Platform Souls (Paperback)

The Trainspotter as 20th-Century Hero

Nicholas Whittaker

Nicholas Whittaker’s much-loved classic recollects the long sunny days of his childhood when, notepad in hand, jam sandwiches in the duffel bag, he happily spent his time jotting down train numbers during the Indian summer of steam and the heyday of diesel.

Whittaker returns to his roots in this updated edition, casting a sceptical eye over recent developments, catching up with old acquaintances and considering the toll that half a century of ridicule and a couple of decades of privatisation have wrought upon his beloved pastime.

As Andrew Martin notes in his Foreword, this is ‘one of the best books ever written about rail enthusiasm’. Equally it is a poetically written memoir of growing up in a more innocent age, a hymn to British eccentricity and to the virtues of observing the world around you: ‘Spotters – of trains, planes, buses or birds – are a last redoubt for something rapidly vanishing from our lives: looking outward, seeing, observing. People notice things less and less these days, while watching things more and more.’

Praise for the first edition:

‘An elegy: for the steam trains already vanishing when Whittaker’s hobby began in 1964; for the short-lived diesel age which followed; for an era of near innocence.’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Whittaker writes with humour and considerable evocative power … For anyone who will admit to having a childhood brush with this now derided hobby, Platform Souls brings it all rushing back.’ Independent

Nicholas Whittaker is the author of well-received histories of confectionery (Sweet Talk) and toys (Toys Were Us), as well as an account of life in the offices of Fiesta and Razzle magazines in the 1980s (Blue Period). He has written for the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail and the Sunday Times. He lives in London.

The 50 Greatest Road Trips (Paperback)

Sarah Woods

If you’ve ever dreamed of completing an epic car journey, The 50 Greatest Road Trips is for you. Packed full of the most exotic, exciting and iconic road trips across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa, it showcases the ultimate in car adventures.

Sarah Woods is a veteran of road-tripping, having driven the iconic 19,000-mile route from North America to South America’s tip, completed several dusty voyages in the Australian outback and scaled towering Saharan sand dunes in a 4×4.

Readers are sure to feel the urge to climb into an old Chevrolet, crank up the tunes on the stereo, flick the sunroof open and settle back for one heck of a ride on the open road …

SARAH WOODS is the author of over a dozen travel books, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. She writes for national newspapers and travel magazines and appears regularly on TV and radio. She has been awarded the BGTW ‘Travel Guide Writer of the Year’

The 50 Greatest Beers of the World (Paperback)

Tim Hampson

On just about every continent, from Boston’s strong ale to Norwegian stout, there are people brewing great beer. From English ales to Czech lager, Belgian sour to American pale ale, German Berliner Weisse to Australian Adelaide sparkling ale, the number of brewed beers is big and increasing daily. 

Award-winning author Tim Hampson explores beers from four continents, marvelling at how from such simple notes – malt, hops, water and yeast – a symphony of tastes and colours can be created. He discovers dark beers, light beers, sour beers, imperial stouts, beers flavoured with honey, herbs and spices, and beers that have been matured in wooden barrels that once stored some of the world’s best whiskies. 

The world of beer is undergoing a revolution. This wide-ranging selection will give any beer fan a tour of the world through their favourite drink. 

Tim Hampson has travelled the world in search of the perfect beer, a quest he hopes will continue for many more years. His previous books include World Beer, The Beer Book, the Haynes Beer Manual, London’s Best Pubs, 101 Beer Days Out and Great Beers. He is the Chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers, and in 2015 he was knighted by the Belgian Brewers’ Guild for services to beer culture. Tim lives in Oxford together with his family, three dogs and a parrot.