You can read a lot about a country by looking at its beaches: across cultures, the beach is that rare public space in which all absurdities and quirky national behaviours can be found.

Following the success of the limited edition in the format of a photo album, Martin Parr presents a new object for his beach photography gathered in the book Life's a Beach. In a new beach-bag-size version, this book illustrates all the traditions and rituals associated with beach life that Parr has been photographing for decades all over the world.