Package holidays. Adventure tours. Thomas Cook. Thomson. Benidorm. Brazil. Club 18-30. Cosmos. Dubai. Dublin. Coach tours. Cool city breaks. North Africa. Even North Korea.

You name it – we've done it. We've been there and lived to tell the tale, and very often we've been on a package holiday or escorted tour. Dave Richardson – a freelance journalist and Travmedia member who has been writing about the travel business for over 40 years – reveals all in his new book Let's Go (price: £14.99).

The story of how we got into the package tour habit is a fascinating one. It's not just about places and people and how we got there but also about us, as the holidays we take reflect the people we are, or aspire to be. But despite the huge popularity of the package, is the golden age now over?

Let's Go – a History of Package Holidays and Escorted Tours tells how the travel business developed from the 1950s (the 1850s for escorted tours) to the present day. Featuring anecdotes, word-of-mouth accounts from the people who made it happen and archive images, Dave brings the story right up to date by looking at how we take our holidays today, and the threats that could force tour operators out of business.

Noel Josephides, Chairman of ABTA (The Travel Association), writes in the foreword: “What brings the book alive is the fact that Dave has lived through many of the years he describes and can write from personal experience of the many colourful characters that have shaped the travel sector. This book enables us to see travel through the eyes of those who were actively involved in creation of the dream. It is well researched, it is accurate and it captures the excitement of those who built the travel industry over the past sixty-five years.”

Let's Go is the most comprehensive and authoritative book ever written about the UK travel business. Contact Dave at davidrichardson2017@gmail.com and visit www.historyofpackagetours.co.uk to order online.