The 39 Steps  •  Alfred Hitchcock 1935 •  DVD One of Hitchcock's "wrong man" spy sagas, this classic film follows a Canadian tourist in London (Robert Donat) who becomes entangled in an underground epsionage plot that leads him to a remote mountain town in Scotland. Part of the Criterion Collection. (GBR493, $39.95)
Agatha Christie A to Z: The Essential Reference to Her Life and Writings  •  Dawn B. Sova MYSTERY •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 304 PAGES A scholarly compendium of everything Christie, this handsome book is an encyclopedic guide to her life and work. It's also much fun, including such helpful categories as means of murder, characters and detectives. (GBR48, $55.00)
The Age of Shakespeare  •  Francois Laroque CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1993 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES A volume in the outstanding "Discoveries" series, this pocket-size encyclopedia is an excellent introduction to Elizabethan England. It presents Shakespeare, his life, times and legacy in concise essays and hundreds of well-chosen illustrations. (GBR11, $12.95)
As You Like It  •  Paul Werstine  •  Barbara Mowat  •  William Shakespeare LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Part of the New Folger Library Shakespeare Series, Shakespeare's full text with a scene by scene prose summary and critical analysis. (TTR06, $3.99)
Authentik / Chic London  •  Beatrice Hodgkin  •  Alain Bouldouyre GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Part of a series of elegant pocket guides written by local authors and bound with kraft paper, constructed from recycled materials, and held tight by an elastic band. Pen and ink illustrations complement the thoughtful recommendations for London's spas, boutiques, salons, and other venues dedicated to luxury. (GBR733, $16.95)
Authentik / Gourmet London  •  William Skidelsky  •  Alain Bouldouyre GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Part of a series of elegant pocket guides written by local authors and bound with kraft paper, constructed from recycled materials, and held tight by an elastic band. Pen and ink illustrations complement the thoughtful recommendations for London's restaurants, shops, markets, even cookbooks. (GBR732, $16.95)
Authentik Artistik London  •  Simon Cropper  •  Alain Bouldouyre GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES Part of a series of elegant pocket guides written by local authors and bound with kraft paper, constructed from recycled materials, and held tight by an elastic band. Pen and ink illustrations complement the thoughtful recommendations for London's museums, galleries, art classes, studios, supply stores and painting venues. (GBR734, $16.95)
The Beggar's Opera  •  John Gay  •  T.O. Treadwell LITERATURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES Written in 1728, John Gay's ballad opera is a satirical look at 18th-century London. It's the model for Brecht's Threepenny Opera. (GBR460, $10.00)
Being an Actor  •  Simon Callow BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A candid memoir of life on the stage. Callow has had a prolific theater career and has written extensively about his experience and his art. (TTR17, $17.00)
Birds of a Feather  •  Jacqueline Winspear MYSTERY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES The second book in the series starring detective Maisie Dobbs and set in a London still feeling the effects of World War I. It's 1930, and Maisie has been hired to find a runaway heiress, which leads to a trail of intrigue and links to the Great War. (GBR665, $14.00)
Bloom's Literary Guide to London  •  Donna Dailey GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 231 PAGES Home to Shakespeare, Marlowe and Dickens, London is examined both as a literary setting and as a key influence in English literature. (GBR721, $40.00)
Blue Guide London  •  Ylva French GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 507 PAGES This popular guide focuses on the art, architecture, museums and galleries of London. With 25 illustrations, 14 maps and plans, and a 30-page color atlas section. 17th edition. (GBR229, $27.95)
Bradt Guide Eccentric Britain  •  Benedict le Vay GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES In this characteristically informative guide in the Bradt series, Benedict le Vay shows that Monty Python is just the tip of the iceberg of absurdity in a region brimming with oddities-- although with section headings like "Stately pigs of old England and sty society" and "Britain's top ten (plus) towers (mostly with very tall stories)," he might as well be a member of the troupe. A must for the traveler who longs to veer off of the off-the-beaten-track. (GBR586, $22.95)
British Isles Map, Great Britain and Ireland  •  Michelin Travel Publications 2008 •  MAP This colorful and accurate, regularly updated map shows both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Featuring excellent road data. (GBR07, $11.95)
The British Isles, A History of Four Nations  •  Hugh Kearney HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES A survey of 2000 years of British history from the Celts to the Romans, the Normans, to the rise (and fall) of the empire. With a welcome focus on the interaction of the Celts, Normans and other cultures that have made their home in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Highly recommended. (GBR88, $35.99)
