Travel books

Jonathan Glancey travels through time to bring the Golden Age of Travel to life

Handbook of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises Mark Carwardine Bloomsbury, £35

In his latest book, wildlife expert – and the go-to person to ask anything and everything about ceteceans – Mark Carwardine has teamed up with top biologists to present an in-depth (and soon to become indispensable) guide to these creatures of the deep, shedding light on their differences with a set of handy illustrations, migration maps and quick-yet-comprehensive ID guides. An illuminating, informative read from the most authoritative voice in the business, and an essential read for anyone dreaming of adding a whale-watching stop off on a forthcoming adventure.

Stories of the Sahara Sanmao

Bloomsbury, £17

Sometimes, all travellers want to find is a sense of belonging in a world that doesn’t make sense. Free-spirited explorer and novelist Sanmao picks up on this theme in Stories of the Sahara, casting off societal conventions to go on a ground-breaking adventure across the world’s largest hot desert. Coloured by her own memories, this travelogue takes us from eye-opening experiences in desert bathhouses to divine rainstorms, while reminding us that adventures into the unknown are key. How else are we to discover sides of ourselves we never knew existed?

1,000 places to see before you die: the world as you’ve never seen it before Patricia Schultz

Artisan, £40

When Schultz’s original coffee-table travel book was first published in 2003, it took us on a visual journey of the world continent by continent. The latest reimagined edition does the same job, but this time it comes in even prettier packaging. With 1,100 all new photographs and 544 pages of lively text highlighting the globe’s must-visit destinations, this version is even more inspiring. From the misty landscape of the Huangshan mountains in China to the Byzantine wonderland of Cappadocia in Turkey and bright-eyed cheetahs on the lookout in Kenya, this handy guide on where and when to go in the world is filled with useful travel tips and will have you booking your next trip in no time.