travelling books uk

Best UK Travel Books for 2023 (Travel Guides & maps)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: October 8, 2022

Looking for a guide book to supplement all the great information available on this website? Look not further! Below you will find an updated selection of the best UK Travel Books available in 2022 covering the UK, London, Great Britain, England, Wales and Scotland!

The popularity of travel guide books is once again on the up and if you are looking for a resource to help plan your travels they are great place to start.

Combining a guide book or two with information provided on this website will ensure you have everything you need to start planning your trip.

In this article I have gathered together all the best guide books for UK travel including those for specific nations (England – Scotland – Wales – Ireland), as well as popular cities and regions.

Rick Steves Guidebooks

Lonely planet, rough guides, dk eyewitness.

Fodor's Essential

Which regions of the UK do you need a guidebook for?

Other things to consider, best uk maps, best guide books for london 2021 and beyond, best london maps, best travel guide books for great britain, best travel guide books for england, best travel guide books for scotland, best guide books for wales, best guide books – ireland, uk guide books – historical interest, uk trip planning.

UK map under a magnifying glass as seen in many UK Travel Books.

Tips for choosing the best UK travel guidebook for your trip

What are the characteristics of the main guide books available.

Guide books are not all the same and you can find a wide variation of styles written for travellers with different interests and budgets.

For example do you prefer a guide book with lots of photos, one that is more text heavy, one that covers the main sites or perhaps one that includes off the beaten track destinations?

Rick Steves provides an excellent introduction to the main sights (which he rates in order of importance for visitors) plus his books offer sound practical advice.

Written for an American audience his popularity has led to many of the places (hotels and restaurants) he recommends often becoming overbooked.

If you want more detailed information for specific areas or are looking for hidden gems or off the beaten track destinations one of the other guide books may be a better option (or used to supplement Rick’s guides)

Quick picks – Top 3 Rick Steve Guide Books for the UK

Great Britain – Rick Steves Great Britain
London – Rick Steves Pocket London
Edinburgh – Rick Steves Snapshot Edinburgh

Lonely Planet are the biggest publisher of guide books in the world. The have a good range of guide books for the UK which provide detailed information for all travel budgets.

I find their smaller pocket guide books particularly useful. The Lonely Planet Pocket Guide to London covers all the main sights with practical information and tips. As the name suggests it also fits into your pocket or bag for easy reference when out and about.

Quick picks – Top 3 Lonely Planet Guide Books for the UK

London – Pocket Guide to London
Main sights – Lonely Planet Best of Great Britain
Road Trips – 36 road trips around Great Britain

Rough Guides offer practical advice supplemented with beautiful photographs and useful maps.

They have produced some excellent guides to specific regions and areas of the UK written by those with a detailed local knowledge.

Quick picks – Top 3 Rough Guide Books for the UK

Rough Guide to the Lake District
Rough Guide to Yorkshire
Rough Guide to Dorset

With beautiful photographs, maps and hand drawn illustrations the DK Eyewitness travel guides are my personal favourite. They are easy to use providing detailed and practical information about destinations.

The DK ‘Top 10″ series of guide books are excellent offering information in a concise, visual and user friendly way (and are small, light ad easy to carry around)

Quick picks – Top 3 DK Guide Books for the UK

London – Top 10 London
London – Family Guide to London
Great Britain – DK Guide to Great Britain

Fodor’s Essential

Written by locals Fodor’s travel books have been around for over 80 years. They include detailed maps, itineraries and travel recommendations for all tastes and budgets.

As you will discover below there is a wide selection of guidebooks for UK travel. Some are pretty straightforward as they cover one nation, city or area of the UK such as

Guidebooks for London
Guidebooks for England
Guidebooks for Scotland
Guidebooks for Wales
Guidebooks for Ireland (including Northern Ireland)

However there are also guidebooks which cover Great Britain . This means that they will include travel information for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland will not be included in these guidebooks as it is not geographically part of Great Britain.

Check the date of publication – Buy the most up to date version to ensure access to current information.
Check that the book covers the areas you plan to visit – especially when purchasing for the UK!
If you are planning to take a guide book with you consider the weight and size! I often purchase a larger more detailed guide book to help with planning but pack a pocket size guide book for the trip. Many of the books are also available to purchase to download onto your Kindle or other e reader device.
If you plan to take a map you may find that some guide books have a pullout map included.

Click links for prices – Marco Polo Map | Lonely Planet Planning Map | UK Scratch Map

A map of London is essential and I always carry one with me (and I have lived in the capital and visited many times!)

Note that these guide books cover England, Scotland and Wales only.

There is a good range of guide books for England including those which are more area or city specific which may be useful if you are planning to spend some time in a specific area e.g the Cotswolds , the Lake District etc

Click links for prices – Rough Guide to Wales | Lonely Planet Wales | Wild Guide to Wales | Wales Coast Path Walks – Isle of Anglesey

Click links for prices – Fodor’s Essential Ireland | Everything travel guide to Ireland | Rick Steves Ireland | Back Roads Ireland

Click links for prices – Jane Austen’s England | The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England | Wales Castles and Historic Places | Castles, Palaces and Stately Homes of Great Britain

This guide to the best UK guidebooks will have provided you with the best options for your trip. As you have seen there are a lot of UK guidebooks to choose from but we are confident you will find the right ones for you and your itinerary.

If you enjoy reading about a destination before you go or simply want some reading inspiration my best books to read about England or best books to read about Scotland are a great place to start.

You can find more information to help you to plan your UK trip in these articles:

London Travel Guide
England Travel Guide
UK Accommodation Guide (England, Scotland, Wales & N Ireland)
How to plan your UK travel budget
How to get around the UK (Complete Guide to Transportation in the UK)
Best Gifts for Anglophiles

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9 best travel books to inspire your next adventure

From eco-minded ventures, to holidays by train – explore these wanderlust-fuelling titles, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

We left guidebooks and novels out of the final cut

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A good book is always transportive. Especially a good travel book – which can have you scaling mountains, traversing deserts or exploring tropical islands with the turn of every page. The best travel reads not only make us feel like we’re there with the author, but they make us feel like the journey is our own.

After a couple of years of travel starvation, we are hungrier than ever for globetrotting reading. Even though we’re starting to explore in real life once more, packing up for beach breaks and city weekends, that hunger is difficult to satisfy.

The reality is that, for most of us, there are only so many calendar days in the year for real-life travelling – especially if you’re on a 28-day holiday allowance.

And so, we’ve brought you the list of our current favourite travel reads to inspire your next adventure and satiate your burning wanderlust.

Some are snapshots of a single place, presented in first-person by an enthusiastic author. Others are compendiums of individual essays, perfect if you need more general inspiration. Some employ the idea of travel a bit more broadly, speaking about ways of movement – the journey itself – rather than the destination.

8 best climate emergency books to better understand the crisis
10 best books to help you live more sustainably
10 best self care books for healing, growth and self love
7 best non-fiction books: From historical to self-help titles

How we tested

What our best travel books are not, are guidebooks. While there are many stellar examples of guidebooks around, when choosing our favourite travel books we were looking primarily for inspirational reads, not how-to information. Our best travel books are also not novels. While many fictitious reads are full of colour and insights, we don’t quite consider them “travel books”, as such.

Finally, we looked for a mix of reads that would appeal to different travellers. Not every book on this list will be for you, of course, but that’s OK. Not every destination will be either. That’s part of the joy of discovery.

The best travel books for 2022 are:

Best overall – The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century, edited by Jessica Vincent: £16.99, Waterstones.com
Best eco-travel read – Zero Altitude by Helen Coffey, published by Flint: £15.63, Whsmith.co.uk
Best for family inspiration – Shape of a Boy by Kate Wickers, published by Aurum Press: £16.99, Waterstones.com
Best for off the beaten track discovery – Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn: £8.49, Waterstones.com
Best for walkers – Where My Feet Fall by Duncan Minshull: £18.99, Waterstones.com
Best for rail junkies – Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh: £10.99, Waterstones.com
Best classic – Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: £9.99, Waterstones.com
Best for Nordic adventure – Farewell Mr Puffin by Paul Heiney: £12.99, Waterstones.com
Best non-guidebook guidebook – Scotland The Best: The Islands: £15.99, Waterstones.com

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The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century, edited by Jessica Vincent, published by Octopus Publishing Group

The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century.jpg

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

If you want a proper adventure from your armchair, this compendium of travel articles by some of the country’s best storytellers will fit the bill. When travel writer Jessica Vincent was grounded during the pandemic she had the brainwave to pull together some of the most inspiring essays published in British media in the past two decades, with extracts from the likes of Conde Nast Traveller , National Geographic Traveller and Suitcase Magazine .

The 30 reads are short – just a few pages each – but big in scope, rushing you along the tracks of a train in Baghdad, tracking snow leopards in Ladakh or sleeping under the stars in Malawi. Destinations are deliberately skewed in favour of the world’s lesser-known destinations and champion some emerging writers, providing bitesized nibbles of places you may never have dreamed of going – until now.

This book is as transportive as they come and yet compact enough for soaking up over a few spare moments on the tube, in the bath or when you’re tucked under the covers before bed.

Zero Altitude by Helen Coffey, published by Flint

Best: Eco-travel read

Rating: 8.5/10

Penned by The Independent ’s very own travel editor, Helen Coffey, this is a personal account of how one frequent flyer became convinced to go cold-turkey on the holiday industry’s biggest convenience: air travel. After years of zooming around on a near-weekly basis, Coffey had a revelation in 2019 when researching a story on flygskam (the Scandi concept of “flight shame”). In short, she realised quite how bad flying is for the environment.

This read traces her (not always easy) journey to becoming a frequent traveller at “zero altitude”, detailing what she’s learned so far and how she’s managed trips as diverse as the Scilly Isles and Croatia. Coffey manages to weave in the hard-hitting detail in a light manner, which means even when the book is delivering its most serious of arguments – such as the fact that polluting air travel is predicted to double by 2037 – it never feels preachy. Rather, you’ll feel inspired to make a change of your own.

Shape of a Boy by Kate Wickers, published by Aurum Press

Best: For family inspiration

Rating: 8/10

If you think zigzagging in a Cambodian rickshaw or sourcing dinner in Borneo sounds tricky, just imagine doing it with three young boys in tow. Kate Wicker’s funny and moving account of living her mantra, “have baby, will travel”, shows that being a parent doesn’t have to hold you back from exploring the world – in fact, it can even make your experiences richer. Kicking off with a visit to Israel and Jordan in 2000 while pregnant, then rambling through the years and destinations like Mallorca and Thailand with her growing brood of sons – Josh, Ben and Freddie – Wicker details the lessons that they learn from each place, and each other. It makes travelling the world as a family something to get excited about.

Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flyn, published by HarperCollins Publishers

Islands of Abandonment- Life in the Post-Human Landscape.jpg

Best: For off the beaten track discovery

Most travel books are about places people want to go. This one is different. It’s about those other, forgotten kinds of places. Places people have fled from, due to catastrophe (for example, Chernobyl), unrest (the Buffer Zone in Cyprus) or shifting politics (communist Harju fields in Estonia); places that have fallen from glory, such as industrial Detroit; and ones that nature has reclaimed, such as Amani botanical gardens in Tanzania.

Author Cal Flyn has meticulously researched the destinations and brings their stories to life through evocative writing. It can make for dark reading at times, but this book makes you realise travel and discovery is as much about the places we choose to avoid as much as it is about those we embrace.

Where My Feet Fall by Duncan Minshull, published by HarperCollins Publishers

Best: For walkers

If you think great travel writing is all about moving through places in another person’s shoes, then you need this collection of essays from 20 writers about the pleasure of putting one foot in front of another. From bustling walks through Karachi with Kamila Shamsie, to rain-soaked treks in Germany with Jessica J Lee, every entry comes with its own unique flavour and makes you realise that this most rudimentary form of transport can be one of the most evocative. Editor Duncan Minshull, who pulled the collection together, has written three books about walking, so he knows a thing or two about it.

