Travel writing Books

Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY PAUL KINGSNORTH, Booker-shortlisted author of The Wake'I thought that there were two rules in life - never count the cost, and never do anything unless you can do it wholeheartedly. Now is the time to live.' Artist and wanderer Everett Ruess left home at the age of sixteen to immerse himself in the harsh desert landscapes of the American Southwest. With only his donkeys for company, driven by an insatiable longing for beauty and experience, he ventured ever further from civilisation and into the wilderness of Navajo country. In 1934, at the age of twenty, he vanished without trace in Utah, a disappearance that remains unsolved to this day. Through letters, diary excerpts and poems - charting not only his rugged adventures and his exquisite nature writing but his progression as a writer, and into adulthood - and with commentary by W. L. Rusho, A Vagabond for Beauty tells his remarkable story.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlthough spare, sweeping landscapes may appear “empty,” plains and prairies afford a rich, unique aesthetic experience—one of quiet sunrises and dramatic storms, hidden treasures and abundant wildlife, infinite horizons and omnipresent wind, all worthy of contemplation and celebration.In this series of narratives, photographs, and hand-drawn maps, Tyra Olstad blends scholarly research with first-hand observation to explore topics such as wildness and wilderness, travel and tourism, preservation and conservation, expectations and acceptance, and even dreams and reality in the context of parks, prairies, and wild, open places. In so doing, she invites readers to reconsider the meaning of “emptiness” and ask larger, deeper questions such as: how do people experience the world? How do we shape places and how do places shape us? Above all, what does it mean to experience that exhilarating effect known as Zen of the plains?

Read more less

Book SynopsisTeddy Roosevelt once exclaimed,"When I am in California, I am not in the West. I am west of the West,” and in this book, Mark Arax spends four years travelling up and down the Golden State to explore its singular place in the world. This is California beyond the clich&eacutes. This is California as only a native son, deep in the dust, could draw it. Compelling, lyrical, and ominous, his new collection finds a different drama rising out of each confounding landscape."The Summer of the Death of Hilario Guzman” has been praised as a"stunningly intimate” portrait of one immigrant family from Oaxaca, through harrowing border crossings and brutal raisin harvests. Down the road in the"Home Front,” right-wing Christians and Jews form a strange pact that tries to silence debate on the War on Terror, and a conflicted father loses not one but two sons in Iraq."The Last Okie in Lamont,” the inspiration for the town in the Grapes of Wrath , has but one Okie left, who tells Arax his life story as he drives to a funeral to bury one more Dust Bowl migrant."The Highlands of Humboldt” is a journey to marijuana growing capital of the U.S., where the old hippies are battling the new hippies over"pollution pot” and the local bank collects a mountain of cash each day, much of it redolent of cannabis. Arax pieces together the murder-suicide at the heart of a rotisserie chicken empire in"The Legend of Zankou,” a story included in the Best American Crime Reporting 2009 . And, in the end, he provides a moving epilogue to the murder of his own father, a crime in the California heartland finally solved after thirty years. In the finest tradition of Joan Didion, Arax combines journalism, essay, and memoir to capture social upheaval as well as the sense of being rooted in a community. Piece by piece, the stories become a whole, a stunning panorama of California, and America, in a new century.Trade ReviewCarolyn See, Making a Literary Life "Mark Arax has achieved something truly wonderful. He shows us a California we don't know or haven't yet heard about: Post 9/11 racism and craziness in the Central Valley; dunderhead FBI agents prowling the land; the plight of immigrants as it really pans out; marijuana moguls dealing in stacks of cash that stinks of weed; the disgraceful decline of the once-great LA Times-all of it set in the larger frame of a generation of Armenian immigrants tied to the old country, in love with the new country, struggling to discover the meaning of life with all their might." Kirkus "A lucid, warts-and-all portrait of California by a native son...[W]orthy of a place alongside the works of ... Carey McWilliams and even Joan Didion." James Ellroy, author of The Black Dahlia and the forthcoming Blood's a Rover "West of the West is a dreamscape as much as a landscape-and heart-stirring in its style and acute perception. It could be titled 'Why We Live Here Anyway'-I exhort you to read this book." Jack Miles, author of Publishers Weekly, starred review, February 25, 2009 These swift, penetrating essays from former Los Angeles Times writer Arax (In My Father's Name) take the measure of contemporary California with a sure and supple hand, consciously but deservedly taking its place alongside Didion's and Saroyan's great social portraits. Expect the unexpected from Arax's reports up and down the state: on the last of the Okies, the latest migrants from Mexico, the tree-sitters of Berkeley, Bay Area conspiracy theorists, an Armenian chicken giant's infamous fall or the mammoth marijuana economy of Humboldt County, among much else. For Arax, a third-generation Californian of Armenian heritage who spent years covering the Central Valley as an investigative reporter, the state's outre reputation and self-representation are a complex dance of myth and memory that includes his own family lore and personal history. It's partly this personal connection, running subtly but consistently throughout, that pushes the collection past mere reportage to a high literary enterprise that beautifully integrates the private and idiosyncratic with the sweep of great historical forces.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter Hurricane Katrina laid bare the fragility and environmental peril of South Louisiana, author Ian McNulty set out on a series of daytrips to delve into the area's diverse cultural landscapes. He explored communities staked up and down the Mississippi River, nestled into the teeming bayous, braced along the edge of the Gulf, and planted out on the golden prairie stretching to the west. Louisiana Rambles is his richly evocative guide to those journeys.McNulty delivers an inimitable take on Cajun and Creole Louisiana-the siren call of zydeco dance halls pulsing in the country darkness; of crawfish ""boiling points"" and traditional country smokehouses; of Cajun jam sessions, where even wallflowers are compelled to dance; of equine gambits in the cradle of jockeys; and of fishing trips where anyone can land impressive catches. In South Louisiana, distilled European heritage, the African American experience, and modern southern exuberance mix with tumultuous history and fantastically fecund natural environments. The territories McNulty opens to the reader are arguably the nation's most exotic and culturally distinct destinations.McNulty quests for the heart of these places and people. Much more than a travel guide or collection of travel narratives, Louisiana Rambles is a seasoned writer's witness to an epic locale that is very often joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, and always vital and stimulating. An extensive, chapter-by-chapter appendix filled with travel tips and notes from the road (or the bayou) will let visitors explore well beyond the beaten tourist paths and help Louisiana residents appreciate their own terrain in a new light.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs a professional travel writer and editor for the past 40 years, Don George has been paid to explore the world. Through the decades, his articles have been published in magazines, newspapers, and websites around the globe and have won more awards than almost any other travel writer alive, yet his pieces have never been collected into one volume. The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George fills this void with a moving and inspiring collection of tales and reflections from one of America’s most acclaimed and beloved travel writers.From his high-spirited account of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on a whim when he was 22 years old to his heart-plucking description of a home-stay in a muddy compound in Cambodia as a 61-year-old, this collection ranges widely. As renowned for his insightful observations as for his poetic prose, George always absorbs the essence of the places he’s visiting.Other stories here include a moving encounter with Australia’s sacred red rock monolith, Uluru; an immersion in country kindness on the Japanese island of Shikoku; the trials and triumphs of ascending Yosemite’s Half Dome with his wife and children; and a magical morning at Machu Picchu.Trade Review“These stories made me fall in love with the world again.” — Isabel Allende“Don George is a legendary travel writer and editor.” — National Geographic“What shines with crystal clarity through all of these wise and wonderful essays is Don George’s irrepressible generosity of spirit. He loves the world he finds, and the world loves him back in equal measure. Those of us lucky enough to know him have long recognized Don as a seriously life-enhancing kind of fellow: this marvelous collection serves amply to reinforce the notion. And no: no favors were sought or offered for this message. Not a one.”— Simon Winchester“Don George is an inveterate adventurer and master storyteller, with the biggest, most generous heart on the open road.” — Andrew McCarthy“Don George describes himself as a ‘travel evangelist’ but he is much more than that. Yes, he loves to talk about the life-changing possibilities of travel, which started for him when he visited Paris in college. But he is also a best-selling author and writer, regarded by many as the preeminent travel writer of his generation.” — Christopher ElliottTable of ContentsForeword by Pico IyerIntroduction by Don GeorgeShort prologues precede each storyPilgrimages1. Climbing Kilimanjaro2. Sunrise at Uluru3. Delos Diary4. Notre-Dame5. Conquering Half Dome6. Japan’s Past Perfect–Shikoku7. Machu Picchu Magic 8. Ryoanji reflections9. Family Adventure in the Galapagos10. A Pilgrim at Stinson Beach11. Thanksgiving in ConnecticutEncounters1. In Love, in Greece, in the Springtime2. Pakistan Karakoram Postcard3. Dubrovnik4. A Day in the Life of Dubbo5. Baja: Touched by a Whale6. Insights into Nice at the Musee Matisse7. Making Roof Tiles in Peru8. Building Bridges in Mostar9. Spin the Globe—El Salvador10. Jordan–Exhilarating Encounters, Enduring Lessons11. Living-history Lessons in BerlinIlluminations1. Pythion2. Japanese Wedding3. At the Musee d’Orsay4. Prambanan in the Moonlight5. Aitutaki–Finding salvation in the South Seas6. Africa–Wildlife Illuminations7. Unexpected Offerings on a Return to Bali8. French Connections–Saint Paul9. Lynn Ferrin10. The Intricate Weave–Italy11. Finding a Sense of Home Abroad Epilogue: Every journey Is a Pilgrimage

