Product Description

Paul Martin's Britain is the book for which the fans of Flog It! have been waiting. After six years of traveling around Britain and filming the people who bring their family treasures to auction, Paul has finally decided to share his experiences. Paul Martin was running an antique furniture business before the BBC approached him to present its new antiques show Flog it! Paul's exuberant presenting style and obvious enthusiasm instantly set him apart, and the show became an immediate hit. Now Paul's face appears on TVs almost every day of the year and Flog it! is shown across the world. Through the show Paul has had the privilege of being allowed exceptional access to almost every town and city in Britain, where he has unlocked doors to reveal fascinating and unusual people, magnificent collections and quirky places. Paul Martin's Britain is the story of how Paul moved from the life of a musician and antiques dealer on the Portobello Road to being the star of the BBC's daytime schedules. It is also a Grand Tour, as Paul takes the reader on a journey through many of Britain's regions, uncovering and celebrating the most intriguing and often previously unknown places, stories and people across the country. Fully illustrated in colour, Paul Martin's Britain highlights, in his own distinctive and enthusiast's voice, the very best of the sites, subjects and stories featured in his travels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61102 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 248 pages

About the Author
Paul Martin is the presenter of BBC2's Flog it! He was brouht up in London and Cornwall and before his TV career was a musician and antiques dealer. He now lives in Wiltshire.

Customer Reviews

Quality, condition & a good maker's name!
I guess it was inevitable that Paul Martin would publish a book as he's become a household name due to the enormous success of TV shows such as `Flog It!' and `Trust Me I'm A Dealer'. `Paul Martin's Britain' is part autobiography, part description of `Flog It!', and part love and appreciation of some of the wonderful buildings, artefacts and gifted people of Britain.

Paul's story begins in London where he dreamt of being a drummer in a successful band. Unfortunately, this never happened and you can sense the regret when Paul talks about this part of his life. However, during this time his love and knowledge of antiques developed as he ran a stall on Portobello Road market with a couple of friends and also tracked down pieces for photo shoots and TV sets.

The death of his father acted as a spur and made him think about what he wanted out of life in the long term. So in his late 20s he packed his bags and moved to the south west and eventually opened up an antiques shop. After 3 years of trading Paul's lucky break came when a BBC researcher visited his shop and felt he was the ideal person to present a new the antiques programme `Flog It!'. Amazingly, after being offered the job Paul turned it down but after some persuasion changed his mind.

There is surprisingly little about the workings of `Flog It!' in the book but I guess the show speaks for itself and the ins and outs of TV production would've become tedious if spread over too many pages.

The book then switches focus and concentrates on the great people and places that have forged Britain's social and artistic history, its industrial and engineering heritage, and the great job that organisations like the National Trust do in preserving that heritage. There are pieces on Wales, the Lake District, Northern Ireland, furniture, trams, cars, horses, painting, gardening, shipping etc. The text is accompanied by some stunning photography and the pictures are one of the highlights of the book.

`Paul Martin's Britain' is a light and entertaining read and brings to life the fascinating landscape, character and people of Britain all told with warmth and genuine enthusiasm.

Flog It fans
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting and informative. Anyone would like it, but especially Paul Martin, Flog It and Trust Me I'm a Dealer fans.

Paul Martin's Britain
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A lively yet relaxed style of writing really draws the reader in. Information and anecdotes are equally mixed and delightfully detailed. It was particularly interesting to hear how Paul first became involved in the television programme "Flog It". Fully illustrated, it is a fascinating read from cover to cover.