Island Publications
Please note that the publications list is not complete and the publications listed do not form any sort of recommendation.
Maps
Isle of Wight AZ Visitors' Map. Geogrphers'A-Z Map Company. ISBN 0-85039-981-5
Probably the best map for a casual visit. If you intend to do detailed walks then the OS is better but the AZ gives the whole
Island on one side, plus town maps, etc.
Ordnance Survey Explorer OL29 Isle of Wight. Ordanance Survey. ISBN 0-319-23464-9
Ex Outdoor Leisure map 29. Detailed and revised so as to include places of interest. If you want to explore aq little more
of the Island and especially if planning long walks or bike rides, this is the one.
Local Red Book. Isle of Wight Towns. Estate Publications. ISBN 1-84192-277-3
Not a complete Island guide but as the title states, the towns. A clear description of the towns and the best if you intend to
visit people on the Island.
General information about the Island
Isle of Wight - The Complete guide by Roy Brinton 2006. Dovecote Press - ISBN 1-904349-42-0
A good reading guide to most of the towns and different areas of the Island. Includes some history and a few pictures.
Isle of Wight - Bedside Book, selected by Johanna Jones. Dovecote Press - ISBN 1-904349-36-6
Short stories, stories about places, poems and prose based on the Island. As the title suggests a pick up and read for for a short time.
The Isle of Wight Beach Guide by Rupert Besley. Dovecote Press - ISBN 1-874336-01-6
A very useful pocket sized guide if visiting the Island for it's coastline or with children. It is a simple to use guide and gives detailed
useful information on facilities available, etc. Not fancy it does the job. Black and White drawings and icons.
Martin Simpson's Absolutely Essential Guide to the Isle of Wight. John Dollin Printing Services Ltd. No ISBN
I am not sure that you will be able to get this one until you are on the Island. It does cover most of the things that you need to know.
Small pocket sized and with basic details but covering most areas, beaches, history and sights.
A Geographer's Look at the Isle of Wight. Cross Publishing. ISBN 1-873295-06-5
Probably out of print and for those that like facts this is a good little book. Essential reading for the know it all.
Walks on the Island ( With over 500 miles of footpaths there are shelves of books on the subject.)
A walker's guide to The Isle of Wight by Martin Collins and Norman Birch. Cicerone Press. ISBN 1-852842-21-0
A pocket sized descriptive book with line drawn maps. It has over 32 walks covering most levels of difficulty but you will need
the OS map as well.
Traveller's Joy- Living and Walking on the Isle of Wight by Ron and Pat Winter. The Manor Design and Printing Partnership.
ISBN 1-870374-150
Larger than a pocket book this is more for planning than practical use. Nice pictures and drawn maps but you will need the OS.
Walking Isle of Wight History by Adrian Searle. Dovecote Press ISBN 1-904349-31-5
Follows the Dovecote format of text rather than pretty pictures it is very good at guiding you around some of the more interesting
places on the Island. 2-12 mile walks so something for everybody.
Jarrold Short Walks number 27. Isle of Wight. Jarrold Publishing. ISBN 0-7117-3007-5
Pocket sized with liquid resistant paper. Clean modern layout and OS extracts, so all you need.
Pub and Paths- A selection of pub walks on the Isle of Wight. Compiled by Linda Goodwin and ian Williams. Offcliffe Publications.
One of many publications that seem to take this theme. Wonder why. Drawings and drawn maps with brief but informative descriptions.
The Rambler's Association. 12 Favourite Walks, 12 Walks from Towns and 12 more Favourite Walks.
Obtained locally they are pocket sized book with basic but complete information.
Picture books of the Island
The Isle of Wight - A portrait in colour by Don French. Dovecote Press - ISBN 0-946159-89-0
Slightly dated book with general rather than artistic pictures around the Island. It has the advantage of text for each.
Isle of Wight Revisited by Colin Fairweather and Alan Stroud. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-642-6
A book of pictures taken from old glass plates, some over 100 years old. An interesting photographic history.
An artist in residence. Watercolour paintings of the Isle of Wight by Muriel Owen. Isle of Wight County Press.
ISBN 1-87094295-9
As the title suggests, a nice simple book making a good present.
History books of the Island
The Isle of Wight - An illustrated history by Jack and Johanna Jones. Dovecote Press - ISBN 0-946159-44-0
A companion book to the Complete Guide this is again more of a reading book but not heavy and gives a very complete history.
Images of the Isle of Wight by Donald A. Parr. Breedon Books ISBN 1-859883-044-7
A little dated (1996) but compares pictures of the past with those of today. Mix of Black and White and colour pictures.
Diamond Coast by Ian Williams. Dovecote Press - ISBN 1-904349-15-3
A history of the Island's coast, its geology and interesting stories.