The Travel Book : A Journey Through Every Country in the World

About the book

Celebrate the world. 229 countries & destinations to explore, 817 beautiful images to inspire. Bigger, brighter and bolder than ever, the second edition of Lonely Planet's definitive travel pictorial has been revised and updated to be even more inspiring than the last. The Travel Book captures the essence of every country on the planet through stunning photographs and atmospheric text. User-friendly A-to-Z coverage and double-page spreads of every country make this book a total delight - and an amazing gift.

Reviews

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Quotes

"It just reminds me how much of the world there is still to see" - Tony Wheeler, Lonely Planet founder, 145 countries visited and counting ... 'This is a stunning book. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, it's a classic coffee table book, best perused on a rainy afternoon with a cup of coffee in one hand and your passport in the other, just in case you get the urge to flee the country.' Digital Camera Magazine. At a time when the world feels as if its becoming a larger, more divided and increasingly impossible place to understand, let alone discover, The Travel Book is a reminder that the world is truly an amazing place.' The Age (Melbourne, Australia)

Lonely Planet Biography

Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.

History

Early years

Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked on an overland trip through Europe and Asia to Australia, following the route of the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition.The company name originates from the misheard "lovely planet" in a song written by Matthew Moore. Lonely Planet's first book, Across Asia on the Cheap, had 94 pages; it was written by the couple in their home. The original 1973 print run consisted of stapled booklets with pale blue cardboard covers.Tony returned to Asia to write Across Asia on the Cheap: A Complete Guide to Making the Overland Trip, published in 1975.

Expansion

The Lonely Planet guide book series initially expanded to cover other countries in Asia, with the India guide book in 1981, and expanded to rest of the world later on. Geoff Crowther was renowned for frequently inserting his opinions into the text of the guides he wrote. His writing was instrumental to the rise of Lonely Planet. The journalist used the term "Geoffness", in tribute to Crowther, to describe a quality that has been lost in travel guides.By 1999, Lonely Planet had sold 30 million copies of its travel guides. The company's authors consequently benefited from profit-sharing and expensive events were held at the Melbourne office, at which limousines would arrive, filled with Lonely Planet employees.

Wheelers' sale to BBC

In 2007, the Wheelers and John Singleton sold a 75% stake in the company to BBC Worldwide, worth an estimated £63 million at the time. The company was publishing 500 titles and ventured into television production. BBC Worldwide struggled following the acquisition, registering a £3.2 million loss in the year to the end of March 2009. By the end of March 2010, profits of £1.9 million had been generated, as digital revenues had risen 37% year-on-year over the preceding 12 months, a Lonely Planet magazine had grown and non-print revenues increased from 9% in 2007 to 22%. Lonely Planet's digital presence included 140 apps and 8.5 million unique users for lonelyplanet.com, which hosted the Thorn Tree travel forum. BBC Worldwide acquired the remaining 25% of the company for £42.1 million (A$67.2 million) from the Wheelers.

BBC's sale to NC2

By 2012 BBC wanted to divest itself of the company and in March 2013 confirmed the sale of Lonely Planet to Brad Kelley's NC2 Media for US$77.8 million (£51.5 million), at nearly an £80 million (US$118.89 million) loss.

COVID-19

In April 2020 Lonely Planet made the decision to close its Australian and London offices and reduce staffing levels globally in response to the downturn in the travel business resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company continued to publish its guidebooks, phrasebooks, maps, children's books and inspiration ... Read full biography