European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Christmas ideas my something Here for every bookworm on your Christmas list Charing Cross Road has everything including Large nationwide chains such As Dillons. For 88.3 a Tow hut Ron Moore or. By James Hudson Moore or. With Christmas fast approaching you can almost feel Santa s Reindeer breathing Down your neck the plethora of Holiday bazaars Christmas markets and a store specials on base arid in town Are All beginning to shout their special Christmas wares at you. It can get very maddening and deafening. But one of the quietest places in the world to shop for Christmas presents is at a Bookstore. At a Bookstore after All the whole world and even the universe b offered under one roof. / v-.-. And in London you la find the Book capital of the world. London has what Many regard As the finest travel Bookstore in the world in Stanford s 12-14 Long acre. A close second is the traveller s bookshop no More than 30 minutes away by foot for motor Heads motor books is the place to browse through the world of automobiles and the automotive Industry. The sport pages is one of the Best shops of its kind in All of Europe with a Good selection of such american pastimes As baseball basketball and football. Murder one is considered the shop in London for mysteries forbidden planet 71 new Oxford so is the first Stop for science fiction fantasy and horror aficionados porting wide Riley children s books offers fantastic learning Boob and posters for children French s theatre bookshop 52 Fitzroy St purports to carry every theatrical script in print in the English language Book for Cooks 4 Blenheim Crescent is the no. 1 destination for chefs and Cooks and for ecology shop around in the London ecology Centre 21 endell St. For history and military Bufis especially . Military go no further than the military history Bookstore 2 the Bro Osvay Friem Barnet Road. If you re interested in regional ethnic studies London has a vast selection of shops to visit including the Africa Book Centre 36 King Sta Hoda publisher distributor Middle Eastern and islamic studies asian bookshop 112 Whitfield St australian bookshop 10 Worum Wal books from India . Ltd. 45 museum St collets european Book Centre the French bookshop 28 Bute St South Kensington Grant & Cutler 55-57 Marlborough St grassroots storefront 71 Goldblume Road the hebrew Book and gift Centre 18 Cazenovia Road the italian bookshop 24 Rutland Gate and new Beacon 76 Stroud Green Road. For used and secondhand books try Koob books Ltd. At 15 sicilian ave. In the pedestrian Arcade Southampton Koob two at 17 sicilian ave., Southampton Road or vortex books at 139-141 Church St and even More convenient most of these bookstores Are located in a couple of compact areas of London. Most Are within a pleasant stroll of each other or within a few minutes by London s underground. Take out a map of London and see for yourself. Charing Cross Road is known As the Bookstore  for 8&s a Tenn Hudson mop or. Those with wanderlust Are sure to appreciate the traveller s bookshop in London. Less than two Miles in length you can find More than 40 bookstores on or just off this Road. It runs along the Eastern end of Soho Between Oxford Street s Tottenham court. Road tube Stop and Leicester Square Stop. Charing Cross Road has everything from Large nationwide chains such As books Etc Dillons Foyles and Waterstone s booksellers. These Mega bookstores have several floors or Levels and tens of thousands of new titles no secondhand books under their roofs. You la also find Small mom and pop shops that smell of dust and age. Other bookshops Here include those dealing with out of print rare books and maps and etchings stores dealing exclusively with mysteries science fiction feminist comics travel sports military automobiles and trains. In one highly concentrated Section about 150 Yards Long of Charing Cross Road you can browse through 12 bookstores . Smith Ltd., Charing Cross station Forecourt the strand general the Book in 17 general any amount of books 62-56 general Silver Moon women s bookshop 68 women a feminist Shipley booksellers 70 general murder one 71-73 self explanatory swimmer s Oxford University press 72 general University books Al Hoda 76-78 Middle East and islamic studies the sports pages 94-96 sports Best in London probably in Britain Foyle w. & g. Ltd 113-119 general huge selection books etc., Ltd., 120 122 general also a huge selection Waters tons booksellers 121 -125 yet another huge store with a general selection collets european Book Centre 129 131 european tides. Cecil court and St Martin s court Are Small cozy pedestrian lanes that intersect Charing Cross and these also have a wide selection of smaller special interest bookstores such As the traveller s bookshop at 25 Cecil court. Rare secondhand and maps Are available at shops such As pleasures of past times 11 Cecil court and Alan Brett Ltd. The . Hartley shop 24 Cecil court Watkins Boob at 19-21 Cecil court offers self help nutrition acupuncture health and More. On 33-34-36 St. Martins court you la find among others the motor books. In the nearby covent Garden area several bookstores Deal with new age esoteric and astrology subjects not to mention a first rate comic shop. Neil Street is the main drag for books Here. While browsing in the astrology shop 78 Neil St., you can have your Horoscope printed out if you know the hour of your birth for about 15 pounds about $35 in five minutes. Around the Corner on 9-11 Monmouth is mysteries new age Centre where you can get your Palm read for 15 pounds. If either of these fortunes turn out badly there is conveniently the comic shop just next door to the astrology shop. Two Nice bookstores should be visited while you re in covent Garden s Piazza. The Penguin bookshop at 10 the Market is the perfect place for finding any Penguin title. Also in the Piazza is the Puffin bookshop dealing mostly with children s books. This has a special room in the basement devoted to Beatrix Potter s animal characters. Not faraway doring Kindersley an excellent children s publishing House has a display shop that is also an outlet at 10-13 Keg Streeting covent Garden. Do books Are fascinating treasures of knowledge for the Little ones that make Reading to your children a Joy. The majority of these bookstores and others located in London offer mail order services and some offer Book searching services As Well. You can even get in touch with companies that Are exclusively Book searchers. In the majority of these bookstores feel free to spend a few hours Reading and browsing through the books themselves before you buy. In fact you can spend an entire quiet afternoon going through Many books sitting in cozy chairs or comfortable couches. Several of the larger stores even offer Small Coffee bars serving a variety of coffees and teas and sometimes even cakes and scones. Christmas has never been quieter or More relaxing. For More information about bookstores in London Contact the British travel Centre 12 lower Regent St., sw1 London England. James Hudson Moor or. La a free Janca writer living in Wiesbaden Germany. November 17, 1994 stripes Magazine 11