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England For All Seasons
Susan Allen Toth's love affair with England is a long and happy one. Her books *testaments to undiminished affection *are designed to help readers discover the rich and beautiful land for themselves. Now her love affair continues in England for All Seasons, an experienced traveler's journal that captures the lively pleasures of offbeat exploration all year round.
With whimsy and a trenchant eye, Toth first takes her readers through a London they might otherwise miss. She suggests ways to uncover the city's overwhelming variety of theatre, music, and other cultural events *as well as just plain fun. From directing the route to the most scenic London buses to bargain-hunting and splurges to out-of-the-way places and personal walking tours of eccentric museums, Ms. Toth will entice even a seasoned London visitor into new adventures.
Outside London, England for All Seasons traverses the country, including forays to Wales and Scotland, from the estuaries and rivers of Cornwall to the lonely beaches of Anglesey to the wild sea-lochs of Mull. In her fascinating tour, Ms. Toth also stops at many of England's great gardens, a donkey sanctuary in Devon, an outdoor sculpture museum in the seacoast resort of St. Ives, and a modernist castle on the edge of Dartmoor.
Readers who already know England will cherish the author's affectionate and humorous observations on glorious desserts ("the irresistible sweet trolley"); the unacknowledged pleasures of a rainy climate; and the need for survival techniques in museums. First-time visitors can look forward to a quintessentially English experience, with an abundance of surprises along the way.
Whether looking for literary landscapes or the most delicious sherry trifle, Susan Allen Toth illuminates the nooks and crannies of a multifarious culture, the vibrant real England that every Anglophile dreams of finding. At once entertaining and contemplative, England for All Seasons is as delightful a travel companion as your liveliest, most trusted friend.
With whimsy and a trenchant eye, Toth first takes her readers through a London they might otherwise miss. She suggests ways to uncover the city's overwhelming variety of theatre, music, and other cultural events *as well as just plain fun. From directing the route to the most scenic London buses to bargain-hunting and splurges to out-of-the-way places and personal walking tours of eccentric museums, Ms. Toth will entice even a seasoned London visitor into new adventures.
Outside London, England for All Seasons traverses the country, including forays to Wales and Scotland, from the estuaries and rivers of Cornwall to the lonely beaches of Anglesey to the wild sea-lochs of Mull. In her fascinating tour, Ms. Toth also stops at many of England's great gardens, a donkey sanctuary in Devon, an outdoor sculpture museum in the seacoast resort of St. Ives, and a modernist castle on the edge of Dartmoor.
Readers who already know England will cherish the author's affectionate and humorous observations on glorious desserts ("the irresistible sweet trolley"); the unacknowledged pleasures of a rainy climate; and the need for survival techniques in museums. First-time visitors can look forward to a quintessentially English experience, with an abundance of surprises along the way.
Whether looking for literary landscapes or the most delicious sherry trifle, Susan Allen Toth illuminates the nooks and crannies of a multifarious culture, the vibrant real England that every Anglophile dreams of finding. At once entertaining and contemplative, England for All Seasons is as delightful a travel companion as your liveliest, most trusted friend.
237 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Susan Allen Toth
15 books24 followersDr. Toth graduated from Smith College and Berkeley and received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1969. She taught English at San Francisco State College and now teaches at Macalester College in Minnesota. Toth has contributed articles and stories to a wide range of magazines and newspapers. She has written two memoirs—Blooming: A Small Town Girlhood (1981) and Ivy Days: Making My Way Out East (1984). She has also written a series of books on England, including My Love Affair with England (1992), England as You Like It (1995), England for All Seasons (1997), and Victoria, the Heart of England: A Journey of Discovery (1999).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 18, 2021
Travel books always appeal to me, because they allow me to get a perspective of what others see. While many current travelogues seem to be more about finding oneself and promoting one’s blog business, the older books were more concerned with locations and sights to visit. This book falls into the latter category, having been published in 1997. There are no AirBnB promotions or laments about over-tourism, just simple digests of the author’s favourite visits and those outcomes.
…I thought about how often, when we travel, we are given tantalizing glimpses of others’ lives: brief notes, edited from longer stories, condensed endings.