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWell known as a political commentator and the author of sixteen novels, William F. Buckley Jr. was also a superb chronicler of travel. Getting About gathers more than one hundred of his articles about journeys by boat, train, or plane, representing a lifetime of adventure around the world—from Annapolis to Zurich, from the Azores to the Virgin Islands.An elegant jet-setter with a flair for literary journalism, Buckley had few rivals in the art of travel writing. He took first place in the Magazine Article on Foreign Travel category in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition for eight pieces written while “Concording around the world” in 1989. A master storyteller, he adeptly wove devices of fiction together with reportage to craft entertaining pieces full of exuberance and authority. Being a Bach afficionado, he composed his sentences for a well-tuned ear.Buckley’s talent for arranging a mise-en-scène stands out in accounts of riding the Orient Express, skiing at Alta, or vacationing at Barbuda. Though himself a central character in the story, he never dominates it. He wrote candidly about travel misadventures, as when his sixty-foot schooner broke down in the Bahamas and was towed to Miami by a Coast Guard cutter, or when a malfunctioning compass landed his boat on a rocky shoal off Rhode Island and the Coast Guard said, “Sorry, we can’t help you.” He also took a gimlet eye to the travel industry and a discriminating palate to airline food, suggesting that airports sell “a really good box lunch” with celery rémoulade, fresh figs, and a nice Bordeaux.Getting About is pure enjoyment, but it also broadens the significance of Buckley’s œuvre. Along with Bill Meehan’s illuminating introduction, this delightful collection helps preserve Buckley’s legacy as his centenary, in 2025, approaches.Trade Review“Over the course of four decades, I flew, cruised, sailed, slid, chuffed, and sped with Bill Buckley toward various destinations. All of those trips were worth remembering, and I have tried to do so in the normal human way, unspooling the memory file on Saturday nights in classic black-and-white format. Not Wm. F. Buckley Jr. He captured the scenes of his life on the road contemporaneously, and in vivid color, and he remembers them all here in Getting About, Bill Meehan’s glistening new collection of travel writing from the man who invented the so-called working, so-called vacation. Welcome aboard! You’re in for a great ride. Oh, and bring a decent bottle of Alsatian white, chilled, if you would.—Neal B. Freeman, journalist and entrepreneur “He was a man of all longitudes and latitudes, all heights and depths, and all modes of transit. One recalls that famous photo of a young William F. Buckley Jr. navigating Manhattan’s traffic by scooter, and how it captures his cheerful, locomotive essence—but not nearly as well as Bill Meehan does in this extraordinary, marvelously crafted collection. The more you explore the great accomplishment that is Getting About, the more you come to realize it's nothing less than a de facto biography of an exceptional American, a brave sojourner, an unchained spirit.” —Jack Fowler, former publisher of National Review “What a joy it is to travel along with Bill Buckley on his many and various journeys! Those who love high adventure and imaginative prose owe Bill Meehan a debt of gratitude for collecting the best of Buckley’s writings on his lifelong passion, travel, especially via boat. Style, experience, and leisure combine in these writings to offer WFB's unique conservative vision. In Getting About, Buckley’s travel writings are here raised from the deep, just in time to offer a new generation a window into the mind and heart of one of America’s most buoyant conservatives.” —Annette Kirk, president emerita of the Russell Kirk Center “Bill Meehan has performed an extraordinary and important service with this fine collection of William F. Buckley Jr.’s writings. Here, we witness Buckley’s gift for storytelling: his humor, intelligence, wit, and passion for life itself. The pieces in the collection illuminate the importance of imagination, fearlessness, and open-mindedness. Readers will be amused and inspired by Buckley’s adventures, his special and singular way of being an American and a cosmopolitan, and more than anything, the courage to be human.”—Emina Melonic, adjunct fellow at the Center for American Greatness “It would not be an exaggeration (however hyperbolic!) to state that William F. Buckley traveled the world. And, he did so with his world-class English vocabulary, as long and as deep as his travels were plentiful and wide. Bill Meehan has expertly brought together the very best—which is saying a lot—of Buckley’s insights, full of wit and wisdom."—Bradley J. Birzer, author of Russell Kirk: American Conservative, and professor of history at Hillsdale College

Read more less

Book SynopsisFood, art and life combine in a lavishly-illustrated book about Turkish cuisine, Turkish village life - and the will to survive a frightening diagnosis. In July 2019, painter and art teacher Eljay Dickins was diagnosed with a Grade 4 inoperable malignant glioblastoma brain tumour. Sufferers have a 1 in 12 chance of surviving six months. Early diagnosis, radio- and chemotherapy, together with a determination that somehow she wouldn't be crushed by it, helped save her life. Published three and a half years later, A Painter's Palate is a result of that dogged drive to live. As a creative person, Eljay responded to her diagnosis her own way - through her rich and vibrant paintings (a selection of which are included in the book) and through writing, drawing upon her years running painting holidays in an old stone house near the Aegean in Turkey. Funny and often touching, the book brings together over 180 recipes of authentic Turkish daily family fare with vivid descriptions of her life as an Englishwoman in Turkey, of the people she met and the food she cooked while she was there. A Painter's Palate is a lighthearted, uplifting and inspirational tale of village life and local food, infused with Eljay's ever-positive attitude, irreverent sense of humour and hope for the future against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA River Captured explores the controversial history of the Columbia River Treaty and its impact on the ecosystems, Indigenous peoples, contemporary culture, cross-border politics and recent history of the Pacific Northwest.The Columbia River Basin is a vast region in North America, primarily located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and parts of Canada. It covers portions of seven U.S. states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. The basin is defined by the watershed of the Columbia River and its tributaries, making it one of the largest river basins in North America.Long lauded as a model of international co-operation, the Columbia River Treaty governs the storage and management of the waters of the upper Columbia River basin, a region rich in water resources and with a natural geography well suited to hydroelectric megaprojects. The Treaty also displaced more than 2,000 residents of over a dozen communities, flooded and destroyed archaeological sites, and upended once-healthy fisheries.Paying special attention to First Nations history, ecology, economics, politics, and CanadaUS relations, this investigative work weaves from the present day to the past and back again in an engaging and unflinching examination of how and why Canada decided to sell water storage rights to American interests.With one of the Treaty's provisions set to change in 2024 and termination of the treaty requiring a 10-year notice period, this updated edition of A River Captured looks at the destructive mistakes of our collective past in order to save us from an even more difficult future

