LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS

Exploring the British Isles & Irish Isles

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

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Wildlife of the North Atlantic, A Cruising Guide

Wildlife of the North Atlantic, A Cruising Guide

by Tony Soper | Dan Powell

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

This compact, illustrated guide covers the many petrels, ducks, gulls, terns and other seabirds along with whales and dolphins of not just the British Isles but all the way across the Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland. (ATL26, $25.99)

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales

Irish Fairy and Folk Tales

by W.B. Yeats

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 380 PAGES

Edited by the Nobel Prize-winning poet who spearheaded the Celtic Renaissance in the early 20th century, these enchanting stories introduce a cast of changelings, ghosts, mermaids, demons, saints, priests and fairies. (IRE04, $16.00)

The Crofter and the Laird

The Crofter and the Laird

by John McPhee

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1978
  • PAPER
  • 159 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

McPhee packs up his family and returns for a year to his ancestral land on the Isle of Colonsay in this lyrical, appreciative portrait of place and traditional ways of life in the Hebrides. (SCT23, $16.00)

Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings

Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings

by John Haywood

  • REFERENCE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

The history of the Vikings told through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. This book traces the route of the 9th-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and on to the New World. (VIK02, $20.00)

The Celts: A Very Short Introduction

The Celts: A Very Short Introduction

by Barry W Cunliffe

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 161 PAGES

A concise, revealing social history of the Celts, by a reigning authority and popular writer. (CLT03, $11.95)

Great Britain and Ireland Map

Great Britain and Ireland Map

by HEMA Maps

  • MAP

A nicely detailed map showing both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:750,000. (GBR31, $10.95)

 
Eyewitness Guide Great Britain

Eyewitness Guide Great Britain


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 720 PAGES

With 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. (GBR01, $30.00)

Fodor's Exploring Scotland

Fodor's Exploring Scotland


by Gilbert Summers

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

With its many photographs, detailed descriptions and practical information, this compact guide covers Scotland in style. (SCT09, $22.00)

Fodor's London's 25 Best

Fodor's London's 25 Best


by Fodor's

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

This slim guide to London (with handy full-color maps) has everything you need to know for a short visit to the city, including recommended sightseeing, restaurants, hotels and shops. (GBR08, $11.95)

1688, The First Modern Revolution

1688, The First Modern Revolution


by Steve Pincus

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 647 PAGES

Refuting the idea that England's Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 was "un-revolutionary" (bloodless, consensual, aristocratic, sensible), Yale historian Pincus demonstrates that England's revolution was a European event, that it took place over a number of years, not months, and that it had repercussions in India, North America, the West Indies and throughout continental Europe. (GRB31, $25.00)

Celtic Prayers from Iona

Celtic Prayers from Iona


by J. Philip Newell

  • RELIGION
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 96 PAGES

Inspired by the Gaelic prayers and poems of the 19th-century Scotsman Alexander Carmichael, Newell and his wife developed this handsome hard cover book while wardens on the island. (SCT21, $14.95)

How the Irish Saved Civilization

How the Irish Saved Civilization


by Thomas Cahill

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 236 PAGES

This best-selling history tells the generally unknown story of Ireland's preservation of classical learning in the Dark Ages. (IRE07, $15.95)

London Perceived

London Perceived


by Evelyn Hofer | V. S. Pritchett

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 214 PAGES

A classic, lyrical celebration of the palaces, parks, people and everyday experience of London. Pritchett's eloquent riffs on the character of the city are accompanied by evocative black-and-white photographs by the superb Evelyn Hofer. (GBR310, $19.95)

Scotland, A Concise History

Scotland, A Concise History


by Fitzroy MacLean | Magnus Linklater

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES

With 250 well-integrated illustrations, this lively and authoritative history covers the romantic figures and bloody battles from the early clans up to the present. (SCT15, $19.95)

The Aran Islands

The Aran Islands


by J.M. Synge | Tim Robinson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

A much-loved turn-of-the-century account of the islands (as contrasted with mainland Ireland), drenched in the Celtic soul of the Irish. (IRE26, $15.00)

The British Isles, A History of Four Nations

The British Isles, A History of Four Nations


by Hugh Kearney

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 324 PAGES

The Celts, Romans, Vikings, Normans and modern immigrants all make an appearance in Kearney's elegant and revisionist history of not just the English but also of the Scots, Welsh and Irish. (GBR88, $39.99)

The Last of the Celts

The Last of the Celts


by Marcus Tanner

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 398 PAGES

Welsh journalist Tanner mixes anecdote, interview and research in this lively account of encounters with far-flung Celts from Scotland, Wales and Belfast to Brittany, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Trelew. (GBR527, $25.00)

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England


by Antonia Fraser

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

Lady Fraser gathers eight British historians for this engaging, illustrated history of the monarchy from 1066 to the House of Windsor, chock full of personality, incident and scandal. (GBR160, $34.95)

The Mother Tongue, English and How it Got That Way

The Mother Tongue, English and How it Got That Way


by Bill Bryson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 270 PAGES

An indispensable guide to the language that divides us, this book is an informative linguistic history which showcases Bryson's wry wit. (GBR15, $14.99)

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History


by Colin McEvedy

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 112 PAGES

McEvedy deftly sketches the culture, history and society of Medieval Europe in this slim historical atlas. (EUR240, $15.00)

The Penguin Illustrated History of Britain and Ireland, From Earliest Times to the Present Day

The Penguin Illustrated History of Britain and Ireland, From Earliest Times to the Present Day


by Barry Cunliffe

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A wonderfully rich and comprehensive guide to the history of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland -- from the arrival of the first humans half a million years ago rup to the present. (GBR624, $35.00)

