 © Gray Malin, www.graymalin.com I've long had a love affair with Italy and it seems I'm not alone. With its stunning landscapes, delicious cuisine and friendly people, it's easy to see why it has remained such a popular travel destination. Fine art photographer and bestselling author Gray Malin also fell in love with Italy, which inspired this beautiful photography book bursting with lust-worthy images, which captures five road trips he took over the course of six years, shooting from land, sea and air. Not exactly a rough gig, if you ask us! If you've never been to Italy, this tribute to the Italian Riviera in all its dazzling decadance will make you want to hop on the next plane; if you're no stranger to its charms, it will reignite your passion for La Dolce Vita. From crowded marinas along the Amalfi Coast jam-packed with seriously stylish speedboats, to hidden beaches, to otherworldly landscapes such as the limestone cliffs of Scala Dei Turchi in Sicily, this book captures the sun-drenched glamour of the most fabulous Italian destinations.  © Gray Malin, www.graymalin.com All of the wonderfully colourful photographs capture the vibrance of the landscapes he visited - from eye-popping sun parasols to the sparkling azure sea, this book is a ray of sunshine that instantly transports you to the beaches of Italy. Enjoy with an Aperol Spritz and it's all you need to make the gloomiest of days that little bit brighter. Gray Malin: Italy published by Abrams & Chronicle Books is available from Amazon.co.uk (£20.29 for a hardcover). Ashley Miln  © Gray Malin, www.graymalin.com
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 If you're one of those people who are always looking for the 'hidden gems' when you visit a city, then you'll love Don't Be a Tourist in Paris, which is dedicated to unveiling the best that Paris has to offer - outside the tourist traps. I've been to Paris on several occasions, but after having read this book, it makes me want to visit all over again - and this time I'll ensure I do it properly by avoiding the usual haunts. Recommendations within the book cover everything from hotels to bars, restaurants, clubs and bistros to creative haunts such as bookshops and galleries. I loved the playful tone of some of the headings within the book like where to go if you're 'feeding a broken heart or a hangover' and 'Top 5 for a detox (after two much wine and cheese)', which let's be honest, we can all relate to! There are also tips on how to find French village life in the city and where to 'eat like a local', to ensure you'll find some authentic treasures along the way. When I next board the Eurostar, I'll be clutching my copy of this book ready to explore all of the wonderful places that Vanessa has taken the time to painstakingly explore, so that we can all feel like cool Parisians - even if it's only for a weekend.  Images courtesy of Don’t Be A Tourist In Paris by Vanessa Grall Don't Be a Tourist in Paris is published by ROADS Publishing and is available from Amazon.co.uk (£25.00 for a hardcover).
A.A. Miln
There's nothing better than escaping the stresses and strains of city life than to make time to relax in the great outdoors. While my own relationship with camping has typically been a bit apprehensive, largely due to a fear of non-existent showers and toilet facilities, even I have come round to the joys of embracing the great outdoors - tent and all. Coolcamping: Europe (Second Edition) is a gorgeous book featuring a variety of hand-picked campsites and for the more precious amongst us (glamping experiences), to provide a wealth of inspiration for your next camping holiday. 
From teepees to gypsy caravans and everything in between, you'll be amazed at the sheer amount of fabulous camping experiences that are to be had when you know where to go. Countries (and their stand out campsites) featured within the guide include: Portugal, Spain, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece.
The guide is broken down into helpful sections including 'campsites at a glance', 'campsite locator' and 'useful words and phrases' in a variety of languages, such as 'sleeping bag' ('saco-cama' in Portugese or 'un saco de dormir' in Spanish) and 'campfire' ('un feau de camp' in French and 'kampvuur' in Dutch), just in case you were wondering. Each campsite entry is accompanied by a selection of gorgeous images to provide you with a sense of what you can expect to find when you arrive. Each entry also gives you a low down on the site's 'cool factor', an overview of the types of people that are likely to choose that particular campsite, camping rates, food and drink options, details on how to find the campsite and recommendations for offsite day trips. 
