FREE all Weekend!

It's true - The Night Climbers of Cambridge by Whipplesnaith, the 1937 cult classic is available FREE on kindle all this weekend - 9th, 10th and 11th March 2012!

Available on the Kindle itself and on Apps for all smartphones, on readers for PCs running Linux and Windows, and on Macs too.

Download it on the UK site or the US site.

This fascinating book follows the incredibly brave/foolhardy antics of students climbing the ancient University buildings in the inter-war years. Not only did they rarely use ropes, they often climbed barefoot. Most amazing of all? They took photographs! With all the paraphernalia that entailed in the 30s! Just amazing.

Local publisher Oleander Press re-published the title a couple of years ago but is now delighted to make it available, worldwide, on the Kindle. Awesome.

Please spread the word! Many thanks :)

"Equip yourselves for the greatest of all 

adventures – for this is what 

bookselling really is.”

 A fabulous stocking filler.

"A bookshop is a microcosm of everything 

of importance which is happening 

in the world."

You know you want one....

An Alternative Tour of Cambridge?

Those friendly folk over at local publisher Oleander have put together a fun 'taster' of just a few of the good bits from cult-bestseller Whipplesnaith. They're in the process of making a proper walking guide of central Cambridge from the Night Climbers' perspective. All visitors to Cambridge get their map and a stolid, worthy guide to the lates and greats of the Uni - but the visitor armed with the upcoming Night Ckimbers' Guide will see behind - or rather above - the facades; they'll see the city through the eyes of our infamous nocturnal interlopers of 70 years ago. And here's an early, thrown-together, sneak peak - free for visitors to this blog. Enjoy :)

Fancy a good Spooking?



Local publisher Oleander has issued the two classic horror tales by Adrian Ross, a Cambridge friend of MR James, together for the first time - and they're seriously creepy. CambridgeDailyPhoto readers can enjoy 15% off by using the coupon CDP at the checkout. There are also free sample chapters available on the book's page and the discount is good for the next two weeks.

Many thanks to those kind folks at Oleander!

Cambridge's Own

If I should die, think only this of me;

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is forever England.

The Soldier

Rupert Brooke, the famous First World War poet, was educated at King's College, Cambridge before dying young in 1915. Local publisher Oleander has brought out a new edition of his collected poems, featuring a contemporary introduction from Lorna Beckett, the Chair of the Rupert Brooke Society. Here's the blurb:

Today Rupert Brooke is probably best known as one of the famous First World War poets. His War Sonnets, including ‘The Soldier’, are present in this new edition of his Collected Poems which, with a new introduction by the Rupert Brooke Society’s Chair, Lorna Beckett, aims to introduce a new generation of readers to his passionate and accomplished poetry.

Brooke has continued to fascinate people of all ages and walks of life ever since his untimely death en route to Gallipoli on St George’s Day 1915, at the age of 27. He lived his short life with intensity – he was not only a poet, but also a scholar, dramatist, literary critic, travel writer, political activist and soldier. Brooke had a large circle of friends, many of them leading figures of their generation including Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill and W. B. Yeats.

Oh, is the water sweet and cool,

Gentle and brown, above the pool?

And laughs the immortal river still

Under the mill, under the mill?

Say, is there Beauty yet to find?

And Certainty? and Quiet kind?

Deep meadows yet, for to forget

The lies, and truths, and pain?… oh! yet

Stands the Church clock at ten to three?

And is there honey still for tea?

The Old Vicarage, Grantchester

Fancy exploring Cambridge from home?


Albeit, unconventionally... The infamous cult book that is The Night Climbers of Cambridge describes the best routes around the colleges, the quietest spots for reflection, the best views to be had in the whole city. Of course, this is only if you happen to be a skilled climber - and happy to wait until the middle of the night to avoid the authorities... Luckily - and amazingly, considering the paraphernalia needed in those days - they took pictures of their 1937 feats and included them in this incredible book, along with details of their nocturnal adventures. Republished in 2007 by The Oleander Press - it's now available everywhere because:

Get it here at Amazon UK
or here for the US store

They've eventually moved into the future with ol' Whip and made him available on Amazon's Kindle. Although I'll always be a dull old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud when it comes to books, even I have to admit that the pictures come out really well on electronic devices. Oh - and the pricing is great - especially without shipping of course!

Almost Cambridge... now on Kindle!

US Kindle Store UK Kindle Store

Ok, so New Orleans isn't exactly like Cambridge but this incredibly evocative story of love and loss in that city is so good I decided to mention it here. Everyone who reads it loves it - so why aren't more people reading it? Got me stumped... Here's the publisher's book page.

Ooh - exciting!


Due next month from your favourite local publisher - a nape-prickling collection of classic ghost stories; the most sought-after compilation in fact. Oh yes, it's a little bit chilling; I mean, thrilling....