Top 10 holiday reads: May 2015

We round up the top travel titles for this May

Kieferpix / Thinkstock

1) Meadowland by John Lewis-Stempel 

Meadowland
By John Lewis-Stempel

Okay, so it’s not exactly a new book, but Lewis-Stempel’s fascinating ‘field’ study of an English meadow over the course of an entire year is certainly worth grabbing now it’s in paperback.

The fact that it picked up the prestigious Wainwright Prize for UK Nature and Travel Writing last month means you don’t just have to take my word for it.

Lewis-Stempel, who earns a living as a farmer as well as an author, is expert at magnifying the everyday dramas that go on amongst the plants and animals of the meadow.

He weaves these accounts together using captivating prose that is packed with intriguing characters and fascinating facts. A charming book indeed.

2) Station To Station: Searching for Stories On The Great Western Line by James Attlee

Station To Station
By James Attlee

As well as having a bookshop in London’s Covent Garden, we also have a store in Bristol and I regularly travel between the two cities on the Great Western Line.

Combine that with my love of train travel and James Attlee’s new book was a must read for me.

As he chugs along this iconic route, Attlee mines fascinating stories from the landscape, rattling off anecdotes about characters as diverse as Oscar Wilde, Diana Dors and T.E. Lawrence – tales that will keep me company on this journey forever more.

As well as celebrating the golden age of rail travel, Attlee’s book offers an optimistic view of its role in the future. Most certainly not just for trainspotters.

3) The Blind Man of Hoy by Red Széll

Blind Man of Hoy
By Red Széll

I am not a climber. Like skydiving, keeping up with fashion and understanding the stock market, it’s one of those things I leave to other people.

So, when I first heard of Red Széll’s account of climbing the Old Man of Hoy – a sea stack that rises majestically from the Atlantic, off the coast of Scotland – I didn’t think this book would remotely interest me.

I was wrong. It's fascinating, not least because Red, who also writes crime novels, had been blind since the age of 19 and was embarking on this terrifying adventure without the gift of sight.

His determination, spirit and passion make this a compelling and inspirational read – even if you don’t have an interest in climbing rocky peaks.

4) The Lights of Pointe-Noire by Alain Mabanckou

The Lights of Pointe-Noire
By Alain Mabanckou

A finalist at the Man Booker International Prize 2015, Alain Mabanckou may not be a household name in the UK, but the French-Congolese author is one of Africa’s most revered voices.

In The Lights of Pointe-Noire, Mabanckou returns to the country of his youth and his hometown of Pointe-Noire in Congo.

It’s been more than 20 years since he was last there, but what is most astonishing is how much has remained the same during that time.

Soon Mabanckou is drawn back to vivid and moving recollections of his childhood in a place that is at once his own and entirely alien. Translated by Helen Stevenson, this is a memoir unlike anything you’ve ever read.

5) The Ariadne Objective: Patrick Leigh Fermor and the Underground War to Rescue Crete from the Nazis by Wes Davis

The Ariadne Objective
By Wes Davis

Once described as a cross between Indiana Jones, James Bond and Graham Greene, the late Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor was an explorer of legendary proportions.

He’s most famous for his trek across Europe from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople, aged 18, as recorded in A Time of Gifts, Between the Woods and the Water and The Broken Road.

However, this book by Wes Davis focuses on Fermor’s involvement with the Cretan resistance during WWII, including his infamous plot to kidnap German commander General Heinrich Kreipe (which he did by the way).

There’s derring-do aplenty here with spies, disguises, guerrilla warfare and triumph against the odds.

6) Wild Swimming Walks

Wild Swimming Walks

Wild Things Publishing do some lovely little books designed to get people outdoors.

They are what you might call ‘lifestyle’ books and are written by people who find adventure in unlikely places, and want to inspire others to do the same.

This latest addition is filled with almost 30 walks in southern England, which include beautiful and hitherto secret places to enjoy a wild swim. The illustrations make you want to plunge into the nearest pond. 

All the routes are readily accessible by train from London, meaning this book is perfect for those looking to escape the city at the weekend.

7) Buy Me the Sky by Xinran

Buy Me the Sky
By Xinran

The acclaimed author of Sky Burial returns with this bold new book, which casts a journalistic eye over life in modern-day China.

As the country’s one-child generations come of age, Xinran examines how these ‘little emperors’ – who are burdened with great expectations by their parents – cope in the harsh reality of modern China, and the world beyond.

Buy Me the Sky offers a fascinating insight into a country much of the West still struggles to understand, despite its growing importance in all of our lives.

Xinran’s work as a novelist means the characters spring from the page and the narrative never turns dry. If you’re interested in China, pick this one up.

8) 101 Damnations by Ned Boulting

101 Damnations
By Ned Boulting

101 Damnations marks a welcome return for the ever-entertaining Ned Boulting as he looks back on 2014’s Tour de France with his trademark wit and infectious enthusiasm.

You can almost smell the blood, sweat and Lycra as this pithy book relives the drama of the 101st Tour, which started in the scenic surrounds of Yorkshire, England before reaching a dramatic climax in rural France. 

Ned has been following the Tour for about 12 years now and his depth of knowledge of the world's premier road race is shared with a colloquial ease, which is always insightful and never dull.

101 Damnations is a great read to get you in the mood for this year’s race, which promises to be a corker.

9) Mountaineers by Royal Geographical Society

Mountaineers
Royal Geographic Society

Stanfords work closely with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and it’s always a treat to visit their beautiful home on Kensington Gore, which is packed with artifacts donated by some of the world's most famous explorers.

Their archives overflow with incredible documents and photographs, which have been brought together in this extraordinary book (along with the equally impressive collection held by The Alpine Club) to tell the history of mountaineering.

More than 100 different mountaineers are profiled in this tome, along with stories of astonishing ascents and shocking catastrophes.

A testament to the terrible bravery of these pioneers, this book is truly moving.

10) Extreme Adventures by Andy Torbet

Extreme Adventures
Andy Torbet

As I may have mentioned, I'm not an adrenaline junkie. I don't like climbing, can't be doing with swimming and the mere thought of potholing makes me quiver. I shouldn't like this book. 

Yet I found Andy Torbet’s stories about the various places you can fling yourself off, dive into or crawl along thoroughly entertaining.

Indeed this is a terrifically impressive account of one man's ability to endure the most extreme situations and push himself way beyond his comfort zone.

Suffice to say this is essential reading for adrenaline junkies and, for less adventurous souls like me, a chance to live vicariously through the indefatigable Torbet.

To buy any of the above travel titles visit www.stanfords.co.uk.