Read more less

Book SynopsisA global quest to comprehend the meaning of Happy Valley on three continents and how these mountain communities continue to survive in a world that constantly challenges the very notion of happiness.Over her 17-year career as a travel writer, Jane Marshall has wandered the planet, always in search of wild, high-altitude, off-the-beaten-track places. During her travels she discovered something profound. On three continents, separated by vast oceans, she found hidden valleys known locally as Happy Valley. Her quest: to discover what makes them happy and learn from their Indigenous keepers.The happy valleys share common characteristics. They are geographically isolated and protected by walls of mountains; they are home to rare and endangered plants and animals; they exist outside of protections zones which gives them autonomy but also makes them vulnerable; their Indigenous populations name the land after human and divine body parts; and women are seen as powerful. Inside these Happy Valleys a balance between humans and nature has been struck. Sleeping on ridges, in caves, and in the traditional homes of local people, Marshall makes gruelling journeys to the heart of the happy valleys as she strives to comprehend the deep peace she feels within them.In a world facing environmental devastation, illness, and unprecedented mental anxieties, Marshall's book offers an alternative. She immerses herself in the land and forms deep connections with its people so she can learn sustainable ways of living their Indigenous populations have honed over millennia. From a goat herder's hut in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, to a Sundance ceremony with the Blackfoot/Soki-tapi people of Alberta, and ultimately to her dangerous pilgrimage in Nepal where she reaches the heart of a sacred land studded with treasures hidden by a famous yogi, Jane Marshall takes readers on the greatest adventure of all: The search for Shangri-La and the wisdom that can save the planet and our own hearts.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn adventurous and thoughtful photographic exploration of Canada and Canadian identity.This collection of images, taken over a decade and in every corner of the country, explores and questions what being a Canadian means. The photographs depict Taylor's poignantly observed, first-person experience, visiting both recognizable and remote places that vary drastically in geography, history, socio-economic status, and overarching lifestyle.Roades intrigues the viewer with images of the cultural threads that hold Canada together, and effortlessly weaves local idiosyncrasies together with iconic landscapes from coast to coast. If you have travelled in any part of Canada, you will see something delightfully familiar, and in a country with so much to explore somewhere new to add to your list.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn a motorcycle trip from Manitoba to southern Chile, Cameron Dueck seeks out isolated enclaves of Mennonites—and himself. “An engrossing account of an unusual adventure, beautifully written and full of much insight about the nature of identity in our ever-changing world, but also the constants that hold us together."—Adam Shoalts, national best-seller author of Beyond the Trees: A Journey Alone Across Canada's Arctic and A History of Canada in 10 Maps Across Latin America, from the plains of Mexico to the jungles of Paraguay, live a cloistered Germanic people. For nearly a century, they have kept their doors and their minds closed, separating their communities from a secular world they view as sinful. The story of their search for religious and social independence began generations ago in Europe and led them, in the late 1800s, to Canada, where they enjoyed the freedoms they sought under the protection of a nascent government. Yet in the 1920s, when the country many still consider their motherland began to take shape as a nation and their separatism came under scrutiny, groups of Mennonites left for the promises of Latin America: unbroken land and new guarantees of freedom to create autonomous, ethnically pure colonies. There they live as if time stands still—an isolation with dark consequences. In this memoir of an eight-month, 45,000 kilometre motorcycle journey across the Americas, Mennonite writer Cameron Dueck searches for common ground within his cultural diaspora. From skirmishes with secular neighbours over water rights in Mexico, to a mass-rape scandal in Bolivia, to the Green Hell of Paraguay and the wheat fields of Argentina, Dueck follows his ancestors south, finding reasons to both love and loathe his culture—and, in the process, finding himself.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR MENNO MOTO “An engrossing account of an unusual adventure, beautifully written and full of much insight about the nature of identity in our ever-changing world, but also the constants that hold us together."—Adam Shoalts, national best-seller author of Beyond the Trees: A Journey Alone Across Canada's Arctic and A History of Canada in 10 Maps PRAISE FOR CAMERON DUECK “The New Northwest Passage nicely captures the joys and pitfalls of an Arctic journey.”—Kenza Moller, Canadian Geographic “In the hands of a good writer like Dueck, the story of the trip is engaging and hard to put down.”—Jim Blanchard, The Winnipeg Free Press “Dueck presents an important portrait of a people and place in flux.”—David Leonard, Quill & Quire "Lots of people dream of quitting the rat-race, buying a boat and sailing away to the Caribbean or the South Pacific. But few do the first two and then embark on a voyage through the Northwest Passage. Hats off to Cameron Dueck: he acted, made good, and now he's written a compelling book about it."—Ken McGoogan, author of The Fatal Passage Quartet "The book is an engrossing string of vignettes about life in the real Arctic, not the Arctic of tourism brochures and adventurers' tales. Dueck has a faithful and sympathetic ear for the people of the Arctic and how their lives are changing."—Clive Tesar, World Wildlife Fund "Cameron Dueck's account of this journey makes a wonderful read—exciting, amusing, and above all, interesting."—E.C. Pielou, author of A Naturalist's Guide to the Arctic

