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|  | | The Honest Tribe: Travels in Finland
A fascinating journey around one of the Nordic region's least known countries.
At an age when many of his peers might be considering a cardigan and slippers lifestyle, Max Boyle departs his native Huddersfield for a backpacking journey in the southern regions of Finland. There he takes in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, as well as many smaller towns and villages. Inspired by his own Finno-Ugric roots, he seeks out aspects of Finnish history and culture, enjoys boat trips in Finnish Lakeland and a not-so-daring funfair ride, discovers something of Finland's celebrated heavy-metal scene, indulges in a traditional sauna and, not least, samples a variety | |  | | The Indrawn Heart: An Estonian Journey
Max Boyle was born of an Estonian mother and Scottish father in Yorkshire in 1958. He has taught English in the Baltic and Central Europe and now teaches in his hometown of Huddersfield.
Is Estonia home to the most introspective nation in Europe? The stereotypes of Estonians might suggest so, depicting a reticent and uneffusive people for whom, according to their own proverb, 'speaking is silver, silence is gold'. Early one summer, Max Boyle departs his native West Yorkshire and travels the country, of which little beyond the capital, Tallinn, and a Eurovision Song Contest win in 2001 is known in Britain. He takes with him a copy of 'You Are So Little, Little', a poem by tragic nineteenth-century writer Juhan Liiv which speaks of Estonia and its 'indrawn hea | |  | | Touching Velvet: A Year in the Czech Republic
The book chronicles my year spent living and working in the South Bohemian town of Tabor in 1999/2000.
TOUCHING VELVET HAS NOW (AUGUST 2012) BEEN REISSUED WITH CREATESPACE.COM.
Touching Velvet came about due to my dissatisfaction with life in the UK and my decision to take up English teaching and live abroad. The book is 'subjective', ie it recounts my own experiences of living in South Bohemia, a region I was already familiar with, having visited Tabor numerous times during the 1990s. There are, however, references to Czech history where appropriate. I was inspired to write the book by reading Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, and in length, format, and use of humour, Touching Velvet bears some similarities to this illustrious work.
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