The Shetland Bus, A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival and Adventure

The Shetland Bus, A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival and Adventure


by David Howarth

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 236 PAGES

The little-known story of a fleet of fishing boats that regularly journeyed across treacherous waters from the Shetland Islands to Norway, to bring relief and fortifications to Norwegians under Nazi attack. (NOR26, $16.95)

The Story of England

The Story of England


by Christopher Hibbert

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

Beautifully illustrated with color pictures, chronological charts, royal genealogies and maps, this popular history of English politics, economics and culture from the Neolithic age to the 1990s is an excellent traveler's companion. (GBR02, $19.95)

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages


by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology. (MED07, $15.95)

Stonehenge

Stonehenge


by Rosemary Hill

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 224 PAGES

Hill captures the enduring mystery and allure of Stonehenge in this witty meditation on the myth and meaning of the most famous prehistoric site in all Europe. (GBR795, $19.95)

The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells


by Bernard Meehan

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 95 PAGES

Written by the keeper of manuscripts at Trinity College, this book features 110 color illustrations, including enlargements, of some of the more spectacular decorations in this most famous of medieval manuscripts. (IRE09, $19.95)

A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides

A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides


by Samuel Johnson | James Boswell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 429 PAGES

Written when Johnson was 63 and Boswell 32 in 1773 (when they had been friends for ten years), these travel journals were the result of a three-month trip to Scotland. Johnson observed Scotland, and Boswell observed Johnson. (SCT07, $18.00)

A Writer's House in Wales

A Writer's House in Wales


by Jan Morris

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2002
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

In this extended essay, Morris uses her much-loved 18th-century house as a point of departure for a meditation on Welsh identity. (GBR325, $20.00)

Coasting, A Private Journey

Coasting, A Private Journey


by Jonathan Raban

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 302 PAGES

Raban's eloquent, anecdotal account of a solo circumnavigation of the British Isles in a 30-foot ketch, his first experience in a boat. It's an engaging account of the experience of the sea, and the people and places he encounters. (GBR591, $13.00)

In Search of England

In Search of England


by 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. Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture and history of the place with his own keen observations. (GBR368, $16.00)

Kingdom by the Sea

Kingdom by the Sea


by Paul Theroux

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 361 PAGES

This time, the prolific writer recounts a coastal journey around the British Isles in 1982, displaying his occasional ill temper alongside his celebrated ability to combine social history with a good old-fashioned traveler's tale. (GBR09, $14.95)

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots


by Antonia Fraser

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 613 PAGES

This richly readable biography, the story of a legend who was loved even en route to her death, illuminates Mary's age as well as the figure herself. (SCT01, $20.00)

Nature's Engraver, A Life of Thomas Bewick


by Jennifer S. Uglow

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 458 PAGES

Born to a farming family in Northumberland in 1753, Bewick eventually published his own History of British Birds, the first field guide intended for a general audience. Uglow's engrossing illustrated biography includes an array of the great engraver's vignettes depicting rural life and the natural world. (NAT249, $18.00)

Seamanship, A Voyage along the Wild Coasts of the British Isles

Seamanship, A Voyage along the Wild Coasts of the British Isles


by Adam Nicolson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

Nicolson offers an engrossing account of a coastal voyage from Cornwall, along the western coast of Ireland, out to the Faeroes and to Orkney in this brief hymn to the sea. (GBR561, $13.95)

The Wild Places

The Wild Places


by Robert Macfarlane

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 340 PAGES

MacFarlane climbs, walks and swims by day, and spends his nights sleeping on cliff-tops and in ancient meadows and wildwoods, in this marvelous exploration of the nature of the British Isles. (GBR893, $15.00)

Angry Island, Hunting the English

Angry Island, Hunting the English


by A. Gill

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

A comic manual to the English by a splendidly irreverent London critic. Gill includes scathing chapters on voice, humor, drink, animals, garden, sport and class. (GBR715, $14.00)

Celtic Prayers and Incantations

Celtic Prayers and Incantations


by Alexander Carmichael

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 142 PAGES

An authoritative edition of poems and blessings as collected by folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832 - 1912) over 40 years, when Gaelic was still widely spoken in the Skye, Uist, Oban and other islands of the Hebrides. (CLT4, $7.95)

For the Love of Ireland, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers

For the Love of Ireland, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers


by Susan Cahill

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 458 PAGES

Organized geographically, this rich anthology introduces Ireland through the words and lives of such luminaries as James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, Frank McCourt and Samuel Beckett. (IRE77, $15.95)

Orkneyinga Saga, The History of the Earls of Orkney

Orkneyinga Saga, The History of the Earls of Orkney


by Hermann Palssom | Paul Edwards

  • LITERATURE
  • 1981
  • PAPER
  • 253 PAGES

A fusion of myth and legend, circa A.D. 1200, by an unnamed Icelandic author. The medieval chronicle has its center of action among the Orkney Islands, describing their conquest by Norwegian kings during the Viking expansion of the ninth century. (VIK07, $16.00)

Sun Dancing, A Vision of Medieval Ireland

Sun Dancing, A Vision of Medieval Ireland


by Geoffrey Moorhouse

  • LITERATURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES

This wonderfully inspired combination of scholarship and historical fiction, set at the monastery on Skellig Michael, carries the reader back to Ireland's early monastic tradition. (IRE13, $22.95)

Birds of Europe

Birds of Europe


by Lars Svensson

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second revised edition of this exquisite guide has been brought up to date with revised text and maps. (FG47, $29.95)

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