Read more less

Book SynopsisSamuel Johnson’s Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and James Boswell’s Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides are widely regarded as among the best pieces of travel writing ever produced. Johnson and Boswell spent the autumn of 1773 touring Scotland as far west as the islands of Skye, Raasay, Coll, Mull, Ulva, Inchkenneth and Iona. Highly readable, often profound, and at times very funny, their accounts of the ‘jaunt’ are above all a valuable record of a society undergoing rapid change. In this pioneering new edition, Ronald Black brings together the two men’s starkly contrasting accounts of each of the thirteen stages of the journey. He also restores to Boswell’s text 20,000 words from his journal which were denied entry to his book because they were intimate, defamatory, or about the islands rather than Johnson. The endnotes incorporate Boswell’s footnotes, translations of Latin passages, a clear summary of pre-existing information on the two texts, and a fresh focus on what the two men actually found on their trip. To the Hebrides also includes contemporary prints by Thomas Rowlandson, seventeen new maps and a comprehensive index.Trade Review'Their shifting view of some events is often hilarious. The story should be of particular interest to the many Canadians with Scots ancestry (as it is to this Welshman, who has none) and, best of all as a reminder of English as She Should be Writ, but Alas No Longer Is' * Toronto Globe and Mail *'It is always pleasurable when a reviewer can recommend a book unreservedly. Congratulations to Ronald Black and Birlinn, To the Hebrides is a stunning achievement' * Northwords Now *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDoug Scott was a legend among mountaineers. His expeditions, undertaken over a period of five decades, are unparalleled achievements. This book describes the extraordinary drama of them all, from the Himalaya to New Zealand, Patagonia, Yosemite and Alaska. It includes his famous ‘epic’ on The Ogre, one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb, his ascent of Kangchenjunga without supplementary oxygen and his ascent, with Dougal Haston, of Everest in 1975. Catherine Moorehead also uncovers the elusive man behind the obsessive mountaineer. From his rumbustious youth in Nottingham through two tempestuous marriages to a secure third marriage, she shows how Scott matured in thought and action as his formidable global reputation increased. In doing so she reveals him to be a clash of opposites, an infuriating monomaniac who took extraordinary risks yet who developed a deep interest in Buddhism and inspired widespread affection. Scott spent almost as long as his climbing career in founding and developing Community Action Nepal, providing schools and health posts in remote parts of Nepal, where he is still much revered. Doug Scott died in 2020.Trade Review'Doug Scott was one of my closest friends. He had so many facets to his character – integrity, courage, great intelligence, and a strong sense of social responsibility, particularly in the way he devoted his later life to support the people of up-country Nepal. This book is a remarkable tribute to an extraordinary climber and a great humanitarian' -- Sir Chris Bonington'Doug Scott was one of the earliest and most successful proponents of Alpine-style ascents in the highest mountains on every continent. His ethical regard for the mountain environment was also well ahead of its time. This biography commemorates and explores the life of a visionary climber and a man of great humanity' -- Reinhold Messner'Reveals the extraordinary drama of [Scott's] life, both on and off the mountains' * Sunday Post *'reveals a multi-faceted man in a biography that will be of as much interest to those who love the mountains as those who prefer to study the human condition' * Scottish Field *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1986, Charles Nicholl travels through Thailand to learn about the spiritual traditions of forest Buddhism in the north of the country. But interesting things have a habit of getting in the way. When Nicholl meets Harry, an old French Indochina hand, on the night train north with his tales of Kachin jade and Shan opium it leads to a journey along the banks of the Mekong, into the Golden Triangle and then across the border into Burma, in the company of the book s Thai heroine, Kitai.Trade ReviewA South-East Asian travelogue that s as vivid and exotic as a fever dream Nicholl is a grand guide, good-humoured, inquisitive, and caring, illuminating but never overshadowing the marvellous land he so superbly describes. Kirkus Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisHe has just a few months to complete his quest – no one has ever done it before within one growing season – and it will require ingenuity, stamina and a large dose of luck.As he battles the vagaries of the British climate, feverishly chasing each emerging bloom, Leif Bersweden takes the reader on a remarkable botanical journey.This study of the 52 native species is a fantastic gateway into the compendious world of orchids – one that will open your eyes to the rare hidden delights to be found on our doorstep.Like Two Owls at Eton and My Family and Other Animals, The Orchid Hunter is a charming account of a precocious adolescent’s obsession with the natural world.Leif’s enthusiasm for his quest is infectious, as is the quiet conviction with which he keeps at it, showing how plant hunting can be the ultimate mindful activity.Trade ReviewDelightfully nerdy. * Gardens Illustrated *Vivid and entertaining. * Daily Mail *Sets the bar high for originality. * Spectator *What kind of granny are you? Traditional Gran? Sporty Gran? Or more Rock n Roll? The portraits in this book will make you laugh out loud. * Mumsnet *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter going on a journey of discovery in The Moaning of Life, the enlightened one - otherwise known as Karl Pilkington - finds himself back on the road. In his search for the answers to life's big questions, Karl has therapy in Tokyo to try and reduce the size of his head, spends time in California with a man and his five wives, tries his hand at painting with his own vomit in New York, and travels to Berlin to have his future predicted by a blind man, via his bum cheeks. Will his travels around the world bring him any closer to the meaning of life? Find out in his hilarious new book.Trade ReviewThe funniest man on the planet * * Spectator * *A hero for our times * * Mail on Sunday * *He's a moron. A completely round, empty-headed, part-chimp Manc -- Ricky Gervais

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen I am on a journey, all ties suddenly fall away. I feel myself quite unburdened, disconnected, free - There is something in it marvellously uplifting and invigorating. Whole past epochs suddenly return: nothing is lost, everything still full of inception, enticement. For the insatiably curious and ardent Europhile Stefan Zweig, travel was both a necessary cultural education and a personal balm for the depression he experienced when rooted in one place for too long. He spent much of his life weaving between the countries of Europe, visiting authors and friends, exploring the continent in the heyday of international rail travel. Comprising a lifetime's observations on Zweig's travels in Europe, this collection can be dipped into or savoured at length, and paints a rich and sensitive picture of Europe before the Second World War.Trade Review‘A fascinating glimpse into interwar Europe that still feels fresh today.’ — The Lady‘[The pieces] blend travel writing with a journalistic dedication.’ — Pendora Magazine'Zweig's accumulated historical and cultural studies [are] almost too impressive to take in.' — Clive James

