The Conley & Silvers Holiday Gift Guide

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Happy Holidays! We came across some delightful travel-themed items and would like to share them with you as you may be embarking on holiday shopping.

Books

We are opening a C&S Bookstore with literary treasures that reflect on our tours. We have partnered with the platform “Bookshop” that supports independent booksellers, and they have raised over $8 million for local bookstores so far. Some books are not offered via Bookshop, but we still wanted to note them in the suggested reading list below. You may have to look on Amazon, buy directly from the author, or track them down second hand - happy hunting!

Authored by C&S Team Members:

Featured
The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit--Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness
The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit--Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness

by Craig Wright, PhD

Purchase at Bookshop

Looking at the 14 key traits of genius, from curiosity to creative maladjustment to obsession, Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University's popular "Genius Course," explores what we can learn from brilliant minds that have changed the world.

Einstein. Beethoven. Picasso. Jobs. The word genius evokes these iconic figures, whose cultural contributions have irreversibly shaped society.

Yet Beethoven could not multiply. Picasso couldn't pass a 4th grade math test. And Jobs left high school with a 2.65 GPA. What does this say about our metrics for measuring success and achievement today? Why do we teach children to behave and play by the rules, when the transformative geniuses of Western culture have done just the opposite? And what is genius, really?

Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World
Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

by Adam Tooze

Purchase at Bookshop

We live in a world where dramatic shifts in the domestic and global economy command the headlines, from rollbacks in US banking regulations to tariffs that may ignite international trade wars. But current events have deep roots, and the key to navigating today's roiling policies lies in the events that started it all--the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath. Despite initial attempts to downplay the crisis as a local incident, what happened on Wall Street beginning in 2008 was, in fact, a dramatic caesura of global significance that spiraled around the world, from the financial markets of the UK and Europe to the factories and dockyards of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, forcing a rearrangement of global governance. With a historian's eye for detail, connection, and consequence, Adam Tooze brings the story right up to today's negotiations, actions, and threats--a much-needed perspective on a global catastrophe and its long-term consequences.

Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies
Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies

by Ross King

Purchase at Bookshop

Monet’s iconic large-scale images of his water lily pond in Giverny convey peace and tranquility. The process by which Monet created was, however, anything but peaceful or tranquil. He began these massive canvases in 1914, at a time of personal turmoil and sadness. Then in his mid-seventies, he was one of the world’s most famous and successful painters. However, he had virtually given up painting following the deaths of both his wife and his eldest son, as well as a diagnosis of cataracts that left him fearing for his sight. Nonetheless, it was during this period of sorrow, ill health and creative uncertainty that - as the guns roared on the Western Front - he began the most demanding and innovative paintings he had ever attempted: paintings that he described as his “war work.” This illustrated talk examines the personal and aesthetic motivations behind Monet’s immense canvases and their legacy in twentieth-century art.

National Geographic: The British World: An Illustrated Atlas
National Geographic: The British World: An Illustrated Atlas

by Tim Jepson

Purchase at Bookshop

Tim Jepson is a London-based British writer, traveler, and broadcaster, as well as a cultural expert for National Geographic Expeditions. After graduating from Oxford University, Jepson lived and worked in Italy, where he worked as a mountain guide and wrote for a variety of British newspapers. He has since written more than 20 books on a wide range of subjects, including several titles for National Geographic, as well as numerous articles for other publications worldwide. He worked for several years as a travel editor for London's Daily Telegraph. Jepson continues to travel extensively, and in his spare time is a keen hiker and semiprofessional musician.

The Season: A Summer Whirl Through the English Social Season
The Season: A Summer Whirl Through the English Social Season

by Sophie Campbell

Far away and long ago, in the days when there were social events, Sophie found herself researching what she thought was a boring newspaper story on the English social season. It didn’t take long for her to get hooked: what seemed like a traditional run of summer events turned out to be an extraordinary window into English history, with class, sport, scandals and betting thrown in. She hung out with the Irish Travellers at the Derby and swam down the regatta course at Henley-upon-Thames. The result was her 2013 book The Season: A Summer Whirl Through the English Social Season.