So, which campsites featured within the guide are on our must-visit list? Check out our recommendations below...
Best campsites in Europe - The top 5 campsite holidays we're lusting after... 1. O Tamanco (Casas Brancas, Portugal) Rustic charm and a variety of camping options including glamping tubes, tents and yurts, make this campsite truly unique. It's located near the Silver Coast, which boasts fishing villages, castles and monastries. 2.Lima Escape (Ponte de Barca - Viana do Castelo, Portugal) Located on the edge of the Peneda-Geres National Park, you'd be hard pressed to find a campsite with more stunning natural beauty. Hiking and biking enthusiasts will love exploring the surrounding mountain treks and paths. 3. La Fresneda (Teruel, Spain) This small but perfectly formed campsite with only 25 pitches is set in a stunning valley. Outdoor lovers will love exploring the rugged canyons and mountainsides as well as the natural rock swimming pools, which are only 15 mins away. Guests will also enjoy the onsite restaurant Bar La Roca, where guests can indulge in local tapas. 4. Forest Days (Catalonia, Spain) Poised on a beautiful farmstead surrounded by mountains and fertile farmland, this really is glamping at its best. The site features four fully furnished bell tents, each featuring a super kingsize bed, a woodburning stove, an outdoor dining space and a hammock for two. With a campsite this well equipped, you'll never want to leave... 5. Il Collaccio (Perugia, Italy) Deep in the valleys of the Umbrian hills is where you'll find this breathtaking campsite. This camping complex combines a family-owned truffle farm with a modest hotel, a pool, chalets, cabins and teraces for campers, caravans and tents. There is also an on-site restaurant and lots of activities to keep you busy including tennis, volleyball, table tennis and petanque. For more cool campsites, visit www.coolcamping.co.uk. Cool Camping Europe (Second Edition) is available from Amazon.co.uk for £15.88 (paperback). A.A. Miln
Beside the Sea: Britain's Lost Seaside Heritage (2015) is a stunning retro fabulous coffee table book, highlighting the heydays of the British seaside. From the Victorian era to the end of the 20th century, millions of Brits used to flock in droves to British beaches. Sadly, this trend soon took a nosedive after cheap package holidays abroad became all the rage. This book recounts with nostalgia how holidays used to be all about fish and chips, bracing weather and chilly waters, not tropical holidays to far-flung destinations.
My father who is old enough to remember the 1960s and 1970s, fondly recalls the pool at Portobello, with its stunning classic Art Deco design and seriously high diving board. Apparently, on the rare hot summer days, local poseurs would skip work to don their skimpiest posing briefs and flex their muscles to the delight of the girls who had gone to the pool with their best swimsuits in the hopes of catching a few rays. Heat to the pool was supplied by the nearby Portobello Power Station – though most accounts of the water temperature still ranged from icy cold to sub-Siberian. It is also reported that Sean Connery worked a number of seasons as a lifeguard at Portobello Pool before becoming a full-time actor in the 1950s. Sadly, the pool closed in 1979 and was demolished in 1988. Other key attractions in Portobello included the Marine Gardens (opened in 1909), which featured a roller skating rink, circus, cinema and auditorium as well as a 'human zoo' (yes, this shockingly actually existed), featuring Somalians who were paid to perform mock battles to provide visitors with 'exotic entertainment'. Other beaches featured within the book include: Blackpool, Filey, Brighton, Mablethorpe, Hastings, Hornsea, Southport, Whitley Bay, New Brighton, LLanduduno, Lee-on-the-Solent, Margate, Redcar, Jaywick, Morcambe, Scarborough, Cleethorpes and Bangor, providing a comprehensive overview of some of the most popular seaside beaches and resorts over the ages. Overall, this is a fantastic book for anyone with a love of the British seaside or a passion for historical photography. Beside the Sea: Britain's Lost Seaside Heritage is published by Aurum Press. Available from Amazon.co.uk (£19.99 for a hardcover). A.A. Miln  An exciting tale it's not (largely due to its random structure), however, it's great if you're looking for little-known facts about London that you can pull out to impress your friends during your next dinner party. Covering everything from bridges to arcades, fish and chips and everything in between, this unique guide book is packed with weird and wonderful facts about London.
