Travel writing is usually about visiting exciting places while doing something unusual (I'm sure there's been a book published about one man's unicycle journey to the South Pole), so if anything "The battle for room service" deserves kudos for doing the opposite.

Lawson sets out to visit the dullest places in the world, including Timaru in New Zealand, Peoria in the US and Milton Keynes in the UK. While some of it is interesting, and some bits even humorous, Lawson isn't able to squeeze out the laughs from these situations that you're sure someone like Bill Bryson would. ( )

Bill Bryson made a fortune travelling the world, getting drunk and writing about himself rather than about the places he visited. Mark Lawson tries the same, but he can't quite muster the charm to carry it off. Maybe he should have got drunk more. ( )

It was recommended to me because I may be moving to Luxemburg in a few months. I read the book with some appreciation, especially the section on said country, although, sometimes,if not most of it, Lawson's English wit appears a bit 'blasé' and lacks a certain curiosity towards his environment or empathy towards people. Generally, it reads like a tourist's booklet speckled with personal comments, written mostly for people who want a good laugh while reading the book in their armchair.

While the author could be more involved with the places visited, the feel is that he strongly resembles English travellers from the past - lots of interest lies in the travelling, rather than the places themselves. There is a strong distance in the narrative between Lawson and his account, as if being objective meant to stay at arms' lengths from any involvement in the narrative. Then I understand the title better - 'journeys to all the safe places' indeed! ( )

Well-written enough to make up for the dated (early 1990's) references, and clever, although the author does get a bit carried away at times. ( )