The Passport

The History of Man's Most Travelled Document

by Martin Lloyd

ISBN: 9780 0573 639-2-2

Hardback, 210mm x 134mm, 294pp, 83 black & white illustrations.

Category: Non Fiction

This well-illustrated book tells, for the first time, the story of the passport from its earliest origins to the latest high-tech developments. Handwritten documents adorned with wax seals, modern versions in plastic covers, diplomatic passports and forgeries, all drawn from the author's collection, complement the exciting exploits of spies and criminals and the tragic real life experiences of refugees.

First published in 2003, THE PASSPORT quickly became the seminal work on the history of the passport - informative, entertaining and revelatory. This third edition in hardback, revised and enlarged with additional illustrations, was published by Queen Anne's Fan in 2016.

Whether explaining the invention of the identity card in revolutionary France, recounting the birth of the British blue passport in the 1920s or divulging the secrets of today's machine readable passport, Martin Lloyd has written an informative and engrossing history book which is accessible to everyone.

Reviews:

"What Martin Lloyd does not know about crossing frontiers is probably not worth knowing."
(Dianna Madill, BBC Radio 4 'Midweek')

"a lively and thoughtful book..."
(Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph)

"...a definitive guide to the history of that most indispensable of documents. Lloyd writes as an eager enthusiast and an expert, a mix that makes for top entertainment."
(The Good Book Guide)

"...a pacey and entertaining history"
(Holiday Which)