Anglophile Reviews: Admit One – My Life in Film by Emmett James

This was a lovely little book. Not only am I a rabid Anglophile, but I’m also a movie buff. So, I’m all for a book that combines both.

Admit One by Emmett James is the story of the Hollywood dreams of a British guy from Croydon in London who sets out for Hollywood to make his way in the film industry. We learn all about his training as an actor and all the odd jobs he did to make a living in Hollywood.

Throughout the book, we follow Emmett on his various trials and tribulations in the land of sun and movies and at turns, it’s sad, inspiring and heartwarming even when you get a little lost in negativity.

The book is built around the narrative of his favorite movies- which include many blockbusters from the golden era of the blockbuster – the early 1980’s. He manages to frame his own story well as classic movies such as Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, ET etc hit the scene of 1980’s American Cinema.

Most amusing of all are his tales of getting into the Academy Awards – even when he didn’t have a reason to actually be there! Very amusing!

The book is written with a particular British wit and brutal honesty that is always welcome when it comes to reading memoirs and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Emmet James Hollywood journey. I hope we see more excellent writing from Emmet James.

I give it 5 out of 5 Stars!

Help Answering an Age Old Question: Is the Tube or a Taxi Cheaper?

When it comes to traveling around central London – tourist and locals alike have many options. Usually the Tube is the cheapest way to get around.

But in the days of rising Tube fares and the convenience of London Black Taxi Cabs – often one wonders, which is cheaper?

Well, as Apple likes to say, there’s an app for that.

The London Taxi Fare app is a great little tool. It will tell you how much a taxi will be between any two destinations in London. Not only that it uses GPS location tracking to let you know how much it would be to get from your exact spot to where you want to go. It also tells you how long the journey will take.

This would have been incredibly useful on our last trip to London.

The app is pretty cheap at only $.99! Well worth the money!

Check it out in iTunes here: 

Anglophile Reviews: Secret London – Exploring the Hidden City

This is the coolest book about London, ever.

I don’t say that lightly!

London is over 2,000 years old and because of it’s age it’s hiding many hidden secrets and strange traditions that date back thousands of years. And Secret London by Andrew Duncan is your guide to it all.

Many Anglophiles are probably familiar with Andrew Duncan’s work – he writes excellent London walking guides. This book is a little different, while it does have a few walks and the secrets they contain, it’s also filled with pages of information on places in London with secrets.

One thing I love about London is that it has many strange anachromisms that continue to this day. For example, did you know that central London is mostly owned by a few dozen families who have held the land for hundreds of years? Well, Secret London lifts the lid on London’s shy landowners and tells you which estates and neighborhoods are owned by whom. It’s absolutely fascinating.

Another interesting section of the book is a secret tour of all the government buildings and the secrets that they contain. Hidden tunnels, ancient rooms, strange traditions – it’s all there. By far my favorite part was the chapter on the Palace of Westminster. Did you know that it’s an exlusive city within a city with restaurants, shops, barbers and private clubs only for members of parliament?

Speaking of clubs, Andrew Duncan also takes you on a tour of the super secret gentleman’s clubs of St. James. He also has quite a bit dedicated to the mysterious livery companies that run the City of London. The book isn’t much of a tourist guide – because you can’t actually go to most of the places mentioned – but it’s great fun learning all about them!

If you’re into history, secrets and strange British traditions, then this book is for you. I cannot recommend it more. It’s well worth the money!

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Anglophile Reviews: 24 Hours in London

We held a contest for 24 Hours in London a few months back that was very popular and I just plum forgot to put my review together. I blame it on the holidays!

Anyway, now’s my chance to review this excellent book.

Most tour guides for London are set up to show you the major sites, but they don’t really give you a good idea of what time to see something or tell you about lesser known attractions that may be just as interesting.

24 Hours in London by Marsha Moore changes all that – it takes the guidebook format and throws it on it’s head.

Instead of giving you a list of places based on geography, 24 Hours in London asks you what time it is, then tells you interesting things you can do anywhere in London.

The book has hundreds of things worth doing and it’s very well researched. We read it just before our trip last November and it gave us plenty of ideas for the trip. If only we’d had more time!

So, if you’re looking for a different kind of London guidebook, then this one is worth a purchase!

I give is 5 out of 5 stars!

Check out the website here or read the author’s blog here.

Anglophile Reviews: London Walks Audio Tours from Walk Talk Tours – Coupon Inside!

London can be a dizzying place to explore – especially for the first time. And generally, you’re alone on that first trip. You don’t know any Brits yet or have friends who can show you around.

Well, never fear, I’ve discovered a friend you can carry around on your iPod or iPhone that will show you around town instead – and educate you all at the same time.

I’m writing about Walk Talk Tours – audio based tours that you can load onto any MP3 player or iPhone and will guide you on several guides tours of London. Included with the tour is a handy map that you can print out that will keep you on the right path.

I’ve had a listen to the the tour for the City of London and the Southbank and I can say that it was very lovely, accurate and interesting. It’s like having a personal tour guide in your pocket.

The tours are high quality, well put together and filled with very interesting anecdotes about the history of the sights you’ll see on the tour.

Click here to listen to an audio sample of the tour.

From the tour description:

This tour combines the best of Tours L2 and L3. Allow at least three hours to complete this tour. Starting at St Paul’s Cathedral see the works of two architects, 17th century Sir Christopher Wren and 21st century Sir Norman Foster. See the newly restored Temple Bar, the monuments in St Paul’s churchyard, the church of St Mary le Bow, Roman Watling Street and the Temple of Mithras. See The Bank of England and its museum, The Royal Exchange, The Swiss Re Tower and the inside-out Lloyd’s of London building. Visit Leadenhall Market, and the Monument. Hear about the Great Fire of London, The Lutine Bell, Elizabeth Fry, campaigner for C19th prison reform and audaciuous attempts to defraud the Bank of England. Join the Thames riverside walk passing Billingsgate Market and Custom House to reach the Tower of London.

Cross Tower Bridge and hear of the near misses involving airplanes and a London bus. On reaching the South Bank, pass Sir Norman Foster’s City Hall and HMS Belfast to reach London Bridge. Walk on to the Golden Hinde and the Clink Prison. Hear out about ‘Winchester geese’ and how the ‘term in the clink’ originated. Soon after, you arrive at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Tate Modern before crossing the Thames again by the Millennium footbridge with its stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral before you. This is where your Tour will end, in the place where it began. This tour can also be started from The Tower of London.

In addition to London Audio walking tours, they also have tours of Edinburgh, York, Manchester and Chester – perfect for daytrips outside of London.

The tours are pretty affordable at only £5.95 – about $10 – and you can load them on any compatible device. I’ll certainly have these on my next trip to London!

For a limited time, Anglotopia readers can use coupon code: AT123 – to Buy One Tour, Get One Tour Free. Coupon Expire April 30th, 2010. An excellent 2-for-1 deal!

Check out Walk Talk Tours here.

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