British Isles, Great Britain & Ireland Map  •  Hammond Maps 2008 •  MAP The Brits are famously in love with geography, and this is their homegrown, colorful and accurate map of both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:800,000, featuring excellent road data. (GBR29, $11.95)
Britons: Forging the Nations, 1707-1837  •  Linda Colley HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 413 PAGES Winner of the 1992 Wolfson History Prize given in London for the best history accessible to general readers, this very interesting study of the formation of a national British identity recounts the joining of England, Scotland and Wales. This political, military and social history records how the ruling elite withstood threats from within and without from the Jacobites to the French, the path from Protestantism to profits via trade, war and empire, the making of the British ruling class, the women's sphere, and parliamentary reforms from the act of Union to the beginning of the Victorian Age. (GBR81, $22.50)
Cadogan Take the Kids London  •  Joseph Fullman GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 576 PAGES A practical guide in the popular Bradt series, noted for publishing travel guides to remote and little-visited destinations for kids. (GBR780, $18.95)
Chasing Churchill, The Travels of Winston Churchill  •  Celia Sandys BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES The granddaughter of the great leader recounts Churchill's exploits as a young army officer as well as his diplomatic travels before, during, and after World War II. (GBR711, $15.00)
The Children of Henry VIII  •  Alison Weir HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 363 PAGES This riveting account, both history and biography, examines the relationship of the four heirs left at Henry's death -- Prince Edward, "Bloody" Mary, Elizabeth, and Lady Jane Grey. Enlightening about the era and revealing in the portraits of the successors to Henry VIII, this is very enjoyable history. (GBR74, $16.00)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe  •  Glynis Ridley HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
Companion Guide London  •  David Piper  •  Fionualla Jervis GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 450 PAGES A companionable, personable guide to the city, strong on history and culture. Oddly (for a guide), it's the sort of book that makes for leisurely and pleasurable reading. This eight edition was revised and updated by Fionualla Jervis. An Art Historian, Piper (1918-1990) was director of the National Portrait Gallery and the Ashmolean Museum. (GBR514, $34.95)
The Complete Poems  •  John Keats  •  John Barnard LITERATURE •  1977 •  PAPER  • 731 PAGES A collection of every poem that John Keats ever wrote, in a portable paperback edition from "Penguin Classics." (GBR162, $16.00)
A Conspiracy of Paper  •  David Liss LITERATURE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES Liss's novel of greed and murder is memorably set among the grimy streets and the financial institutions of 18th-century London. The pleasures of the book are its detailed portraits of the city and the double-dealings of the merchants, investors and thieves. (GBR518, $14.95)
Cross Channel  •  Julian Barnes LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 211 PAGES Each linked in some way with cross channel experiences, these ten short stories range in time from the late 17th century to the year 2015. The stories display the deliciously comic, complex and intellectual pyrotechnics, for which novelist Barnes is famous. (GBR56, $13.00)
Culture Smart! Britain, A Quick Guide to Customs And Etiquette  •  Paul Norbury GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 168 PAGES A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice. (GBR736, $9.95)
The Diary of Samuel Pepys  •  Samuel Pepys  •  Richard Le Gallienne  •  Robert Louis Stevenson BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES The perennially popular diary of Samuel Pepys (1633-1703), both an account of his life and portrait of the tumultuous 1660s in London. Pepys covers, among may other things in his nine-year-long diary, the coronation of Charles II, bubonic plague and the Great Fire. This volume is edited and much abridged by essayist and poet Richard Le Gallienne. The original is eight times as long. (GBR459, $15.95)
Directors on Directing, A Source Book to Modern Theater  •  Toby Cole  •  Helen Krich Chinoy ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 479 PAGES A guide to the art of directing theatrical productions, composed of a variety of essays from professionals in the industry. (TTR03, $114.80)
Don't Point That Thing at Me  •  Kyril Bonfiglioli MYSTERY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 198 PAGES Originally published in Britain in the 1970s, this comic thriller drew a cult following because of its protagonist, Charlie Mortdecai, a dapper assassin and playboy. Supposedly based loosely on Bonfiglioli himself, Mortdecai flaunts around London with his right-hand man Jock, causing large-scale mischief and drinking cocktails. (GBR589, $13.95)
Down and Out in Paris and London  •  George Orwell LITERATURE •  1972 •  PAPER  • 213 PAGES Orwell's first published work, this novel -- based, in part, on true experiences -- is a tale of the underclass in 1930's Paris and London. (GBR99, $14.00)
