Nairn’s London by Ian Nairn review – each entry is a masterpiece of construction
Nicholas Lezard’s paperback of the week: Compact yet enormous in scope, this reissued guide to the capital has never been bettered
Mecca: The Sacred City review – an important study of one of the great religious sites
Ziauddin Sardar tells the story of Mecca with rare insight and passion, writes William Dalrymple
Rising Ground: A Search for the Spirit of Place review – Philip Marsden’s love letter to Cornwall
A thought-provoking exploration of Cornish lives and landscapes has an affinity with the work of Simon Armitage, writes Kate Kellaway
Hidden City: Adventures and Explorations in Dublin by Karl Whitney – review
Forget the tourist destinations, and discover the essential Irish capital with this ingenious and affectionate study, writes Colm Tóibín
The Emperor Far Away review – an ambitious guide to China’s far-flung corners
David Eimer's tour of the Chinese provinces is a reminder that there is much more to the country than its Pacific seaboard, writes Isabel Hilton
Last Man Off review – Matt Lewis’s tale of survival on the high seas
This chilling account of a disastrous fishing trip should take its place alongside The Perfect Storm, writes Alexander Larman
Robert MacFarlane: in the footsteps of Laurie Lee
Best known for his bucolic memoir Cider With Rosie, Lee was born 100 years ago. The brilliant sequel – an account of an epic walk through Depression-era England and scorching Spain – is far from rose-tinted
The Moor: Lives, Landscape, Literature review – a wonderful book about moorlands and more
The violence, wonder and ghosts of moorland are savoured in this highly engaging account of walks on English moors, writes Rachel Cooke
Seafaring stories with very different destinations
Helen Sampson: Travel writing, journalism and my own approach – ethnography – take readers on different journeys across the same seas
The Edible Atlas review – it’s gastronomic heaven
Mina Holland tours the world for this entertaining yet educational store of food and cultural knowledge, writes Joanna Blythman
Lawrence Osborne: ‘Acclaim. I don’t notice it much’
The nomadic British author talks to Rachel Cooke about gambling, ghosts, the allure of his adopted Bangkok and his new novel
A Sense of Direction review – ’emotional, occasionally hilarious travel writing’
Gideon Lewis-Kraus’s relationship with his father is the heart of this erudite and witty book, writes Daniel Cohen
Top five classic swimming books
Kate Townshend: Who said that books and water don't mix? Immerse yourselves in the pages of these wild-swimming classics until the warmer weather comes along
Michael Jacobs obituary
Writer, art historian and gastronome with an enthusiasm for the Spanish way of life
Michael Jacobs, 1952-2014
Ed Vulliamy remembers his friend, the travel writer and historian