The first section is devoted to England’s Special Pleasures, including English rain and English gardens. The author also writes about visiting bookshops and lugging a suitcase full of books around, as this was before the advent of virtual books. I have to agree with her. There is something very special about ending up in a small English town or village and finding a bookstore in which to spend a rainy afternoon. Or finding an out-of-print book in a London bookstall. Although many of the Charing Cross Road booksellers are no longer around, it’s still an adventure, especially given limited baggage space. One of the best chapters in this section is dedicated to London, or more specifically, “lolloping”. She describes the way her vocabulary changes the longer she is there, as eggplants become aubergines and elevators become lifts. And then there is that distinctive London…odor.
Perhaps London’s secret is an oddly haunting aroma – a faint, blended scent I can’t ever analyze.
Agreed. It’s as though centuries worth of drizzle and dirt have collided with diesel fumes, moistened by more rain. I have never smelled it anywhere else and because of that, I would know it’s London even if I was blindfolded. My heart rejoices when that scent hits me because my body instinctively knows there will tea and scones and embankment walks, ending with exhaustion at a pub, nursing an excellent cider.
There is also an entire section on the various museums, not just in London but throughout England. The Barbara Hepworth Museum in St. Ives is one I would now like to visit thanks to learning about its history from this book. Then Toth spends the next book section on the waterways of England, including the Thames and the Cornish Coast. The subtitle of this book is With Forays To Scotland And Wales and it is in this section that she visits Anglesey in Wales and the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Time to visit both, say I, and I will look for Paul McCartney’s bright red barn on that forbidding isle.
She finishes the book with a hodgepodge of selected places to see, but the Lost Gardens of Heligan interest me the most. Toth also includes some tips on being a savvy shopper plus a word about negotiating time differences. It seems this was written mainly for new visitors to England, including end-of-chapter details for opening hours and addresses of the places described in the book. For its time, it would have been a fairly perfect book to carry while travelling, lightweight and able to fit in one’s knapsack. Nowadays, everyone uses their phones, but signals aren’t always available so a good book is worthy in itself. I enjoyed the read and the little bits of knowledge she imparted along the way.
Now that I know how to react if I see a frothing hedgehog, I complacently think of myself as a tourist with a difference.
Book Season = Year Round (controlled haste)
…I thought about how often, when we travel, we are given tantalizing glimpses of others’ lives: brief notes, edited from longer stories, condensed endings.
The first section is devoted to England’s Special Pleasures, including English rain and English gardens. The author also writes about visiting bookshops and lugging a suitcase full of books around, as this was before the advent of virtual books. I have to agree with her. There is something very special about ending up in a small English town or village and finding a bookstore in which to spend a rainy afternoon. Or finding an out-of-print book in a London bookstall. Although many of the Charing Cross Road booksellers are no longer around, it’s still an adventure, especially given limited baggage space. One of the best chapters in this section is dedicated to London, or more specifically, “lolloping”. She describes the way her vocabulary changes the longer she is there, as eggplants become aubergines and elevators become lifts. And then there is that distinctive London…odor.
Perhaps London’s secret is an oddly haunting aroma – a faint, blended scent I can’t ever analyze.
Agreed. It’s as though centuries worth of drizzle and dirt have collided with diesel fumes, moistened by more rain. I have never smelled it anywhere else and because of that, I would know it’s London even if I was blindfolded. My heart rejoices when that scent hits me because my body instinctively knows there will tea and scones and embankment walks, ending with exhaustion at a pub, nursing an excellent cider.
There is also an entire section on the various museums, not just in London but throughout England. The Barbara Hepworth Museum in St. Ives is one I would now like to visit thanks to learning about its history from this book. Then Toth spends the next book section on the waterways of England, including the Thames and the Cornish Coast. The subtitle of this book is With Forays To Scotland And Wales and it is in this section that she visits Anglesey in Wales and the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Time to visit both, say I, and I will look for Paul McCartney’s bright red barn on that forbidding isle.
