Worth the Detour A History of the Guide Book

Where would we be without guidebooks? All over the world travellers check out the sights of their chosen destination with their noses glued to a guidebook, and rely on them for every aspect of their visit - ordering meals, understanding the locals or avoiding wandering into the red-light district. Few realise the guidebook has a long and distinguished history, going back to Biblical times and encompassing major cultural and social changes that have witnessed the transformation of travel. Much as the modern "Blue Guide" will tell the visitor what the essential sights of Paris or New York are so, in the fourth century AD, a "Guidebook to the Seven Wonders of the World" was produced. In this delightful book Nicholas Parsons takes us on a fascinating journey through centuries of travel writing.Parsons, Nicholas is the author of 'Worth the Detour A History of the Guide Book', published 2007 under ISBN 9780750943932 and ISBN 0750943939.