Around the World in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh, published by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Best: For rail junkies

Does anything really sum up the thrill of travel like a rail journey? Whether you’ve fantasised about chugging your way across Europe or boarding a carriage further afield – say, the Trans-Siberian Express towards Beijing – this account by award-winning travel writer Monisha Rajesh will bring the dream to life. Rajesh’s easy, witty writing style is a big part of the joy, including her descriptions of the (sometimes quirky) characters she meets along the way. If you like this read, you may also want to give Rajesh’s preceding book, Around India in 80 Trains, a read.

Scotland The Best: The Islands

Best: Non-guidebook guidebook

Rating: 7.5/10

While we generally chose to omit guidebooks from this list, we’ve made an exception here – because it’s more of a photography book than anything else. The latest by bestselling travel writer Peter Irvine brings the islands of Scotland, big and small, to life through a collection of unexpected images. Some are snapshots of the big sights, such as the Callanish Stones – a rock formation on the Hebrides older than Stonehenge. Others are far less expected, such as a group of peat cutters or The Butty Bus – a fish and chips takeaway van on Harris.

Chapters are divided by geography. At the end of each one, Irvine lists a handful of his top recommendations of where to eat, stay and walk. But ultimately this is a book that inspires you to discover Scotland’s beautiful corners through your own lens.

The verdict: Travel books

If you want one book to transport you with every turn of the page, it has to be The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century . The fact that the writing is great is only one benefit – the digestible nature and mix of lesser-known destinations makes reading it feel like a proper adventure.

For any travellers who are conscious of our carbon impact – and that should be all of us – Zero Altitude is an eye-opener. Not only is Coffey’s writing style fun and engaging, but it packs in plenty of urgent detail on the impact of our addiction to air travel.

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65 recommended reads for those traveling to England (or who want to!)

BY Anne Bogel
IN Book Lists , Books & Reading , Literary Tourism
167 Comments | Comment

One of the most common book recommendation requests I get is, What should I read before I travel to _____? I get it, and I love that readers want to prepare for their trips by reading about the place they’re heading to, or they want to visit or revisit a destination via armchair travel.

As the England-related requests keep coming via #WSIRNReaderRecs , I thought I’d put together an easy-to-use, easy-to-reference reader-generated book list.

In this list, we’ve included three three categories with a variety of genres to peruse: London, Oxford, and England, which is a catch-all for other cities and towns. Some books take place in multiple cities so they’re organized according to the predominant setting.

This list is fiction-heavy, so I’ll be especially interested to hear your nonfiction recommendations in the comments.

Some links (including all Amazon links) are affiliate links. More details here .

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan
84 Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik
Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie
Glitterland by Alexis Hall
The Plastic Magician (The Paper Magician #4) by Charlie N. Holmberg
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Shades Of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Act Like It by Lucy Parker
The Only Story by Julian Barnes
The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes
The Maggie Hope Mystery series by Susan Elia Macneil
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford
A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
Rivers Of London series by Ben Aaronovitch
Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth
St. Benet’s series by Susan Howatch
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
London by Edward Rutherfurd
Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
First Impressions by Charlie Lovett
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
Gaudy Night (The Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries #12) by Dorothy L. Sayers
A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Inspector Morse series by Colin Dexter
Waiting For the Flood by Alexis Hall
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir by Carolyn Weber
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
King Lear and King Richard III by Shakespeare, narrated by Kenneth Branagh
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Second Chance by Jay Northcote
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Katherine by Anya Seton
Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson
Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray
Lady Hardcastle Mystery series by T E Kinsey
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice
The Lake House by Kate Morton
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson

How have YOU prepared for your English travel adventures? What books here have you read and loved? What would you add to the list?

P.S. Travel reading (full of Scotland recs), My visit to Wigtown, Scotland’s national book town , and A Book lover’s guide to literary Edinburgh .

167 comments

A non-fiction rec: Watching the English by Kate Fox. Written by an academic, but it is incredibly accessible and interesting study of English social mores and behaviour.

Was going to recommend this as well! I lived in London for just over 3 years and definitely recommend this book to understand British people.

I was thinking of this one, too!

Yes! I read this one last year before a trip to London, and it was so fascinating. And it made me laugh to see people do just what she said they would!

This book is so good before you visit that I’ve bought 3 because my first 2 were borrowed by traveling friends and never returned. I couldn’t keep visiting without diving back into that book. 💖

Thank you for the recommendation!

Fun to see this pop up in my reader, as I am an adopted Londoner of almost 15 years standing. Lots on your lists that I haven’t read but great to see many of my favourites listed – 84 Charing Cross Road, Bridget Jones’s Diary, the Cormoran Strike series, One Day in December, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I Capture the Castle … am I the only one who thought Everyone Brave is Forgiven was utter rubbish?

No. I could not get into it. I thought I was the only one. This makes me smile.

I totally agree about Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, Ruth! And about all the others you list as being favorites — except I haven’t read One Day in December yet, but I’ll trust you 😉

I really wish you had added Rosamunde Pilcher’s books to the England list. They are all wonderful and so readable! They are the kind of books you fall into and don’t want to leave! The Shell Seekers is still one of my favorite books after 31 years!

I came upon The Shell Seekers recently through MMD, and can’t figure out how I missed it first time around. When I posted about it on FB, all my college friends said they had read it years ago. Where was I – and then I realized I had enrolled in law school during that period, and in truth the only reading getting done was caselaw. In any event, I’m sooo glad to have found it now. It is a wonderful book.

Law school just kills your love of reading, doesn’t it?? It took me years to get my reading mojo back. I’ve also recently discovered Ms. Pilcher’s novels- adore!

Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher is one of my all time favorites! I re-read it twice last year. Set mostly in Cornwall, she really makes it come alive!

Yes, Coming Home should definitely be on the England portion of this list – Pilcher shines in this one!

I just read Winter Solstice! It was my first Rosamunde Pilcher, but it will not be my last! I’ve already ordered the Shell Seekers so it’ll be ready for summer reading.

Winter Solstice is one of my favorite re-reads of all time.

I re-read this every winter!

Me, too! My first thought after reading the list was: What? No Rosamunde Pilcher?! I’m currently in the last few pages of Coming Home. I love her writing and her characters.

Hear, hear love Pilcher!!

Yes rosamunde pilcher & especially THE SHELL SEEKERS

I kept looking over the list and was so surprised not to see Rosamunde Pilcher. The Shell Seekers and Winter Solstice!!! I try to read Winter Solstice every December. Such wonderful reads!!

She definitely belongs on here. (The funniest thing is that I JUST finished reading September last week! I know much of it takes place in Scotland but it begins in London…)

You could add The War That Saved My Life and its sequel The War I Finally Won. They are excellent books for young (middle grade) and for adults. I know people in both categories who have enjoyed them. The author is Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

Completely agree!!

I loved these two books (The War . . . and The War. . .). I bought them for my granddaughter’s 13th birthday, based on what I read on MMD. I thought I’d just read a page or two before wrapping the books and sending them off, but oh no, I got hooked. So both books are slightly used, sorry to my granddaughter, but I know she will understand. I am not a fan of YA fiction, but these two had me from page 1.

Ohhhh thank you! I am adding these to my list to read with my jr high kids!

Yes! They’re so good!

I recently read England For All Seasons by Susan Allen Toth. She’s written a number of travelogues about England and the UK, though I’ve only read one so far. Her love of the area is palpable and would get anyone preparing for a trip very excited I think. I read it after a trip to London, and it made me want to go right back!

I read England For All Seasons along with Sarum (Edward Rutherfurd) in prepraration for my first trip to England twenty years ago. Sarum is very long, but I thought it was fabulous!

One of my favorite books of all time is set in England- Back Home by Michelle Magorian, a late middle grade/early YA historical fiction set in post-WWII England about a twelve-year old who had been evacuated to the US at age 7 and struggles to adapt to the country, society, and family that she barely remembers and that has undergone radical changes since she left. It’s incredible. I first read it at around age 11 or 12 and it’s one of the few books I reread every now and then.

Thank you! Adding this to my TBR With My Kids list!

These travel lists are such a fantastic idea, Anne. Just perusing the titles makes me want to jump across the pond! 😀

Definitely add Rosamunde Pilcher’s books, Cat Steadman (Mr. Nobody just came out and was so enjoyable!) and Lisa Newell’s The Family Upstairs is based in London.

I agree with a previous comment. I was sorry to see author Rosamunde Pilcher missing from the list. “Coming Home” is a favorite. I had read it 20 years ago, and then reread it last summer, before my trip to Cornwall. I will be happy to try some new recommendations though. Thank you!

My Love Affair with England by Susan Allen Toth, changes the ways to travel.. just a delightful guide. My favorite is how she deals with the dessert trolley!

Did you really leave out Susan Branch’s A Fine Romance and Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling?!? Neither are novels but both are the best kind of travel writing!

Susan Branch is in a category unto herself. Her books are interesting and visual delights!

Loved all her books!

Fantastic list! Glad to see Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island, which is a favorite! So hilarious! However, if you are going to include Richard III, you absolutely MUST have Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Just saw that it was voted Greatest Mystery Novel of All Time in 1990, by the Crime Writers’ Association. One of my absolute favorite books for about 25 years, and I’m not a crime novel person. It is slow to get going, but packs a HUGE punch. Prepare to question what you thought you knew about history – especially Richard III. I don’t want to give anything away, but my husband and I joined the Richard III Society after reading this book. (Fair warning: it is one of a series, and we were pulled in enough to read and enjoy more Tey, but nothing touches this one.)

Every year, after reading Richard III with my Advanced Placement English Lit students, we read Daughter of Time by Tey. My students felt like it was a wonderful relief and release after reading Richard III. It is one of my all time favorites.

Oh my gosh. I love KATHERINE so so so much. I have a copy that was my mom’s as a girl and have read it several times.

Me, too! I stumbled across Katherine about 15 years ago and was blown away by the story and the writing. It’s the book the really got me back into reading after a rather long dry spell as a mom of little kiddos. What a wonderful keepsake to connect you to your mom.

My sisters and I loved KATHERINE as well, and it got us started on historical royal romance, including those from Noah Lofts, Jean Plaidy and Philippa Gregory.

Connie Willis’s time travel books are all set in Oxfordshire and London, at various times in history. I particularly love Blackout and All Clear, which are primarily set in London during the Blitz.

Here are two non-fiction recommendations. Britain’s Royal Families by Alison Weir which is a genealogy of the royal household, totally fascinating. And A History of Britain by Simon Schama. His writing style combines big and small words together and is a little bit cheeky.

A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside, a lovely handwritten and illustrated travel diary by Susan Branch. It’s a hand-painted love story about her voyage on the Queen Mary II and two months in England, touring the countryside and sharing stories, recipes, and travel tips. Each page is a piece of art — filled with paintings, pictures, and her handwritten and unique thoughts about everything from pubs to Beatrix Potters Hill Top Farm. It is both whimsical and a visual tour de force of art and words. I just finished reading it for the second time…leaves you craving a proper cup of tea and biscuits.

A few others I’ve really enjoyed: A Month in the Country (quiet, beautiful book about a man recovering after WWI), Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (light hearted, fast paced), The Improbability of Love (explores the art world in a fun way), and A House Full of Daughters (a memoir of 7 generations of an English family). Thank you for the list!

I adore Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day!

You might enjoy An English Year by Nan Fairbrother. It’s a memoir of the year she spent in the English countryside during WWII, while her husband was serving in the military. A slim, quiet volume, very evocative.

A Month in the Country is especially lovely. Quiet but so beautiful! It really stayed with me. And was made into a movie that includes Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh.

Strong Sense of Place on Instagram is great for travel and literary stuff!

My favorite British series are the Fairacre and Thrush Green series by Miss Read – setting is the Cotswolds (Oxford area) and village life. I found the setting for one of the series (Witney) when I was in England – felt as if I had dropped into the novel!

Yes, yes, yes!

Another “Yes, yes, yes!” from me!

I read the whole James Herriot series, and his photographic tour “James Herriot’s Yorkshire” before I went to Yorkshire. It’s such a beautiful area! I also recommend any of the Sherlock Holmes books before a trip to London, or Laurie R. King’s Mary Russel and Sherlock Holmes books.

