Horst A. Friedrichs

Napoleon once called England 'a nation of shopkeepers'. It's no wonder then that London is home to some of the most venerable, charming and unusual shops in the world. In this captivating book, photographer Horst A. Friedrichs and author Stuart Husband open the doors to 25 quintessential shops in the capital, from exclusive tailors and world-famous bookshops, to quirky button shops and underground silver collections. Every display tells a story; every shop window holds a secret. Each shop is a world unto itself, every window a stage for tradition and imagination. Step inside, and discover the artistry and enduring allure of London's finest shops.

“There is nothing that has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern,” wrote Samuel Johnson. Three centuries on, the English pub remains the ultimate happy place for those seeking refuge, recreation, or refreshment. But pubs today constitute a broad church, with old-school saloons and ultimate locals joined by modern reimaginings of traditional hostelries and Michelin-starred gastro-temples. This book brings together 33 of England’s finest and most distinctive inns, from Yorkshire dining destinations to Cornish beer shrines. Acclaimed photographer Horst A Friedrichs and renowned writer Stuart Husband capture these places in all their idiosyncratic glory and infinite variety: the pub as artistic statement, social hub, foodie pilgrimage site, personal fiefdom of legendary landlords and landladies, or repository of history. But all pubs share the same time-honoured purpose: to offer the warmest of welcomes, and to lift the spirits.

Bookstores are treasure troves of knowledge and ideas, invaluable for the imagination, and often reflect their owners’ personalities in ways internet behemoths could never recreate. In this book, photographer Horst A. Friedrichs opens the door to the world of bricks-and-mortar bookstores, showcasing their variety, quirkiness, and vitality with lavish photography. It celebrates the passion and commitment of the owners with interviews and anecdotes. Explore William Stout Books, a specialty store for architecture and art books in San Francisco, and Baldwin’s Book Barn in Pennsylvania, a 5-story bookstore housed in a dairy barn open since the mid-1940s. Discover Gay’s the Word, the UK’s first and only dedicated LGBTQI bookshop and Livraria Lello, whose art deco interior is a temple to reading in the middle of Porto, Portugal. Some of the featured bookstores specialize in a certain genre, some are massive with vaulted ceilings, some are tiny and filled to the brim with books, some are in historic buildings that evoke a different time and place, and some are brand new, high- tech, architect-designed spaces. What all the bookstores have in common is that they are all dedicated to spreading the written word to their communities. This is an ideal book for anyone who loves to read, browse, or simply linger in the analog world of books and bookstores.