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Irish Continent Michael Lynch explores the little-known Irish roots to be found all across South America. A short holiday turns into a seven-month extended stay as he digs deeper into this unexpected heritage. Along the way he almost gets caught up in a riot in Santiago, experiences a football match in Buenos Aires, takes a day-long trip across the desert from Asunción to Santa Cruz, and meets an elderly Argentinian woman who speaks with a curiously Irish accent. This entertaining travelogue, touching on an unsung part of Irish history, reveals a very personal connection to South America and looks at the continent through fresh eyes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCommemorating Cicerone's 50th year, Fifty Years of Adventure is a compilation of tales by Cicerone authors. A story to celebrate each year Cicerone has been publishing outdoor activity guidebooks, the collection is a delicious hotpot of adventures in their every shape and form. Soak up the sun, ice-cream in hand, with Aileen Evans on the Isle of Man coast path; discover the secret side of Snowdon with Rachel Crolla; cycle downhill for five weeks on the Danube Cycleway with Mike Wells; climb Kilimanjaro with Alex Stewart; and feel the sting of sub zero temperatures climbing K2 - the Savage Mountain - with Alan Hinkes. Also featured are ten tales of mishaps and misadventures that have befallen Cicerone authors while out and about, researching for a guidebook. Between stifling giggles and gasping out loud, gain greater insight into the mighty task that is guidebook writing. And in 'The Cicerone Story', learn about other aspects of guidebook creation, and discover how things have changed over the last fifty years. Accompanied by outstanding photography, each page of this finely crafted anniversary book is a veritable visual delight. As enchanting as it is inspiring, Fifty Years of Adventure is a must for anyone with an appreciation for adventure.Table of ContentsAn appreciation Prologue The Cicerone story: From then to now Fifty years: A timeline Out there: Adventures in the UK 1 Walk on the wild side (Phoebe Smith) 2 Glen Sligachan (Terry Marsh) 3 The Lochaber Traverse (Dan Bailey) 4 Climbing Orion Direct (Mike Pescod) 5 Loch Enoch (Ronald Turnbull) 6 A truly great mountain day (Mark Richards) 7 Intake Ridge (Brian Evans) 8 Running the Bob Graham Round (Joe Williams) 9 Bivvybag (Ronald Turnbull) 10 A walk with the gulls (Aileen Evans) 11 The Bowderdale Classic (Ian Boydon) 12 Magic among the Howgills (Dennis Kelsall) 13 The Pennine Way (Paddy Dillon) 14 The Tissington Trail (Chiz Dakin) 15 The secret side of Snowdon (Rachel Crolla) 16 Hergest Ridge (Mike Dunn) 17 The Thames Path (Leigh Hatts) Out there: Adventures in Europe 18 Signal Forbes (Kingsley Jones) 19 The Aletschgletscher (Kev Reynolds) 20 Bovški Gamsovec - a ‘lesser' gem (Roy Clark and Justi Carey) 21 The Tour of the Bernina (Gillian Price) 22 Sentiero de Luca and Via Ferrata delle Scalette (James Rushforth) 23 Stubai honeymoon (Allan Hartley) 24 Circling the Silvretta (Kev Reynolds) 25 The Zermatt Safari (Bill O'Connor) 26 Valscura (James Rushforth) 27 The Way of St Francis (Sandy Brown) 28 The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail (Alan Castle) 29 From ocean to sea through the Pyrenees (Brian Johnson) 30 Climbing La Torrecilla (Guy Hunter-Watts) 31 Cycling through history on the Danube Cycleway (Mike Wells) 32 The White Mountains of Crete (Loraine Wilson) 33 The GR20 (Paddy Dillon) Out there: Adventures worldwide 34 The best way to Bou Guemez (Hamish M Brown) 35 Exploring Morocco's Anti-Atlas (Jonathan Williams) 36 To climb Kilimanjaro (Alex Stewart) 37 Sterkhorn (Jeff Williams) 38 The Jordan Trail (Tony Howard) 39 Kyrgyzstan's Tian Shan (Madeline Williams) 40 The Leslie-Karamea Track (Grant Bourne) 41 The Three Capes Track (Rob Houghton) 42 Tippex on the summit of the Americas (Jim Ryan) 43 In search of Alpamayo (Kev Reynolds) 44 The Inca Trail (Will Janecek) 45 The Torres del Paine Circuit (Rudolf Abraham) 46 The Lunana Snowman Trek (Bart Jordans) 47 The heaven and hell of Mount Kailash (Si#xe2;n Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons) 48 The Manaslu Circuit (Kev Reynolds) 49 To Zanskar along the Tsarab Chu (Radek Kucharski) 50 K2 - the Savage Mountain (Alan Hinkes) Mishaps and misadventures Making a splash (Kev Reynolds) Struck by lightning (Dan Bailey) Travels in Iceland (Paddy Dillon) Close encounter of the Germanic kind (Guy Hunter-Watts) Rainy lessons in the Dolomites (Gillian Price) No pain, no gain (Brian Johnson) CD-Day (Mark Richards) The saddle (Ian Boydon) Horsing about in Ghorepani (Si#xe2;n Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons) Avalanche (Mike Pescod) An adventurous bunch: Contributing authors The Cicerone team Photo credits and captions

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat does it feel like to move through a world designed to limit and exclude you? What are the joys and pains of holidays for people of colour, when guidebooks are never written with them in mind? How are black lives today impacted by the othering legacy of colonial cultures and policies? What can travel tell us about our sense of self, of home, of belonging and identity? Why has the world order become hostile to human mobility, as old as humanity itself, when more people are on the move than ever? Nanjala Nyabola is constantly exploring the world, working with migrants and confronting complex realities challenging common assumptions – both hers and others’. From Nepal to Botswana, Sicily to Haiti, New York to Nairobi, her sharp, humane essays ask tough questions and offer surprising, deeply shocking and sometimes funny answers. It is time we saw the world through her eyes.Trade Review'Reading Travelling While Black feels like engaging in a conversation that I have always wanted to have. … Inspirational, thoughtful and informative' -- The World Today'Travelling While Black constantly urges us to look beyond the self, to larger historical acts, to contextualise our, and others’ lives. All this without losing sight of our humanity.' -- Travel Writing World

Read more less

Book SynopsisTraveling with the Atom is a historical travel guide to the development of one of the most significant and enduring ideas in the history of humankind: the atomic concept. This history covers the notable places and landmarks commemorating this achievement, visiting homesteads, graveyards, laboratories, apartments, abbeys and castles, through picturesque rural villages and working class municipalities. From Montreal to Manchester, via some of the most elegant and romantic cities in Europe, Traveling with the Atom guides the reader on a trip through the lives and minds of the great thinkers who collectively unveiled the mystery of the atom. Fully illustrated and interspersed with intriguing and insightful notes throughout, this book is an ideal companion for the wandering scientist, their students, friends and companions or quintessential fireside reading for lovers of science and travel.Trade ReviewTraveling with the Atom provides a panoramic view of atomic scientists, their lives and times, and the places connected with them. The geographical space covered extends from North America to New Zealand with obvious emphasis on Europe. Only someone who loves traveling and science could produce such a book. It may be a guide for visits , but it is also a captivating read. It informs and entertains, and urges the reader to embark on adventures to find the venues described in the book and to make further discoveries. -- Istvan Hargittai, Author of the Martians of Science and Buried GloryI predict that anyone with the slightest interest in chemistry will enjoy this book. The armchair traveller can simply see it as an attractive historical survey through the development of the atomic theory, while the intrepid explorer can use it alongside railway timetables and airline schedules to plot visits across Europe to the homesteads, graveyards, laboratories, apartments, abbeys and castles of their chemistry heroes. Warmly recommended! -- Alan Dronsfield, Chemistry World March 2020Traveling with the Atom is a fast-paced, whiz-bang adventure chock full of nerdy details, wry humor, little-known facts and anecdotes, plus solid history and science as the framework. This makes for a wonderful journey, from a traveler in a rocking chair to a spaceship traveling at the speed of light. -- Mary Virginia Orna, author of The Lost Elements: The Periodic Table's Shadow Side and Science History: A Traveler's GuideAs someone who has had the privilege and pleasure of living in James Clerk Maxwell’s home for over 60 years I can well appreciate the importance and magic of seeing such places first-hand. -- Captain Duncan Ferguson RN, Chairman, The Maxwell at Glenlair TrustThis book is a delight to read and a great encouragement to travel. In reading about the life and research of Rutherford the reader cannot avoid being impressed by the numerous great new results he obtained at all the places he worked from Montreal to Manchester to Cambridge! -- Jean Barrette, Emeritus Professor, Department of Physics, McGill UniversityI liked this book and learned a lot from it. Highly recommended for the armchair or deckchair traveller. -- Bill Griffith, Emeritus Professor, Imperial College LondonTable of ContentsTraveling with the History of the Atomic Concept; Bookending the Atom; Pneumatists Set the Atomic Stage; Hard Spheres and Pictograms, The First Concrete Atomic Theory; Electricity and the Atom; The Brits, Led by the "Crocodile" and His Boys, Take the Atom Apart; Scientists at the Heart of Westminster Abbey; The New French Chemistry and Atomism; Atoms Go South; Questioning the Reality of Atoms on the Ground; Lighting the Dark Path to Atomism; The Danes Jump in; Röntgen Rays Revolutionize Physics and Lead to the Inner Atom; The Discovery That Atoms "Fly to Bits"; Quantum Mechanics Reluctantly Proposed; Quantum Mechanics Brings Uncertainty to the Atom; Nuclear Physics with "the Pope"; Mendeleev's and Our Path to the Periodic Table; Stockholm, the Atom, and the Nobel Prizes; Appendix; Place Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The introductory account of Mr. Brunton's pony-back journey up the mountainside has real charm. One of his most interesting chapters gives a practical-minded consideration to the probable future of Tibet.' New York TimesPaul Brunton was one of a very small number of his generation to travel in India and Tibet so extensively at a time when very few were doing so with such insight and discernment. His journalistic skills produced magnificent descriptions of the snowy peaks and high-desert landscapes of the Himalayan region, but it was the lessons he learned from the holy men he met on his journey that transformed him into one of the great interpreters of the East. In this magnificent spirituality classic, he explains that we all need 'oases of calm in a world of storm', no matter what era we are living in, and that to retreat from our everyday lives for a while is not weakness but strength. By taking the trouble to discover the deep silence within us we will find the benefits of being linked to an 'infinite power, an infinite wisdom, an infinite goodness'. A Hermit In The Himalayas is a fascinating blend of travel writing and profound spiritual experience. As we accompany the author on his journey through the vast Himalayas ranges towards Mount Kailas in Tibet, he also shows us an even more remarkable - and timeless - inner path which will help us cope with the ups and downs of our contemporary world.Trade ReviewHis work is excellent. It has life, colour, movement * The Times *He has a really unusual gift for describing the majesty of the mountains, stark or snow-bound, under sun, moon and stars...his feeling and his vision are fresh. * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Liberating and life affirming' Fearne Cotton 'A thrilling, tender, utterly absorbing book. It's an unforgettable debut' Cheryl StrayedA soul-stirring read for the wanderer in each of us, To Shake the Sleeping Self is an unforgettable reflection on adventure, identity and a life lived without regret.On the eve of turning thirty, terrified of being funnelled into a life he didn't choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent sixteen months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip online, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living?Trade ReviewI am in awe ... you must pick up a copy. It's liberating and life affirming in multiple ways -- Fearne CottonThrilling, tender, utterly absorbing ... Every chapter shimmered with truth ... An unforgettable debut -- Cheryl Strayed, author of WildThought-provoking and inspirational . . . This uplifting memoir and travelogue will remind readers of the power of movement for the body and the soul * Publishers Weekly *Jedidiah Jenkins is a storyteller and one of those humans that makes everything about them seem inviting * USA Today *Jedidiah Jenkins is a mystic disguised as a millennial -- Tom Shadyac, author of Life's Operating Manual