I love James Herriot books so much! Right now I’m listening to James Herriot’s Treasury for Children (read by Jim Dale!) with my daughter and hoping to have her love them, too.

I can’t wait for the new show coming to PBS!

I would add The Other Bolelyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I’m interested to see nonfiction recs too. A House Full of Daughters (recommended by someone above) sounds interesting!

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and other books by Laurie King would be a great addition to the list. So would The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson and The Professor and the Madman!

Looking at this list I have read some and will add others to my TBR list. Though as someone who lives in England but not in Oxford or London, i feel i can widen the reading list 1:- The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce, which tells you a lot about the English people and what makes us tick 2:- the Inspector Resnick series by John Harvey, about a detective in Nottingham in the later 20th and early 21st century in a provincial English city. 3:-Sons and Lovers by D.H.Lawrence, a book I read recently as part of my MMD 2020 reading challenge read a local writer. Based on the authors life it set 100 years ago and about the lifes of the working class.

Sorry for the long post but I thought I could not give these recommendations without saying why.

I do agree that The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry deserves a place on the list.

I adore all of Rachel Joyce’s books and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye was the first one that I read, would highly recommend.

I love this list!! So glad to see Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Guernsey, Kate Morton, and the Madwoman Upstairs on there. I’m also glad to see Surprised by Oxford — it’s one of my all-time favorite books and I return to it periodically. I’d echo the recommendations I’ve seen from others her for The War that Saved My Life and its sequel, as well as The Shell Seekers. I’m listening to The Shell Seekers right now actually, and it’s because of One Great Book! I’m loving it and looking forward to checking out more Rosamunde Pilcher afterwards. I’d also recommend Julia Baird’s biography on Queen Victoria (Victoria: The Queen) for this list. It’s hefty but extremely interesting and so well-written — it reads like an intriguing novel!

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams for the immigrant experience of living in modern London. Same with White Teeth by Zadie Smith.

I was so happy to see A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside mentioned in the replies. This beautiful, charming travelogue is not to be missed!

For fiction, I’d suggest adding Wolf Hall and Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. As for non-fiction, The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson is good.

The Hilary Mantel books are outstanding! Hard to get in to but so worth it. Historical fiction- I learned so much about this time period.

I would add the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie. They take place not only in London, but also in many of the other towns of England. These books have made me want to visit England more than any others.

I adore that series! Thanks for mentioning it here.

And the maps in each book add so much to the story! A real favorite series of mine too!

Adding some England non-fiction I just finished Portrait Of Oxford, Hal Cheetham (circa 1971) Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell H Is for Hawk by Helen McDonald Historical fiction Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini Fiction in addition to many listed above I have loved the Clifton Chronicles, Kane & Abel series & William Warrick novels by Jeffrey Archer. Belgravia by Julian Fellowes Finding Henry Applebee by Celia Reynolds

The Anglo Files by Sarah Lyall is non fiction; “a field guide to the British”. Had my 20 yo son laughing!

I would add the Ruth Galloway series for England, one of my favourite mystery series,

So glad to see Pilcher, Tey and Crombie on the list. All so good.Also Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther.

Great post. I look forward to more travel themed lists! The books I would add to this are The Gown by Jennifer Robinson, All creatures great and small by James Herriot, and The Chillbury Ladies’ Choir.

Sharon Kay Penman! One of my favorites for historical fiction. Don’t be discouraged by the size. They are fabulous. My personal favorite is the Sunne in Splendor. A great way to learn about the war of the roses.

I read Notes From a Small Island when I was in England for a semester in college and it rang so (hilariously) true. I’m glad to see it on this list!

I would add Brick Lane by Monica Ali and the erotic stories for the Punjabi widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal. Both showcase the diversity of London population

HIGHLY Recommended – Susan Branch’s “A Fine Romance – Falling in Love With the English Countryside” – a gorgeous travelogue of Susan and her husband’s trip through England for their 25th anniversary. This book is a delight to read (be sure and read it with a cup of tea!). It not only made me feel like I was traveling right alongside them, it made me want to plan a trip there myself. Susan Branch, of calendar and cookbook fame, is a talented artist and photographer and the book is handwritten with her lovely artwork and photos throughout. (I also highly recommend her other two memoirs – The Fairy Tale Girl and Isle of Dreams, not about England, but also so enjoyable!)

I agree with everyone else: “A Fine Romance” is not to be missed. It is a book to keep, to treasure, to savor.

Fantasy? “Harry Potter”, “The Once and Future King” and “The Mists of Avalon”.

Classics? Anything by Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy.

Modern classics? “Poldark”, “Forever Amber”, anything by Georgette Heyer. Don’t overlook Stella Reilly; “The Black Madonna” was recently reissued, and she has a charming set of romances that begins with “The Parfit Knight.”

Of course there are oodles of romance books set in England; Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn, Judith McNaught, Lucinda Brant, Stephanie Laurens, just to name some authors off of the top of my head.

Just finished Phillipa Gregory’s Tidelands set in a remote stretch of English coastline (specifically Selsey Island near Chichester) in the time of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles (1648). Would be a good addition for historical fiction! Also, what about The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. And both Jenny Colgan’s Bookshop on the Corner and Bookshop on the Shore would be good fits for England.

I would like to recommend “A Fine Romance:Falling in Love With The English Countryside” by Susan Branch. It is a beautiful watercolor illustrated journal of her once in a lifetime two month dream trip through the English countryside, including crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2. I could not put it down!

This book is the one that inspired me to stop thinking about a trip to England and actually just do it! I loved her artwork, the journal style, and everything else. I would highly recommend this as well!

I loved reading “The Bookman’s Tale” after visiting the British Library. It meant so much more after seeing the literary treasures housed there!

Master and Commander -series by Patrick O’Brian. 1812 British Navy historical. Terrific series. Great on audio Sherlock Holmes -how did the list not mention him????? Non fiction -Margaret Thatcher by Charles Moore. Probably one of the greatest biographies ever written. Dense but great Tommy by Richard Holmes. Its on my TBR and recommended by someone with great taste in history. Its the story of the “British soldier” in World War One told through the letters, diaries and memories of those who fought in it. In the same line I recommend wholeheartedly “They Shall Not Grow Old” a documentary by Peter Jackson (he of LOTR fame). Using real documentary footage from WWI, this also tells the story of the British soldier in WWI. Its made accessible by the amazing job Jackson did in restoring, colorizing and slowing down the actual footage. He also got actors in to lip read what the men were saying. Very powerful. It will stay with me a long time. Non fiction on a completely different note: The Spy and the Traitor by Ben MacIntyre -an espionage story set in the cold war. This is all about MI6 and Russian double agents. Real life James Bond stuff. I couldn’t put it down.His other books are amazing too! Another fiction title: Anything by James Herriot. Strong, strong sense of place. Also, Watership Down. for English countryside.

One more non fiction -for those of us fascinated by the British class system: “The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy.” by David Cannadin. Would pair well with “Brideshead Revisited.”

Classic children’s books also offer a fine sense of England: “The Wind in the Willows”, “Winnie the Pooh”, “The Secret Garden”, “Peter Pan”, “Mary Poppins”, “Dr. Doolittle” and the like.

The Brother Cadfael series is really enjoyable historical mystery fiction. I love the Vera series by Ann Cleeves (the show is fab too). The Secret Garden is one of the first books that made me want to visit the UK. Also, we have to mention Agatha Christie!

Ugh, I don’t know why this replied here instead of its own comment. Too late to change it! 🙂

And Sara Crewe / A Little Princess.

What about books about New York? I’m going there for the first time in March and would love to read about it- I’m kind of a blank slate when it comes to NYC! Any recommendations would be appreciated!!

My favorite is Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney. A love letter to NYC.

I just finished Brooklyn by Colm Toibin; an Irish girl immigrates there in the late 1950s/early 1960s. It was made into a movie in 2015 starring Saorise Ronan.

Check out Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald – historical fiction with a time-bending/travel twist. After reading it, you will have to visit Grand Central Terminal! Another great fiction book set in 1920s NYC is Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. If you don’t mind huge books, I love Edward Rutherfurd’s epic historic books. He has one called New York.

Love the tips on A Fine Romance! Thank you, readers. Want to add Poldark by Winston Graham to the Cornwall recs, agree with adding anything Thomas Hardy, for mysteries, please read Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce novels, Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series, and P. D. James’ Inspector Dalgliesh series. And for horses, because what’s dearer to the English than their horses (!), please read Dick Francis! Horse racing, thrillers, mysteries, romance and great heroes. (Ask @strongsenseofplace!)

Dick Francis and Alan Bradley! Yes!

The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife was a delight! The author read the audiobook and I can’t stop recommending it.

A few of my favorite authors with series set in England are; Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson, Martha Grimes and Elizabeth George. They all bring the people, cities and countyside into our lives in a truly descriptive way.

Love following you but very excited about new “Literary Tourism”! I love to read books tied in with where I am traveling – just makes it all so much richer. Great idea!!!

I’d include Emma and Persuasion with Pride and Prejudice. Yes to Georgette Heyer’s (I hoped someone would mention her!) well-researched, fun Regency romances and to Patrick O’Brian; though most of the Aubrey/Maturin series takes place in other countries they usually have at least part of the book set in England. I didn’t see any mention of Ellis Peters’ outstanding Brother Cadfael mysteries. Cadfael is a former sailor who becomes a Benedictine monk in Shrewsbury. The series is set during the war between King Stephen and Empress Maud, and Cadfael’s work as the abbey’s herbalist allows him to go out of the cloister and solve mysteries. My husband and I went to Shrewsbury on our first trip to England because of Cadfael. One more series I just thought of is Susan Cooper’s beautiful The Dark Is Rising sequence, set in England and Wales.

The Five! It’s about the victims of Jack the Ripper and why their lives, and reclaiming who they are as individuals is so important. London’s East End setting and history within the book is incredible. I also did a Feminist Jack the Ripper walking tour when I was in London this past summer – and it brought the book to life for me. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson is a favorite of mine. Although it is outdated, it’s a wonderful read. And nonfiction.

Wow I’ve lived in England all my life and not read most of those MMD. Not sure Guernsey is officially England. Great books Ive read recently set in England were Old Baggage by Lissa Evans,The Essex Serpent,The Librarian by Sally Vickers. Dear Mrs Bird and The Lido were quite gentle. Goodnight Mr Tom is a good book for children, very heartwarming set in the war. I loved Toms Midnight Garden as a child. Probably my favourite after The Secret Garden.

Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd is wonderful novel which switches between periods, about London churches.

Oooh! Oooh! One more great author if you like WWII stories, along the lines of “The War that Saved My Life” but written for adults -D E Stevenson. I loved “The Listening Valley” and I have heard great things about Miss Buncle’s Books. Also the Flavia De Luc series.

Miss Buncle’s Book is a favorite!! So funny

The Casual Vacancy, The Queen Takes the Train, The Chillbury Ladies Choir and The Girl on the Train are a few books that take place in England. The last one really hits home if you take any quick trips outside of London on one of the trains. Many of the houses you pass by could easily be the one described in the book.

The James Herriot books are really wonderful for English country life in the 1940s.

You have my personal favorite, Notes from a Small Island, already listed! This next recommendation is YA but such a beautiful story with lovely descriptions of the English countryside – The War That Saved My Life.

I love so many books on this list, but wow, is it dominated by white authors. A few other suggestions: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. Anything by Zadie Smith. Small Island by Andrea Levy. Why I No Longer Talk To White People About Race – Reni Enno-Lodge. The Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman. Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

For Oxford- The His Dark Materials series for sure, as well as the prequel The Book of Dust. When I visited I went straight for the Botanic Gardens for this reason.

for non-fiction I recommend The Professor and the Madman : a tale of murder, insanity and the Oxford English Dictionary. Set in Oxford and other areas of england. You can’t get more English than the OED and it reads like a mystery novel too.

I loved that book! Thanks for mentioning it here.

Whispers Underground van Ben Aaronvitch (London), The Poldark Series (Cornwall), The Railway Detective Series (England). Great to see so many of my favourites, to-reads and new ones on this list!

