Travel in all its forms: Ursula LeGuin鈥檚 engrossing tales in The Birthday of the World (Gollancz, 拢9.99) challenge you to think about what it is to be human in the face of war or profound change. Plainly and beautifully told, her science fiction stories have a powerful spareness. Back on Earth, Vanessa Collingridge explores the life and labours of James Cook in Captain Cook, and suggests he was not the first European to reach Australia (Ebury Press, 拢7.99). This is a bit of a ramble to get through, but she has a nice line on Joseph Banks: ignorant of everything but botany, he could not find a tutor at Oxford, so off he went to Cambridge and brought one back. Money has its uses.
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