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Riding a bike removes the need for clutter, toys, rubbish that other men have to take on holiday. If I want adrenaline, I'll rush a giddy overtake, not rent a jet ski." The world through the eyes of Dan Walsh is never less than Technicolor, and always uninhibited, rebellious and on the edge. Not since the days of Jupiter's Travels has one man embarked on such an angry, narcotic-fuelled bike trek around the world. "For me, Chile will always be South America's supermodel sister - very beautiful but too long, too skinny, and too expensive to ride, and despite the groovy exterior, unpleasantly right-wing underneath."Dan has travelled the length and breadth of the world on his BMW F650 GS Dakar. Along the way he's visited Buenos Aires, where 'revolutionary' means the angry poor invading the presidential palace, not a really small phone that's also a camera. He's been mistaken for a bum in New York, bashed by deadly tequila in Mexico, contracted typhoid in a dilapidated Bolivian hotel, and visited The Most Beautiful Road in the World in Peru. "I get my bum pinched by a tranny, my pocket picked by a grifter and get a gun pulled on me by a one-eyed, one-armed midget who's upset cause I winked at him. These are the days that must happen to you."Soaked in adrenaline and coruscatingly funny, Dan Walsh is the rightful heir to Ted Simon as the pre-eminent biker-rebel of our generation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation’s heart and became the best-selling travel book ever, and was also voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain.Now, to mark the twentieth anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, by way of places that many people never get to at all, Bryson sets out to rediscover the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly unique country that he thought he knew but doesn’t altogether recognize any more. Yet, despite Britain’s occasional failings and more or less eternal bewilderments, Bill Bryson is still pleased to call our rainy island home. And not just because of the cream teas, a noble history, and an extra day off at Christmas.Once again, with his matchless homing instinct for the funniest and quirkiest, his unerring eye for the idiotic, the endearing, the ridiculous and the scandalous, Bryson gives us an acute and perceptive insight into all that is best and worst about Britain today.Music written and performed by Richard Digance, inspired by The Road to Little DribblingTrade ReviewWarm, funny, thoughtful, sometimes grumpy. An absolute joy.+ in Country Life: I snorted with laughter…The Road to Little Dribbling is consistently and unendingly fabulous…I intend on buying a copy for everyone I know. * Clare Balding *Fans should expect to chuckle, snort, snigger, grunt, laugh out loud and shake with recognition…a clotted cream and homemade jam scone of a treat. * Sunday Times *Is it the funniest travel book I’ve read all year? Of course it is. * Daily Telegraph *There were moments when I snorted out loud with laughter while reading this book in public…He can be as gloriously silly as ever. * The Times *Bryson has no equal. He combines the charm and humour of Michael Palin with the cantankerousness of Victor Meldrew and the result is a benign intolerance that makes for a gloriously funny read. * Daily Express *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExperience a new history of Scotland told through its places. Writers Kathleen Jamie, Alexander McCall Smith, Alistair Moffat, James Robertson and James Crawford pick twenty-five buildings to tell the story of the nation. Travelling across the country, from abandoned islands and lonely glens to the heart of our modern cities, these five authors seek out the diverse narrative of the Scottish people. Follow Kathleen Jamie as she searches for the traces of our first family hearths in the Cairngorms and makes a midsummer journey to Shetland to meet the unlikely new inhabitants of an Iron Age broch. Tour the wondrous and macabre Surgeons’ Hall with Alexander McCall Smith, or walk with him over sacred ground to Iona’s ancient Abbey. Join Alistair Moffat as he discovers a lost whisky village in the wilds of Strathconon, and climbs up through the vertiginous layers of history in Edinburgh Castle. Accompany James Robertson as he goes from the standing stones of Callanish to the humble cottage of Hugh MacDiarmid – via the engineering colossus of the Forth Rail Bridge. And journey with James Crawford from a packed crowd in Hampden Park, to an off-the-grid eco-bothy on the Isle of Eigg. Who Built Scotland is a landmark exploration of Scotland’s social, political and cultural histories. Moving from Neolithic families, exiled hermits and ambitious royal dynasties to highland shieling girls, peasant poets, Enlightenment philosophers and iconoclastic artists, it places our people, our ideas and our passions at the heart of our architecture and archaeology. This is the remarkable story how we have shaped our buildings and how our buildings, in turn, have shaped us.Trade Review'The 25 essays are all admirable appreciations of buildings – or of landscapes and places from which buildings have long disappeared. They are written with knowledge and enthusiasm and the photographs are gorgeous . . . [Who Built Scotland] is very enjoyable and rich in information. You would have to be quite exceptionally knowledgeable not to learn much from it, and it certainly paints a fine picture of our strange and varied country and its history' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'The quality of the writing is uniformly high . . . This is a very good book; edifying and, at times, revelatory' * The Herald *'A fascinating alternative take on the country's social, political and cultural histories . . . While the buildings are the focus of this book, the stories of the people who built them and use them are what really stay in the mind. It's easy to think of buildings as inanimate but this book demonstrates the life behind them.' - 5 star review. * Scottish Field *'the history is skilfully woven throughout the course of the book in a way that is intriguing and easy to follow . . . It really reads as an epic love story to Scotland' * The Courier *''The result is a book that is by turns inspiring and fascinating; a book that gives perspective to Scotland's many and varied architectural traditions; and a book that gives context to the Scotland we see around us today . . . There's one sense in which the title of the book is misleading in that you find rather more than 25 buildings between its covers. Some contributions cover themes or groups of buildings rather than individual structures. The effect is to broaden further the scope of the book and adds to its already considerable lasting value.' * Undiscovered Scotland *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho really looks after British interests abroad? Behind the pomp of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, another powerful force is busily but discreetly propping up the image of UK plc. For 28 years, Julia was a diplomatic spouse, juggling a growing family while supporting the demands of her husband’s role. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes terrifying, she reveals the realities of life as an ambassador’s wife, from food shortages to terrorist incidents to rubbing shoulders with the Queen, Mrs Thatcher and George Best – and rubbing knees with Mikhail Gorbachev. Light-hearted in style, The Ambassador’s Wife Tale has a serious core message: that the diplomatic wife stands centre-stage as the drama of world affairs unfolds.Trade Review`Suspenseful and gripping...the last days of the Libya posting are as breathless as scenes in the Oscar-winning film Argo’ Daily Mail, `Julia Miles describes with accuracy as well as with fine humour the varied, challenging and daunting tasks that wives of diplomats have to manage, often under very difficult circumstances’ Express Tribune