The Dramatic Imagination, Reflections and Speculations on the Art of Theatre  •  Robert Edmond Jones ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1987 •  PAPER  • 157 PAGES A classic, heartfelt collection of essays on all aspects of the theater, from acting and directing to lighting and design. Jones's experience and wisdom are evident throughout, and the books stands as a source of inspiration and instruction for theater professionals and aficionados. (TTR02, $24.95)
Empire, The British Imperial Experience from 1765 to the Present  •  Denis Judd HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 478 PAGES This survey of British imperial history sums up the balance sheet of empire and the continuing debate over its meaning. Its epic theme is how the empire affected rulers and the ruled from the American Revolution to the present. Included are issues of gender, race, sexuality, and national identity in the confrontations between British missionaries and colonial subjects. (GBR80, $28.50)
The Empty Space  •  Peter Brook ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 141 PAGES A highly influential -- and highly readable -- treatise on the state of modern theater, first published in 1968 but still appropriate today. Legendary English director Peter Brook divides dramatic productions into four categories -- the Deadly Theater, the Holy Theater, the Rough Theater, and the Immediate Theater -- so that he may address the importance and potential of the theatrical form. (TTR01, $11.95)
Eyewitness Guide Great Britain  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 720 PAGES With its 1,400 photos, maps and excellent introductory chapters, this guide is both a general introduction to Great Britain and a region-by-region look at its attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (GBR01, $30.00)
Eyewitness London Pocket Map & Guide  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES This superb guide to London features color photography, easy-to-use foldout maps and top attractions. Convenient and up-to-date with an unbeatable price, this is the guide to carry. (GBR685, $6.99)
Eyewitness Real City London  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES With up-to-date information on what's hot in London, this chic guide lists the trendiest local spots to eat, shop, party and relax. Supported by a website so you'll always be on the inside track. (GBR686, $15.00)
Faberge in the Royal Collection  •  Caroline De Guitaut ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES A handsome study of Faberge art and the British Royal Family. Includes essays on the history of the collection, royal collectors, and Faberge's enduring influence. With 220 illustrations, 200 in color. (RUS215, $50.00)
A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe  •  Guy Mountfort FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Every birder has their favorite field guide, but you can't go wrong with this classic in the Peterson series: compact, illustrated and convenient, covering 698 species. With range maps. (EUR15, $22.00)
Fodor's Exploring London  •  Inc. Fodor's Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES With its many photographs, great introductory chapters and practical travel information, this book is an excellent overview of Italy and its attractions for visitors. Featuring separate sections on suggested places to visit, recommended walks, practical information, descriptions of restaurants and hotels, ratings of sights, and a chronology of historic events. (GBR741, $22.00)
Fodor's London  •  Inc. Fodor's Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series, saturated with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining. (GBR742, $18.95)
Fodor's See It London  •  Fodors GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER An inaugural volume in this new line of guides by Fodor's this book is notable for its especially vibrant presentation of the city. Each page displays full-color photos accompanied by much useful information on how to eat, sleep, shop, and sightsee in London. (GBR502, $22.95)
Frommer's Portable London  •  Darwin Porter GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A practical travel guide featuring excellent annotated listings of what to do and where to eat and sleep. With one-color maps and suggested excursions. (GBR740, $12.99)
The Gate of Angels  •  Penelope Fitzgerald LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES Fitzgerald's seriocomic novel, set in 1912, finds a young scientist from Cambridge and a nurse from London embroiled in a romance that challenges them both emotionally and intellectually. (GBR469, $12.00)
Georgiana, Dutchess of Devonshire  •  Amanda Foreman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER  • 512 PAGES An entertaining biography of 18th-century aristocrat, society hostess and political pundit Georgiana Spencer. Much like her great-great-great-great niece Princess Diana, Georgiana was thrust into the public eye when she married into the aristocracy. She became wrapped up in scandal, gambling, and drugs but also emerged as an influential figure in politics. It's a well written and carefully researched portrait of an intriguing woman and her world. Foreman won the Whitbread prize for this, her debut book. (GBR520, $15.95)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
Great Britain Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP The Brits are famously in love with geography, and this is their homegrown, excellent map of Great Britain, at a scale of 1:650,000. (GBR06, $12.95)
