Books for Sale.

Now we have moved  the naturist shop web pages onto this site we are temporarily unable to do online credit card processing - we hope to fix this soon (the BUY BOOKS pages are under test still) - but meanwhile details of all our books are given here and we can take your credit card orders over the phone or receive cheques by mail.

We are not a high pressure sales outfit and I'm not very good at blowing my own trumpet - and sometimes I get ratty! The books I write are without a doubt the best available guides to help you get more fun and pleasure out of naturism - I know because dozens and dozen of naturists keep telling me. 

I get a bit miffed sometimes if Sue and I get "nobbled" at some naturist event - we want to enjoy it and have some fun whilst some guy or gal wants to "pick my brains" about some naturist place at home or abroad. My mind sometimes goes blank but usually I end up answering questions for ages - trying to be civil when really I'd rather be bubbling in a jacuzzi or riding the surf in a wave pool. For goodness sake - every place imaginable is described fully in my books along with more info than any one person could ever need - they cost a pittance and are an invaluable guide to discovering naturism when away from home.

I know quite a few naturists who regularly pick up last minute holidays and they ring up and ask me if there are any naturist places close to some hotel where there is a cheap holiday on offer. I try to ask them why they don't buy my guide to Spain or France and keep it handy so that as soon as they see a holiday on offer they can check it out and find what it is like for naturist facilities. But a lot of them - although they can afford to go on holiday several times a year - seem to think I  will patiently sit here giving them my advice for free - which I wouldn't mind doing if all the info was "in my head". But my books have so much info in them that I cannot possibly remember every beach or b&b!

I also get fed up with people who phone and "scrounge info" - they usually say they really really intended to buy the book a while ago but they are flying tomorrow and can I just give them a teeny teeny little bit of advice on the naturist scene out there - they must take me for an idiot. And I must be because too often I help! What really gets my goat - it isn't the fact that some folk are too mean to pay - but I spend hours carefully researching every place and then carefully picking my words to describe it fully and accurately - I really cannot explain in a few minutes on the phone something that I took ages and ages to carefully write and which is now  pages and pages of info in the book.

Anyway - that's got my grumbles out of my system for today - most folk tell me they enjoy the cheerful, chatty, accurate and compehensive style of my guides ........ one of the drawbacks of working in an office at home is there are no work mates to sound off with - so thanks for letting me let rip! (And if your'e one of the scroungers - consider yourself berated.)

There are of course a few other guides available! And I would be failing in my wish to give you all the gen if I didn't mention them.

Some guides came and went and never took off . Just looking at Britain - there was Perran Shore's "Little Guide to Nude Beaches". There have been guides from Suzanne Piper and Susan Mayfield. There was a CCBN Handbook. And numerous mini-guides or handy guides from Health & Efficiency. None of these guides are still on sale and even if they were none of them is a patch on a C&C guide. But then you'd expect me to say that.

Phil Vallack's Free Sun guides haven't been on sale since 1992 - we took over and helped the grand old man retire but by now his (guide) books are totally out of date. (His "story" books are still relevant though.)

When it comes to guides for countries other than Britain there is more choice.

There has always been the INF World Naturist Guide which covers every country in the world. The trouble is that the details it gives are patchy and very often wrong. Since these guys are supposed to be the official interntional naturist outfit it is embarassing how much they get wrong! For several years I liaised with their Editor - Geert Bovenhuis - but for some barmy reason the INF got rid of Geert and the book is now produced almost "by comittee". For those involved with "naturist politics" (yawn yawn) it gives a good overview of the  INF International Naturist Federation system - these are the folk who want you to buy their ID cards but folk on holiday want less regimentation not more. Although I keep an INF guide handy (they come out every two years) so that I can contact foreign organisations I don't recommend it at all for Spain, Portugal or France (C&C Guides are much better.) If you're going to Australia or the USA or Germany then it would be better to get a guide book from the the "national body" organisations in the country you're headed for. The INF World Guide really does try to do too much and it fails.