She finishes the book with a hodgepodge of selected places to see, but the Lost Gardens of Heligan interest me the most. Toth also includes some tips on being a savvy shopper plus a word about negotiating time differences. It seems this was written mainly for new visitors to England, including end-of-chapter details for opening hours and addresses of the places described in the book. For its time, it would have been a fairly perfect book to carry while travelling, lightweight and able to fit in one’s knapsack. Nowadays, everyone uses their phones, but signals aren’t always available so a good book is worthy in itself. I enjoyed the read and the little bits of knowledge she imparted along the way.
Now that I know how to react if I see a frothing hedgehog, I complacently think of myself as a tourist with a difference.
Book Season = Year Round (controlled haste)
December 16, 2021
A reread. As I was getting ready to go overseas for the first time in the summer of 2003, Toth’s trilogy of memoirs whetted my appetite for travel in Britain. I loved how warmly she invites readers to join her itineraries and shares tips for lesser-known destinations.
This was her third set of England essays, prompted by a question she frequently got from friends and readers: when is the best time to go? Her answer would be to go whenever you can, as often as you can, because rain can be delightful and in the off season you’ll have special places to yourself. I can see that I have this book to thank for the memorable Cornwall vacation I had with my mom and sister in April 2004, midway through my study abroad year: two of the sites she highlights here, St. Ives and the seal sanctuary at Gweek (part of the “Touring England’s Ark” chapter) were among our chosen stops.
Toth is a particular fan of gardens and literary sites, but loves London museums and theatres as much as windswept coastal and island scenery. When in England she lets herself sample multiple desserts from the sweet trolley, fill her suitcase with secondhand books, and pepper her speech with exclamations of “Lovely!” and “Brilliant!” I was relieved to be reminded of her suggested one-hour time limit for any museum – “depart without guilt, as soon as your eyes droop or your feet hurt or your heavy shoulder bag sinks to the floor. When you begin wondering if it is too early for lunch, head for the door.” (I poop out at museums very quickly.) The practical information she includes at the end of each chapter is probably entirely out of date, but her ideas are solid, and a quick web search will update any details.
The final essay, “Travel Time,” perfectly captures the holiday spirit: “Because our travel time is so densely filled, with intense if often quiet experiences, I am always astonished at what has happened—or rather, what has not happened—when we return home. After two weeks of living so vividly, newness in each hour, I feel as if I must have changed in significant ways.”
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
This was her third set of England essays, prompted by a question she frequently got from friends and readers: when is the best time to go? Her answer would be to go whenever you can, as often as you can, because rain can be delightful and in the off season you’ll have special places to yourself. I can see that I have this book to thank for the memorable Cornwall vacation I had with my mom and sister in April 2004, midway through my study abroad year: two of the sites she highlights here, St. Ives and the seal sanctuary at Gweek (part of the “Touring England’s Ark” chapter) were among our chosen stops.
Toth is a particular fan of gardens and literary sites, but loves London museums and theatres as much as windswept coastal and island scenery. When in England she lets herself sample multiple desserts from the sweet trolley, fill her suitcase with secondhand books, and pepper her speech with exclamations of “Lovely!” and “Brilliant!” I was relieved to be reminded of her suggested one-hour time limit for any museum – “depart without guilt, as soon as your eyes droop or your feet hurt or your heavy shoulder bag sinks to the floor. When you begin wondering if it is too early for lunch, head for the door.” (I poop out at museums very quickly.) The practical information she includes at the end of each chapter is probably entirely out of date, but her ideas are solid, and a quick web search will update any details.
The final essay, “Travel Time,” perfectly captures the holiday spirit: “Because our travel time is so densely filled, with intense if often quiet experiences, I am always astonished at what has happened—or rather, what has not happened—when we return home. After two weeks of living so vividly, newness in each hour, I feel as if I must have changed in significant ways.”
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
February 25, 2018
Susan Toth's travel writing is pretty fun to read, as she takes you places you wouldn't normally hear about in England/Scotland/Wales. In this volume, she describes a donkey sanctuary in Devon, the art of garden visiting, the lesser known but pleasantly remote Scottish island of Mull, and England's last-built grand castle, Castle Drogo. Quite enjoyable.
November 14, 2016
I loved this book and am taking notes of the quirky, off-the-beaten path, places they visited. Star deduction for no map-I love maps in books!