A Hard Day's Night  •  Richard Lester 1964 •  DVD The Beatles at their best. Not only a showcase for the antics of Fab Four, this film is also important contribution to the history of British cinema and the musical genre. A stylized portrait of spontaneity, it follows John, Paul, George and Ringo as they mess about on a train, run through the streets of London, play in an open field, and deal with the immense fame that has suddenly been thrust upon them. (GBR494, $29.99)
Henry Esmond  •  Wiliam Makepeace Thackeray LITERATURE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES This military romance, set in 18th-century England during the reign of Queen Anne, is one of the greatest historical novels ever written. Blending psychological drama and history, it is the story of a gentleman and officer wrestling with his allegiance to the old Tory-Catholic England until disillusionment forces him to come to terms with the Whig-Protestant future. Excellent on the history and the warfare of the time, this novel was instantly recognized as a masterpiece. (GBR85, $7.95)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
A History of the Theater  •  Glynne Wickham HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A comprehensive, chronological tour of 3,000 years of dramatic history (including opera and ballet). With color photos throughout. (TTR14, $24.95)
Imagined London, A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City  •  Anna Quindlen CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES Best-selling author Anna Quindlen looks at London, evoking the Dickensian city of fog and alleyways and the shadowy streets of Sherlock Holmes. Here are some of the world's most recognizable figures, both real and fictional, on the streets which they made so famous. A volume in the National Geographic Directions series. (GBR482, $10.95)
In Search of England  •  H.V. Morton  •  James Morris TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 274 PAGES The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings through the English countryside in the early days of the motorcar. As in all of his many travel books, Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture, and especially, the history of a place with his own keen observations. First published in 1927 and now returned to print in a handsome paper edition with an introduction by Jan Morris. (GBR368, $16.00)
Incognito Street, How Travel Made Me a Writer  •  Barbara Sjoholm TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Sjoholm (The Pirate Queen) departed for Europe at the age of 20 in 1970, with dreams of becoming a writer. In this memior, she explores her experiences in England and Spain, her struggle to find her writing voice, and her emerging political and sexual identity. (EUR244, $15.95)
Insight Compact Guide Bath & Surroundings  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 78 PAGES A brief guide featuring color photographs, excellent local maps, travel information and suggested routes. (GBR42, $8.95)
Insight Guide London  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 356 PAGES A well illustrated overview of the city, its history and attractions, featuring a series of essays by experts, hundreds of photographs and excellent local maps. (GBR367, $19.95)
King Arthur and His Knights  •  Eugene Vinaver LITERATURE •  1975 •  PAPER  • 231 PAGES This volume includes English Arthurian fiction directly attributable to Malory's original tales -- including thoroughly readable accounts of the exploits of King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Gawain and the Green Knight, and the legend of the Holy Grail. (GBR90, $19.99)
Kingdom by the Sea  •  Paul Theroux TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 361 PAGES Before decamping after a decade in London, Theroux traveled around the British Isles on a coastal journey in 1982 -- and chatted up the natives in his inimitable, humorous, opinionated, perceptive way. This insightful book displays Theroux's occasional ill temper along with his celebrated ability to combine social history and the good old-fashioned traveler's tale. (GBR09, $14.95)
Knopf Mapguide London  •  Knopf Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER (GBR691, $9.95)
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit  •  Charles Dickens LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 864 PAGES This satirical novel, his sixth, is one of Dicken's few that leaves Mother England for a extended (and caustic) foray onto American shores. Not surprisingly, it followed the author's first voyage to America. (GBR462, $12.00)
Life in A Medieval Castle  •  Francis Gies CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) This illustrated book evokes life in the 13th century. From lord to servant, it describes the daily life of the inhabitants at Chepstow in Wales. (GBR109, $14.95)
Life with Jeeves: The Inimitable Jeeves, Very Good, Jeeves!, and Right Ho Jeeves  •  P.G. Wodehouse LITERATURE •  1983 •  PAPER  • 556 PAGES A nice introduction to a comic mainstay of British literature, P.G. Wodehouse's delightfully droll butler Jeeves. Three of the best Jeeves novels appear in this omnibus edition. (GBR519, $15.95)
London A-Z  •  A-Z GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES The definitive atlas with easy-to-read full color maps and a wealth of detail on the streets, aprks, and poinnts of intereste throughout the city. (GBR399, $17.99)