Warms my heart to see my new favorite fantasy series, the All Souls trilogy, on here (it begins with A Discovery of Witches). The second one is even better. I would add The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (super quirky, fun time travel book with a ton of literary satire) and The Scent Of Water by Elizabeth Goudge (not fantasy… Just lovely literary fiction).

Thank you for this fabulous list! We are going to London for spring break, so the timing is perfect. Any London suggestions for kids/middle-grade/YA?

I love this list! I am going to England this spring and can’t wait to read some of these that I haven’t already read. Some of my other favorites include: Transcription, Life after Life, and A God in Ruins – all by Kate Atkinson – and Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner. For nonfiction, I really enjoyed Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking by Deborah Cadbury.

I was going to mention Life after Life. It brings to life that pre/post WW2 South East England era really well.

As for non-fiction, what about Kate Humble’s Thinking on my Feet? It’s a memoir a year walking in the British countryside – you can’t get much more British than a country walk and a cup of tea…

For middle grade readers, Beswitched by Kate Saunders is fun – a modern girl gets magically transported to a 50s boarding school. Very spiffing. And for modern, true to everyday life British humour, My Brother Is A Superhero hits the mark.

Cazelet series about World War 11 by Elizabeth Jane Howard…I discovered this series which was recommended by a character in a Pilcher novel. Love the whole list and all the additional suggestions. I still own my grandmother’s copy of Katherine which I have read on and off for over forty years.

I’m about to read it since it’s translated in french (my mother tongue)and published in France in a week!It looks great and the french cover is beautiful. I would add to this list the Rotters’Club by Jonathan Coe (3 books). Sorry for my poor english.

The London Eye Mystery, Goodnight Mr Tom,Ballet Shoes et al, Mary Poppins.Middle Grade set one London.

Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel should be on this list. The final book in the Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and the Light is coming out this spring. The first two both won the Man Booker Prize.

Tudor intrigue and life under a mercurial and easily swayed tyrant with unlimited powers – an interesting read in current times …

I’d add The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary! Such a fun, sweet book!

We read Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, a historical fiction novel about Mary Anning, a fossil hunter from the Lyme Regis area. When we went to England last fall, we actually went to Charmouth Beach in that area and found our own fossils, as well as saw the real fossils Anning discovered, now housed in the National History Museum in London. One of our favorite trip!

Also, for Winnie-the-Pooh fans, A.A. Milne lived near the Ashdown Forest, which inspired the Hundred Acre Woods.

Ohhhhh! This is amazing!! Please do one on France!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton Breakfast at Tiffany’s-Truman Capote Just Kids – Patti Smith (memoir of her life with Robert Mapplethorpe in the late 60s/ early 70s)

That was supposed to be a reply to the NYC comment …

I’m glad you mentioned Just Kids, which is one that jumped to mind for me, too.

The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod Eagles. A wonderful historical fiction family saga set in Yorkshire.

Remarkable Creatures is a lovely book. Love Lyme Regis, we go fossil hunting a lot there. There is a great sea glass beach there too.They have the best second hand bookshop ever.Laura Purcell’s books are set in England and historical too.Quite spooky. First one Silent Companions was the best. The ending in The Corset annoyed me. Michelle Paver’s Wakenhyrst is good but dark. Dark Matter and Thin Air very good but not set in England.

If you like boarding school or time switch stories Charlotte Sometimes is just great. Another of my childhood favourites. Middle grade and set in England.

The Booker Winner, Girl, Women, Other by Bernadine Evaristo is an excellent evocation of London life -I’ve lived in London over twenty years and have rarely so enjoyed a book set ( mostly) there. I also recently really enjoyed Tracey Chevalier’s A single thread – a historical novel set mostly in and around Winchester.

The DCI Tom Douglas series by Rachel Abbott. I also love Rosamund Pilcher, especially The Shell Seekers and Winter Solstice. Although Ireland is not England, they are neighbors, and Tana French is a wonderful writer.

I love the Deborah Crombie series! The series takes place all over England. Thanks for all of the great book suggestions!

I read “Wild Designs” by Katie Fforde. It is about a women who designed a small garden for The Chelsea Flower Show. I had been to London maybe twice before. I’m from California. After reading this book, I got an RHS membership and got tickets to The Chelsea Flower Show. I loved it. I then went to London every year for eleven years straight! I would save all year for that one week in London every May. I would rent a flat at the Nell Gwynn House in Chelsea, a nice walk to the flower show. I still have the original paperback book on my bookshelf, I just checked it for the spelling of the authors name! I’ve read many of the books from your wonderful list and have been to London about thirty more times. Books can change your life!

For nonfiction, Ackroyd’s London: A Biography is wonderful! I read it before a trip to London and felt like I learned the layout and history of the city before ever arriving. It was so much fun to then see the places in person.

Before our first trip a couple of years ago, I read Edward Rutherfurd’s London and Sarum, which were great! Anything by Bill Bryson is good as well, and of course 84 Charring Cross and Duchess of Bloomsbury. Also, Another vote for the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society and The Chilbury Ladies Choir. There are SO many fantastic books set in the UK, as well as fantastic BBC programs that the list could just go on and on!

I have to admit I have not read all the comments but I would add books in the Laurie R. King series of mysteries with Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. Several take place in London and in other English sites. The main characters live in Sussex.

I second Connie Willis’s time travel series! The first two are set in Oxford and the third and fourth in London. Sci-fi/time travel really isn’t my genre of choice, but, wow, these are well done. First time in a looong time I’ve stayed up most of the night (while in London, at that) to finish a book! Also second Daughter of Time before a visit to the Tower of London. Tey’s books are so good if you like Agatha Christie, this one in particular–but also The Singing Sands is what first made me want to visit the Isle of Skye in Scotland. And–before ANY trip to England–a bookish person must read How the Heather Looks (in which Joan Bodger and her young family travel around England as Americans on sabbatical in the early 1960s and find the sites of great British children’s literature; she even finds and interviews the elusive Arthur Ransome and also A.A. Milne’s wife).

I discovered the author Kate Ellis while on a trip to Scotland. Her Wesley Peterson series takes place in Devon. She does a fantastic job combining historical details with a modern mystery. I also loved Cassandra Clare’s YA Infernal Devices trilogy that is set in Victorian London.

I can recommend an author, Dorothy Koomson, who is an author of colour if you want to increase your reading diversity.

She writes books set in England – Leeds and Brighton (by the sea) – which is where she lives and has studied.

I would call her books “thinking women’s fiction” – it is smart, compelling, very readable fiction. My favourite is The Friend, which is a more sombre Big Little Lies 🙂

The Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd. **I also love all of the historical British romances by Lisa Kleypas, Brenda Joyce, Laura Lee Guhrke, Julia Quinn, and of course anything Mary Balogh:)

The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett (along with a couple more titles of his) is a good England addition to this list. Thanks for these travel lists Anne- so helpful!

I didn’t make it through all the comments, so don’t know if this has been suggested. “The Story of Britain: From the Norman Conquest to the European Union,” by Patrick Dillon. This is a kid’s book. But if you need help in unraveling Britain’s history, it’s perfect.

Someone else may have already mentioned, but I’m currently reading the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn and really enjoying them. I also really loved Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce — it’s set in London during WWII.

On the non-fiction side, I’ll add “English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable” by Lacey Baldwin Smith– it is short and sarcastic, but a lot of fun to read (and super helpful when you’re reading something else and need a quick refresh on the War of the Roses or to figure out which King George is being referred to!)

“The Perfect London Walk” by Roger Ebert. LOVED 84 Charing Cross Road. The film is good, too! (Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins)

I believe you have missed a very sweet book–Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn. It is charming and I loved it!

I would like to add The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, to this list. The side subject of men in power who become manipulated into helping Germany during WWII was quite interesting, but the work of the servants in a prestigious “country house” was fascinating.

Joanna Trollope, descendant of Anthony, writes wonderful contemporary novels. The Rector’s Wife, The Choir, The Village Affair and many others are situational classics.

I agree with the other comments about Susan Branch’s A Fine Romance. It was marvelous both artistically and storytelling! I just finished reading Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women. Barbara Pym was an English novelist and this particular book’s main character was a vicar’s daughter who is single in her 30’s and her observations on single life, relationships and parish life in small British churches are hysterical! I highly recommend checking out Barbara Pym’s writing and the forward of this book was written beautiful by Alexander McCall Smith.

Love, LOVE Pym! My favorite is Some Tame Gazelle, about a pair of sisters of a certain age in the years soon after WWII. Pym is often compared to Jane Austen.

Imagined London–nonfiction by Anna Quindlen

Responding a year from the original post… I would add Dear Mrs. Bird (fiction) and The Splendid and the Vile (non-fiction.) Great list!!

I would recommend Susan Branch’s “A Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside.” https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Romance-Falling-English-Countryside/dp/0996044043

So many great ideas here! I’ll add To Serve Them All My Days by R.F. Delderfield. Also A Kentish Lad, the FABULOUS autobiography of Frank Muir.

I’m reading Death at Greenway right now and I would love to visit. Obviously not during a war.

Any and all books by Barbara Pym! I can’t recommend them enough.

I would recommend Catherine Bailey’s Black Diamonds: The Downfall of an Aristocratic Dynasty and the Fifty Years That Changed England. Read this while hiking in the Dales though it was much heavier than I should have carried in my pack! The family story is interesting, as stories of the peerage can be, but what grabbed me was its historical context. The plight of the coal miners, the labor movement, and how so many things changed in such a short period of time.

Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett. I’ve read it six times. It’s about the building of cathedrals in the 1100s. Utterly fascinating, given that one will see many churches and cathedrals and wonder how. Also a glimpse into the dark ages. Life’s drama and traumas never end no matter what century.

I was lucky enough to take a private Jane Austen tour of Bath and a Charles Dickens tour of London so I read most of their novels. It made the books come alive! Thanks for your list!

The Maisie Dobbs series, Pillars of the Earth, and anything Agatha Christie!

The Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler takes you on a unique and often humorous tour of London; it’s as much a character in the books as the titular lead detectives.

I would add “The Last Garden in England” by Julia Kelly to this list. This fictional novel is about about five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden. It is a character driven story that I absolutely fell in love with.

And I highly recommend going to Julia Kelly’s website: https://www.juliakellywrites.com/ as there is a map of the garden and more information about the 5 main characters that you can download (look under the “For Readers” tab. I loved having the garden map to refer to as I read the book. Plus the character descriptions really helped me to keep them all straight!

Julia Kelly has also written several other books which I am adding to my “To Be Read” list.

Happy Reading!

Adding my vote for Susan Branch’s A Fine Romance. I actually thought this list was where I discovered it, and came on to revisit that moment. Her other autobiographical works are some of my favorite books of all time, too, and I get an itch to read them yearly.

I began reading London by Rutherfurd a few days before my first trip to England, primarily London. I read it on the long flight and in the days following as my son and I ventured all over London. Although it was lengthy, London made the book so real, and the book made London even more special. I began then to read other books of his….Sarum, The Forest, and the Princes of Ireland. Sarum and London actually enhanced my teaching of early England to Senior English Literature students.

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford Yorkshire to London and back also explains how English people move back and forth to Australia and other Colonies and/or Empire. Spans 100 years of English lifestyle and history

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17 Best Books About the UK To Read Before Your Trip

by Maggie McKneely | Jul 15, 2021 | Books , England , Scotland | 21 comments

Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by Maggie McKneely

Planning a trip to England, Scotland, Wales, or somewhere thereabouts? These are the 17 best books about the UK to read before your trip!

*This post contains affiliate links. That just means that if you happen to click on one of those links and end up making a purchase, I make a small commission (and you will have made my day!)

Best Books about the UK to Read Before Your Trip

Few places are home to as many classic novels as the UK. Where would the modern-day romance genre be if Jane Austen had never given us Mr. Darcy? Or detectives if Sherlock Holmes had not first scoured the English countryside, looking for clues? Both the early English tome Beowulf and Tolkien’s Middle Earth were birthed here. For my generation, London’s King Cross Station will forever be synonymous with a certain boy-wizard and his lightning-shaped scar. And let’s not leave out the single most influential English author of all time, William Shakespeare.