February 14, 2020
I enjoyed this book so much!! I am a true anglophile, so love anything about the UK!! This is a book of essays of travels around UK by Ms. Toth and her husband James. Loved reading about new places, places I hope to visit someday and also reading about places I've been and remembering my experience there.
I only wish there had been pictures of some of the places.
This is an older book, so some of the places will have changed or may not even be there any longer, but still love reading about someone's experiences of a place I love.
I only wish there had been pictures of some of the places.
This is an older book, so some of the places will have changed or may not even be there any longer, but still love reading about someone's experiences of a place I love.
August 10, 2020
Since this book was written in 1997, it is a reminder of what pre-internet travel was like: finding clever ways to search out information, writing letters to make reservations, making expensive phone calls, depending on the London A to Z. I've been to most of the places the author has ferreted out, and her travels are pleasant to read about.
Currently reading
November 6, 2024Susan Allen Toth gives me Edgar Allen POE and THOTH vibes and I LOVE THE ARTWORK on the cover I own/have received from BOOKS BY THE FOOT. LOVE THAT BOX SERVICE FOR BOOKS. "England for All Seasons*" *with forays to Scotland and Wales is THE BRITISH FEMALE VERSION OF RICK STEVES an that's all i got to say about THAT. THE BOOK WRITING IS FABULOUSITY I AM LOVING IT SO FAR, i read six pages to chapter 2 and bookmarked FOUR PASSAGES including a list of PLACES TO SKETCH in ENGLAND including England's Special Pleasures...
which include "prehistoric standing stones, medieval castles, haunted country houses, London antique markets, thatched-roof cottages, Beatles landmarks, canal boats, maritime museums, cream tea(m)s, James Herriot's Yorkshire, D-Day launching beaches, and the VAGARIES OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY." THESE ARE IDEAL FOR MAKING A SKETCH LAYOUT OR SINGLE SPREAD OF ALL THINGS THE UK!
THE TOOTH IS i ordered 10 CATALOGS yesterday for HOLIDAY SHOPPING INCLUDING LANDS' END FOR MEN that's NEW TO ME hahahah and THE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS BOOK INCLUDES AT THE VERY END:
"Land's End is Only the Beginning" 235
AND I KNOW THAT IS THOTH SPEAKING TO WHO IS ME.
ETA: A complete list of the CATALOGS I ordered last night BEFORE READING even this table of contents, full disclosure THESE ARE ALL FREEBIES AND YOU CAN ORDER THEM TOO! IN THE USA
Categories followed by Catalogs--
Plants, Seeds:
1. Gurney's Seed & Nursery
2. Breck's of Holland
3. Baker Creek Rare Seeds (164 PAGES OF BEAUTIFUL GARDEN VARIETALS YOU AIN"T NEVER SEEN BEFORE highly re HIGHLY recommend THIS BOOK and COMPANY, i've ordered the seeds and they are GOOD)
Fashion, Personal:
1. Fabulous FURS for WOMEN
2. Title Nine clothing for WOMEN WHO ARE LAWYERS/ATTORNEYS/JUDGERS
3. Chadwicks of BOSTON I KNOW
4. Appleseed's ALSO A WOMENS CLOTHIER
5. Lands' END MEN for MEN
Home, Life, Art:
1. L.L. Bean
2. Lands' End
3. Jerry's Artarama ONLINE 484 PAGES OF GORGEOUS ART SUPPLIES TO DROOL OVER FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTy FOUR PAGES and you can DOWNLOAD IT INSTANTLY ON YOUR IPAD
I already received Amazon TOYS and BLICK ART Supplies Catalogs.
ETA2: I went ahead and ONLINE SHOPPED Donna Salyers the FABULOUS FURS WOMAN. AND I HAVE a FABULOUS pair of MINK MITTENS in PERIWINKLE on the way plus four other FURS. IO KONW . HAPPY HOLIDAYS, make FURS your MISSION this year. The one object we ALL NEED in our WARDROBE. "Donna Salyers Fabulous-Furs is the leading designer of luxury faux fur coats, jackets, vests, throws and pillows. 100% fake fur. Shop now and save." *it's NEVERfake in my opinion, not even the LEATHER can HIDE.
