Twelve of the best coffee-table books to give as a gift
A beautifully bound title is only a few clicks away, so curl up with a hot drink, order a tome and make easy work of your Christmas shopping
Reaching your wits' end trying to think of the perfect gift for a fussy friend or tricky relative? You don't need to be a bookworm to appreciate the aesthetic extravagance and timeless appeal of a beautifully bound coffee-table book. With publishers releasing a wide selection of titles, it's easy to discover something tailored to suit your intended recipient's most niche of interests.
For the frequent flyer: Room with a View – Leica Box Set
Influential names from the worlds of art, fashion and design share their favourite views at locations around the globe. Room with a View showcases a room or suite in each of the Luxury Collection's more than 95 properties, with stunning imagery accompanied by inspirational tales that highlight the unique heritage and allure of each place. This special-edition box set contains a pair of Leica binoculars, enabling your recipient to take a closer look at the spectacular sights they see on their travels.
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Click here to purchase Room With A View – Leica Box Set from Assouline
For the fine-wine connoisseur: The Impossible Collection of Wine
World-renowned sommelier Enrico Bernardo compiles a fantasy wish list of the most exceptional wines of the 20th century. Exploring the fascinating history and remarkable properties of 100 exquisite vintages, Bernardo takes the reader on a tantalising journey sure to captivate even the most knowledgeable of fine-wine appreciators.
Click here to purchase The Impossible Collection of Wine from Assouline
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For the budding botanist: Plant: Exploring the Botanical World
A lavishly illustrated guide to the fascinating world of plants, this book is a feast for the eyes and will bring joy to anyone with green-fingered tendencies, or simply an appreciation for the diverse beauty of nature. Photographs, micrograph scans, paintings, drawings and prints make up a mesmerising compilation of 300 images that will captivate and delight.
Click here to purchase Plant: Exploring the Botanical World from Phaidon
For the graphic designer: 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design
This fascinating compilation charts the evolution of graphic design over the span of the past century, covering 100 significant ideas that grew to influence and define the graphic design genre and, as such, the world as we know it. Illustrated examples of techniques, concepts, tools, objects and methods make a compelling compendium of revolutionary work.
Click here to purchase 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design from Laurence King
For the hospitable foodie: Studio Olafur Eliasson: The Kitchen
At the Berlin-based studio of the internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson, a tight-knit team of creatives have adopted the habit of using the communal kitchen as a space to come together daily to cook, converse, relax and share ideas. This inspirational cookbook of recipes developed in the studio kitchen, and intended for sharing, celebrates the spirit of community and creativity that lies at the heart of both the studio and any good meal.
Click here to purchase Studio Olafur Eliasson: The Kitchen from Phaidon
For the sports obsessive: Infographic Guide to Sports
Packed full of interesting facts, statistics and anecdotes, this entertaining title covers a wide remit of sports from football and badminton to ice hockey and zorbing. With colourful infographics created from more than 100 original artworks and illustrations, graphs, diagrams and charts, the easy-to-read format will appeal to a large age range, making it the perfect present to intrigue and inform all sporting enthusiasts.
Click here to purchase Infographic Guide to Sports from Octopus Books
For the style maven: Saving Grace: My Fashion Archive 1968-2016
This beautifully presented box-set contains two volumes of collected work by Grace Coddington – American Vogue's creative director-at-large. Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue and Grace: The American Vogue Years collectively contain more than 600 images that document behind-the-scenes and never-before-seen photographs, alongside some of the most iconic fashion images of the past 50 years. The books celebrate the creative vision of Coddington, realised in collaboration with world-famous photographers, including Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino and Patrick Demarchelier.
Click here to purchase Saving Grace: My Fashion Archive 1968-2016 from Phaidon
For the art collector: Vitamin P3
Termed "a global survey of painting today", Phaidon's Vitamin P series is an indispensible guide to the most noteworthy contemporary painters. Compiled by a panel of international art experts, the publication highlights more than 100 artists of already established significance and imminent success, making it a gift of value for both novice and experienced collectors alike.
Click here to purchase Vitamin P3 from Phaidon
For the pub-quiz competitor: National Geographic Infographics
Infographics might seem to be a recent trend, but National Geographic is ahead of the curve – it's been packaging insightful intelligence into visually engaging and easily digestible diagrams for the past 128 years. This book draws together the best infographics from its archives, covering seven topical areas – history, the planet, being human, animal world, world of plants, science and technology, and space – and will undoubtedly improve the general knowledge of anyone who reads it.
Click here to purchase National Geographic Infographics from Taschen
For the music maestro: 75 Years of Capitol Records
Celebrating 75 years of music-making, this commemorative book chronicles the history of Capitol Records, from its founding in 1942 to the present day. Essays by cultural historians and music critics, along with hundreds of archive images, revisit some of the most memorable moments in the record label's illustrious history, name-checking an impressive roster of talent that has passed through the doors of its distinctive Hollywood headquarters – Capitol Tower – from the Beach Boys to Sam Smith.
Click here to purchase 75 Years of Capitol Records from Taschen
For the conspiracy theorist: Symbols: A Handbook for Seeing
A fun read for anyone who likes to search for hidden meanings, this visual reference offers insight into more than 400 symbols embedded in our everyday lives, from fashion and food packaging to oil paintings and monuments. Covering both historical and contemporary examples, it is a riveting study giving a new perspective on the world around us.
Click here to purchase Symbols from Monacelli Press
For the creative child: Manga Origami
This book will keep a dexterous and artistically inclined child (or adult) engrossed for hours, with instructions on how to use traditional origami skills to create intricate figurines. The 20 characters featured are familiar faces from the world of Japanese manga and anime and each is rated to indicate its difficulty level, from beginner to expert. A gift voucher for an arts-and-crafts store would make an ideal accompaniment to this book as a small selection of materials is needed: origami paper, a hobby knife, cutting mat, ruler, PVA glue, Sellotape, cotton balls and wooden toothpicks.