Many countries have their own guide book produced by their "national controlling body". Or as in Germany they have a privately published guide book which is more or less adoped by the national body as the oficial guide. In France they have been slowly committing suicide / shooting themselves in the foot / cutting their nose off to spite their face. Whatever phrase you use the French Natonal Body has long refused to recognise or publicise club sites other than those affiliated to their own body. Many of the best "clubs" to visit in France are owned by Dutch people and the French refused to let them join their closed shop. So the Dutch folk produced their own mini guide to France - quite good but nowhere near as thorough as C&C - one drawback being the maps and "symbols" which are rather similar to the main INF Guide. Frankly the C&C Guide to France is the best available. It is the only guide that includes all the beaches and all the clubs and all the campng sites and all the b&b. Suzanne Piper and Susan Mayfield have jointly or separately published a number of books but they are not always intended to be guide books that point you to accommodation or beaches. Some of them have been very good - Suzanne Piper is probably the expert on French holidays and acts as an agent or contact - an Ambassador that's a good way of describing her - linking British customers with French companies. Susan Mayfield has her guide to France but it is about her experiences in moving there rather than a guide to choosing naturist places. At the risk of again sounding biased - if you're going to France get the C&C guide!

Spain is a different kettle of fish. Since I was last there in 1998 the local naturist scene has developed dramatically. When I wote the C&C guide to Spain I "plugged into" some Spanish sources and these have now started to blossom. But it is still hard to get info for Brits visiting Spain. Although  have often been complimeneted on the depth and detail of my books, they are written by an English man for (generally) British people going on holiday. They are of course used by other visitors and also by folk who are moving to live in Spain.

So without further plugs here are the details of books you can obtain from us :

Payment for books

We accept DELTA, MasterCard, SWITCH, Visa, UK Postal Order or UK cheques.

Postage and packing is included for all UK, BFPO and European Union countries - the price you see is what you pay. Books are sent out in plain white padded bags ("jiffy bags"), we place our own name and address on the back of the package but this merely says the package is from Coast & Country / David Martin / plus our address and phone number. If you wish us to send the book "recorded" so that it must be signed for at your end then we're happy to oblige. For books mailed to other countries we always use AIR MAIL as surface mail can take months. We add an extra amount of postage to cover the extra cost - that is we allow for the fact that we would have mailed it free to a UK address. If you are paying by credit card then the exact amount is charged to your card - we don't seek to make anything on postage. For overseas orders we will send an email confirming the date the book was sent and the expected date of arrival in your country but we only do this if you request it. (Any email from us uses a "neutral" subject and is alwys shown as from "David Martin")

205 Arguments Supporting Naturism

an American book sourced by The Naturist Society, an independent outfit in the USA rather similar in outlook to C&C but much larger. Made available in Britain courtesy of Mark Nisbet the Founder and Editor of Starkers magazine who was Editor of H&E mag for five or six years up to Sept 2004. The author, K Bacher has compiled an extensive list of arguments supporting naturism and each source is well documented. The A5 sized 60 page stapled paperback publication is densely packed with type and illustrated with covers of N magazine. The contents are actually available on the internet from The Naturist Society site but having the printed and bound copy makes for interesting and easier reading and makes an invaluable research source for students or naturists engaged in public relations work. It sounds dry as dust but is actually a pleasant book to keep "dipping into" - skinny dipping into, of course!

Made in Britain 1997, USA was earlier, published by  Starkers Mag (Mark Nisbet), 90 grammes weight,5x8 inch stapled softback with 60 pages. Only £5 including p&p.

Living Sculpture - Nudism into Art

is Phil Vallack's latest book - probably it will be his last as Phil is no longer able to undertake large projects. Published in 1997 the book looks at some of the myths and fallacies surrounding naturism and art. Why is it OK to paint a naked girl and hang her in a gallery - well hang her picture in the gallery - whilst the real thing might well be  regarded as "dirty". Phil brings his own inimicable sense of humour and way of looking at things to this book. Since Phil Vallack is himself an accomplished art teacher and sculptor and since he performed a unique function in publicising naturism in the 80s he is perhaps in a unique position and this book could only have been written by him. I recommend this book to all students interested in naturism and how our hobby fits in with the wider world and for naturists who are not brain dead this book raises many issues but in a most humourous way. When next you face a long flight to your naturist holiday destination I suggest you carry David Martin's guide book for the holiday itself but take Phil's Living Sculpture book to read on the plane! If you snort with rage every time you see the latest Turner Prize for Art or wonder why "the Nation" should chip in millions of your money to save an unmade bed then you'll enjoy this book as it focusses entirely on what we naturists like best - naked bodies. Produced as a limited run this book will be scarce in the years ahead - get it now at the original price of £8 incl p&p.

NATURISM - WHERE TO GO  is a highly acclaimed series of naturist guides written BY naturists FOR naturists.

Naturist Guide to Spain and Portugal and all Islands.