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTurreted fairytale peaks, glistening snowfields, waterfalls plunging over immense cliffs into the sea, a million tons of ice capsizing - this is the setting for "Fallen Pieces of the Moon", an account of a kayak trip along the west coast of Greenland, paddling about 150 miles of coastline in the Nuuk fjords area. Into the day-to-day account of contending with unsettled weather such as fog, unstable icebergs, midges and bugs by the billion, are woven insights into Inuit culture - their language, their shamanic practices, their hunting and navigation techniques and much more. On the way, the reader learns a great deal about the Arctic animals, pollution and the Arctic environment. Information on the early Arctic whalers, when whole fleets were beset and crushed by ice, is included; and an appreciation will be gained of the hardships endured by the Viking settlers and explorers such as Frobisher and Franklin who suffered scurvy, frostbite and starvation. Told with humour, the book is endlessly informative and entertaining on topics ranging from cannibalism, kayak rolling and Inuit string games to cargo cults or how the invention of bully beef influenced naval tactics." Fallen Pieces of the Moon" is a celebration of a sparse, billion-year-old landscape where the roots of things, both physical and human, seem less hidden. It conveys something of the wonder and awe that Greenland inspires in all who have been there. It describes days of absolute stillness, sliding though shoals of waxing suns; ephemeral cloudscapes on broad-winged breezes; a high corrie where jet black ravens float in a crystal bowl of Alpine air; and the ever-present icebergs like cathedrals of glass, like floating jewels, like fallen pieces of the moon.Trade Review'Anyone who has read Robin's previous kayaking book 'Argonauts of the Western Isles' will not be disappointed... ...one of the most attractive aspects of the bookis its use as a vehicle to introduce all sorts of little side stories and items of information, mostly historical'. Scottish Paddler -------------------- '...a celebration of a sparse and ancient landscape. ...numerous excellent photographs in both black and white and colour. ...is a well-written book that is both thoughtful and thought provoking. It does a good job of communicating something of the wonder and awe that Greenland inspired in the author. For anyone in the arctic and Inuit history and culture, this is the perfect sea kayaking book to enjoy while curled up in front of a warm fire this winter'. QUYAQ -------------------- '...endless interesting facts which will make it essential background reading for anyone going into the Arctic. If you are into sea kayaks or even the wider aspects of travel you will find this a fascinating read with a succession of interesting ideas along with the paddling narrative'. Canoeist -------------------- '...a journey through a wonderland of snow, ice, giant sea cliffs and a look at the west coast of Greenland that few people other than native Inuits can have seen. ...provides a close up of the Inuit way of life, their traditional methods of hunting, navigation, language, string games and their survival...this tale will give much enjoyment. Highly recommended'. Sea Breezes -------------------- '...few people will read this book without wishing to follow in the writer's paddle strokes. ...is one of the most engaging kayaking books I have read in a long time and it comes thoroughly recommended to paddlers of all abilities. The only disappointment I had was that it came to an end far too quickly...' Sea Paddler