London Map (Editions Falk)  •  Falk Maps MAP A single-sided folded map of London at a scale of 1:15,000 (published by Falk but not featuring the patent Falk fold!). (GBR347, $12.95)
London, A Cultural History  •  Richard Tames HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A description of twenty centuries of London culture, society, and history. From the Cityscape series. (GBR639, $19.99)
Lonely Planet London  •  Steve Fallon GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide. (GBR253, $19.99)
Lonely Planet London Encounter  •  Sarah Johnstone GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER With a section of not-to-missed highlights and a calendar of annual events, this lively pocket guide organized by neighborhood includes suggested side trips, along what to see and where to shop, eat, drink and play. With a double-sided pullout map. (GBR726, $11.99)
Lonely Planet London Encounter  •  Sarah Johnstone GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER With a section of not-to-missed highlights and a calendar of annual events, this lively pocket guide organized by neighborhood includes suggested side trips, along what to see and where to shop, eat, drink and play. With a double-sided pullout map. (GBR726, $11.99)
Maisie Dobbs  •  Jacqueline Winspear MYSTERY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES In 1929, after serving as a nurse in World War I, Maisie comes back to London to set up her own detective agency. (GBR664, $14.00)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
Michelin Red Guide London, Restaurants & Hotels  •  Michelin Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 407 PAGES (GBR788, $16.95)
Monet's London: Artists' Reflections on the Thames, 1859-1914  •  Claude Monet ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 200 PAGES The companion volume to an exhibition featuring the work of Monet, Derain, Coburn, Fenton, Pennell, Whistler and other 19th century painters who took the Thames River as a subject. (GBR566, $35.00)
The Mother Tongue, English and How it Got that Way  •  Bill Bryson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 270 PAGES An indispensable guide to the language that divides us, this book is a humorous and informative history of the English language that showcases Bryson's wry wit. He traces the development of the English language and its oddities from the Neolithic to present. Excellent. (GBR15, $14.95)
Murder Unprompted  •  Simon Brett MYSTERY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 164 PAGES Getting a leading role on London's West End can be murder, at least that's the notion raised in this back-stage mystery featuring actor/amateur detective Charles Paris. (GBR406, $11.95)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Secret Adversary: An Agatha Christie Omnibus  •  Agatha Christie LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A new edition including two of the master's most popular novels. At the peak of her career, Christie began writing The Mysterious Affair at Styles the Moorehead Hotel, now a notable British historic attraction. (GBR51, $12.95)
News from Nowhere and Other Writings  •  William Morris LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES English designer and socialist William Morris's utopian fantasy is short on plot, but long on ideas and evocative descriptions of 19th-century London. A Penguin classic, originally published in 1890. (GBR600, $16.00)
Notes from a Small Island  •  Bill Bryson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES This is a farewell walking tour of England by an American expatriate who has decided to return home after two decades. It is full of rich conversations, humorous anecdotes and amusing interactions with the natives who often astonish him (and the reader) with their observations and attitudes. A good-natured tour de force through the country's foibles as well as its charms, this is a congenial companion for any trip to the sceptered isle. (GBR16, $14.95)
Oliver Twist  •  Charles Dickens LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES A Dickens' favorite, featuring his most popular orphan hero. (GBR461, $6.95)
The Oxford Illustrated History of Tudor and Stuart England  •  John Morrill HISTORY •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 470 PAGES This beautiful volume is the most authoritative general history of the Tudors and the Stuarts ever published. Eighteen different experts write chapters on the political, social, religious and cultural history of monarchs striving to control the entire British Isles during religious persecution, the Reformation, Civil War, two revolutions and the Restoration. Two monarchs, two wives of a king, and two archbishops of Canterbury were tried and executed during this turbulent period as Britain was emerging as the most liberal European state at the beginning of its imperial power. Six maps, 280 illustrations (45 in color), a chronology, a glossary, and a family tree of the monarchy flesh out the very readable text. (GBR89, $49.95)
A Partisan's Daughter  •  Louis De Bernieres LITERATURE •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES When a bored Londoner picks up an unknown woman, she launches into tales of her former life in Yugoslavia, with a Tito Partisan for a father. The nascent romance of this unlikely couple forms the frame for Roza's poignant, witty, and shocking stories. (GBR763, $23.95)