Anyone interested in a copy can contact Sophie direct and she will mail one from London: paperback US$10, hardback US$15, standard shipping US$8, tracked US$15.

Nisa: A Woman, Her War
Nisa: A Woman, Her War

by Ettore Farrattini Pojani 

Based on real events from the Second World War, Nisa – A Woman, Her War – tells the story of a wife and mother during the war. The events are narrated in a fictional way but are based on two journals Nisa left behind and that were found only after her death. Filled with first person experiences and real historical events, the novel tells the story of a determined strong woman as she battles a male-led society and the restrictions she was forced to face because of it. With an accurate – though not overwhelming – historical reconstruction of the events, Nisa’s story lives again with great sensitivity, and offers an exciting crescendo towards the end of the war and the liberation from such proving years. Set in Rome and in the Umbrian town of Amelia, the novel offers images of the daily life of a woman, wife and mother of two, whose commitment to provide for her family went far and beyond. The novel intends to shine a different light on a time in history usually seen exclusively under a male-centric and militaristic point of view.

How to Purchase: Ettore is organizing a shipment to the US, and if you would like a copy please let us know before November 25th by emailing dana@conleyandsilvers.com and we can add you to his shipping list. Copies are $25, shipping inclusive.

Further Reading & Recommendations:

(Note, some of suggestions are affiliate links, and C&S may receive a small commission when you shop there.)

Treats

Re-live Hidden London with some deluxe treats from Fortnum & Mason! Plus a Williams & Sonoma French cheese & paté hamper that will pair well with our upcoming wine tasting with Dominique & Lionel Michelin.

Featured
Fortnum & Mason Famous Tea Bag Assortment, Set of 60
Fortnum & Mason Famous Tea Bag Assortment, Set of 60

Suppliers of the royal houses for over 300 years—an achievement honored by numerous Royal Warrants of Appointment—Fortnum & Mason is a destination for fine teas from faraway lands, and is the center of excellence, knowledge and passion for the golden brew that defines a nation. This tea bag assortment includes six of Fortnum & Mason's most popular teas: Royal Blend, Breakfast Blend, Afternoon Blend, Queen Anne Blend, Earl Grey Classic and Smoky Earl Grey, all neatly arranged in a gift box.

Includes 60 tea bags, 10 of each variety

Buy at Williams Sonoma

Fortnum & Mason Superb Hamper
Fortnum & Mason Superb Hamper

Originally created in the 1730s for well-heeled customers journeying to their country estates, Fortnum & Mason's signature hampers are hailed as "the world's best-travelled tuck boxes" – dispatched to every possible location, from the slopes of Everest to the lawns of Twickenham. They're now available here in the States, exclusively at Williams Sonoma. Fortnum & Mason's wicker hamper offers an assortment of Piccadilly favorites, with preserves and teas, biscuits and truffles to bring a royal taste of England to breakfast, teatime or whenever a sweet tooth strikes.

Buy at Williams Sonoma


Superb Hamper includes :

Raspberry Preserve
Sir Nigel's Marmalade
Royal Blend Tea
Assam Superb Tea
Piccadilly Stem Ginger Biscuits
Traditional Shortbread Fingers
Salisbury Honey
Champagne Truffles

Williams Sonoma French Cheese & Savory Hamper
Williams Sonoma French Cheese & Savory Hamper

Our hamper is filled with fine French cheese and savory pork paté, along with crisp crackers and sweet, floral honey. From buttery, creamy and soft to firm, nutty and sweet, the cheese varieties create a scrumptious platter.

Buy at Williams Sonoma


French Cheese & Savory Hamper includes (see More Info tab for item details):

8 oz. Comté cheese
8 oz. Fourme D'Ambert cheese
8 oz. Brillat-Savarin cheese
8 oz. Ossau Iraty cheese
5 oz. Honey
5 oz. Country Pork Pâté
2.6 oz. Thin Crackers