Books about England

Over the years I've read and bought stacks of books about England: picture books, travel guides, cookery books, historical novels, history books. 

England holds an endless fascination for me and I never tire of finding yet another book, yet another look at a familiar or not so familiar period or event.

Please come in, share my library, read the reviews and add your own discoveries for other visitors to enjoy.

Bookshops are magical places, full of stories, adventures, unknown roads and new friends. So please take your time to browse and read, share your own discoveries and help make this the most wonderful England bookshop in the known universe!

• The Rough Guide to England
  Rough guides are pretty much an essential travel item for me. They're in the nitty-gritty category, well researched and constantly updated.
• The Most Amazing Places to Visit in Britain
  I was given this as a birthday present, and it really lives up to its name. Excellent photography and much, much more than just the expected sites.
• Cool Camping: England
  If you like holidays under canvas, but want to experience some true "out of the way" magic, then check out this book.
• Britain from the Rails: A Windowgazer's Guide
  Is there some romance left in the modern world? I think so, and so does Benedict le Vay, the author of this marvellous book.
• Eccentric Britain
  Do you like to explore unusual buildings and experience quirky customs? Would you like to know why the English are regarded as eccentric? Either question will be answered here...

I have far too many to review them all here - I'd need an entirely new website for that! - so, I'll give you my best ones, the ones I most frequently dig through or cook from. All the others I've added to my food and cookery book store

• England's Heritage Food and Cooking
  If you've never made English food, this is a good place to start. All the traditional favourites, detailed descriptions and absolutely mouthwatering photos.
• A Taste of Britain
  This is a doorstop full of wonderful information for people who like to know where their food comes from. If your wrists are strong enough, read it in the bath with a glass of red ... a real treat!
• English food: Our Favourite Recipes
  This isn't just one book! There's a whole series of them, themed collections of traditional English favourites. So whether you're wanting to remember how to make sloe gin, or Sussex pond pudding or beef and walnut casserole... these books will fit the bill. They make excellent little gifts, too.
• Prehistoric Cookery
  This book destroyed quite a few myths I had picked up in early school history lessons. And did you know that prehistoric Briton knew neither onions nor rabbits?
• Roman Cookery
  After the fun I had reading the prehistoric cookery book, I just had to buy this one. Looks like we owed the Romans quite a few items we take for granted in the kitchen. Dormice in milk, anyone?
• Medieval Cookery
  The content of this were a bit more familiar, even though I was surprised that fifteen varieties of bread are not a recent invention.

• Books about Prehistoric England
  If you always wanted to go back right to the beginning, then this is the right place for you. Find out about Stonehenge, Avebury, the great hill forts, white horses and truly marvellous photos.
• Kings and Queens of England
  A lovely little guide to England's many rulers and their sometimes surprising antics. Good as a starting point when learning about English history ... and an excellent stocking filler for any history enthusiast.
• Eleanor of Aquitaine
  One of my favourite historical characters ... wish I'd met her. Eleanor was unusual in many ways: she lived to eighty at a time when forty was old, she was Queen of both France and England, she was both loved and reviled ...
• Medieval Lives
Have you ever thought about living like a king, or a knight, or a monk ... or would you rather be a lady or a peasant? This is the book that tells you how.
• The Princes in the Tower
  Medieval England's famous mystery. What did happen to the sons of King Edward IV? And was Richard III really the wicked uncle that both Thomas More and William Shakespeare made him out to be?

• Edward Rutherford's Amazing London novel
  Edward Rutherford introduces you to places through family histories, really bringing the towns he writes about to life. He's done Old Sarum (now Salisbury in England), Dublin, Russia and even New York. Australian Doreen Stone suggested we take another look at his story of London.
• Bernard Cornwell's Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
  Adam Smith from Illinois introduced me to these books and they're a real fun read if Vikings vs. Saxons is on your list of favourites.
• Daphne du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek
  In a very different vein, this is romance at its most evocative. Does it have anything to do with being set in mysterious Cornwall? Definitely!
• Sharon Penman: Here be Dragons
  One of a series of books about medieval England, here Sharon Penman details the fights between an English king - John - and a Welsh prince - Llewellyn ap Iorwerth. If you're after colour and flavour and intrigue while sticking to historical facts then Sharon Penman is a safe bet.