In short, you’ll have no trouble finding books that you should read before any trip to the United Kingdom, no matter which part you’re visiting. But as part of my ongoing series, I asked fellow travel bloggers what they think are the best books about the UK that everyone should read before a trip across the pond. From travel guides, memoirs, classics, mysteries, and even rom-coms, you’ll find that there’s something for everyone on this list!

Table of Contents

Book Lover’s Bucket List: A Tour of Great British Literature

The Book Lover’s Bucket List is the absolute quintessential guide to the UK for all bibliophiles. In this utterly delightful travel guide, author Caroline Taggart takes readers to literary locations all across the United Kingdom, explaining their connection to British literature and how you can visit them.

Yes, this book covers the sort of sites you’d typically think of visiting – authors’ homes and birthplaces (like Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon or Jane Austen’s Chawton house). But it is also chockfull of locations (and tidbits about those places) that, while not on the typical tourist itinerary, were integral to the author’s life, served as inspiration for their stories, or are the real-life locations of fictional novels.

Taggart explains how you can take a walking tour of Birmingham, where J.R.R. Tolkien grew up, and whose industrial smoky air inspired the hellscape of Mordor. Or visit the University of London’s Senate House, whose imposing art deco architecture served as the real-life inspiration behind George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. The book also features museums, such as the recently opened tribute to Roald Dahl. You can even visit the actual Birnam Wood made famous by that one Scottish play.

There are churches, estates (like Lyme Park, recognizable to any Pride and Prejudice fans), and small villages that are all, in one way or another, connected to British literature.

Practically every author of import in British literature is mentioned, including many recognizable names like Lord Byron and C.S. Lewis, Keats, Wordsworth, and Dickens. But included are also names I had never heard of and yet played an important role in Britain’s literature scene.

And perhaps most important, Caroline Taggart is an entertaining and thoroughly researched writer. Every entry is both educational and witty. This is one of the best books about the United Kingdom for any book lover planning a trip to the UK, or who just wants to do some armchair traveling.

Submitted by: Maggie (me!) from Pink Caddy Travelogue

Notes from a Small Island

If you are looking for a funny book about traveling around Britain, you will love Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. He is an American who has lived a significant part of his life in the UK. It’s obvious Bryson has a special place in his heart for Britain.

In a national poll, Notes from a Small Island was voted the book that best represents Britain. It tells the story of Bryson’s farewell trip around Britain before moving back to the United States.

The book starts with his return to Dover where he recounts his first few days in the United Kingdom 20 years ago. He covers all parts of the island, sharing interesting facts, his observations, and plenty of laughs. The journey ends in some of the most remote areas of Scotland. Years later, Bryson did a similar trip and wrote about it in the Road to Little Dribbling .

After reading Bill Bryson’s book, you will be inspired to see more of the UK than just London. It’ll give you ideas of other cities and attractions to visit and learn about hidden gems. Notes from a Small Island also gives insight into some of the peculiarities of Britain and British English that would be helpful for those visiting the UK.

Submitted by: Anisa from Norfolk Local Guide

Scotland: A Concise History

If you plan to visit Scotland , get a copy of Scotland: A Concise History . Reading this in advance will allow you to have a much richer understanding of the country and provide you with many interesting topics of conversation with locals on your trip.

Scottish history is complicated, and this book helps the reader understand it in context. It begins with the prehistoric people who inhabited the land and concludes with modern concerns like Brexit and the independence referendum. In between, we learn about historical topics ranging from important figures to battles, the arts, and the economy.

This classic by the well-known Scottish author Fitzroy MacLean was originally published in 1970. It has been repeatedly updated and now concludes with three chapters covering modern history by the journalist Magnus Linklater. Chapters are relatively short and playfully written for a scholarly topic. The book is enhanced with a map that readers will frequently reference (especially those not from the UK), an ancestral tree of Scottish royals, and multiple illustrations.

For those who do a lot of research before a trip, this book will help you figure out what is fact and fiction in the movies, shows, and fictional books about Scotland that you enjoy. Once you are traveling through Scotland, you will find yourself frequently remembering passages as you visit major cities, historic sites, castles, islands, and natural wonders. This background will allow you a deeper appreciation and understanding of Scotland on your travels.

Submitted by: Erica from Trip Scholars

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

To truly get a sense of how the United Kingdom came to be the powerhouse that it is today, you need to head back to its roots. There’s no better way to do that than to travel the roads on which the country was built way back when. As most people don’t have enough time to walk thousands of miles during their holiday, you can metaphorically walk through time by listening to the stories, accounts, and interactions of Robert Macfarlane in The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot .

The Old Ways is for those looking for historical books about the UK that don’t read like a history textbook. This magical account of a unique adventure dives deeps into the history, culture, and almost spiritual act of walking the old roads of the UK and beyond. Starting from his hometown of Cambridge, England, as Macfarlane walks, you will learn. His ponderings will teach you some of the lesser-known stories of these ancient roads and take you on a journey through the nation’s most remote hills and forgotten paths.

So before you plan your holiday in the United Kingdom, take an interesting geographical tour with Macfarlane to discover some new, off-the-track destinations to add to your itinerary alongside the big hitters like London and Edinburgh. You never know, you might just be inspired to take a walk yourself!

Submitted by: Yulia from Miss Tourist

Imagined London

Novelist Anna Quindlen is famous for her novels as well as her New York Times articles. She even won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1992. But her 176-page book Imagined London gets to the heart of why bibliophiles worship this city, making it one of the best books about the UK. London is the home of English literature – that is why the book’s subtitle is “A Tour of the World’s Great Fictional City.”

Long before Quindlen ever set foot on the city’s cobblestone streets or wandered down an alley in Bloomsbury in search of Virginia Woolf, she fell in love with London. As a young bookworm growing up in Philadelphia, she obsessively read mystery novels set in London.

What makes this book such a charming adventure for either the armchair or actual traveler is her city roadmap. She sets out to visit all the haunts of her beloved British characters. She is in search of Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Street and Charles Dickens’ debtors’ prisons in Southwark. Any backstreet pub might be where Adam Dalgliesh stops for a pint during a maddening search for criminals in one of P.D. James’ 14 mystery novels.

Regency London is also where Quindlen searches for the fictional Lydia Bennett from Pride and Prejudice . Author Jane Austen placed Lydia in London when she eloped with Wickham. As a huge fan of John Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga , Quindlen also imagines the commercial upper class climbing the social ladder in London at the turn of the 20th century.

Whether physical or imaginary, traveling along with Anna Quindlen in Imagined London is worth the journey.

Submitted by: Terri from Female Solo Trek

The Salt Path

When it comes to inspiring real-life stories, you’d have to travel a very long way to find something more moving than The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.

After learning that her husband is terminally ill, in a twist of terrible timing, Winn loses both her livelihood and her home. With nowhere to go, the couple decides to embark on England’s South West Coast Path, an epic trail that spans 630 miles from Somerset to Devon.

Unlike other adventure-style books, this wasn’t a journey born out of a craving for unchartered horizons but rather out of necessity. Neither had ever attempted anything like the journey before and were physically unprepared. As the pair of them began their new lives on the trail, they were shocked by the challenge of life in the wild.

The result is a hugely inspirational tale that shows that through the power of nature, we can start again. It is one of the best books about the UK, partly because it showcases one of England’s most beautiful areas but also because it teaches us to appreciate life’s most simple pleasures.

Submitted by: Sheree from Winging the World

Ruth Galloway Mysteries

When visiting the UK and embarking on a bus tour from London to Stonehenge, I was so pleased to discover the Ruth Galloway Series by Kelly Griffiths. This series is for those readers who love a twist on a traditional detective novel!

Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who doesn’t intend to solve murder mysteries but, nonetheless, her expertise is needed time and again. I love that these books highlight a strong, intelligent female, who is also vulnerable and human. Ruth is independent and successful, but also insecure and finding her way.

Each book in this series intertwines history with modern forensic science and a slightly different setting is used for each book. While I haven’t actually visited the Saltmarsh, a key setting throughout the series and where Ruth lives, I feel as though I have traveled through it extensively and could pick a safe passage through it.

For me, as I toured Stonehenge, my vivid imagination stepped into Ruth Galloway’s shoes as I imagined all of the secrets lying underfoot. This series not only inspired me to visit ancient ruins and educated me about other destinations off of the main “tourist” path, but it helped me to appreciate the rich history of the English people in a deep way. The novels bring ancient history to life and is one of the best modern fiction books about the UK.

Submitted by: Julie from KoskersIdlewild

Bridget Jones’s Diary

If you’re heading off on a UK road trip anytime soon, then a must-read before your trip is Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.

Published in 2001, this modern take on being single in London remains as relevant today as it did when first published. The very likable Bridget is the child of stiff-upper-lip-type middle-class parents who live in the Home Counties (the counties surrounding London). You just know she’s been well brought up, but Bridget’s life is a disaster!

She throws herself into all manner of situations with the sole purpose of finding “the one.” Bridget lives in a small flat in south London and regularly heads out and about in the capital, describing and detailing the city life in laugh-out-loud style.

Bridget starts an affair with her lothario boss, who she really falls for. They even take a country hotel mini-break together, a pinnacle of relationship status in Bridget’s eyes.

A sub-plot runs throughout the whole book around Mr. Darcy (a take on the character of the same name from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice). Our Mr. Darcy is also a “posh boy” who was brought up near Bridget in a country pile and is now a barrister. There is a frisson between them throughout the book which we believe to be mutual dislike…

From here, any more plot details would be a giveaway so you’ll just have to read the book and learn about quirky British traditions, how to swear (curse) properly, and why London is one of the best cities in the world. For comedy fans looking to learn about modern British culture, this is one of the best books on modern British society that you can read.

Submitted by: Izzy from The Gap Decaders

The popular film version of Bridget Jones’ Diary

Wuthering Heights

“Wuthering” is a Northern English word meaning “wild, exposed, and storm-blown.” And if you visit some of the rugged landscapes in rural parts of Britain, it’s easy to see why Emily Brontë named her classic novel Wuthering Heights .

Published in 1847, the book tells the story of Heathcliffe, a mysterious orphan, taken in by the Earnshaw family. He grows up favored by Mr. Earnshaw but is bullied by Earnshaw’s son Hindley. Gradually, Heathcliffe grows close to Earnshaw’s daughter, Catherine.

When Hindley inherits the estate, he forces Heathcliffe into the role of a servant. Catherine marries a neighbor, Edgar Linton, despite her love for Heathcliffe. Their tale of unimaginable love, suffering, and revenge wreaks havoc on their families. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, this lonely and violent landscape enhances the chaos and the tragedy of the novel.

Wuthering Heights is a classic British novel that any traveler to the country should read. But especially if you are planning a visit to Yorkshire, where the Brontë sisters grew up. You can visit their home village of Haworth, which has changed little since their lifetime. You can even walk to Top Withens , the farmhouse that supposedly inspired the novel, and experience just how “wuthering” the UK can be!

Submitted by: Hannah from Get Lost Travel Blog

If you’re looking for the perfect book to transport you to the wilds of Yorkshire, then look no further than Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic classic, Jane Eyre . Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell, this bildungsroman tells the story of the eponymous main character as she navigates a troubled childhood and a placement as a governess in a remote Yorkshire estate.

The novel follows Jane as she grows up in an abusive household, is sent to a grim boarding school, and eventually takes a role as a governess to the daughter of the mysterious Mr. Rochester at the haunting Yorkshire estate of Thornfield Hall. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that both Rochester and Thornfield itself hold secrets and things are not as they seem.

Famous for the love story between Jane and Rochester and for the “crazy wife in the attic” trope, Jane Eyre’s descriptive language can also make you feel as if you’re in the haunting moors of the north of England and is the perfect read to accompany any trip to the UK. Covering themes like mental illness and feminism (though still within the confines of the Victorian period in which it was published), it is also an important piece of literary history in which to read.

