United Kingdom Books

The Xenophobe's Guide series can be a bit uneven in the quality of its treatment of various peoples, but this is definitely one of their better titles. An accurate and entertaining (and sympathetic) account of the Welsh, their history and life, and why they are not, definitely not, like their neighbours the English.

A short but very witty and extremely well observed overview of Wales, it's people and culture.

Working it's way through religion, sport, social structure (the Welsh Matriarchy), drinking, rugby, and more drinking, it had me laughing out loud with it's insightful observations (although these were not always complimentary, they were all true! ).

Well worth a read if you are Welsh, or if you know somebody who is about to travel to Wales.

Your Baby And Your Work: Balancing Your Life is a concise, reassuring handbook for (new) working parents. Containing chapters of suggestions for help with problems with sleeping, nursing, feeding, health, play, and separation, Your Baby And Your Work is a deft resource. Thumbnail portraits of parents who have "been there and done that" recently with their children are presented, giving numerous suggestions and examples of solutions for first time and other working parents. Another topic addressed is the role of the other parent in child care, and how to encourage more co-parenting. In all, Your Baby And Your Work gives a firm glance at effective 'working' parenting practices, especially at that turning point when Mom or Dad or both return to employment and begin the dance of juggling child care and work responsibilities. It is most reassuring to hear directly from other parents who have experienced this transition successfully. This is a fine, useful resource for all working parents of young children. Grandparents and prospective parents are another targeted audience.

Your Baby And Your Work is a concise, reassuring handbook for (new) working parents. Containing chapters of suggestions for help with problems with sleeping, nursing, feeding, health, play, and separation, Your Baby And Your Work is a deft resource. Thumbnail portraits of parents who have "been there and done that" recently with their children are presented, giving numerous suggestions and examples of solutions for first time and other working parents. Another topic addressed is the role of the other parent in child care, and how to encourage more co-parenting. In all, Your Baby And Your Work gives a firm glance at effective 'working' parenting practices, especially at that turning point when Mom or Dad or both return to employment and begin the dance of juggling child care and work responsibilities. It is most reassuring to hear directly from other parents who have experienced this transition successfully. This is a fine, useful resource for all working parents of young children. Grandparents and prospective parents are another targeted audience.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

The author, Derek Storey, was one of my Host Parents when I studied abroad in Scotland in the fall of 2000. We went on many walks around Edinburgh and Glasgow. A favorite of mine was the walk along the Clyde River from New Lanark. It is a gorgeous walk in the fall with the leaves changing color. Derek knows his stuff, and checks on the walks when he can to see if there are any new developments. He even takes out his host students on these walks. I can't think of a much better way to see some of the countryside than strolling along a meandering path. I highly recommend the book and the country it explores.

Well done, very detailed love 1st person type books. Not a huge problem
but you definetly know the author is British. Would recommend this book to all WWI buffs

As a lifelong Anglophile, I own just about all the books in this wonderful scrapbook series, from the Victorian era to the '50s (which is the last decade of any interest to me). The pages are filled with -- crowded with -- precisely the sort of popular-cultural memorabilia that best give you the flavor of the time and place. The color reproductions are beautiful, and I can't believe the books in this series don't cost two to three times what they sell for.

A visual feast.... Page after image-packed page of popular British culture from the decade between the Roaring 20's and the start of World War II.

The over-size format showcases beautifully preserved artifacts (mostly paper) from Robert Opie's enviable collection. The "Modern" home; glamorous ladies' gowns; newly-affordable autos, ocean cruises and labor-saving home appliances are some of the many aspects of British life illustrated. Photo collages fill every page; combining advertisements, product packages, comic books, brochures, and newspapers. Short sections of accompanying text provide background details and timeline information.

A fantastic record of the decade for history, popular culture and "Brit" enthusiasts!

An excellent in-depth account and critical analysis of modern British theatre, a derobing of the myths surrounding it's 'revolution' in the 1950's with John Osbourne's play 'Look Back in Anger', and an injection of 'poison' in terms of sexual politics. For me it has also served as a great referential source for British theatre companies, stages and playwrights. I highly recommend this book to anyone who seriously wants to know about modern British theatre.

This is the latest of Robert Opie's wonderful scrapbooks. The format is deceptively simple, each spread has a big photo devoted to one theme: food packets, teenage magazines, Barbie dolls, film posters, candy wrappers etc. You can see dozens of packets your ma kept in the kitchen cupboards or maybe that car brochure dad had back then, possibly you had one of the twnty toothpaste tubes (page 19) in your bathroom. The 1400 items pictured in this book are mostly what the rest of us would have thrown away, Opie wisely (for us) saved it all for his packaging and print museum in Gloucester, England. This is an excellent resource book for those interested in graphic design of the period

Mister Opie's tenth wonderful Scrapbook carries on with the same unique presentation, each themed spread has one big still-life photo filled with packaging and printed matter. The items are carefully arranged so you can get an appreciation of what they looked like and don't be put off because the book has only sixty-two pages, it opens up to spreads twenty-one inches wide by fifteen deep and includes 1400 items in color.

Like the other Scrapbooks what is shown is the everyday stuff that could be found in any British home and as this is the Seventies, one spread is devoted to the change to decimal currency in 1971. The spread for groceries and the one for cleaning and toiletries probably show more than two hundred examples of packaging. Pop music with four spreads is a bit too much though. The list just goes on, fashion, television, cigarette packets, comics, film posters, board games, confectionary, car brochures, football, magazine and newspapers and more and more. Every time I look through these Scrapbooks I find something I hadn't noticed before.

If you are interested in what printed matter was in the average British home during the Seventies this book will show you. If you want to know about the others in the series have a look at my Listmania 'Mr Opie and his wonderful scrapbooks'

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This well illustrated book on outdoor walking in Britain is absolutely superb. Richard Gilbert writes beautifully with infectious enthusiasm for the wonderful wild country of Britain. This book serves not only as a guide to walks but is also a treasured possession for the armchair explorer. A MUST for everyone's bookshelf and map pocket!