Pauline Frommer's London: Spend less see more  •  Jason Cochran GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A family-friendly, quirky practical guide by the daughter of travel guru Arthur Frommer. Her motto: "Spend Less, See More." (GBR690, $16.99)
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists  •  Gideon Defoe LITERATURE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES In this madcap novel, the Pirate Captain and his motley crew conspire to attack the Beagle, believing it to be a gold-laden ship belonging to the Bank of England. When they are confronted, instead, with Darwin and his collection of monkeys, they agree to help rescue Darwin's brother from the sinister Bishop of Oxford. Defoe's tale is more fantasy than fact, but it might entince you to learn more about Darwin's life. Both children (ages 12 and up) and adults will enjoy the book's Monty Pythonesque humor. (GBR585, $15.95)
The Princes in the Tower  •  Alison Weir HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 287 PAGES This fascinating historical who-dun-it probes the enduring murder mystery involving the boy king, Edward V, and his brother Richard, Duke of York. Reconstructing the chain of events -- including rivalry, ambition, intrigue and the power struggle that led to Richard III's securing the throne -- it also provides a solution to the puzzle. (GBR75, $14.95)
The Professor and the Madman  •  Simon Winchester HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 242 PAGES Subtitled "A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary," this is the bizarre true story behind the birth of the enormous dictionary and two men -- one a scholarly editor, the other a mentally ill, convicted murderer -- who contributed to its creation. In part it's a fascinating and powerful dual biography of very different men who shared a similar love of language. It is also an inside look at the massive 70 year process of assembling the world's most famous dictionary. (GBR178, $13.95)
Queen Elizabeth I  •  J.E. Neale BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES This classic biography, which has received both scholarly and popular acclaim, covers every aspect of the life and rule of this strong-minded, independent woman in an age of masculine power. (GBR76, $16.95)
Richard III  •  Paul Werstine  •  Barbara Mowat  •  William Shakespeare LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 369 PAGES A volume in the New Folger Library Shakespeare Series, this edition of Richard III features annotations and critical analysis. (TTR07, $4.99)
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. French, German and Italian phrases are side-by-side on the page so that you can pick and choose depending on the situation. This is no dry litany but instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (EUR142, $9.95)
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire  •  Lawrence James HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 704 PAGES An epic history of the empire's achievements from 1600 to the present, Lawrence spices the book with quotes from private letters and diaries -- and good writing. He captures the mission and destiny that drove adventurers and explorers to travel the world in the name of God and king. From the imperial adventures of Drake to Lawrence of Arabia, the impact of the empire on natives, colonials, and the British at home, the lure of wealth tempered by moral misgivings, British sea power, the American War of Independence. (GBR72, $21.95)
The Road Home  •  Rose Tremain LITERATURE •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 432 PAGES Tremain's affecting novel, winner of the 2008 Orange Prize, charts the course of one broken-hearted man from Eastern Europe in London. (GBR790, $24.99)
Rough Guide London  •  Rob Humphreys GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 660 PAGES (GBR756, $11.99)
Rough Guide London Directions  •  Rob Humphreys GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A volume in the series Rough Guide Directions, this slim and colorful guide to London quickly orients the reader to attractions and practicalities. With public transportation maps, local maps, and a basic fold-out full city map, as well as concise descriptions. Bundled with the printed guide is a full-text e-Book on CD-ROM, both PC and Mac compatible, and downloads to hand-held devices. (GBR525, $10.99)
Rough Guide Walks in London & Southeast England  •  Helena H. Smith  •  Judith Bamber GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES A handy, compact guide to 30 walks in London and surrounding villages ranging from an easy 5 km stroll to a two-day, 50-kilometer trek. Each walk features a small strip map showing topography. (GBR564, $18.99)
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Major Works  •  H.J. Jackson  •  Samuel Taylor Coleridge LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 734 PAGES A collection of the greatest writing of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, including "Kubla Khan" and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Many of his critical pieces, letters and other writings are also included. (GBR198, $18.95)
Saturday  •  Ian McEwan LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES McEwan's nuanced novel follows in exquisite detail a day in the life of London neurosurgeon. (GBR687, $14.95)
