Thomas Austin: 47 books

Everybody analyses films. Ordinary viewers, chatting on the way home afterwards. Reviewers, telling us just enough to tempt or put off. Critics, ‘situating’ films for us. Moralists, hunting for the (harmful) message. So what exactly is it that film academics do that’s different? Martin...

On the west coast of Ireland is the beautiful county of Galway with its famous Connemara mountains and rocky coastline. The university city of Galway is a typical Irish city of music and merriment with an atmosphere of culture and sport and is known as Ireland’s cultural heart.   TABLE...

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the seven-member United Arab Emirates (UAE). With a population of 921,000, it is the second-largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Fifty years ago the city was not much more than a fishing village with a fort, huts and above all, the desert. Today, it is one of the world’s...

Montpellier is the main city of the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southwestern France and is located only 200 minutes from Paris by high-speed TGV train. It is cosmopolitan city for its size and high-end shoppers love to visit centre-ville.   TABLE OF CONTENTS:  Overview - Culture - Location...

The mountains of the Southern Alps dominate the landscape of a New Zealand's South Island creating some of the most stunning scenery in the world as they shelter a rich collection of ancient glaciers. Their dramatic slopes challenge mountaineers in summer and skiers in winter.     TABLE...

Niagara Falls (located on both sides of the Canada/United States border) has been a popular honeymoon destination since the Civil War. That romantic tradition continues today and New York State and Ontario proudly proclaim Niagara Falls the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”.   TABLE OF CONTENTS:...

New Zealand's North Island is often overlooked on the race to the South Island but is truly one of the southern hemisphere’s top tourist attractions in its own right. Its remoteness and its seclusion hides and preserves an incredible diversity of landscapes and animal life. Lord of the Rings fans...

The Forest of Dean in the Wye Valley is an ancient forest that was once the hunting grounds of King Henry V (born in nearby Monmouth) where he honed the skills that enabled his army to win the historic battle against the French at Agincourt.  This is also where William Wordsworth walked and conceived...

The Dordogne combines the best elements of rural France, with a passion for good food and wine, the romantic legacy of medieval castles and an abundance of pretty villages where time appears to have stopped. As a holiday destination its scenic rivers, gentle valleys and fairy-tale forests offer a...

The small European nation of Luxembourg is home to many leading European Union (EU) agencies and institutions. The European Investment Bank, European Court of Justice, General Court and the Court of Auditors are located here as are some of the departments of the European Commission. Luxembourg is...

Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean has a charm and friendliness quite unlike any other. Urban Trinidad has many South America influences, a handful of the Caribbean’s best beaches and a thriving oil and gas industry. Its capital, Port-of-Spain, is a cosmopolitan city with echoes of its colonial...

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and is the oldest capital city in northern Europe. The city is the financial, business and technology hub of the Baltic region and The New York Times has called the city the “Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea.” Estonia is one of the smallest countries in Europe...

Just off the coast of South Carolina lies Hilton Head Island, a popular vacation spot for golf enthusiasts and beach lovers. Its allure has spanned generations since Europeans started to develop it nearly 350 years ago. Hilton Head was also a Confederate stronghold during the American Civil War.  ...

In recent years, Boise, Idaho has been voted one of the Best Overall Towns in the Western United States by Outside Magazine, One of the 10 Best Places to Live by U.S. News and World Report, and the Ninth Hottest Midsized City or Boomtown by Inc.com. There’s much more to Boise and it’s 150-year-old history than just potato growing.