National Geographic Traveler: Great Britain

by National Geographic Society, Christopher Somerville

The allure of Great Britain's natural beauty, famously refined culture, and storied history has long held sway over visitors. The country is the number one destination for Americans traveling to Europe. Annually, more than 4,000,000 tourists cross the Atlantic to enjoy the island's myriad charms, including the rolling moors of Devon and Yorkshire, some of the world's finest museums, dining, and theater in the fabled streets of London. Travelers are able to soak in the rich history and stunning scenery of Scotland's islands and highlands, as well as the stately aristocratic mansions and castles that dot the countryside. Illustrated with more than 150 vivid photographs and 30 detailed, full-color maps, National Geographic Traveler: Great Britain, 3rd Edition brings you everything you need to know to plan a trip to this most enticing of regions.
 
Veteran travel author Christopher Somerville, a native Englishman, guides you shire by shire through the fascinating landscape that is 21st-century Britain, beginning with a detailed introduction to the island's history, food, land, and culture—factors that have clearly shaped the distinctive tongue-in-cheek character of the British people. The book provides an in-depth exploration of the area's individual regions, including the very distinct countries of Scotland and Wales, covering in detail every corner of this diverse and beguiling land.
 
From venerable Westminster Abbey and the cutting edge art at the Tate Modern museum in London to Shakespeare's scenic hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon to John Lennon's boyhood home in Liverpool, it's all here. In addition, special detailed features give comprehensive information on many diverse topics such as the relaxing parks of London, Wedgewood and the potteries, Thomas Hardy's Dorset, and golfing in Scotland.
 
The book also offers seventeen guided walks and drives through many of Britain's most scenic and historic regions, including tours of the ancient cities of Oxford and Bath and drives around Snowdonia National Park in Wales and Wordsworth's beautiful Windermere in the hugely popular Lake District. A thorough Travelwise section provides recommendations for hotels and restaurants in all price ranges and in all areas.
 
Whether you're birdwatching on the islands of Scotland's Inner Hebrides, visiting the famous and impressive Bronze-Age monument at Stonehenge, or gazing upon the famous portraits of storybook kings and queens in the National Portrait Gallery in London, National Geographic Traveler: Great Britain has every tool you need to make your trip a memorable one.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obwohl ich Grossbritannien liebe, habe ich mich für diesen ausführlichen und fundierten Reiseführer nie wirklich begeistern können... ohne dies jetzt allerdings gut begründen zu können. Da ich das Buch nun weggebe, möchte ich doch noch den einen oder anderen Gedanken daran verlieren. Blättert man im Reiseführer, fällt einem eine Fülle von tollen Bildern und übersichtlichen, farbigen und kreativ gestalteten Karten ins Auge. Die Einführung (Geschichte und Kultur) ist solide und gut. Die Aufteilung nach Gebieten ist vollkommen in Ordnung. All das verdient drei Sterne. Allerdings hatte ich nie wirklich Lust, das Land im Reiseführer zu erkunden und darin neue Orte und Dinge zu entdecken. Vielleicht stört mich die Wuchtigkeit des Buches? Nicht nur vom Inhalt her... das Taschenbuch ist auch wesentlich schwerer als manch eine gebundene Ausgabe. Vielleicht stört mich auch die Sprache (es sollte zwar keine Rolle spielen, aber über ein englisch-sprachiges Land lese ich doch lieber auf Englisch). Kurz, das Buch war nicht so meins, aber für manch anderen mag es genau das sein, was gesucht ist.

[Karli · Rating 2 out of 5]

National Geographic is a beloved brand. My respect for their publications led me to grabbing this off the store shelf without more than a cursory glance. The pictures are fantastic (naturally) and the maps are... accurate. There is also a useful section on history, though the narrow scope (limiting the influence of England on pop music to the Beatles and Sir Elton John (whaaa??) was disappointing. The rest, however, is mostly useful as wrapping paper for very small presents.

There is one cardinal rule for all travel guidebooks - they should guide. By this, my thought is that they tell you what to see, when to see it. They also say what to skip and why to skip it. This book fails because it doesn't distinguish between the good, the bad, and the boring. It lists everything. And with so many listings it is beyond tricky to tell what's important and what is listed just for the sake of being a "complete" reference. It's very uneven in the writing, as well. So while it's chock full of content, most of it is unremarkable. Some of it is even suspiciously similar to the bits available on the websites for the sites themselves.

This guidebook reminds me of a joke we made of the little old Lutheran church ladies when they complained of a banquet "The food was horrible. And such little portions!" Not a whole lot to like here but there certainly is a LOT of it.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one would expect from something by the National Geographic Society, this glossy guidebook is full of beautiful photographs. It's highly informative, and surprised me with the amount of humor injected into histories and descriptions of places-to-visit. One particularly nice aspect of this guidebook is that it gives walking tours for each region-of-note it highlights. The tours give concise directions on where to turn and what will be seen by a person following the walking tour. It strikes me as a handy sort of thing to have while actually in a region, while the pretty pictures and engaging descriptions are nice to read beforehand.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive to have whilst traveling