One of my favourite facts gleaned from the book was learning that the Burlington Arcade was built to prevent people from throwing oysters (a fast food during 19th century London) into the yard of the 1st Earl of Burlington's townhouse. Other interesting facts I came across include:
So, if you want to look at lesser-known London off the beaten path, then this book is for you. Galleries, Palaces & Tea by David Backhouse is published by Curll Press and available for £9.99 from www.amazon.co.uk. A.A. Miln 
Paris is a spectacular city revered by many for its incredibly stylish residents and its alluring beauty. For lovers of Paris (whether you've been a a hundred times or your yearning to one day visit), it's a must-have coffee-table book.
Paris Sketchbook by renowned fashion illustrator Jason Brooks and published by Laurence King is a unique collection of drawings, collages, notes and sketches in the form of a beautifully illustrated journal that celebrates the history, elegance and style of everyone’s favourite European city. “Who doesn’t love Paris? I find the aesthetics of the city endlessly inspiring, it is a place imbued with a unique feeling of history, elegance and glamour. Paris also holds many happy memories for me personally, from my childhood drawing on paper napkins in restaurants to making illustrated reports from the Couture Fashion shows in my twenties. It is a city that I love and keep coming back to.” - Jason Brooks The book captures the time Jason Brooks spent in Paris across all four seasons, while showcasing illustrations such as a wintry night on the Champs-Elysees, breakfast at the Café Flore and the Jardin du Luxembourg boating pond on a sunny day in June. Arranged into themed chapters such as Architecture, The Street, Fashion, Shopping and Art, Jason communicates what we all love about Paris through his brilliant illustrations, showing why it stands apart from other capital cities and is considered shorthand for all that is romantic, nostalgic and glamorous. The global brands, grand department stores, flea markets and hidden boutiques that make Paris a renowned shopping destination are also depicted in the book, including Lanvin, Chanel, Diptyque, A.P.C, Colette and Dior. Travel has been a recurrent theme in his work and his adventures continue to inspire and inform his visual repertoire.
Every time I flick through the beautiful pages of this book, I'm inspired to hop on a plane for my next Parisian fix.
Paris Sketchbook by Jason Brooks is available fromLaurence King Publishing for £17.95. A. A. Miln  Midnight at the Pera Palace is a fascinating account of the history of Istanbul and is a must-read for history buffs and fans Istanbul (myself included). Being both Muslim and modern, and straddling two continents (Europe and Asia), Istanbul is a place that has long embodied the ties between the East and the West. Pre-1930 Istanbul was formerly known as Constantinople (named after Roman emperor Constantine the Great, referenced to in the catchy 1950s swing song 'Istanbul, Not Constantinople'. Since history began, it has been a place of intrigue for those looking for somewhere special. Throughout history, Constantinople would witness the rise and fall of several empires (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman), which has influenced the variety of cultures present in modern day Istanbul. Today, it's a thriving, cosmopolitan city with more than 13,000 inhabitants, making it more populous than two-thirds of the world's countries. Modern shops and hotels blend harmoniously with mosques, making it a truly unique destination.  The Pera Palace The Pera Palace was established in 1892 in Pera (then Istanbul's most fashionable neighborhood), to service tourists arriving on the Orient Express. Decades later, it remained part of a community of luxury properties with sister properties in Nice and Monte Carlo that set the benchmark for style and sophistication in its day. During the First World War, Pera Palace was frequented by British and Allied officers, dignataries, journalists, authors and travelers. 