Anglophile: Required Reading for a Student in London

My fellow college students, I am about to reveal something about myself to you that may change our relationship. You may love or hate me for it, but I am a student. It’s not a part I enjoy playing so that I can wear serious-looking boots and meet cute study partners. I genuinely enjoy learning (are you gasping in disbelief?). I actually read the textbooks, attend the lectures, and take meticulous notes – and most of the time, I enjoy it. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t love a party. To be sure, there are plenty of situations in college where the opportunity to challenge your liver and exercise your social skills is more compelling than anything a classroom has to offer you, and often we go in search of vodka redbulls instead of intellectual stimulation. When the keg and the econ homework beckon, which call do you answer? Do you head to the Hillman, or to a house party on Semple to celebrate thirsty Thursday?

Anyways, I wouldn’t like to make you choose, so back to my topic du jour. Last semester, my economics professor declared that time is the most valuable commodity in the world. I agree. This is why we buy guidebooks, hire travel agents, and browse websites that compare options for us: it allows us to make an informed decision with minimal time and effort.


The constant struggle of the study abroad student, with limited time in Europe and a shoestring budget, is to maximize time and minimize spending. Planning becomes ultra important, to make the best use of both time and money. 

The first time I went abroad,I often travelled on weekends, and my budget on these trips was usually around 150 euro (for transportation, lodging, food, admission to museums, tours, and shows). This tight budget was always compounded by a 36-hour time constraint. Thankfully, I found the solution to this dilemma one afternoon in my favorite cafe/bookstore, Book in Bar, in the form of a Rick Steves guide book. Rick Steves had been recommended to me by friends in Florence, who referred affectionately to his guidebook as “Rick,” or occasionally as “Rick Steves, Travel God.” I soon felt the same way. Reading his book taught me a valuable lesson: with precious little time and money, researching in advance is the only way to make the most of your trips. 


With Rick's help, I discovered that the art of travelling when you’re low on time and money is being able to live in the moment with a full awareness of its significance. Don’t waste time and money by getting lost or overpaying. Research. Plan. Enjoy. 

So, being the enthusiastic student that I am, I have typically acquired a mini-library of books on London, England, Britain, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. I want to know where I’m going to minimalize culture shock and hit the ground running with new experiences. So what books am I reading now, in preparation for my semester-long sojourn abroad? Read on. 

Rick Steves, of course, and LIFE magazine's Royal Wedding Feature. 

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the world's most famous newlyweds. The April ceremony at Westminster Abbey was broadcast internationally, and several billion people tuned in. The married life of Will and Kate (or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, if you please) will certainly be very closely observed in the British tabloids. It would be foolish to go to the capitol of England without being at least conversational on the subject of the royal family. 

More guide books on London and Great Britain, published by DK Eyewitness Travel. 

These are my mother's guide books, and I think her favorite thing about them is their photographs, illustrations, and maps. They are not strictly pictorial, however - they have lots of useful information and interesting facts. Worth a read if you have the time, but although they are thin books they are so much heavier than my Rick, and I'd probably rather leave them at home than tote them on trips. 

And a few quirky extras. 

The Traditional Shops and Restaurants of London and eat. shop. london. are not quite so practical as travel guides... but they are loads of fun to read as they catalog quirky boutiques and restaurants. They focus on the one-of-a-kind, the original, the unique, the inimitable. The women that write them actually have a voice that comes through in their reviews and recommendations, and their personality is the antithesis of many dry, objective travel guides. If their interests match yours, they can be a spectacular resource.