Here's my Complete Order #1:
1 x Spotted Wolf Faux Fur Clip Scarf
1 x Blonde Mink Faux Fur Loop Scarf
1 x Periwinkle Faux Fur Le Mink Convertible Mittens
1 x Pearl Mink Faux Fur Sparkle Eyemask
1 x Siberian Fox Faux Fur Pampered Pet Throw
I am VERY Excited. I already just have TWO Fur Vests, a $100 Heritage Collection Banana Republic and a $350 Ralph Lauren one that's very nice to wear regularly and THIS NEW FUR is also going to be a DAILY USE THING very HERCULEAN EFFORTUS.
which include "prehistoric standing stones, medieval castles, haunted country houses, London antique markets, thatched-roof cottages, Beatles landmarks, canal boats, maritime museums, cream tea(m)s, James Herriot's Yorkshire, D-Day launching beaches, and the VAGARIES OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY." THESE ARE IDEAL FOR MAKING A SKETCH LAYOUT OR SINGLE SPREAD OF ALL THINGS THE UK!
THE TOOTH IS i ordered 10 CATALOGS yesterday for HOLIDAY SHOPPING INCLUDING LANDS' END FOR MEN that's NEW TO ME hahahah and THE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS BOOK INCLUDES AT THE VERY END:
"Land's End is Only the Beginning" 235
AND I KNOW THAT IS THOTH SPEAKING TO WHO IS ME.
ETA: A complete list of the CATALOGS I ordered last night BEFORE READING even this table of contents, full disclosure THESE ARE ALL FREEBIES AND YOU CAN ORDER THEM TOO! IN THE USA
Categories followed by Catalogs--
Plants, Seeds:
1. Gurney's Seed & Nursery
2. Breck's of Holland
3. Baker Creek Rare Seeds (164 PAGES OF BEAUTIFUL GARDEN VARIETALS YOU AIN"T NEVER SEEN BEFORE highly re HIGHLY recommend THIS BOOK and COMPANY, i've ordered the seeds and they are GOOD)
Fashion, Personal:
1. Fabulous FURS for WOMEN
2. Title Nine clothing for WOMEN WHO ARE LAWYERS/ATTORNEYS/JUDGERS
3. Chadwicks of BOSTON I KNOW
4. Appleseed's ALSO A WOMENS CLOTHIER
5. Lands' END MEN for MEN
Home, Life, Art:
1. L.L. Bean
2. Lands' End
3. Jerry's Artarama ONLINE 484 PAGES OF GORGEOUS ART SUPPLIES TO DROOL OVER FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTy FOUR PAGES and you can DOWNLOAD IT INSTANTLY ON YOUR IPAD
I already received Amazon TOYS and BLICK ART Supplies Catalogs.
ETA2: I went ahead and ONLINE SHOPPED Donna Salyers the FABULOUS FURS WOMAN. AND I HAVE a FABULOUS pair of MINK MITTENS in PERIWINKLE on the way plus four other FURS. IO KONW . HAPPY HOLIDAYS, make FURS your MISSION this year. The one object we ALL NEED in our WARDROBE. "Donna Salyers Fabulous-Furs is the leading designer of luxury faux fur coats, jackets, vests, throws and pillows. 100% fake fur. Shop now and save." *it's NEVERfake in my opinion, not even the LEATHER can HIDE.
Here's my Complete Order #1:
1 x Spotted Wolf Faux Fur Clip Scarf
1 x Blonde Mink Faux Fur Loop Scarf
1 x Periwinkle Faux Fur Le Mink Convertible Mittens
1 x Pearl Mink Faux Fur Sparkle Eyemask
1 x Siberian Fox Faux Fur Pampered Pet Throw
I am VERY Excited. I already just have TWO Fur Vests, a $100 Heritage Collection Banana Republic and a $350 Ralph Lauren one that's very nice to wear regularly and THIS NEW FUR is also going to be a DAILY USE THING very HERCULEAN EFFORTUS.
August 22, 2017
This is Toth's third book about England. I've read only this one but it's plain to see that she is completely in love with the place. She and her husband, James, have spent a lot of vacation time there staying in different areas and immersing themselves in their surroundings, exploring and walking until they really know the area they're in.
