Award-winning author and broadcaster Jonny Garrett has announced the publication of his fifth book, One More Round, on 1st October.
It’s a personal journey through some of the UK’s most beautiful, historic, and culturally significant pubs.
But what started as a listicle of the UK’s best pubs has expanded into an ambitious, inspiring, and occasionally shocking exposé of the state of British public houses, narrated by Garrett and a host of publicans, academics, and locals he meets along the way.
Chronicling a three-month road trip around the UK, One More Round is part travel diary, part social history of British drinking culture. During his adventures in a red Mini called Allan, Jonny goes everywhere from Penzance to Glasgow, via Belfast and the Yorkshire Moors, driving more than 4,000 miles to tell the stories of more than 50 iconic pubs.
As well as telling you where and what to drink and eat in these beautiful venues, he meets some fascinating characters, digs into some incredible history, and hears how the challenges faced by publicans has brought many to their knees.
Along the way the reader learns about the often misunderstood history of the British pub, and how it has changed considerably since its invention roughly 2,000 years ago. It also illuminates the issues the industry faces in a world that’s increasingly unsociable.
Ultimately though, One More Round shows an industry full of remarkable people and stories, giving the reader hope that, with some government intervention and the support of the public, the pub will remain a unique and important public institution for centuries to come.
“There have been lots of books about pubs — maybe too many — so I was determined to make this one different,” said Garrett. “On the face of it, it’s an epic road trip around the UK looking for the best pubs. But really, it’s an exploration of why pubs are struggling in the modern world, and how some have transcended all the issues thrown at them.
“I was also really keen to cut through some of the imagined history of these places. So many accounts of pubs rely on bad sourcing, urban legends, and projected pride that makes getting to the truth — which is almost always more interesting — very difficult.”
The book featurs illustrations by David Bailey and a cover by Alice Pauletto. It is available to pre-order it today, to be in with a chance of winning a framed print and a case of beer. The first 500 pre-orders will also receive a free One More Round bottle opener.