A 248 page guide to all the facilities in Portugal and in Spain - including also the islands of Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Hierro, Gomera and La Palma. This is a massive guide which will tells you about every naturist facility available for holiday-makers in Spain. Some are places known only to local naturists, others are better known by tourists. Everything is included - over 300 beaches plus about 100 places which offer some sort of accommodation - that could be a naturist caravan or camping site or a full blown naturist hotel or B&B or private villas provided by naturists FOR naturists. As far as we can see there is absolutely nothing that a naturist would want to know that has not been detailed in this guide. We have tried to tell you everything so that YOU can decide which places to visit to add to your holiday pleaures. If you're wondering which is the best island in the Canaries to suit you - use this Where to Go guide. If you're trying to sort yur Costa from your Platja then this is the guide that will help you choose the right resort - be it a textile hotel with a handy nuddy beach or be it a full blown naturist resort where textiles are rarely seen. This book will be useful to holiday-makers who just want to spend a little part of their holiday enjoying some naturism or it will be useful to the keener naturist who wishes to spend their whole holiday as a naturist holiday.

248 pages - published July 2000 (update in hand but you'll gain by buying now) -tells you everything £13.95

Naturist Guide to British Isles

Massive 200 page guide detailing ALL types of facilities of interest to naturists in Britain and Ireland. Includes all known clubs, caravan and camping sites, B&B, swimming sessions, sauna places, massage practitioners along with essential background info and details of organisations etc. Divided into regional chapters with maps. Completely revised by David Martin in 1997. The only independant guide covering all British facilites. Independant advice without any advertising bias. 11 x 8 inches 550 grammes C&C in 1997. Price including post and packing is £12.50. Price including air post to USA or Canada is $23 (US dollars).

Naturist Guide to France

This most comprehensive guide ever available features ALL French facilities - for example ALL clubs and holiday locations not just those approved by the FFN. All known beach locations are given not just the most well known. Details of places run by Dutch naturists and British naturists living and working in France are extensively covered. With over 40 maps this guide represents the single most important guide for naturists going to France for a holiday or a lnger stay. Price including post and packing is £12.95.  Price including air post to USA or Canada is $24 (US dollars). Published by C&C in 1999. 250grames 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Features:

NO SHADOWS FALL - by Mrs Iseult Richardson

 If Catherine Cookson had written this you'd say it was far fetched but every word of this autobiography is true. Mrs Iseult Richardson was born at Spielplatz and still lives there with about sixty other naturists. This is her amazing story which CCBN (bless 'em!) declined to reveal. Her Father sold up a thriving London business and went to live in a tent in a wood which is nowadays the modern and world renowned Spielplatz Club. Stories about the lives and loves of those early naturists still have a refreshing vibrancy today and the twists and turns in the Spielplatz story will grip and intrigue every reader - even curious folk who have no intention of living the naturist life. An amazing story about the early nudists but in many ways a story in which modern naturists can see many paralells. Guide books may be the bread and butter which every naturist requires to enjoy naturism to the full but surely Iseult's book represents the jam on the cake! A book you can buy as a gift. Costs £9.95 and it has over sixty b&w photos, many rare classic shots lovingly rescued and restored for publication here. Manufctured by C&C 1994 514 grammes 8x11 inc

Nude as a Newt

Nude as a Newt is a screwball of a book which is a gem. Phil Vallack wrote it about 1991 just after his seventieth birthday and the Grand Old Man of British naturism really makes us look at this nudist lark with fresh eyes. Better than a Monty Python film this is not a guide book but a "sideways look at social nudity". Hilarious, thought provoking, a great read  another one to take on the plane - although your fellow passengers may wonder why you're laughing and snorting so much. Actually out of print and a collectors item but C&C can supply them at the original price of £6.90 including p&p. Stocks are limited. Made in GB 1991 Phil Vallack Publications 202 grammes size 5x8 inches

The Nudist Way

The Nudist Way is for folk wishing to enjoy naturism in the British countryside, having a picnic or a walk for example. Not a beach book and not a word about Clubs this is a thorough account of what makes nudists tick in modern Britain. Includes legal advice. - in fat the pages devoted to explaining how the law affects naturists are probably the most detailed and thorough ever published. (The new law causes no problems for naturism and is described now - for those who really wish to know - in a separate pamphlet.) The Nudist Way is iIllustrated with gorgeous photos and sketches  - this book encapsulates the C&C ideal of free range naturism and throws a whole new light on naturism. No longer is it necessary to hide inside club fences or restrict naturism to a handful of naturist beaches - this book shows you how to enjoy your naturism almost anywhere in the British countryside. Costs £9.50 incl postage. Cost including postage to USA or Canada is also $15 (US dollars). Manufacturd by C&C.