Books celebrating Shropshire!

As Shropshire-based publishers it is fitting that we offer a range of books on the county. This list of books shows what the region has to offer, from the stunning scenery captured by local photographers, to local authors, editors and historians who have compiled works on the local people and places than inspired them. 

Books by local authors / photographers.

• Ludlow at Leisure by Derek Beattie, a local author who would be very happy to speak on the show. The book shows how the town of Ludlow enjoyed itself over 150 years, covering all social demographics. A lively account of a town that was thriving and a snapshot of the changing tastes in leisure.
• How the other Half Lived by Derek Beattie, Ludlow's working classes 1850-1960. Working classes of Ludlow lagged far behind much of the country when it came to their living conditions, the book documents how many lacked most of the basic comforts.
• The Concise History of Ludlow by David Lloyd, the town in a nutshell, facts and figures from Anglo-Saxon times to present day. 
• A Shropshire Lad by John Hayward. A full colour photographic edition, each photo was specially commissioned to pair with a line from Housman’s lyrical poem of nostalgia, loss, and love.  
• The Temptation and Downfall of the Vicar of Stanton Lacy by Peter Klein. An old Ludlovian, Peter studied medieval history and was fascinated by the true story of the Rev. Foulkes and his affair with a local girl and punishment. A true story "more real than any historical novel - more moving, more evocative, more human." John Fowles
• Ovington's Bank a forgotten masterpiece by Stanley Weyman (who has a blue plaque on Broad Street, Ludlow, where he lived). In 1825, the tale follows a run on a private bank: in the fall-out, the protagonists are challenged to examine their motives, their morals and their values as the surprising plot unfolds.

Books celebrating the beauty of Shropshire.

• A most Rare Vision by Mark Sisson. The author and the Reverend Henry Morris met up at short notice, weather permitting, to fly from Halfpenny Green airfield over different parts of Shropshire to photograph the county from above. Angling the small Socata aircraft at 45 degrees, vicar Henry enabled Mark to photograph the county’s network of canals, rivers, hills and valleys, fields, quarries, racecourses, golf courses, parkland, and settlements.
• Shropshire from Dawn to Dusk by John Hayward. A photographic celebration of the people and places that make this is one of England’s most glorious counties.
• Nearest Earthly Place to Paradise compiled by Margaret Wilson. The Literary Landscape of Shropshire, the county has inspired many writers over the centuries. Extracts from Charles Dickens to Tom Sharpe, John Betjeman to DH Lawrence.