A pocket-sized monograph, with mini-map, on the history of the great prototype beach resort, and so well brought off I expected sand to sift from its pages while I was reading. The evocation of the Lido in winter is especially sharp, that sense of it being (even considering the development thereon) still the wild walk of Venice with the Adriatic storm wrack fetching up along its shoreline. Excellent, if often dodgy, company is kept throughout: Byron of course (and Byron quiet at that, soberly asking that his grave should, like one in the Certosa cemetery, merely implore peace); Diaghilev...

The New York borough of Staten Island is better known for its ferry ride and views of the Manhattan skyline than for itself. This readable, engrossing guide is devoted entirely to discovering the island. Lovingly researched and packed with stories past and present, it unlocks the secrets of a fascinating place and of the men and women who made it what it is, many of them pioneers in their fields. It will appeal to residents and visitors alike.