Kyoto, the ancient former capital of Japan, breathes history and mystery. Its temples, gardens and palaces are testimony to many centuries of aristocratic and religious grandeur. Under the veneer of modernity, the city remains filled with countless reminders of a proud past. John Dougill explores this most venerable of Japanese cities, revealing the spirit of place and the individuals that have shaped its often dramatic history. Courtiers and courtesans, poets and priests, samurai and geisha people the pages of his account. Covering twelve centuries in all, the book not only provides a...

As 'the English Athens', Oxford has long been central to the country's cultural life. For over six centuries the city has been lauded, slighted and analysed in the pages of English literature. While it has been hailed as a bastion of excellence, beauty and truth on the one hand, it has also been denigrated for its elitism, exclusivity and insularity on the other. Oxford in English Literature provides for the first time a detailed overview of the literary representations, ranging from Chaucer's account of medieval students to modern-day detective stories. The book begins with the legend of the...

"It's a nice tome for armchair travel, whisking you off around the country from where you sit--or time travel, taking you back to that life-changing decade-lost holiday and old friends."--The Japan Times

Visit the most compelling cultural and nature sites in all of Japan with this beautifully photographed travel guide.

In Japan's World Heritage Sites, readers are introduced to the temples, gardens, castles and natural wonders for which Japan is so justly renowned--all of those now declared to be Unesco World Heritage Sites. Author John Dougill describes each site...