The Great Escape

"A real heartwarming portrait of Britain and our love of time off. I couldn't put it down.” – Cathy Adams, The Times travel desk

"How we spend our time off tells us a lot about who we are – and Thorpe understands that." – Tom Chesshyre, author of Slow Trains Around Britain

"Behind The Great Escape’s whimsical look at the Brits' love affair with the holiday is the true insider voice of Annabelle Thorpe. She has her finger on the pulse of past, present and future travel. "-- Jane Anderson, Travel Editor of Prima magazine


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Discover how our favourite holiday traditions began in this entertaining and fascinating social history.

Holidays. We dream of them, plan them and savour every moment of them. But where did the concept of “the holiday” come from? How has it become so essential to who we are as Brits? And what does the future hold for our treasured time off?

In The Great Escape, travel journalist Annabelle Thorpe takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of British holidays – from the 18th-century spa break to the age of the global nomad – to answer all these questions and more. Travelling the length and breadth of Britain (with a detour to the Mediterranean), Annabelle explores the wilds of Scotland, visits Bath, Blackpool and Butlins, and sets out on Victorian railway lines to uncover the stories of those who helped shape our holiday culture.

Weaving together history, social change, nostalgia and personal anecdotes, and illustrated with a colour plate section, The Great Escape is its own Grand Tour – 400 years of the high days and holidays we cherish as a nation.

Part travelogue, part social history, this book is a must-read for everyone who loves to travel and wants to know more about how the generations before us spent their precious free time.