Visual Explorer Guide – serie

In over 150 striking images, Italy celebrates perhaps the most beautiful country in the world. From the natural beauty of lakes such as Como or Garda to the vineyards in Tuscany to the many beaches, from the pretty seaside towns of the Cinque Terre to the glory of Venice’s canals and palaces, from the magnificence of classical antiquity in Rome to the Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo to Renaissance Florence, there is just so much to feast on in Italy. But apart from the famous highlights, the book also features lesser known sides to the country, be it pretty, unexplored corners and examples of everyday life, or the abandoned cave towns of Puglia and the 16th century star-shaped town of Palmanova. Presented in a landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Italy is a stunning collection of images.

A hotspot in the North Atlantic, Iceland is one of the world’s most unusual countries. It is Europe’s second largest island but its most sparsely populated country. Sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, linking the North Atlantic plate with the Eurasian plate, it is closer to Greenland than Europe. It lies just south of the Arctic Circle, but, warmed by Gulf Stream waters, has a temperate climate. It has fiery volcanoes and freezing glaciers, striking black sand beaches and hot geysers – the word geyser itself comes from Icelandic. And a geologically young landmass, Iceland is still taking shape: a volcanic eruption in 1963 caused the formation of the new island of Surtsey. Iceland is a fascinating exploration of this most beautiful island. From volcanoes and lava flows to geysers and geothermal pools, from bird life to whale-watching, from national parks, verdant valleys to inland tundra, and from how waterfalls are used for hydro-electric power to Reykjavik’s city life, the book is packed with 200 spectacular colour photographs. Presented in a landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Iceland is a stunning collection of images celebrating the world’s most curious island.

When you think of Paris do you picture the Eiffel Tower? The medieval city of Notre Dame? The elegant boulevards of Baron Haussmann? The Montmartre of Toulouse- Lautrec? The grandeur of the Louvre? The Art Nouveau of the Paris Metro? The Grand Projets of François Mitterrand? Or...? Yes, there is just so much beauty to Paris. In 150 striking images, Paris celebrates the French capital, from its world-famous landmarks to evocative alleyways and corners that might surprise you. You may have heard, for instance, about the Paris catacombs and sewers that you can visit, but did you know about La Petite Ceinture, a disused 19th century railway line that circumnavigates the inner city? From the medieval marvels of Sainte-Chapelle to the 1970s Pompidou Centre to the latest pop-up beaches beside the Seine, the book explores a great many sides to the city. In collecting these images of the city today, we come to understand something of its history – from the executions that took place at the Place de la Concorde during the Revolution to the Arc de Triomphe honouring those who served in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars to the skyscrapers of La Défense. Presented in a landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Paris is a stunning collection of images celebrating the world’s most romantic city.

Four thousand years before the birth of Christ, ancient Egypt was the cradle of modern civilization. Pharaohs built great cities on the fertile banks of the River Nile, and employed thousands of labourers to create lavish tombs and temples such as Thebes and the pyramids of the Giza plateau. Today the exceptional beauty and scale of the antiquities is legendary, drawing millions of visitors to Egypt’s monuments each year. But the nation is much more than even that. From the beaches on the Red Sea to the Nile, from the markets in Cairo and Alexandria to the country’s Roman, Coptic and Sassanid history, and Arab and Ottoman culture, Egypt is spectacular. Ranging from desert monasteries to the trade on the Suez Canal, from mausoleums hidden for centuries to medieval souks to urban life today, Egypt takes the reader from the mountains to the sea, from the desert to the city, from the ancient to the modern. Featuring 200 colour photographs and captions explaining the fascinating stories behind each image, Egypt is a stunning portrait of an ancient and modern land.

When you think of London, what do you picture? Westminster Abbey? The electric lights of Piccadilly Circus? The grandeur of Buckingham Palace? Or do you see busy shopping areas, beautiful bridges and buzzing bars and restaurants? Or is it the parks, the boats on the River Thames and the bustling train stations that spring to mind? With London there are just so many intriguing sides to the city. In 200 outstanding images, London celebrates this remarkable capital city, from its world-famous landmarks to cobbled alleyways, from the dizzy heights of The Shard and The Gherkin down to its railway stations and deeper still to the city’s jam-packed underground. Ranging from both classic and modern landmarks, this book covers everything from parks to transportation. From tennis at Wimbledon to shopping at Harrods and afternoon tea at Claridge’s, Alastair Horne explores a plethora of aspects to this sprawling metropolis. Presented in a handy pocket-sized landscape format and with captions revealing many fascinating but little-known facts about the history and culture of this diverse city, London is a stunning collection of images of one of the world’s most iconic cities.

