Having
reviewed Rowse’s Oxford in the History of the Nation, being familiar
with the place and plotting a return later this year, I thought it might be
good and helpful to recommend three books to possess for a trip to Oxford.
If
I had to recommend one book, it would be the Blue Guide: Oxford and
Cambridge by Geoffrey Tyack.
It is a very practical and portable tour guide. But it does not focus on the touristy
or the trivial but on the architectural history of the place and of
Cambridge. It has been a great
help to me in knowing what to see and what I am seeing. Get the 2004 edition and do take it with
you to Oxford (or Cambridge). Yes,
I think 2004 is the most recent edition.
Don’t let that worry you; Oxford tends to change very slowly.
I
also recommend another book by Tyack, Oxford, An Architectural Guide. It is not a tour guide per se; it is
organized chronologically. So one
may find it mentions a college in several chapters as it builds, tears down,
and builds through the years.
Also, it is not as portable.
I know I am not taking this one with me. But it is the best architectural history of Oxford I’ve come
across. It is very helpful in
seeing how Oxford grew and developed through the centuries. And it is very readable. But its size and format is not as
practical for touring as the Blue Guide. I recommend reading it before you go. And perhaps take notes of items you
want to remember when in Oxford.
The
third book I recommend is very different.
Written by Jan Morris, it is entitled simply Oxford. Very well written and often lightly
humorous, it is a pleasure to read.
It does contain some little known corners of Oxford to find and
explore. But what I find most
outstanding about Morris’ book is how it captures the atmosphere of
Oxford. For example, when in the
Autumn of 2007 I drifted into a malaise as gloomy as the cold, damp and
shortening days, I thought, “Morris told me it would be like this!”
The
2001 edition is small and very portable, so you can take it with you if you
like, perhaps to read on the plane.
I won’t be taking it with me this time, but intend to read it once
again, for the third time I think, before I leave.
Do
you have must-read books about Oxford?
Feel free to let us know in the comments.
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