All the books mentioned here are personal recommendations from myself or visitors to this web site. To indicate what level the book is suitable for the following is used:-

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Title	Level	Author/ Editor	Comments	Check Price Click on your preferred currency to see up to date price and availability
Notes from a Small Island	2b+	Bill Bryson	I stayed up all night reading this book. Before returning to America, Bill Bryson decides to take one last trip around Britain. The result is a hilarious insight into what makes Britain tick, the good, the bad and the downright unbelievable. As a 'Brit' I recognised most of the characters he met along the way and agreed with many of his sentiments. It has since been made into a hit BBC series.	€
Notes from a big country	2b+	Bill Bryson	Another triumph for one of my favourite authors. A witty and irreverent look at the country of his birth first published in the Mail on Sunday's 'Night and Day' magazine. After living in England for nearly 20 years Bill Bryson, a natural born American, suffers the culture shock of returning home. This is a book you can dip into at your leisure.	£
Mother Tongue	2a+	Bill Bryson	This book covers everything from the history of the English language to American and UK English differences in an amusing and light-hearted way.	£
Britain	2a+	James O'Driscoll	Britain is a readable reference book about British institutions, beliefs, and everyday life, suitable for students of English as a foreign language who wish to learn a bit more about the country.	£
Around the World in 80 Days	2a+	Michael Palin	The first of Palin's highly acclaimed travel books, Around the World in 80 Days finds the former Monty Python comic swapping his dead parrot for his rucksack, and setting off in the footsteps of Jules Verne's intrepid traveller, Phileas Fogg. Within the comfort of your own living - room/bedroom or commuting to and from work, you can safely navigate yourself literally around the world!	£ € $
The English	3+	Jeremy Paxman	In the light of membership of Europe, the loss of an Empire and a devolved United Kingdom, the English no longer seem to know who they are. Using literary sources and interviews, the author attempts to define - or redefine - English identity as we approach the Millennium. Amusing and thought provoking look at what defines the English.	£
Oxford Guide to British and American Culture	2b+	Editor - Johathan Crowther	An illustrated A-Z reference book on British and American culture, history, famous people and places, the arts and everyday life. Includes numerous Internet addresses for more information on specific subjects. (Also available on CD-ROM)	£
The map that changed the world	3+	Simon Winchester	William Smith, a self-educated, unrecognised scientist who compiled a map of the geological layers beneath Britain, is the subject of Simon Winchester's The Map that Changed the World, a fascinating examination of the life of the founding father of geology.	£

January 2000
Revised: February 2005