{"product_id":"shitty-breaks-a-celebration-of-unsung-cities-9781837730469","title":"Shitty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities","description":"\u003cp\u003eNot everything that glitters is gold - which is why Ben Aitken went to Wolverhampton for the weekend. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Over the next year, the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eChip Shop in Poznan\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Gran Tour\u003c\/i\u003e visited twelve of the least popular spots in the UK and Ireland for a city break, as ranked by national tourism boards. The motivation wasn't to take the biscuit or stick the boot in, but to seek out the good stuff, to uncover the gems, to \u003ci\u003ehave a nice time\u003c\/i\u003e. By doing so, he hoped to demonstrate that anywhere - like \u003ci\u003eanyone \u003c\/i\u003e- can be interesting and nourishing and enjoyable if approached in the right fashion. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBen went skiing in Sunderland, to the football in Wrexham, and fell in love with Dunfermline. He kissed an alpaca in Bradford, suffered jellied eels in Chelmsford, and had more craic in Limerick than was wise. The upshot is a celebration of the underdog; a hymn to the wrong direction; and evidence that there's no such thing as a shitty break. What's more, by spreading its affection beyond the usual suspects (which are often overdone and overpriced), \u003ci\u003eShitty Breaks\u003c\/i\u003e promotes a less expensive and more sustainable brand of travel. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBy going against the grain, the book champions the unsung in an algorithmic, over-signposted world dominated by celebs and hotspots. Cheeky weekend in Milton Keynes anyone?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Icon Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/12\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781837730469\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.92lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.60h x 5.50w x 1.00d","brand":"Ben Aitken","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52537440141493,"sku":"9781837730469","price":26.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_df79eb83-825c-4295-bcfe-b1c7a2655b53.jpg?v=1779169560","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/shitty-breaks-a-celebration-of-unsung-cities-9781837730469","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}