Submitted by: Maggie from Books Like This One

Pride and Prejudice

One of the best books to read before visiting the UK is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This classic novel, originally published in 1813, transports its readers back in time.

Elizabeth Bennet navigates the world of marriage with money, manners, first impressions, and education while asserting her independence. Elizabeth Bennet is a relatable character that has withstood the test of time – an independent thinker focused on her personal happiness and growth. Jane Austen’s writing maneuvers seamlessly through storytelling and realism.

While most well-known for being a love story, Pride and Prejudice has been used as a soothing story throughout history. Prime Minister Winston Churchill often cracked the book open in times of stress, and soldiers returning from World War II were often given the novel to help calm nerves. The book is soothing because Austen paints a peaceful picture of the English countryside – filled with rolling hills of green, beautiful country gardens, and of course, elegant parties.

Before visiting the UK, get wrapped up in the lives of the Bennets in 18th-century England! While you visit, take a moment and remember the people who traveled and lived there before you arrived. Their history is what makes the UK a great place to visit.

Submitted by: Pamela from Directionally Challenged Traveler

The Lying Game

If thrillers are more your literary style, then The Lying Game by Ruth Ware needs to be on your reading list.

After a dog pulls a wayward bone out of a tidal estuary known as the Reach, Fatima, Thea, and Isa receive the three-word text from Kate they wished they never would – “I need you.” The four friends were inseparable at Salten House, their boarding school on the cliffs of the English Channel, until the Lying Game got a little too serious.

The game involved telling various lies to fellow students and faculty, but the one rule was that they never lie to each other. The girls parted ways after they were expelled in their final year of school following the mysterious death of the school’s art teacher and haven’t seen each other since. Now, fifteen years later, the same is catching up with them and they must return to Salten to sort everything out.

If you’re a fan of thrillers, this is a must-read before visiting the UK, especially the English countryside. While you likely won’t be encountering anything quite so serious, it will get you in the mood to visit or be the perfect companion while you’re there. This is also a great choice if you want a thriller that doesn’t have much gore. It’s sure to have you wanting to see the marshes and local pubs along the way.

Submitted by: Megan from Red Around the World

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles is definitely one of the best books to read before visiting the United Kingdom. One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous works, it features the detective Sherlock Holmes on one of his most eerie mystery adventures.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is about a murder that is allegedly perpetrated by a supernatural hound. Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, must travel to the English countryside to separate fact from myth and solve the murder. Was it really the work of the supernatural, or was the cause something more devious and human?

Written in 1902, the book features the wild West Country region of England, particularly Dartmoor, which is one reason that makes this book great to read before going to that part of the UK. Doyle paints a vivid picture of the rugged, boggy, and eerie nature of England’s moors.

Sherlock Holmes is also an extremely famous figure in British literature and if you go to London, there are many tours and attractions you can do that involve the detective. By reading one of the best-known Holmes stories, these places in London will be much more fun and interesting to you! Also, there is a pub in London called “Sherlock Holmes,” which is one of the most instagrammable places in London .

Submitted by: Dymphe from Dymabroad

A Tale of Two Cities

Perhaps no classic British writer is as well-known as Charles Dickens. He penned some of the most famous English stories, and what made him so popular was that he wrote about the poor working classes, rather than only about the rich.

Such was the case with one of his most famous and best-selling novels, A Tale of Two Cities . Even if you never read it, you are probably families with its first line: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This captures the duality of the rest of the book, taking place in the late 1800s when the rich were in the “best of times” and the poor were in the “worst of times.”

The story takes place in London and Paris during the time that led up to the American Revolution and the French Revolution with its Reign of Terror and therefore portrays the conditions at a time when the poor were forced to rise up against the rich. While not a work of non-fiction, this book still captures an accurate portrayal of the tensions at the time between the two classes, making it a great piece of historical fiction.

So, if you’re looking to learn more about the history of the UK in the late 1800s before traveling there, you might enjoy reading this piece of classic literature more than a non-fiction book. A Tale of Two Cities is one of the best books that you can “travel through.”

Submitted by: Natalie from Voyage Scribe

The Outlander series of books are historical fiction (and romance) novels written by author Diana Gabaldon. At present, there are 8 books in the series with a 9th in the process of being written.

The main character in the series is Claire Beauchamp Randall. In the first book, we follow young Claire as she travels to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. One day while out walking, Claire walks into an ancient stone circle and accidentally travels back in time.

From the 1940s, Claire travels back to 1700s Scotland and meets and falls in love with Jamie Fraser. The remaining books cover their life together as Claire travels back and forth through time.

The books (and TV series) are a fantastic way to learn about Scottish history, including the events around the battle at Culloden in 1746 when the Jacobite army of Charles Stuart was defeated by the English.

The books depict the rugged terrain of the Scottish Highlands and provide perfect preparation for anyone planning to visit this beautiful area of the UK.

After reading the books, fans will be interested to know that there are numerous Outlander-themed tours available to many of the film locations (and places mentioned in the books). These include visits to locations such as Glencoe (a must on any Scotland itinerary ), Culross, Douane Castle, and Culloden Battlefield.

Submitted by: Tracy from UK Travel Planning

Poldark Saga

The action in Winston Graham’s epic historical Cornish saga, Poldark , takes place between 1783 and 1820, with the protagonist, Ross Poldark, returning from the American War of Independence to his home in the southwest of England. Yet it isn’t quite the homecoming he had hoped for. Fearing him dead, his former lover, Elizabeth, is set to marry his cousin, and the family copper mines now lay derelict.

Over the course of the next few years, the British Army officer sets about making a name for himself once again in the local community. He aims to restore his family name and fortune through mining, a trade that has made Cornwall famous. Indeed, the landscape today is peppered with ruined mines, which are very photogenic and fun to explore.

The books chart his battles with unscrupulous aristocrats and the law during the turmoil of the 18th century. The action takes place in locations throughout Cornwall, and anyone reading the books will be able to recognize where many of the scenes played out.

The rich descriptions of wild landscapes and rugged coastline will have you yearning to travel to this countryside idyll and get booking those flight tickets straight away, making it one of the best fictional books about the UK. There are lots of interesting things to do in Cornwall , and knowing a bit of background surrounding the places you visit, thanks to reading Poldark, will make your experiences all the more rewarding.

Submitted by: Heather from Conversant Traveller

Shetland Island series

When people think of Britain, they tend to think of the mainland. However, Britain has a lot of islands. A couple of years ago, we were lucky enough to go on a cruise around Britain and visit some of the Scottish islands. The Shetland Islands, the location for Anne Cleeves’ acclaimed murder mystery series of the same name, consists of more than 100 islands and is closer to Norway than mainland Scotland.

The eight novels in the Shetland Island series about the Shetland-based detective Jimmy Perez have recently been reissued with smart new covers. Her love of the islands and their flora and fauna shine through. Readers will learn about the islands’ past, their festivals such as the Viking festival of Up Helly Aa in midwinter, and the long days of summer. She also writes about the changes that the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the arrival of the internet brought to these remote islands.

The BBC series Shetland is based on Anne Cleeves’ books, which have won several awards and are very well written. The dark murder mysteries capture the claustrophobia of living on a small island where everyone knows everybody else’s secrets.

Submitted by: Ann from The Platinum Line

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Are you planning a trip to England, Scotland, Wales, or somewhere thereabouts? Here are the best books about the UK you should read before your trip! #england #scotland #wales #janeausten #charlesdickens #booklovers

21 Comments

Oh wow, some great books here. I loved Notes from a Small Island and really anything by Bill Bryson. It’s always interesting to see the UK from the perspective of someone not originally from there. Adding a couple others on this list to my reading list

I’ve read quite a few of those fiction books before, none of the non-fiction ones though. You’ve actually just reminded me to read Bridget Jones’s Diary – so thanks!

Great list! Glad to see you’ve got some of my favourite classics ever here too.

Great combination of books!

So many amazing books to read before planning your UK trip. Great list

Great list of books, thanks for sharing!

Ah these books are iconic!! I love Bridget Jones Diary!

Reading books about a place before you visit is a good way to get a better understanding of the area. This is a great mix of fiction and non-fiction to round out that picture of UK. I am sure I read some of the classics in school. But I know I read the whole Outlander series well before it hit TV. It certainly made me want to wander in the Scottish highlands.

Just added one of the Ruth Golloway mysteries to my Amazon cart! Looks like a great read!

As an avid reader, I am drawn to discover new places after I’ve read books about their locations. And, I look for books with destinations before and after a trip to keep that excitement of travel alive. I’ve read almost all of these, but there are a couple I’ve never heard of. I think I would be interested in the Shetland Island Series and Ruth Galloway.

I am saving this list. It is a pity that I have read only 4 out of them. I really have to reschedule my works and fit in some quality reading time.

Thank you for these reading suggestions. While I’m unable to travel for a while, the UK is one of my top destinations so these books will keep me going in the meantime.

What a great list to read about the UK. Definitely will be giving some of these books a read.

Love this post! I studied publishing in the UK so I love a good book intro to a country. I’d also recommend Stone Voices for anyone visiting Scotland. It’s a beautiful travelogue about the Scottish natural countryside.

What a great concept, I love the idea of reading one of these before visiting the UK. It would really get you in the mindset to enjoy it! I’ll have to save this post for later, to read before I visit the UK:)

Great post. Thank you for putting it together and sharing.

Wonderful list! I’m adding a bunch of these to my Goodreads pronto! Thanks for sharing 😀

This is an amazing list of the best books to read before visiting the United Kingdom. I’m a huge Bill Bryson fan, but haven’t yet read Notes From a Small Island.

Great list. I have read a few of the classics and enjoyed them immensely.

I love the Outlander Series and it shaped my visit to Scotland. I am going to add The Salt Path to my TBR list.

A book and travel crossover, how perfect! I’ll definitely have to pick up some of the classics on this list.

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I’m Maggie, a 30-something politico from Washington, DC, who always has one foot off the ground, looking for adventure. I work full-time in the Swamp, but use travel as a way to stay sane! Read on for my crazy stories from the road, and tips to help you in your own travels! Learn more about me

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Best UK Travel Books

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Top 10 England travel guide books to help plan your trip

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: October 8, 2021

This post may contain compensated links meaning if you buy through them we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read our disclosure for additional information. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you are heading to the UK for a trip you may be looking for the best England travel guide books to help plan your trip. Or perhaps you are looking for the perfect gift for someone planning to explore more of the country ?

To help you with this I have put together this article where you will find the 10 best England travel guides available.

I have included a selection of England travel guide books which also focus on various themes such as shopping, history and gardens to provide you with lots of inspiration and useful information for your visit.

What will you find in this article?

Best travel guides for London
The best England travel guide for gardeners
Best England travel guide for history lovers
The best England travel guide for literary lovers
Best travel guide to the English
The best travel guides about England for children

What are the best England travel guide books available?

Best uk travel guide books.

Rick Steves Great Britain

No list of the best travel guide books for England would be complete without an appearance (or two) by Rick Steves, I really like his books and recommend them to travelers. He loves Europe and has traveled extensively across the continent including in the UK.

Click to buy in Australia

Rick Steves London 2020 (Rick Steves Travel Guide)

And yes I am recommending another great book from Rick Steves. If you are looking for a travel guide to help you plan your visit to London then this is a great place to start with up-to-date tips, information and recommendations.

Lonely Planet Best of London 2020 (Travel Guide)

Lonely Planet fans will find this guide a perfect way to plan your trip to the UK capital especially if you are looking for more budget focussed options.

London's Afternoon Teas: A Guide to the Most Exquisite Tea Venues in London

Do you love afternoon teas? Me too! And where better to experience the ultimate in afternoon teas but in London. And boy oh boy are there lots to choose from!

For those serious about choosing the best check out this guide to London's afternoon teas. With lots of photographs to inspire you as well as lots of information about the culture, heritage, and history surrounding each venue this is a perfect gift for anyone who loves afternoon tea.

A Foodie's Guide to London: Over 100 of the Capital's Finest Food Shops and Experiences

If you love food and have an interest in everything culinary this is the book for you!