The Secret Agent  •  Joseph Conrad LITERATURE •  1983 •  PAPER  • 237 PAGES This classic spy story, based on an anarchist plot to bomb Greenwich, is a chillingly prophetic examination of terrorism predating the espionage thriller. It's a fine portrait of turn-of-the-century London, featuring idealistic revolutionaries, ruthless ideologues, and an undercover counter-revolutionary mole with the mission of provoking violence to destroy the group he has infiltrated. (GBR86, $5.95)
Secret Gardens of London  •  Caroline Clifton-Mogg NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES A illustrated guide to London's hidden, mostly privately owned gardens, found on rooftops, in alleyways and other urban spaces. (GBR573, $45.00)
Secret London, Exploring the Hidden City, With Original Walks And Unusual Places to Visit  •  Andrew Duncan GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES (GBR642, $17.95)
The Seven Sisters  •  Margaret Drabble LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Sparks fly in this lovely novel by Margaret Drabble when Candida not only leaves her husband and moves into gritty London but also organizes a trip to Naples with her aging girlfriends to see the city that Virgil describes in the Aeneid. The novel takes the form of a diary with half set in London and half in Naples. (ITL572, $14.00)
Shakespeare  •  David Bevington BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A biography structured around "The Seven Ages of Man" speech from "As You Like It." Shakespeare Scholar David Bevington examines the enduring popularity of the Bard's writing, while using each life stage as a lens from which to analyze his works. (TTR04, $19.95)
Shakespeare's English Kings, History, Chronicle and Drama  •  Peter Saccio CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A history and guide to the English kings depicted in the plays of Shakespeare, including the Richards, Henrys and Edwards. The text is designed to elucidate the how the details of the monarch's lives influenced the Bard's works. (TTR09, $19.95)
Shakespeare's Political Drama, The History Plays and the Roman Plays  •  Alexander Leggatt CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1990 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES (TTR08, $41.95)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII  •  Alison Weir HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 644 PAGES This compelling biography is rich in detail about England's most infamous monarch in matters concerning women. Meticulously researched, it brings both the women and their era alive. This is just one of many, many volumes on British royal history by the acclaimed author. (GBR21, $16.95)
South East England Map, including London  •  Ordnance Survey MAP The map the locals depend on for traveling in the south of England, including London. Cambridge and Oxford. Nicely detailed at a scale 1:250,000. (GBR27, $12.95)
Spitfire, Flying Legend  •  John Dibbs HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES An illustrated examination of one of the most famous combat aircraft the world has ever seen, in the meticulous Osprey style. (GBR713, $19.95)
The Story of Britain  •  Roy Strong HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 596 PAGES A beautifully illustrated and rousing history of Britain from prehistory until the 1990s -- a balanced, well written overview of a huge subject. (GBR71, $49.95)
Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads, The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums  •  Stephen T. Asma HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 302 PAGES An entertaining cultural history of the natural science museum and its transformation from cabinet of curiosities to center of research. The author, who interviewed curators and designers in Paris, London, New York and Chicago, pays particular attention to the question of evolution. With 73 photographs and illustrations. (SCI58, $38.00)
A Tale of Two Cities  •  Charles Dickens LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 371 PAGES Dickens' famous tale of love and intrigue, set against the backdrop of the French Revolution in Paris and London. (GBR100, $8.00)
The Theory of the Modern Stage  •  Eric Bentley REFERENCE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES Bentley's classic anthology of the people, practices, and methods central to modern theater by key playwrights and their interpreters. (TTR15, $16.95)
Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines  •  Ken Annakin 2004 •  DVD This classic comedy depicts a fictional air race from London to Paris in 1910. The film includes some thrilling stunt flying in some brilliantly re-created aircraft. (GBR712, $14.98)
Time Out London  •  Ruth Jarvis GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 420 PAGES An up-to-date guide on what to do and where to go by the people who publish Time Out Magazine. (GBR597, $19.95)
Tom Jones  •  Henry Fielding LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 975 PAGES This great comic adventure novel, whose hero is thought to be illegitimate, was so shocking in its time that it was held responsible by some for two earthquakes that hit London soon after its publication in the 18th century. Even Dr. Johnson warned against its ribaldry! Tom's adventures in overcoming the obstacles separating him from his beloved take him galloping over the English countryside, providing a perfect landscape painting of his era. (GBR84, $10.00)
