As an island nation we have always had an affinity with little places surrounded by water. These isles have in excess of 6,200 islands, 803 of which are significant enough to appear on maps.

Wills has visited 60 of them for this book, and for each island is a lovely hand drawn map, photos and details of how to get there, where to stay and other usefully information. Also for each island he has written a little potted history, some interesting anecdotes and an overview of his visit there.

It is a fascinating little book, written with wry wit and humour. His infectious enthusiasm with these places comes across in spades. I can recommend this book for those fascinated by Islands and our history. ( )

Dixe Wills has carved a career out for himself as a niche travel writer, having already written on the best places to hide in the UK and the Z to Z of Great Britain, so was the perfect person to cover some of the more infamous small islands around Great Britain.

Wills introduces us to the island, gives us some facts and figures about the island’s amenities, some trivia related to its history, the birds that nest there and how to get there by public transport. So, with Looe Island in Cornwall, we hear that local tradition states that none other than Jesus Christ himself spent some time on the island during his lost years, that the Looe’s current (good) state is thanks to the two spinsters bought the place in the 1960s, that there’s a number of good pubs on Looe, as well as a museum, and a compost toilet and that you can take the train to Looe and then a ferry to the island.

If an island hasn’t been graced by God’s chosen son, then Wills highlights other influences it had over world history, such as Eel Pie Island’s “seminal impact” on the British music scene, Inch Kenneth’s role in the upbringing of the Mitford girls and mention of Bass Rock as the largest single-rock colony of gannets in the world.

I’m looking forward to using “Tiny Islands” as a travel guide. ( )