'The rich, having made money easily during the war, ate, drank, and enjoyed life to the hilt, buying properties and spending recklessly. The ridiculous styles and dress of the women with their made-up faces, half-exposed breasts and immodest manners occupied my special attention. - Grigoris Balakian, Armenian priest and genocide survivor From 1909-1918, the First World War brought Istanbul to its knees with many men lost in battle. On 13 November 1918, the British, French, Italian and Greek Allies steamed into the Bosphorous, breaking Turkish tyranny, making it the 'largest and deadliest contingent of armed foreign vessels ever to reach the city'. The newcomers aimed to spread Christianity in favour of Muslim beliefs, leaving many Muslims heartbroken as they didn't want to abandon their traditions. M.M. Carus Wilson, a British lieutenant at the time, said: 'A walk is a continual kaleidoscope of the nations...' By 1919 Pera Palace established itself as a place where 'foreign officers and businessmen are feted by unsrupulous Levantine adventurers and drink and dance with fallen Russian princesses or with Greek and Armenian girls whose morals are as flimsy as their gowns.' In 1920, the Russian Civil War drove 860,000 Russian refugees to Istanbul, many of which graced the doors of Pera Palace. Second-hand shops in Pera were filled with past lives being sold on consignment (silver, china, linens). Tents were set up outside Pera Palace to provide a makeshift university for hundreds of Russian students, with members of the prestigious Russian Imperial Acadamey verifying the student's examinations. By 1923, Pera Palace became state owned in efforts to recoup some of the unpaid taxes from its previous owner. It wasn't until 1928, that it saw a new owner in its possession - businessman Musbah Muhayyes. It was also at this time (after the Allied occupation), that Greek, Jewish and Armenian immigrants fled the city to return to their homelands, leaving their possessions behind, creating a windfall for the Turks that remained in the city. During this time, Pera Palace was a hub of artistic creativity, hosting a variety of performances in its garden bar, which brought art lovers and pleasure seekers together during the jazzy roaring 20s, which saw a boom in the alcohol industry and an increase in indulgence in narcotics. By the 1940s and 1950s, business started to wane as guests sought more modern alternatives. In the 1970s, the hotel witnessed another burst in popularity after a California psychic revealed a vision that Agatha Christie (a former guest at the hotel in its heyday), had left a deep secret hidden in Room 411 of the Pera Palace, which transpired to be a fabrication. In 2006, the hotel was closed for a 23 million Euros restoration project. The newly refurbished hotel reopened its doors on September 1, 2010.  Today, Istanbul remains a melting pot of nations including Jews, Muslims, Greeks, Romans, Armenians and Russians, all practicing their religions and customs, creating a multi-cultural haven for many. In 2013, a sub-Bospherous metro line meant it was the first time in history that anyone could make an inter-continental journey entirely by dry land. It's hard to believe that the original journey by Orient Express took 81 hours (including 15 hours on the Black Sea) - not a journey for the fainthearted. Visiting the Pera Palace Hotel The Pera Palace Hotel is located in the Tepebaşı neighbourhood of Pera, once known as "Little Europe". It is about 20 km fromAtatürk International Airport. The hotel is in walking distance of Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square. Ensure that you visit the Atatürk Room or ‘Museum Room’, with many personal items and reading material of the great leaderMustafa Kemal Atatürk exhibited to the public. For hotel bookings, visit Bookings.com. A.A. Miln  
London lovers will adore London Sketchbook by Jason Brooks, a beautiful book brimming with beautiful, highly skilled sketches by London-born fashion illustrator Jason Brooks.
For anyone who has been blessed with spending time in London, whether it be a brief fling or a long love affair, you can't help but feel nostalgic as you flick through the pages. Having left the States to enjoy a new life and career in London, the book made me feel inspired all over again, and reminded me why I left my hometown for this magically enthralling city. Every page in the book is as beautiful as the last, featuring a mixture of illustrations including architecture, fashion, and charming restaurants and shops dotted around London. A keen observer, Jason captures every minute detail in his illustrations, demonstrating both his talent and his passion for the city. London Sketchbook by Jason Brooks, published by Laurence King Publishing, is available for £19.95 at www.laurenceking.com. A.A. Miln |
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