Covering over 100 food shops why not take a gastronomic tour around London to the best the capital offers in bakers, butchers, cheesemongers, chocolatiers, delicatessens, fishmongers, food halls, farmers' markets, grocers, wine merchants, and world food stores.

Insider London: A Curated Guide to the Most Stylish Shops, Restaurants, and Cultural Experiences

An insider's tour of London's best-kept secrets including must-visit restaurants, hotels, boutiques and shops. With stunning photographs, links to websites and maps to help you locate each place this is a great book for style minded visitors as well as locals!

The Gardener's Travel Companion to England: What to See and Where to Stay

This garden-lover's guide to England is both a wonderful travel resource as well as an inspiring coffee-table book for those who adore exploring and strolling through charming garden destinations and horticulturally inspired hideaways.

If you love gardens and want to see the best England has to offer this beautiful book will provide both inspiration and valuable information to help plan your visit.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century

If you enjoy history and would like to learn more about life in England in times one by this is a perfect book to read. A great way to find out about life in England during the Middle Ages.

Read this then visit some of the many castles England is famous for.

Jane Austen's England: A Travel Guide

Find out how the middle and upper classes lived from 1775, the year of Austen’s birth, to the coronation of George IV in 1820. The author details all aspects of daily life during the lifetime of Jane Austen .

She draws on contemporary diaries, illustrations, letters, novels, travel literature, and archives to produce this wonderful guide to life in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Understanding The British: A hilarious guide from Apologising to Wimbledon

Want to learn about the English and what makes us tick? This book will provide you with lots of insight and even more laughs! This books will help you understand just what it is that makes the English so different from our American cousins.

Best travel and guide books about London

If you are visiting London this list covers all the best travel and guide books about the capital.

BEST ENGLAND TRAVEL GUIDES FOR CHILDREN

Kids' Travel Guide - London: The fun way to discover London - especially for kids

Taking the kids or grandkids? Keep them occupied (and learning) at the same time with these great books.

Mission London: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure

A fun and educational way to ensure the kids make the most of their UK vacation.

Best kids books about London for all ages

A great selection of kids books all about London - a fantastic way to prepare them for a visit (or to simply learn about the history of the city)

I hope my choices of best travel guide books for London and England have inspired you. Please let me know which ones you have found the most useful!

UK Travel Planning Facebook Group

Check out my UK Travel Planning Facebook group – come and join us! It is a great resource to help plan your UK trip (or for inspiration for those wanting to explore more of the UK) – come and chat, ask questions and find out more about the UK.

→ CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FREE UK TRAVEL PLANNING GROUP ON FACEBOOK

Happy travel planning!

If you are planning a trip to the UK you will find lots of articles to help you on this website as well as on my dedicated UK Travel Planning site. Pop over and take a look!

If you enjoy travel reading do also check out my guide to the best books which has links to numerous recommendations for a number of countries around the world.

UK planning guide

Everything you need to know to plan your trip to the UK is included in this post. A perfect place to start!

15 essential tips every visitor to the UK should know

Visiting the UK for the first time? Check out my top 10 tips to help you have the best time!

UK packing guide

An essential packing guide for the UK for every season. If you are visiting in winter check out my London and UK winter packing list too.

Best books to read before you visit England

For book lovers and those who enjoy learning about their destination this list of the top 9 books to read before you visit is a good starting point.

The Literacy Year

Travelling Books

From Scholastic UK

Resource type: School book fair

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3

Region(s): All of UK

Travelling Books offers a Book Fair scheme that allows schools to earn up to 60% of their Book Fair sales value in Rewards. The Rewards can be used to buy books and teaching resources from a range of over 10,000 titles available through the Scholastic Schools Catalogue or the online Scholastic Shop.

Travelling Books supplies mobile bookcases pre-packed with a selection of hundreds of titles that cover all reading ages and interests. Prices start from £2.99 to ensure that there is something for everybody.

Schools are responsible for planning, promoting and running their Book Fair, but local Book Fair Distributors are available to provide advice and support over the phone. There are also free planning and promotional resources available to download from the Travelling Books website.

Cost: Free. In addition, schools can earn up to 60% of the value of the event sales, depending on the total value of the sales.

About The Travelling Book Company: The Travelling Book Company was bought by Scholastic UK in 2015, and is now part of Scholastic Corporation, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.

Literacy Hive Likes

The books offered through Travelling Books are selected from over 60 different publishers and include the latest books from big name authors, tried and tested classics, non-fiction and pocket-money pick-ups.
Rewards can be used to buy individual titles, but there are also curated book and resource packs that offer savings of up to 50% on the published price.
Book Fairs can be a good way to get new books for the school library or classroom without dipping in to the school budget.

Visit the resource

bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk

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African Diaspora

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will soon travel to Nigeria

Meghan Markle is diving further into her Nigerian heritage in her upcoming trip with Prince Harry.

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Meghan Markle Prince Harry nigeria, Invictus Games Nigeria, what are the Invictus Games?, is meghan markle nigerian? Meghan Markle nigerian theGrio.com

The next stop on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s world travels will reportedly be Nigeria.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are scheduled to visit the country in May, following an invitation from the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff. While visiting the African country, the couple will participate in native cultural activities and meet with various service members.

The invitation to visit was reportedly sparked by Harry’s Invictus Games , a sporting event he designed after discovering how “sports could help wounded servicemen and women in their recovery — physically, psychologically and socially.” Considered to be one of the prince’s few remaining ties to the royal family, the games hosted 500 athletes across 21 nations last year in Germany, where Nigeria was cheered on by the duchess herself . Though the 2025 Invictus Games are scheduled to take place in Canada, Nigeria is expressing its interest in hosting a future event.

“The visit is to consolidate Nigeria’s stronghold at the game and the possibility of hosting the event in later years,” said Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Nigeria’s acting director of defense information in a statement, per People magazine .

For Black women in the U.S., the odds of surviving breast cancer must change

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During last year’s event, the couple grew a special affinity for the Nigerian team . In 2022, after learning that she is 43% Nigerian by taking a genealogy test, Markle revealed her newfound heritage on her award-winning podcast “Archetypes.”

“I’m going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that I’ve told, especially Nigerian women, are like, ‘What!’” she shared on the show.

In light of this discovery, Markle and her husband reportedly spent time with Nigeria’s team at the 2023 Invictus Games, during which the Duchess of Sussex received a new nickname. Like her royal title, her Nigerian name, “Amira Ngozi Lolo,” holds a royal meaning, with “Amira” meaning warrior princess from a legend, “Ngozi” meaning blessed and Lolo meaning “royal wife.”

“Now, I’m not saying we play favorites in our home, but since my wife discovered she’s of Nigerian descent, it’s likely to get a little bit more competitive this year,” Prince Harry said in his 2023 opening speech, teasing about which team the Duchess would be rooting for.

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Money latest: Gameboys, Sindy dolls, designer shoes, 1950s furniture - the items in your attic that could be worth a small fortune

Gumtree's most popular items include rare stamps, Gameboys and Pokemon cards. Read this and all the latest consumer and personal finance news below, plus leave a comment or submit a consumer dispute or money problem in the box.

Monday 29 April 2024 19:46, UK

Three of UK's biggest lenders up mortgage rates
Annual mortgage repayments have increased by up to 70% since 2021
Higher food prices and shortages warning - as new Brexit checks begin this week
People on disability benefits could receive vouchers rather than cash

Essential reads

Gameboys, Sindy dolls, designer shoes, 1950s furniture: The items in your attic that could be worth a small fortune
Money Problem : 'A company isn't abiding by written warranty for dodgy building work - what can I do?'
'£2,000 landed in my account' - The people who say they're manifesting riches
The world of dark tourism - what is it, is it ethical and where can you go?

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Strikes at Heathrow Airport are taking place over the next few weeks, with the first one already under way.

Staff at the UK's biggest airport are set to walk out during the early bank holiday in May, with their union warning planes could be "delayed, disrupted and grounded".

Click here to find out when all the strikes are, what disruption is expected and which airlines are affected...

The average price paid for comprehensive motor insurance rose 1% in the first quarter of the year, according to industry data indicating an easing in the steep rises seen last year.

The latest tracker issued by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) showed a 1% increase on the previous three months to £635.

That was despite the average claim paid rising 8% to reach a record of £4,800, the body said.

The ABI said the disparity showed that its members were "absorbing" additional costs and not passing them on.

Nevertheless, the average policy was still 33%, or £157, higher between January and March compared to the same period last year.

Read the full story here ...

Getir , the grocery delivery app, has abandoned a European expansion that is set to result in the loss of around 1,500 jobs in the UK.

Sky News had previously revealed that the Turkey-based company, which means "to bring" in Turkish, had successfully raised money from investors to fund its withdrawals from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

It had already departed other countries including Italy and Spain.

The exits were prompted by growing losses linked to the company's rapid expansion.

Waitrose is launching an exclusive range of products with popular chef Yotam Ottolenghi today.

The Israeli-British chef is famous for his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired food, and has worked with the supermarket to release products including a pasta sauce, spice blend and shawarma marinade.

It is the first time Ottolenghi has partnered with a supermarket in such a way.

The full range will be available in Waitrose shops, Waitrose.com and Ottolenghi.co.uk from today, while a selection of products will be available from the supermarket on Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

An introductory 20% off offer is being launched until 18 June.

The range includes:

Ottolenghi Miso Pesto 165g (£4)
Ottolenghi Kalamata Olive & Harissa Sauce 350g (£4.50)
Ottolenghi Pomegranate, Rose & Preserved Lemon Harissa 170g (£5)
Ottolenghi Green Harissa 170g (£5)
Ottolenghi Aleppo & Other Chillies Blend (£3.95)
Ottolenghi Sweet & Smokey Blend (£3.95)
Ottolenghi Citrus & Spice Blend (£3.95)
Ottolenghi Red Chilli Sauce (£4.50)
Ottolenghi Shawarma Marinade (£4)

Ottolenghi said he had "always been super eager to get our flavours onto people's dinner plates nationwide, not just in London, without having to cook it from scratch every single time".

He added: "I hate to admit it but the pasta sauce already features heavily in my home kitchen, when no one is looking."

The cost of bread, biscuits and beer could increase this year due to the impact of the unusually wet autumn and winter on UK harvests.

Research suggests that production of wheat, oats, barley and oilseed rape could drop by four million tonnes (17.5%) compared with 2023.

The wet weather has resulted in lower levels of planting, while flooding and storms over winter caused farmers more losses.

The predictions come just as the rate of price increases on many food items begins to slow as inflation falls.

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) analysed forecasts from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHBD) and government yield data.

It found a "real risk" of beer, biscuits and bread becoming more expensive if the poor harvest increases costs for producers, according to its lead analyst Tom Lancaster.

Beer prices could be affected because the wet weather is still disrupting the planting of spring crops such as barley, the ECIU said.

And potatoes might also see a price hike in the coming months, with growers warning of a major shortage in the autumn due to persistent wet weather.

By Emily Mee , Money team

When I think about the toys of my childhood - my pink Barbie car, my Gameboy Micro, my collection of Pokemon cards - I can't tell you where they went.

Maybe they were shipped off to a charity shop at some point... Or perhaps they're in the attic?

While my hot pink Gameboy Micro is lost to the void of time (or a cardboard box somewhere in my mum's house), other versions of it are selling on eBay for £100 or more.

And there are Pokemon cards selling for anything from a tenner to hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

It's possible you also have items at home that are a collector's dream.

Gumtree says its collectables category is already proving to be a "hotbed of activity" this year, with listings up 22% in 2024 so far.

Its most popular items include rare stamps, coins, war memorabilia and Pokemon cards.

Spring is often the most popular time for buying and selling collectibles, with demand spiking in March and April.

We've enlisted the help of TV presenter and collectables expert Tracy Martin to give an idea of what could make you an easy buck.

Old toys making a 'retro comeback'

Tracy explains that while trends change, vintage toys tend to stand the test of time.

"Toys are always going to be popular because they tap into nostalgia, our childhood memories," she says, explaining that adults like to buy the toys they used to have.

Perhaps you were into cars, and you've got some old diecast vehicles from Matchbox, Corgi or Dinky Toys.

