Assouline's Travel Series is a collection of coffee table books that take you to some of the world's most captivating places through photography and storytelling. Here is a guide to the destination titles, the Wine & Travel spin-off, and some practical ways to style the books at home.
About the Travel Series
Established in 1994, Assouline pioneered the luxury travel coffee table book. The Travel Series has grown to more than 70 titles, each dedicated to a single destination – from the beaches of Tulum to the streets of Tokyo. Recent additions include Palm Springs, with its mid-century architecture, and African Adventures: The Greatest Safari on Earth.
Part of the appeal is the object itself. The books have colourful, textured hardcovers that reflect the spirit of each place, and inside you will find a mix of vintage and contemporary photographs. They are as much a decorative piece as a read.
Destinations to start with
Italy
Amalfi Coast covers the line of thirteen towns tucked among lemon blossom and bougainvillea, reached by the narrow Strada Statale 163. Lake Como Idyll visits towns along the shore, including Bellagio, where the lake's two arms meet. Tuscany Marvel explores a region that has cultivated art and architecture from Etruscan and Roman times through the Renaissance, while Sicily Honor looks at the island's history, passion and cultural diversity.
The Mediterranean and beyond
Greek Islands travels the Aegean, from Patmos to Hydra. St. Tropez Soleil tells the story of the French Riviera town, and Marrakech Flair captures zellige tilework and the spice-filled souks. For a lighter mood, Ibiza Bohemia celebrates the island's hippie-chic atmosphere.
A slightly different take is James Bond Destinations, which follows 007 from his big-screen debut in Dr. No in 1962 to over a hundred real-life locations.
Wine & Travel
Assouline has also added a Wine & Travel series, written by sommelier Enrico Bernardo. These illustrated guides combine local wine knowledge with personal anecdotes. Wine & Travel Italy explores a winemaking tradition built on thousands of small terroirs and vineyards, and Wine & Travel France looks at the country's remarkable variety of landscapes and soils. Either makes a thoughtful gift for a wine lover.
How to style coffee table books
Because the covers are so colourful, these books do a lot of decorating work. A few ideas:
- Stack in twos or threes. Lay books flat with the largest at the bottom, then top the stack with a small object – a candle, a bowl or a sculptural piece – to add height.
- Group by colour. Put warm-toned covers together and cool blues together. A run of sea-coloured spines reads as one calm block on a shelf.
- Group by story. Keep the Italian titles together, or pair a destination with its Wine & Travel volume, so guests naturally pick them up.
- Mix horizontal and vertical. On shelves, alternate a standing row with a flat stack to break up long lines.
- Rotate with the seasons. Bring sunny coastal titles out in summer and swap in richer covers when the evenings draw in.
- Leave space. One good stack on a coffee table looks deliberate; covering every surface looks cluttered.
Choosing a book as a gift
The easiest way to choose is to match a place to a memory: the honeymoon island, the town where a friend got married, the region someone has always wanted to visit. For anyone who loves food as much as travel, The Missoni Family Cookbook is another colourful option from Assouline.
Browse the full range in our Assouline collection, or get in touch with the team at our Somerset shop if you would like help choosing a title.