When you think of Scotland do you picture rugged castles amid mountains, lochs and glens, or Edinburgh’s elegant streets? Perhaps tartan kilts, the Loch Ness Monster, or golf, which originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages, spring to mind. Scotland’s landscape and culture make it stand out as one of the most enchanting places on earth. There is much to discover in this breathtakingly beautiful country. Scotland’s wilderness and charming cities, high mountains disappearing into the mist and tiny islands, and grandiose mansions and, even, palm trees, make it a country of immense variety. Scotland is a fascinating exploration of the most magnificent country of the British Isles. From the Georgian houses of Edinburgh’s New Town to the Victorian grandeur of Glasgow, from the Highlands to the many lochs, from the remote islands in the Hebrides to the majesty of Glenfinnan Viaduct, this book is packed with more than 200 spectacular photographs. Presented in a handy pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Scotland is a stunning collection of images celebrating this beautiful country.

Ireland holds a special place in people’s hearts – even for many who haven’t been there. To some the appeal is its natural beauty, to others it’s the history; to some it’s the country’s strong folk tradition, to others it even seems to be a mystical place. Ireland presents more than 200 outstanding photographs celebrating the island’s most evocative and beautiful places, whether in nature or man-made, from the miles of near empty beaches to the Mourne Mountains in County Down, from the pretty fishing towns of County Cork to Dublin’s elegant Georgian streets. Featuring images from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the book ranges widely across landscapes and history, from rugged cliffs and rolling hills to mysterious stone circles, magnificent cathedrals and ruined abbeys; and from medieval forts and castles to grand Victorian follies and villages abandoned during the Potato Famine. While some images such as the striking basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway may be familiar, others you may know only from Game of Thrones and the Star Wars films but never realized that they, too, are in Ireland. Presented in a handy pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Ireland is a stunning collection of images celebrating the island’s natural beauty, culture and history.

For the past three years Bangkok has been the world’s most visited city. From tourists using it as a gateway to explore the rest of Thailand to those seeking out the city itself, from travellers from East Asia heading west to those from the west heading east, Thailand is an exotic and accessible and irresistibly attractive country that offers both busy city life, tranquil mountain retreats, historical centres, outstanding beaches, and a wealth of culture to boot. Thailand is a fascinating exploration of this magnificent country. From the sophistication of modern Bangkok to the ruins of the cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, from the beaches of Koh Samui and Ko Chang to the mountains around Chiang Mai to verdant national parks such as Kaeng Krachan, the book tours the country’s most interesting destinations, region by region. Featuring street markets and floating markets, riding an elephant to racing by tuk-tuk, Bangkok’s Sky Train and the story of the World War II Burma Railway, the book is packed with more than 200 spectacular photographs.Thailand’s mix of traditions, spiritual beliefs and landscapes make it stand out as one of the most exciting places on Earth. Presented in a handy pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Thailand is a stunning collection of images celebrating this vibrant country.

When you think of Canada do you picture the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains, the sprawling metropolis of Toronto, or its many national parks? Perhaps moose, maple syrup or the vast expanse of the northern territories spring to mind. Canada is blessed with rugged mountains, ancient forests and large cosmopolitan cities; it stretches west from the Atlantic to the Pacific and north to the Arctic Ocean. There is much to discover in this breathtakingly beautiful and vast country. Canada is a fascinating exploration of the second largest country in the world. From Churchill ‘Polar bear capital of the world’ in northern Manitoba to the sleek streets of Toronto – the most populous city in Canada, from the excitement of dog-sledding in Montreal to relaxing on a beach in Vancouver, this book is packed with more than 200 spectacular photographs. Presented in a handy pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each entry, Canada is a stunning collection of images celebrating this beautiful country.

New York is one of the world’s megacities, with almost 20 million people living in the wider metropolitan area. America’s most populous city has been described as the cultural, financial and media capital of the world. It is also a universally recognizable city, home of the Manhattan skyline, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge and the headquarters of the United Nations. New York provides a pictorial exploration of the city’s five boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. The book introduces the reader to some classic architecture, such as the art deco Chrysler Building and Empire State Building; quirky neighborhoods, such as Greenwich Village, Chinatown, and Hell’s Kitchen; iconic landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center; and great cultural centres, such as Broadway, the home of North American theatre; Times Square, the ‘Crossroads of the World’; and Madison Square Garden, an indoor sports and events arena. Presented in a pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, New York is a stunning collection of images that vividly brings to life the world’s greatest city.

