Tourism History

The fate of the USS Flier is one of the most astonishing stories of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one minute, leaving only 14 of its crew of 86 hands alive. After enduring 18 hours in the water, eight remaining survivors swam to a remote island controlled by the Japanese. Deep behind enemy lines and without food or drinking water, the crewmen realized that their struggle for survival had just begun.

Soak up the legendary atmosphere of Soho with Irma Kurtz as she walks you around the village she calls home. Discover some of the famous haunts of Bohemian Soho and walk through the streets that have played host to generations of writers, artists, tarts, pimps, gangsters and philosophers. Meet some of the locals like Norman, landlord of his pub for 63 years and Gerry the Stitch, the last of the Soho Jewish Tailors. Soho has many secrets to reveal.

The King's Road is world famous as the epicentre of Swinging London. Walk down the short stretch of road that changed the world of fashion, music, art and theatre forever. Where The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix could be found and where UK punk music was born. The King's Road stayed at the forefront of culture for over 25 years.

Jeff Shaara, America's premier Civil War novelist, gives a remarkable guided tour of one of the Civil War battlefields every American should visit. He captures the true meaning and magnitude of the conflict.

In Blues City, Ishmael Reed, one of our most brilliant essayists, takes us on a tour of Oakland, exploring its fascinating history, its beautiful hills and waterfronts, and its odd cultural juxtapositions. He takes us into a year in the life of this amazing city, to black cowboy parades and Indian powwows, to Black Panther reunions and Gay Pride concerts, to a Japanese jazz club where a Lakota musician plays Coltrane’s "Naima".

Yorkshire. The biggest and best county in England. So much tradition and history. So many things to see and do. A good number of which you may not be familiar with. So let's put that right shall we? Please allow me, a natural born Yorkshireman, to show you why my home county is such a great place by introducing you to my personal selection of Yorkshire greatness including language, tradition, scenery, food culture, industry, and plenty more.

With a combination of reverence and humor, Panther-Yates takes us on a tour of the Four Corners' world-renowned - and lesser known - ancient sites. Originally published in the Santa Fe Sun-News, these columns testify to New Mexico's undeniable power and mystery. In addition to the usual Native American dances, kiva mysteries and petroglyphs, the author introduces us to the offbeat spiritualities of the Muslim-like Penitentes of Abiquiu, Chimayo's santeros and a teaching coven of witches in Taos.

David Gorji, an American of Caucasus Georgian descent, describes his quest to seek his ancestral roots, where he discovers a gorgeous land called Georgia and its most hospitable inhabitants, the Georgians. Gorji's excitement at learning about his newly reclaimed homeland is evident in his fireside-like narration about this marvelous country, its rich history and culture, amazing heritage, and millennia-old winemaking and feasting traditions.

Throughout his almost four decades of life on the road, Charles Kuralt has introduced us to people and places that have warmed our hearts. Now in Charles Kuralt's Christmas, he retraces his most memorable Christmas sojourns to remind us of the many marvelous ways that we celebrate this special holiday.

Of all the trademarks of Venice - and there are many, from the gilded Basilica of San Marco to the melancholy Bridge of Sighs - none is more ubiquitous than the gondola. The internationally acclaimed "American with the Venetian heart," Donna Leon, tells its fascinating story ( The Washington Post). First used in medieval Venice as a deftly maneuverable getaway boat, the gondola evolved over the centuries into a floating pleasure palace, bedecked in silk, that facilitated the romantic escapades of the Venetian elite.

He was the first person to lead an expedition across the Pacific Ocean. Students will learn how the Strait of Magellan got its name in this audiobook about the man who began life as a page in King John's court and became one of the most famous explorers of all time.

This is a travel guide offering the best things to do in Arizona, written by someone who grew up there.

Your narrator for the adventure is me an American, the sort of fellow the Irish might refer to as a boyo. The times recounted are before Ireland joined the European Union, when it was the “old sod.” If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to visit relatives in Ireland, my stories will be warm and enlightening. There is something magical about visiting where, but for a generation or two, you’d be living and laughing everyday with cousins.

Jeff Shaara, America's premier Civil War novelist, gives a remarkable guided tour of one of the Civil War battlefields every American should visit. He captures the true meaning and magnitude of the conflict.

Marco Polo (1254-1324) is an instantly recognizable name, and he is known for his travels, but it's safe to say that his influence and importance has been greatly overlooked in the nearly 700 years since he died. Born in Venice, Marco Polo was in a fortuitous position to participate in trade. He followed in the footsteps of his own family, setting off for Asia with his well-traveled father and uncle. They would not return to Venice for 24 years. When they came back, they had allegedly traveled about 15,000 miles.

A Speck on the Sea chronicles the greatest ocean voyages attempted in the littlest boats.

The bustling streets of Brixton are full of music, art, markets, poets, radicals and preachers. Alex Wheatle, the Brixton Bard, takes you on a journey around the area he first discovered in the 1970's when it was vibrating with reggae baselines and the smog of uprising was in the air. Follow him through Brixton's legendary market and round its diverse and vibrant streets.

Reporting from Jerusalem for The New York Times and Fox News respectively, Greg Myre and Jennifer Griffin, witnessed a decades-old conflict transformed into a completely new war. The West has learned a lot about asymmetrical war in the past decade. At the same time, many strategists have missed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become one of them. This book shows the importance of applying these hard-won lessons to the longest running, most closely watched occupation and uprising in the world.

For nearly a decade, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Justin Davidson has explained the ever-changing city of New York to his readers at New York magazine, introducing new buildings, interviewing architects, tracking the way the transforming urban landscape shapes who New Yorkers are. Now, his extensive, inspiring knowledge will be available to a wide audience.

Since time immemorial, people have passed through these misty mountains as they traveled between the Scottish lowlands and highlands. The old ways through the mountains - the Mounth passes, as they are collectively called - are the subject of this book. Twelve roads are profiled, from the Causey Mounth on the eastern coast to the Monega Pass deep in the heart of Scotland. Each route is considered from an historical perspective, followed by a guide to walking the road (or what remains of the road) today.