Paddling in London offers a paddle experience like no other, combining a connection to nature with the vibrant energy of the city’s architecture, culture and art. Written by highly experienced paddleboard instructor, Anu Aladin, this complete guide features 40 routes, including:

– Non-tidal Thames from Windsor to Teddington: Lush greenery, scenic meadows, secret backwaters and historical landmarks
-Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal from Hayes to Paddington: A green corridor with an industrial past, where history intertwines with serene waters
-River Lea, River Lee Navigation and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: a harmonious blend of nature, history and urban charm

From short paddles to longer expeditions, this book includes excursions for all levels of ability. Responsible paddling is covered thoroughly, with a guide to safety equipment and how to use it properly, staying environmentally aware, and advice on licensing. Each route details the best places to stop, and the sites, landmarks and wildlife to look out for along the way.

With beautiful photography, and clear maps containing directions to paddle and launching points, this is the essential guide to making the very most of exploring London under paddle power.

The demands of a postage stamp galley are different to the home kitchen; you have to be organised and planning is key. But there’s no need to continually reach for the can-opener. For anyone living with a tiny boat kitchen, but with an appetite for fresh, interesting and sustainable food, there’s good news: it’s all here!

On the inland waterways, how can we make the most of what nature provides for us throughout the year? How can we live sustainably and embrace the slow living lifestyle? A Year on the River takes you through each season and shows you:

– how to grow your own delicious produce on your boat or at your mooring
– the beauty of towpath foraging
– how to cook fresh, easy and delicious meals when short on space
– how to sensibly store your food and reduce waste
– how to buy local and seasonally where you’re moored

All of this is interspersed with over 40 easy and appealing recipes, such as wild garlic pesto, banana pancakes with foraged blackberries and roasted chalk stream trout, making the most of your new-found skills in growing, sourcing, storing and foraging. Beautiful photography and charming illustrations set the scene of river life, making this a practical yet beautiful book, brimming with ideas, tips and practices to transform your boating lifestyle.

Sailing a dinghy is your gateway to adventure. It requires little of you other than self-reliance and self-confidence, as well as a respect for the subtleties of the local climate and topography. Out at sea in a small boat, nature is not something to be observed disinterestedly: it batters and drenches you, refreshes and enlivens you.

Sailing the Shallows is a manifesto for a different attitude to sailing, far removed from the ostentation and complexity of modern-day yachting. Roger Barnes combines lyrical writing and beautifully drawn illustrations with simple and practical wisdom on experiencing the pure joy of being out on the water in a small boat. We accompany him on his early days afloat in the Lake District, paddling Hildegard ‘the ‘communist canoe’ in France and undertaking more extreme passages (even capsizing) in his beloved Avel Dro. Along the way Roger weaves in advice on skills, techniques and lessons learned: this is a book to be read and re-read not just for the stories but the keen insights into small boat sailing techniques.

Sailing the Shallows describes a lifetime’s journey towards the recognition that cruising in a dinghy is not an imperfect and provisional way to get afloat, but the purest and most perfect way to go sailing.

‘They rave for food with unceasing frenzy, being always ahungered and never abating the gluttony of their terrible maw.’ Pliny the Elder

This absorbing exploration of the sea monster in all its tentacular forms is a deep dive into the world of sirens, mermaids, Scylla and kraken from 3C BCE to the modern day. Told through writings from ancient myths, early scientific natural histories and iconic literature, tales are intertwined with wonderful engravings, diagrams and paintings. These accounts give a unique perspective on the histories of societies and cultures around the world, taking in significant events like the Age of Sail, the Enlightenment and Darwinian evolution.

With their excess size, claws, tentacles and bloodlust, monsters represent our greatest fears: the unknown, the dark, the natural world and even ourselves. As stories passed from generation to generation, they were analogues for dangerous weather events, foreign invaders, enemy nations, physical phenomena and real animals.

Prema Arasu brings together excerpts from Beowulf, Moby-Dick and many other works by authors such as Homer, HP Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, HG Wells? Each is brought to life with an introduction and beautifully gory artwork, making this a gorgeous book that’s sure to draw you in and drag you down?

Hiking and cycling to pubs are already popular pastimes, but the best way to reach those pubs beside rivers, lakes, canals and the coast is to paddle there by kayak, canoe or paddleboard. This lively and fun guide covers the best of British.

Plenty of paddle routes are featured from all over the UK, usually with more than one pub to choose from. Cruise down the Wester Ross shore of Scotland, with mountains on one side, the Isle of Skye on the other, and a refreshing pint waiting for you at the end. Paddle through a reclaimed industrial cityscape from Hackney Wick and stop for one of the capital’s best canalside cocktails. Or drift around the ribbon-like bends of the Cuckmere meanders of the South Downs and finish with a crisp white wine.

Routes of varying lengths and difficulty through different types of scenery are included, along with detailed practical information: when to go, where to hire a canoe/kayak/paddleboard, parking, where to camp for longer trips, things to spot along the way, and much more.

Packed with helpful maps and gorgeous photography, this inspiring travel guide to the best of British pubs will ensure you have plenty of good beer and great food for every pub paddle.

See the wilderness from the water, discover ancient sites hidden from paths and roads, or stay at remote wild campsites only accessible by river. Suitable for relative newcomers, but with some more ambitious and demanding routes, adventures include:

– Get back to nature on the River Great Ouse – paddle from Bedford’s Victorian embankment out into the wilderness and wild-camp in the middle of nowhere for an awe-inspiring night under the stars
– Follow the Whisky Trail – paddle down the River Spey as it winds its way out of the Cairngorms, through the Washing Machine white waters and the Knockando rapids
– Travel back in time on the River Stour – explore beautiful Constable Country, largely unchanged for centuries
– Leave the shore behind – for the more adventurous paddlers, sea kayaking opens up the entire coastline and Britain’s 6,000 islands

Each location, route and activity is graded by difficulty, and all the essential information is included, such as the best locations to access the water, stopping points, things to see or do, and places to stay. Packed with gorgeous photography taken throughout the year, and as inspiring as it is practical, this is a travel guide like no other.

Gender issues are stark at sea. Historically a ship’s crew is all male, and although vessels are referred to as ‘she’, women’s contributions to sailing have been largely ignored, if not actively opposed. Today’s sailing legends such as Tracy Edwards and Ellen MacArthur compete with men on equal terms, but they stand on the shoulders of many women before them, who had to challenge preconceptions, prejudice and even the law in their wish to sail.

Spanning the 19th century to today, Julia Jones dives into the lives of an array of incredible and unconventional women: we meet single-handed sailors, wealthy explorers, long-suffering wives and penniless chancers with a thirst for adventure. Each had to face down barriers of official exclusion, family-imposed restriction, social disapproval and often a resulting lack of self-belief.

In the 21st-century, British women wear Admiral’s uniforms and break global yachting records, yet their journey to professional sailing remains challenging, and the public face of sailing remains mostly male – evident in the lack of female Commodores in prestigious yacht clubs. Even as sailing becomes more accessible, the remarkable contributions within these stories are a precious source of inspiration to all women facing their own challenges today.