They stay in apartments or cottages that put them in the center of their chosen destination, searching out local concerts, bookstores, fairs, theaters and restaurants. They visit whatever churches, museums, country houses and ruins may be in the area and they walk the woods, cliffs and beaches until they feel they know the place. The next time they may choose another section of England or maybe Wales or Scotland.
As travel books go, I liked this but it was missing a key part of what makes a travel book so enjoyable for me: there was very little written about their encounters with local people. I like to read what real people's lives are like in other places, how they spend their days, what they work at and do for fun, what they cook for breakfast, how they raise their kids. Toth gives us great descriptions of the various places they stay, but I wanted to rub shoulders with the people too.
She talks a lot about the gardens they visited, it seems to be one of their favourite things, and a lot about the castles and ruins. Some of the museums they toured sound amazing and times they spent on the coast, any coast, made me want to be there with them. All of that was wonderful.
There were one or two sections I found boring where I had to push through a section of details about some museum exhibit till I got to another section that would hold my attention. It wasn't a problem with the writing; it's really quite well written and enjoyable to read. I just wasn't interested in some of the things she was interested in. I came out feeling like I knew England better though, and over all it was a very good read.
They stay in apartments or cottages that put them in the center of their chosen destination, searching out local concerts, bookstores, fairs, theaters and restaurants. They visit whatever churches, museums, country houses and ruins may be in the area and they walk the woods, cliffs and beaches until they feel they know the place. The next time they may choose another section of England or maybe Wales or Scotland.
As travel books go, I liked this but it was missing a key part of what makes a travel book so enjoyable for me: there was very little written about their encounters with local people. I like to read what real people's lives are like in other places, how they spend their days, what they work at and do for fun, what they cook for breakfast, how they raise their kids. Toth gives us great descriptions of the various places they stay, but I wanted to rub shoulders with the people too.
She talks a lot about the gardens they visited, it seems to be one of their favourite things, and a lot about the castles and ruins. Some of the museums they toured sound amazing and times they spent on the coast, any coast, made me want to be there with them. All of that was wonderful.
There were one or two sections I found boring where I had to push through a section of details about some museum exhibit till I got to another section that would hold my attention. It wasn't a problem with the writing; it's really quite well written and enjoyable to read. I just wasn't interested in some of the things she was interested in. I came out feeling like I knew England better though, and over all it was a very good read.
August 10, 2025
Susan Allen Toth welcomes you along her journeys, with her husband, throughout England. Divided into topics such as gardens, historic homes, and theater, Toth relives her experience sweetly and honestly. I particularly like how Toth combines travel writing with novel-like writing, where the places she brings up will have a sense of purpose and setting, like she's introducing a character within the world of her memories. Overall, Toth has great flow of writing, very interesting topics, and a cheerful atmosphere that made this book feel light yet bountiful.
July 17, 2024
Good for planning and “you are there” armchair travel paper with Google maps and street view when discussing broader geographic locations such as Anglesey, Wales; the Isle of Mull; and Cornwall—I especially liked reading of locations associated with Cornish writer Daphne during Maurer. I find the chapters on smaller sites such as museums and animal sanctuaries less interesting, so those I only skimmed.
May 8, 2025
Oh, how I love travel books. I picked this one up specifically because I am headed to England soon, and although upon my reading it is 28 years old, it still gave me tons of suggestions and possibilities I hope to see during my travels.
It is really a series of disparate essays, so as a “travel-from-your-own-home” book it doesn’t have the page turning value of a Bill Bryson, but she still paints beautiful pictures with words.
It is really a series of disparate essays, so as a “travel-from-your-own-home” book it doesn’t have the page turning value of a Bill Bryson, but she still paints beautiful pictures with words.
March 20, 2020
Gave me lots of ideas for a trip i would never have condidered.
October 10, 2010
I can't begin to write just how much I loved this book. Susan Allen Toth has easily ousted Bill Bryson as my favorite travel writer on all things British. Her passion for England is overwhelming- palpable on every page.
I loved how she included all of my favorite things about England, particularly London: the gardens, literary locales, cultural and artistic elements (plays, shows, music, etc., etc.), the museums, traditional English puddings, etc. Though she could have devoted the entire book to London alone, I really enjoyed reading about the many other jewels in England (note to self: must go to Cornwall!).