The Traditional Shops & Restaurants of London, A Guide to Century-old Establishments And New Classics  •  Eugenia Bell CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A survey of more than fifty centenarian London establishments, including hatters, eel-and-pie stands, and umbrella makers. (GBR692, $16.95)
Transit Maps of the World  •  Mark Ovenden ANTHOLOGY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES A colorful, illustrated volume with maps and diagrams from over 100 of the world's major Subway, U-bahn, Metro and underground systems. (WLD115, $25.00)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
A Traveller's Companion to London  •  Thomas Wright  •  Peter Ackroyd ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 410 PAGES (GBR641, $16.95)
A Traveller's History of England  •  Christopher Daniell HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES This is a good compact history of England. It covers the sweep of English history from the Roman occupation to the Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Norman invasions, through the power struggles of the medieval kings, the Reformation, Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, and the establishment of the empire and its transformation into the British Commonwealth. It continues through the world wars, the welfare state, and membership in the European Economic Community. A gazetteer highlights places of historical interest. With maps and line drawings. (GBR38, $14.95)
A Traveller's History of Oxford  •  Richard Tames HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A compact history of Oxford from settlement to the present, including its importance in medieval England, founding of the different colleges and brief period as Royalist capital. Tames (who was educated at Cambridge) also discusses the architecture of the colleges and includes biographies of illustrious alumni. With suggested walking tours, day trips and chronology. (GBR374, $14.95)
Wallpaper City Guide London  •  Wallpaper Magazine GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER A stylish, thin (it fits in your back pocket) city guide compiled by the design magazine Wallpaper's local reporters. Well-organized, with chapter tabs, many photographs and of-the-moment recommendations. (GBR666, $8.95)
Where London Cityguide  •  Where Magazine GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 64 PAGES A sturdy pocket guide to city neighborhoods, hotels, shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, cultural events and other top sights, helpfully keyed to overview maps and featuring a detailed downtown PopOut map. (GBR735, $9.95)
White Teeth, A Novel  •  Zadie Smith LITERATURE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A rollicking, remarkably assured first novel of three families in 1990s London, deftly balancing multiple story lines with wit and skill. Smith has a keen sense of the English experience (working and intellectual class) as well as that of the modern immigrant to London (including Jamaicans and Bangladeshi). (GBR463, $14.95)
Wildflowers of Britain and Europe, Compact Guide  •  W. Lippert  •  D. Podlech FIELD GUIDE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES A compact photographic guide to British and European wildflowers, covering 350 of the most commonly encountered species. Flowers are organized by color for easy identification. Enclosed in a clear plastic cover. (EUR46, $19.99)
Will in the World, How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare  •  Stephen Greenblatt BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2005 •  PAPER This engrossing, vivid portrait by a noted Harvard scholar makes inspired connections between the life and world of Shakespeare. (GBR521, $14.95)
Winston Spencer Churchill, The Last Lion: Alone, 1932-1940  •  William Manchester BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1989 •  PAPER  • 684 PAGES This second volume in the fascinating three-part biography of Winston Churchill further illuminates the character of one of the largest human beings of our time. War clouds had once again gathered, and the storm of World War II was beginning. (GBR78, $23.00)
Winston Spencer Churchill, The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932  •  William Manchester BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1983 •  PAPER  • 973 PAGES This impressive volume, which covers the first 58 years of the monumental figure who guided England from the pinnacle of world empire through the catastrophe of World War II, ends in 1932. It's an engrossing account of the man and his times, and is the first of several volumes by the popular historian William Manchester. (GBR18, $23.00)
A Year at Kew  •  Rupert Smith  •  Alan Titchmarsh NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES Arranged by month, this photographic portrait of the seasons at London's Kew Gardens was published in conjunction with a BBC television series. Essays cover maintenance and design of the park, along with the care and collection of plants and scientific research. (GBR572, $30.00)
Year of the King, An Actor's Diary and Sketchbook  •  Antony Sher BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 249 PAGES A year in the life of a Royal Shakespeare Company actor. Antony Sher recalls the extensive preparation for his acclaimed performance as Richard III. He also reminisces about his childhood in South Africa. Includes the author's sketches and cartoons. (TTR16, $17.95)
Young Shakespeare  •  Russell Fraser BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 247 PAGES (TTR05, $23.00)