This book was as variable as British holiday weather. It’s part social history, part rambling memoir about how British people behave on holiday. Despite the generalisations, it was well-observed although didn’t have anything new to say. The first half, about holidays in Britain, was good and I mostly enjoyed it. The second half, about going abroad, was quite tiresome because the author often told not-very-interesting anecdotes from his friends or relatives of friends. This half was almost exclusively focused on Europe. The number of times he seemed to be apologetic for going on so many holidays – taking pains to mention it was for journalism or he wanted his kids to have the experiences – was annoying. I would have preferred more social history and less about him. I think certain readers will enjoy this book very much but for me it was disappointing, like when you planned a day at the beach but the rain sets in.
First published in 2011 by Simon and Schuster.