Most of all, I loved reading about her favorite place in London, because it seems that frequent travelers to the city always have a part of the city that is their own. For Ms. Toth, it is Cloth Fair, a little known part of The City that I needed to use a map to find. For my sister and I, that special place is the High Street Kensington and the area surrounding Kensington Palace. I also loved the way she wrote about England as a lifetime destination, a place that is so rich in cultural, environmental, and artistic wonders that you could spend an entire life visiting it and never truly explore every inch to your satisfaction.
So, what is the best season or best time to visit England? "Now, I want to urge everyone who dreams of going to England, go NOW," Susan Allen Toth.
I loved how she included all of my favorite things about England, particularly London: the gardens, literary locales, cultural and artistic elements (plays, shows, music, etc., etc.), the museums, traditional English puddings, etc. Though she could have devoted the entire book to London alone, I really enjoyed reading about the many other jewels in England (note to self: must go to Cornwall!).
Most of all, I loved reading about her favorite place in London, because it seems that frequent travelers to the city always have a part of the city that is their own. For Ms. Toth, it is Cloth Fair, a little known part of The City that I needed to use a map to find. For my sister and I, that special place is the High Street Kensington and the area surrounding Kensington Palace. I also loved the way she wrote about England as a lifetime destination, a place that is so rich in cultural, environmental, and artistic wonders that you could spend an entire life visiting it and never truly explore every inch to your satisfaction.
So, what is the best season or best time to visit England? "Now, I want to urge everyone who dreams of going to England, go NOW," Susan Allen Toth.
October 10, 2014
"Susan Allen Toth's love affair with England is a long and happy one. Now, with England for All Seasons, she will entice even an experienced London visitor into exciting new adventures, from sharing the most scenic London bus routes to bargain-hunting to out-of-the-way places and personal walking tours of eccentric museums. With whimsy and a trenchant eye, she also traverses the country outside London: the estuaries and rivers of Cornwall, the lonely beaches of Anglesey, and the wild sea-lochs of Mull.
"Whether looking for literary landscapes or the most delicious sherry trifle, Susan Allen Toth illuminates the nooks and crannies of a multifarious culture, the vibrant, real England that every Anglophile dreams of finding. At once entertaining and contemplative, England for All Seasons is as delightful a travel companion as your liveliest, most trusted friend."
~~back cover
I was amazed that I didn't enjoy this book more than I did. It seemed made to order for me -- I like poking about and finding my own way when I travel, so this should have been right up my alley. But I'm not much for museums (I get overload relatively quickly in them), and I'm also not much for plays, or big cities. So while it was interesting to see England through another traveler's eyes, I'm afraid this just wasn't the guide book for me.
"Whether looking for literary landscapes or the most delicious sherry trifle, Susan Allen Toth illuminates the nooks and crannies of a multifarious culture, the vibrant, real England that every Anglophile dreams of finding. At once entertaining and contemplative, England for All Seasons is as delightful a travel companion as your liveliest, most trusted friend."
~~back cover
I was amazed that I didn't enjoy this book more than I did. It seemed made to order for me -- I like poking about and finding my own way when I travel, so this should have been right up my alley. But I'm not much for museums (I get overload relatively quickly in them), and I'm also not much for plays, or big cities. So while it was interesting to see England through another traveler's eyes, I'm afraid this just wasn't the guide book for me.
April 27, 2009
I picked up three of Toth's books in that famous blue bookstore in Notting Hill. They looked reasonably literate and were about, of course, England. Little did I know that the author would turn out to be high-maintenence, tedious, whiny, and obsessed with gardens. Thank God she has a husband to schlep her baggage - she has to bring EVERYTHING with her when she travels - and to drive her around (she's afraid to drive in England). I waded through her personal history, the would-be affair years ago with some nerdy English guy, and wondered how it was this piece of cold leftover toast lucked into a book deal.
I can't remember now how I disposed of her books, whether I actively threw them away or donated them to the Salvation Army. Toth reminds me of that gal who wrote "Under the Tuscan Sun" - such a bright promise of a book and such a miserable letdown because the main character - herself - is such a pill. I understand she is from Iowa - the same as Bill Bryson: how could one state produce one genius and one wet blanket?