A quick look on toy auction site Vectis.co.uk shows a Corgi Toys "James Bond" Aston Martin estimated to sell for between £600 to £700 - while others are likely to fetch £50 to £60.

Sindy dolls are also particularly sought after - particularly those from the 1960s - and Barbie dolls from the 1990s too.

Pokemon cards have seen a "massive surge", Tracy says, with people paying "thousands and thousands of pounds" for good unopened sets.

She's even seen examples of people paying £16,000 upwards.

Another up-and-coming market is games consoles, such as Gameboys, vintage consoles and PlayStations, which are making a "retro comeback".

What else could earn you some cash?

Tracy says there's currently a surge in people wanting to buy "mid century" furniture, which is dated to roughly 1945 to 1965 and typically uses clean lines and has a timeless feel.

Vintage Danish furniture is sought after, particularly tables and chairs with good designer names such as Wegner, Verner Panton and Arne Jacobsen.

Prices range from the low hundreds into the thousands.

People will also look out for vintage framed prints by artists such as Tretchikoff, J.H. Lynch and Shabner - these can range in price from £50 upwards to a few hundred pounds plus.

Vintage clothes, handbags and shoes can fetch a good price - but you can also invest in modern pieces.

Tracy suggests looking out for good classic designs with high-end designer names such as Gucci, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

Modern designers such as Irregular Choice, Vendula and Lulu Guinness are also collected.

Collaborations with designers and celebrities can do well as they're often limited edition.

For example, Tracy says the H&M x Paco Rabanne maxi silver sequin dress retailed at £279.99 last year but now sells for in excess of £600.

When it comes to shoes, "the quirkier the design the better" - so look out for brands such as Irregular Choice and Joe Browns.

Converse and Dr Martens collaborations also do well, depending on the design and condition, as well as Adidas and Nike limited edition trainers.

What's the best way to sell?

Tracy recommends to always research before selling your items, as they might perform better on different platforms and you can also get an idea of how much they sell for.

For example, Vinted can be a good place to sell clothes and shoes, while other items might be better suited for sale on Gumtree, eBay or Etsy.

Tracy's favourite way to sell is through auction - especially if there are specialist sales.

Vectis is one of the biggest and most popular for toy selling.

Interests in different periods and items can go up and down, but for the time being vintage pieces from the 1980s and 90s are popular.

How much you'll be able to get from an item often takes into account its rarity, condition, whether it reflects a period in time, and if it's got a good name behind it.

You never know - you might be sitting on a treasure trove.

Annual mortgage repayments have increased by up to 70% since 2021, according to new data from Zoopla .

The biggest impact of rising interest rates has been in southern England where house prices are higher.

Across the South West, South East and East of England, the annual mortgage cost for an average home is £5,000 higher than previously. This rises to £7,500 in London.

But the universal uptick in mortgage costs has been less pronounced in other parts of the UK, with the North East seeing a £2,350 increase.

In a bid to tackle inflation, the Bank of England has raised the base rate from 0.1% in December 2021 to a 16-year high of 5.25% now.

The Zoopla research looked at the average home buyer taking out a 70% loan-to-value mortgage.

This week seems to be starting where last week left off - with three major lenders announcing further hikes in mortgage rates.

Amid uncertainty of the timing of interest rate cuts from the Bank of England this year, swap rates (which dictate how much it costs lenders to lend) have been rising in recent weeks.

Financial markets currently see two rate cuts by the Bank of England this year.

We've reported on a string of rate bumps from the high street over the last 10 days, and this morning NatWest, Santander and Nationwide moved.

In its second hikes announcement in less than a week, NatWest laid out increases across its full range of residential and buy-to-let fixed deals of up to 0.22%.

Santander, meanwhile, announced increases for both fixed and tracker deals across their residential and buy-to-let products - up to 0.25%.

The same hikes are being imposed for a range of Nationwide deals.

All of these will kick in tomorrow.

Amit Patel, adviser at Trinity Finance, told Newspage it was "not a great start to the week".

"This is not good news for borrowers," he said.

Where will the base rate go this year?

The majority of the bets, according to LSEG data, are on the first cut coming in August (previously this was June) and the second in December.

This would take Bank rate from the current level of 5.25% to 4.75%.

Disabled people could receive vouchers instead of monthly payments under proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

The changes could see people being provided with either one-off grants for specific costs such as home adaptation, or being directed to "alternative means of support" rather than financial support.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride is set to announce plans today to overhaul the way disability benefits work.

In a Green Paper due to be published alongside Mr Stride's statement to the Commons, ministers will set out plans to reform Personal Independence Payments (PIP), the main disability benefit, through changes to eligibility criteria and assessments.

The plans also include proposals to "move away from a fixed cash benefit system", meaning people with some conditions, such as depression and anxiety, will no longer receive regular payments but rather get improved access to treatment if their condition does not involve extra costs.

Speaking to Sky News earlier, Mr Stride said: "I want us to have a grown-up, sensible conversation about a benefit called PIP that has not been reviewed in over a decade.

"And I want to ask the question, is it fit for purpose given the world that we're in today, in which mental health issues sadly present more of an issue than they did a decade ago."

By James Sillars , business reporter

A fresh high for the FTSE 100 to start the week.

The index of leading shares in London was 0.5% up at 8,179 in early dealing.

The gains were led by miners and financial stocks.

Dragging on the performance were some consumer-facing brands including JD Sports and Flutter Entertainment.

One other development of note to mention is that stubbornly high oil price.

A barrel of Brent crude is currently trading almost 1% down on the day.

But it remains at $88 a barrel.

The market has been pulled by various forces this month, with hopes of a rebound in demand in China among them.

The latest decline is said to reflect peace talks being held between Israel and Hamas.

A demand for smaller homes has driven growth in UK property prices early in 2024, according to research by Halifax.

Data from the bank's house price index suggests annual property price growth hit 1.9% in February this year - a significant rise from -4.1% just three months prior.

That equates to a rise in prices of £5,318 over the past year.

It follows interest rates stabilising, Halifax says, after a sharp rise over the past two years which squeezed mortgage affordability.

A key driver behind rising prices, Halifax says, has been first-time buyers, who made up 53% of all homes bought with a mortgage in 2023 - the highest proportion since 1995.

And it's smaller homes that have recorded the biggest increases in price growth in the early part of this year - with buyers adjusting their expectations to compensate for higher borrowing costs.

Flats and terraced houses made up 57% of all homes purchased by first-time buyers last year.

This varies by region - for example, in London, flats and terraced homes accounted for 90% of all first-time buyer purchases.

Challenges remain

However, Amanda Bryden, head of Halifax mortgages, said "it's important not to gloss over the challenges" facing the UK housing market, given the "impact of higher interest rates on mortgage affordability" and "continued lack of supply of new homes".

"But scratch beneath the surface and there is a more nuanced story, one which shows that demand for different property types in different parts of the country can vary hugely," she added.

"As interest rates have stabilised and buyers adjust to the new economic reality of owning a home, one way to compensate for higher borrowing costs is to target smaller properties.

"This is especially true among first-time buyers, who have proven to be resilient over recent years, and now account for the largest proportion of homes purchased with a mortgage in almost 30 years."

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Stanley Kubrick on the set of his movie Barry Lyndon.

‘He erased the entire project’ … the book Stanley Kubrick didn’t want anyone to read to be published

Half a century since the perfectionist director vowed to block it, a critique that dared to discuss flaws in his films is to be published

Stanley Kubrick, the relentless perfectionist who directed some of cinema’s greatest classics, was so sensitive to criticism that, in 1970, he threatened legal action to block publication of a book which dared to discuss flaws in his films.

The director of Spartacus and 2001: A Space Odyssey , warned the book’s author and publisher that he would fight “tooth and nail” and “use every legal means at his disposal” to prevent its publication – and he did.

Now, 25 years after his death, the book Kubrick did not want anyone to read is being published, more than half a century late.

The Magic Eye: The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick by Neil Hornick now has three prefaces reflecting its subject’s ruthlessness in trying to block publication and control his image.

Hornick, now 84, from London, said Kubrick’s legal threats had come as a shock: “I regard it as a painful episode.”

He had been commissioned to write the very first book on Kubrick by cinema specialist The Tantivy Press more than 50 years ago. Kubrick was initially helpful, sharing viewing prints of his films that were otherwise inaccessible.

But, after seeing a draft of the book, the film-maker changed his mind and blocked its publication. He complained that the book had “a summary of the good things about [each] movie followed by a summary of the bad points, which, in [Kubrick’s] view, always outweigh the good on account of the overly emphatic way in which such criticisms are presented.”

Tantivy had signed an agreement with Kubrick stating that it would not publish anything “until such time as its entire contents have been approved in writing by me [Kubrick]”.

Smiling Kubrick and Lyon sit next to each other holding scripts

Hornick said: “I understood his legal agreement with the publisher entitled him to ensure the book was factually correct. I didn’t expect the whole book to be rejected.”

Kubrick’s lawyers were clear: “If … any attempt were to be made by yourself or any other publisher to publish the existing manuscript without his approval our Client will have no alternative but to accept our advice to take all steps as are open to him to prevent such publication and to seek redress for damages suffered.”

Kubrick estimated that the “unacceptable” criticisms amounted to a third of the 70,000-word manuscript. But he never specified what had caused such offence and Hornick was bewildered as he believed the criticisms were not that extensive.

They appeared primarily in a chapter on Lolita , a 1962 adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel about a man who becomes obsessed by a 12-year-old girl.

In the book, Hornick wrote: “There are good things in Lolita . But in too many respects it squanders, impoverishes and conventionalises its source material, draining it of its complexity, nymphetry and eroticism.”

He said: “I found the film version largely a pointless betrayal of the original novel from which it was adapted. However, I expressed great admiration for most of his other films.” His book describes 2001 as “a magisterial achievement” and Kubrick’s 1957 first world war movie Paths of Glory as “a film of intoxicating visual sophistication”.

Kubrick never responded to his offer to revise substantial sections, “so long as the critical integrity of the book was not jeopardised”, Hornick had written to him. Instead, the film-maker collaborated closely with his friend, the film critic Alexander Walker, on a book titled Stanley Kubrick Directs , published in 1972. “Who could blame me for not wanting to prolong the agony, giving up on the whole sorry imbroglio, and getting on with my own creative life?” he said.

Asked if he was bitter that Kubrick’s lawyers blocked publication of his book, Hornick said: “Perhaps at the time, yes, and highly frustrated too, but not for long, as I was very busy with other projects.”

Hornick holds a cup of tea with bookshelves in the background

Filippo Ulivieri, a leading Kubrick scholar, said: “It’s quite shocking to read the correspondence between Kubrick’s lawyers and Neil’s publisher … Kubrick wanted a book that praised his films and Neil’s book was not like that. His films up to that point were reviewed positively – although some critics, especially in New York, had been critical. So he needed a book that was completely positive.

“With its down to earth, craft-oriented analysis of the films, would [Hornick’s] book have chipped away at the myth of the all-powerful, never-failing director?”

Ulivieri added that Hornick’s book “offers a very precise, unbiased view of Kubrick’s films”, unlike so many others. “It’s very difficult to find even a single flaw pointed out in the Kubrick literature.”

The Magic Eye could have remained unread. However Hornick was approached by New York-based Sticking Place Books.

Paul Cronin, its British publisher, said: “His reaction to The Magic Eye showed Kubrick’s image-control obsessions taken to extremes. He didn’t just make edits – he erased the entire project. Now, almost 55 years after Neil Hornick completed it, readers can finally make their own judgments about the book Kubrick was so implacably determined to keep from public view.”

Hornick writes in his preface: “Given the sad fate of my book, I thought I’d finished with Kubrick. But, as I’m sure others before and after me have also discovered, one is never really finished with him. If you’ve once been bitten – or is the word “smitten”? – by the Kubrick bug, it kind of gets into your bloodstream and stays with you for life … I remain interested in him to this day.”

The Magic Eye: The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick by Neil Hornick is published on 30 April by Sticking Place Books

Stanley Kubrick
The Observer
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