Unique and nostalgic, this record explores the particularities of the Shell Guides and examines them in a cultural context. From their inception in the 1930s as UK county guides through their development in the 1970s as international travel guides, the Shell Guides moved away from an often elitist and ironic style to a more Modernist and serious approach. Including detailed accounts of post-World War II editors John Betjeman's and John Piper's writing, editing, and photography methods, this book will appeal to those interested in popular literature, design, and cultural history.