'Dip into Richard Tames's literary, lyrical "A Traveller's History of London"' - "The Sunday Telegraph". 'This volume is not so much a guide as a supremely civilised companion', - "Easters Daily Press". "A Traveller's History of London" aims to bring London's past alive to the resident, traveller and student, to reveal the city's hidden treasures and forgotten places and guide the reader to the sights and sites that can still be seen and enjoyed.

'It succeeds admirably in its goal of making the present country comprehensible through a narrative of its past, with asides on everything from bonsai to zazen, in a brisk, highly readable style...you could easily read it on the flight over if you skip the movie.' WASHINGTON POST Whether you are going to Japan on business, to study, to teach or simply on vacation, you know that you are going to a country which really does merit the title 'unique'. A TRAVELLER'S HISTORY OF JAPAN not only offers the reader a chronological outline of the nation's development but also provides an invaluable introduction to its language, literature and arts, from kabuki to karaoke. Political, social and industrial history and economics are also well covered; this clearly written history explains how a country embedded in the traditions of Shinto, Shoguns and Samurai achieved stupendous economic growth in the twentieth century only to lose its way at the turn of the millennium.

A Traveller's History of Oxford

by Richard Tames

Published 12 September 2002
A Traveller's History of Oxford will give the reader a clear account of Oxford's earliest beginnings from Roman times, its Anglo-Saxon past, its importance in medieval England, the founding of the different colleges, its status as Royalist capital during the Civil War and after this crisis, its recovery and continuing growth right up to the 21st century. It will also look closely at the story behind the beautiful buildings and discuss Oxford's gifts to the world both in the alumni which include five kings, 25 British Prime Ministers, 36 Nobel Prize winners and 85 archbishops, and in the world of ideas. It will also have practical information on exploring the town and its environs. There are special sections on Oxford's museums, art, statues, libraries, gardens and colleges.