a fun accessible and light book looking at various maps, my only wish is that it was longer. it makes you consider things you'd never thought of before

Utterly British Maps is a quirky, charming little book full of eccentric and funny maps of Britain. From odd place names to seaside piers and giant roundabouts, it’s full of trivia that’s more amusing than practical — and that’s the point.

Witty, light, and very British, it’s perfect to dip into or leave on the coffee table. A fun, offbeat read for anyone who enjoys the country’s peculiar character.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

A reasonable browse for the smallest room, but not much more. You may well have seen maps on social media that have some kind of meme-worthy clout (in Britain ones that pin every pub or Greggs and turn the place bright red but for a couple of patches of bogland here and there are perhaps the most telling) – and this aims to do a blend of that and actual social, historical, geographical detail. Notable National Trust properties, the extent of the coast's lighthouse coverage, a subjective spread of oddball place- and road-names – all this kind of stuff is here, along with a small smattering of original research, such as into the pronunciation of scone, and the cream/jam order on them (both of which I do correctly, of course, btw).

You get a touch of talk from the author and mostly a one-page image for each map of the UK (the Isle of Man will hate this, as it doesn't count at all…). There are exceptions to the rule which further advertise the spread of topics here – the close-ups on the notably bonkers motorway interchanges, the zoom out to have the whole shipping forecast area, and the look at all the Eurovision countries and how routinely they give Britain nul points.

One global chart shows us the flight paths to towns, cities and areas where British twinning associations have made connections – and who knew some brave souls linked with Mauritius?! Perhaps not even the Mauritians. So there definitely is some nicely quotable trivia here, but this is perhaps too trivial – the light, flippant touch is fine in the writing, but the book's ideas could have had a touch more depth and national commentary than it does. It's all a bit gift-booky – three and a bit stars, perhaps.

Utterly British Maps is the perfect coffee table book—a delightful collection of fun, interesting, and informative maps showcasing the quirks and charm of the UK. Each page invites you to explore Britain in new and unexpected ways, making it as entertaining as it is enlightening. A wonderful gift for anyone who loves maps, trivia, or British culture.

A great little book, with maps detailing a whole range of fascinating facts about the UK. Although they seem to be an odd mix – where types of birds are most often found, funny street names around the country, the places the shipping forecast names actually cover, which places still enjoy morris dancing – it all comes together to give an interesting overview of the country. The ideal book to dip in and out of and, especially since it’s produced to the usual high National Trust standard, this would also make a wonderful gift.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Perfect coffee table book, full page pictures showing the interesting parts of the UK, all with easily digestible facts using massive amounts of data.

I will be looking to get copies of this for Christmas presents, as it truly has something for everyone!

Utterly British Maps is full of interesting and informative facts and trivia - good to dip into and would make a nice gift.

I liked this book a lot - quirky and entertaining maps covering a wide variety of topics.

But - I was disappointed by the map for "bread roll or bun", where in the accompanying text it mentions "barmcake" but this wasn't one of the options for the map. As a Mancunian I think this is a shame! And it made me doubt some of the other options for the maps ie. if people can only chose A / B or C how do we not know if D might be more popular if it could be chosen?

There were also a couple of maps where a white colour designated an answer / or low percentage, but the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man were white as well, and it wasn't clear if this was the result or if they weren't included in the data...

From fossils to light pollution, from oldest pubs to villages with "bottom" in their name. This is an utterly delightful collection of fun, interesting, and informative maps of the UK. Immensely readable either to devour in one sitting or to pick up and flick through every so often. Perfect to keep lying around in the living room for guests to have a glance through. A great conversation starter too with so many topics broached within the confines of this one book.

This was such a fun informative to British landmarks and staples. I highly enjoyed reading it looking at the various information and recommendations. Very helpful guide