged in favour of Californian whites over France’s finest. And, as such, his insights are particularly informative: he was there when history was made and knew the hitherto underdogs, who started a revolution that turned that attention of even the snobbiest of sommeliers away from traditional viniculture to New World wines. Like all fascinating histories, it’s the tale told first-hand.
All these titles are widely available in print and e-books.