I can't remember now how I disposed of her books, whether I actively threw them away or donated them to the Salvation Army. Toth reminds me of that gal who wrote "Under the Tuscan Sun" - such a bright promise of a book and such a miserable letdown because the main character - herself - is such a pill. I understand she is from Iowa - the same as Bill Bryson: how could one state produce one genius and one wet blanket?
August 5, 2016
Toth has traveled all over Great Britain over a number of years and visited touristy and remote places. She talks about her love for gardens, her interest in theater, and introduces the reader to places like Mull and Angelsey and the thimble museum.
I wanted to love this book. I expected to love this book. I am an absolute Anglophile, and though I could tell that Toth loves England I didn't really sense passion. I'm sure it was there, but it just wasn't coming through. Maybe it was just her writing style that didn't appeal to me. I just found I had to force myself to read it. Just wasn't engaging.
That said, I did take note of several books she recommended and add Mull and Angelsey to the list of vacation spots to consider so it wasn't a total loss. It had a lot of information that could be helpful to potential travelers and places she mentions may bring a smile to those who've already been.
I wanted to love this book. I expected to love this book. I am an absolute Anglophile, and though I could tell that Toth loves England I didn't really sense passion. I'm sure it was there, but it just wasn't coming through. Maybe it was just her writing style that didn't appeal to me. I just found I had to force myself to read it. Just wasn't engaging.
That said, I did take note of several books she recommended and add Mull and Angelsey to the list of vacation spots to consider so it wasn't a total loss. It had a lot of information that could be helpful to potential travelers and places she mentions may bring a smile to those who've already been.
July 19, 2014
I would have to say I’ve been very long at this book. In some ways I took it slow to savor it and in some ways I was distracted along the way. I would say I enjoyed Toth’s first two books a bit more but I’m not certain why. Not that this book didn’t have some very enchanting passages, but it seems as though with the first books she involved herself and spoke of the people she met along the way. And I guess, at times, I find Britons more alluring than Britain. In this book as before she reveals her preference for London and the Devon/Cornwall area, to which I’m partial as well. I enjoyed her ‘Lolloping Around London’ and how she, like me, occasionally drops Brit English in her everyday speech, her praise of English theatre, her look at literary landscapes and most especially her ‘Unexpected Romance of Anglesey’.
August 15, 2014
A bit dated as an England/mainly London guidebook, but Toth has a wonderful approach to travel with lots of walking, gardens, and knowing when to pop into a museum if only for some tea and the restroom. She charts out her theatre/plays before leaving home, and loves local travel on the buses when she just needs better orientation. Wear sturdy stuff and carry an umbrella. And she recommends always keeping the "London A-Z" maps in your pocket (now an app).
April 10, 2013
Her book My Love Affair With England has been one of my favorite travel memoirs. I was so excited to see that she had written more, but I just couldn't get into this one. Too much the same, maybe? Definitely too heavy on the gardens. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood.
February 8, 2025
An excellent source of gardens, stately homes, and obscure places to visit all over the British Isles. The difficult part will be to find someone to travel with who is interested in gardens, stately homes, and obscure places for when the pandemic dies off.
January 5, 2008
Someday I'd like to be able to use this book as a guidebook rather than just a daydream!
March 27, 2009
I skimmed through these travel essays about England. They're well-written, but are better suited for a first-time visitor.
June 25, 2009
Outside London, this book traverses the country, including trips into Wales and Scotland.
January 25, 2011
This book would inspire anyone about a trip to England.
Currently reading
August 23, 2012Really fun armchair travel - great book to read and relax at night. I enjoyed hearing about the three types of gardens: geometric (Italianate), pastoral, and cottage.
February 12, 2013
Very interesting book -
April 21, 2013
All 3 of Susan's books were good reads. Her focus on hikes, gardens & off the beaten track explorations are refreshing.
July 30, 2013
The book was interesting but, unless I could get in a car and go to these out of the way places....I am left feeling empty of the experiences.
January 3, 2014
More guidebook than travel tale.
March 4, 2015
All three of this author's books on England are thoroughly lovely reads that make you want to head to the UK asap.
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