America’s most populous state is often seen as a west coast paradise by those who live there – and those who desire to live there. Anchored around the urban centres of Los Angeles in the south and San Francisco in the north, California is a place of idyllic beaches, cutting-edge architecture, spectacular national parks and Hollywood dazzle. In the pages of California, find out about the Big Sur, the precipitous, beautiful windy drive along Route 1 in the central coast; Yosemite National Park, home to the imposing Half Dome and El Capitan mountains, and offering stunning views from Glacier Point; San Jose and Silicon Valley, centre of the world’s tech industry; Santa Monica Beach, a mecca for sun seekers; Rodeo Drive, the home of luxury goods stores in Beverley Hills; and Death Valley in the Mojave Desert, one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. Presented in a handy, pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, California is a stunning collection of images that brings to life the vitality of this iconic west coast American state.

America’s southernmost state is a place of great diversity and energy. The United States’ fourth largest economy and home to more than 20 million people, Florida also hosts more than 100 million visitors every year, most of whom arrive to enjoy the beaches, warm weather and entertainment of ‘The Sunshine State’. Images of tanning tourists, retired seniors and Mickey Mouse give an incomplete picture of Florida. The state is also home to the Everglades, a vast area of sub-tropical wetlands and swamps filled with alligators and flamingos; Miami’s Cuban culture and cuisine; the international race course at Daytona Beach; the Kennedy Space Center, which has been launching NASA space shuttles since 1964; and the famous Florida Keys, a coral archipelago stretching out into the Gulf of Mexico. Presented in a handy, pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, Florida is a stunning collection of images bringing to life the vitality of this sunny American state.

Think of Rome and you quickly picture so many treasures from the ancient world: the Colosseum, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, the Forum. At its height in the 2nd century CE, the Roman Empire, reaching out from its heart in the city of Rome itself, was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. Still today, almost 2000 years later, we marvel at how sophisticated and grand Roman society was – and how much of ancient Rome has survived for us to see in the modern Italian metropolis. From public baths to catacombs, from the Appian Way to small frescoes and sculptures, from temples to private houses to aqueducts, Visual Explorer Guide: Ancient Rome shows the reader both the world famous and lesser known sites in the city. What emerges is both a picture of the grandeur of Antiquity, but also the last days of pagan worships, as by Rome’s final days temples were being converted into churches. Small enough to pack in your pocket, Ancient Rome is a fascinating exploration that gives the reader more than a glimpse of the grandeur of ancient Roman life.

Picture-book beautiful, Amsterdam is one of the great cities of Europe and a feature on every traveller’s bucket list – for its unique concentric canal system dating from the 17th century, its vibrant nightlife, fascinating museums, and cosmopolitan, feelgood atmosphere. There are few major cities in the world that are so comfortable for exploring on foot or by bicycle, with every corner turned revealing new wonders. In the pages of Amsterdam, see Dam Square, the heart of the city and home of the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace); discover the Vondelpark, the city’s main green space and dotted with ponds and paths; stroll the streets of the Jordaan, the city’s liveliest neighbourhood and home to garden courtyards, lively markets and upscale eateries; learn about the Anne Frank Museum, dedicated to the Holocaust victims of the city; and explore the Albert Cuyp covered market, where you can buy cheese, caramel waffles (‘stroopwafels’) and herrings from the North Sea. Presented in a handy, pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, Amsterdam is a stunning collection of images bringing to life the vitality of this iconic European city.

Discover every corner of Venice in this remarkable collection of spectacular colour photography that showcases Venice’s magical beauty and hidden gems, from the Piazzo San Marco to the island of Giudecca, the banks of the Grand Canal to the Arsenal district. Venice is the ultimate showcase of the city’s bustling streets and canals. Every fascinating detail of the sprawling streets is revealed, from the splendor of its palaces, the beauty of its piazzettas, the romanticism of its bridges and canals, the delights of its gastronomy, the charm of its sestieri—the districts that make up the city of the Doges— and the wealth of its museums and its arts and crafts. Presented in a pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, Venice is a stunning collection of images bringing to life the wonder of this historic European city.