Read more less

Book SynopsisNo railway journey on Earth can equal the Trans-Siberian between Moscow and Vladivostok. It is not just its vast length and the great variety of the lands and climes through which it passes. It is not just its history as the line that linked the huge territories which are Russia together. It is a dream which calls countless travellers to the adventure of the longest railway in the world. This new edition of a classic anthology takes us through the tremendous achievement of the railways construction across harsh, unsettled lands through the earliest journeys of Western travellers and the trains on which they travelled, and their descriptions of fellow travellers, food, scenery, domestic arrangements, adventures on and off the train, convicts, revolution and war as the train carried them through a lonely, lovely landscape.Table of ContentsForeword Bryn ThomasIntroduction Deborah ManleyIntroduction to 1988 Edition Deborah Manley1 The DreamThe Trans-Siberian Railway Thundering Through the House Lesley Blanch, 1968From Moscow to Vladivostok Baedeker, 1914I'll Give You Siberia! Lesley Blanch, 1968The Sheer Size of It Bassett Digby, 1928Dreaming with Baedeker Lesley Blanch, 1968A Day in 1908 Lindon Bates JrTransport Across the Country A. Rado, 1929The Strategic Dream Sir Henry Norman 1901A Cure for the Insomniac Harry de Windt, 1901Looking Backward to the Future Lindon Bates Jr. 1908The Rossiya Westwards Paul Theroux, 19742 The Railway The Vast Enterprise James Young Simpson, 1897The Time has Come Guide to the Great Siberian Railway, 1900Underway Guide to the Great Siberian Railway, 1900Working on the Line James Young Simpson, 1897The Great Siberian Iron Road James Young Simpson, 1897Remission through Labour James Young Simpson, 1897Good in Parts William Oliver Greener, 1902Bailkal's Lurid Past Bassett Digby, 1928Crossing Lake Baikal Eric Newby, 1977Criminals and Ice-Breakers Sir Henry Norman, 19013 The TrainRailways and Other Means of Communication Baedeker, 1914The Dream of Service Harmon Tupper, 1965The Real Siberian Express Annette Meakin, 1900Variations Harmon Tupper, 1965Finery and Faults Sir Henry Norman, 1901The Siberian Train de Luxe Francis E. Clark, 1900Third Class into Siberia Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Seventh Class in Trans-Baikal Francis E Clark, 1900Travelling Hard Helen Wilson and Elsie Mitchell, 1927The Bolshevik Train Malcom Burr, 1930Chai Maurice Baring, 1905How the Russian Eats! John Foster Fraser, 1901The Big Red Train Eric Newby, 1977The Toilets Deborah Manley, 1986Between the Carriages Deborah Manley, 19864 Preparations for the JourneyPolice and Passports Murray's Handbook for Travellers, 1893Essentials and Useful Items Bryn Thomas, 2007Life on the Train Bryn Thomas, 2007Clothing 1917 Russian Year Book Photography 1917 Russian Year Book For the Benefit of Photographers William Oliver Greener, 1903Taking Photographs Peter Fleming, 1933Photography Extract from Intourist booklet, 1986Literature Murray's Handbook for Travellers, 1893Blacked John Foster Fraser, 1901Russian Custom-House Murray's Handbook for Travellers in Russia, Poland and Finland, 18875 Revolution and WarPause for Revolution Maurice Baring, 1906To War by Train General Sir Brian Horrocks, 1919Prisoner of the Bolsheviks General Sir Brian Horrocks, 1919Journey to the East Doreen Stanford, 1919After the War Helen Wilson and Elsie Mitchell, 1927Railway Defence Noel Barber, 19396 Siberians, Travellers and WorkersSettling Siberia Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Once a Convict Lindon Bates Jr, 1910At the Stations Francis E. Clark, 1900Fellow Passengers John Foster Fraser, 1901Fellow Passengers Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910 Businessmen Morgan Phillips Price, 1911Reading Together Maurice Baring, 1905The Train Staff Christopher Portway, 1970Undesirable Company Paul Theroux, 1974Fellow Tourists Bob Geldof, 19787 Into Russia and Onward from Moscow Routes from England to Russia Baedeker, 1914To Moscow with Love Annette Meakin, 1900Moscow John Foster Fraser, 1901The Start from Moscow John Foster Fraser, 1901Departure and Farewells Leo Deutsch, 1884Cattle Truck to Siberia Esther Hautzig, 1941The First Day Out John Foster Fraser, 1901Eastern Russia Michael Myers Shoemaker, 1902Left Behind Deborah Manley, 1984Perm: A Russian City Bryn Thomas, 2007First Stages John Foster Fraser, 1901Over the Urals Michael Myers Shoemaker, 1902Over the Urals George Kennan, 1891The Trans-Siberian Time Warp Bryn Thomas, 2007Europe: Asia George Kennan, 1891Life Aboard, 1933 Peter Fleming, 1933No Dining Car Malcom Burr, 1930Beyond the Urals John Foster Fraser, 1901 Onward from Chelyabinsk Michael Myers Shoemaker, 1902One Day in Ekaterinburg Eric Newby, 1977Third Class Through Siberia Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Ugly Monotony Peter Fleming, 1933The Verstmen Samuel Turner, 1903Omsk (Zone time of the 5th Zone plus 3 hours) A. Rado, 1929Omsk A--- The Coming City Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Omsk Baedeker, 1914The Post Train - Taiga - Tomsk Annette Meakin, 1900Tomsk - A City of Orgies and Education Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910The Tarakan Samuel Turner, 1903The Taiga Malcolm Burr, 1930Krasnoyarsk: A Siberian Commercial Town Morgan Phillips Price, 1910Trans-Siberian Excess Chris Moss, 20078 IrkutskContinuation of the Railway Journey to Irkutsk Baedeker, 1914Arriving at Irkutsk Lindon Bates Jr, 1908Hardly What One Would Expect Archibald Colquhoun, 1898Sights of Irkutsk Sir Henry Norman, 1901Irkutsk, the Unregenerate Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Off the Big Red Train Eric Newby, 19779 Crossing Lake BaikalLake Baikal Guide to the Trans-Siberian Railway, 1900The World's Deepest Lake Bryn Thomas, 2007Crossing the Holy Sea Westwards Francis E. Clark, 1900The Winter Passage Michael Myers Shoemaker, 1902Across the Great Lake John Foster Fraser, 1901Baikal's Past Bassett Digby, 1928Baikal in Winter Maurice Baring, 190510 To Vladivostok From Irkutsk to Vladivostok Baedeker, 1914Transbaikalia Annette Meakin, 1900Chita Guide to the Trans-Siberian Railway, 1900Through Chita to Manchuria Michael Myers Shoemaker, 1902Mail to Transbaikalia Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910Crash! Peter Fleming, 1933On to Stretensk Bassett Digby and Richardson Wright, 1910The End in Sight Christopher Portway, 19704140 km. Vladivostock A. Rado, 1929Journey's End Eric Newby, 197711 Different Perspectives: East to WestExpress Trains from Vladivostock Marcus Taft, 1907Off from Vladivostock Francis E. Clark, 1899Gateway to the USSR Noel Barber, 1939From the Edge of the World Paul Theroux, 1974Khabarovsk Paul Theroux, 1974Stretensk to Irkutsk Francis E. Clark, 1900Out of Asia and into Europe Francis E. Clark, 1900Growing Siberia Noel Barber, 1939Along the Way Noel Barber, 1939End of the Journey Paul Theroux, 1974The Travellers' BiographiesAcknowledgements Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the present-day street life of Ginza, to the heights of Mount Fuji in the company of 16th-century traveller and poet Basho: the most recent addition of Eland's through writers' eyes series brings together a chorus of voices from Japan and across the globe. Detailed introductions stemming from Elizabeth Ingram's own experiences as a traveller, (later a resident) and journalist in Japan, develop a lively and intimate portrait of towns and provinces, making it an ideal companion. A library in the palm of your hand: extracts of prose, poetry and novels from a rich variety of writers, including Jan Morris, Nicolas Bouvier, Oswald Wynd, Peter Popham, Basho, Yasunari Kawabata, Alan Booth, Futabei Shimei, Angela Carter, Joao Rodrigues and Mary Crawford Fraser. It is a source book for those visiting Japan for the first time and for expatriates. One must never forget that for all the talk of the new Asia, the Japanese economy is still bigger than that of India and China combined.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor ten hair-raising years, Andrew Graham-Yooll was the news editor of the Buenos Aires Herald. All around him friends and acquaintances were "disappearing". Although the slightest mistake might have caused his own disappearance, he did not shrink from getting firsthand experience of this war of terror; he attended clandestine guerilla conferences, helped relatives trace the missing, and took tea with a torturer who was not ashamed to make the most chilling confessions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA naturalist's account of the rich flora and wildlife encountered during an eight-day walk across the massif of Tymphi in Zagori, Greece.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCorinna Sargood, who illustrated Patience Gray?s Honey from a Weed, spends several months each year in Mexico with her partner, Richard, a furniture maker. They live a simple life, renting a home in the Village in the Valley, south of Mexico City, a life she began in her fifties.When Corinna was fifty, she first travelled to Mexico, with Richard, her partner of a few months standing. She had a commission to illustrate a book by the novelist Angela Carter.?Angela Carter had asked me to make another series of lino cuts to illustrate the second Virago Book of Fairy Tales that she was editing. As I had calculated that it would take about 3 months to complete, it seemed a good opportunity to decamp to another country and to work there. Angela was a great friend of mine.?Corinna and Richard just took a few clothes hoping to establish their first home together. Most of the time they ended up with leaking roofs, dirt floors that became a sea of mud when they stepped out of bed, and the only shower a bucket of water en plein air, behind a make shift plastic sheet.The book is a love story, a memoir and a travel diary. In addition, the book contains Corinna?s escapades in Italy as a young woman.Corinna and Richard now live in Frome, Somerset, where they live a creative life, illustrating and making furniture, in their seventies.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on a lifetime living in and reporting on Germany and Central Europe, award-winning journalist and author Peter Millar tackles the fascinating and complex story of the people at the heart of our continent. Focussing on nine cities (only six of which are in the Germany of today) he takes us on a zigzag ride back through time via the fall of the Berlin Wall through the horrors of two world wars, the patchwork states of the Middle Ages, to the splendour of Charlemagne and the fall of Rome, with side swipes at everything on the way, from Henry VIII to the Spanish Empire. Included are mini portraits of aspects of German culture from sex and money to food and drink. Not just a book about Germany but about Europe as a whole and how we got where we are today, and where we might be tomorrow.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJust Hugh is a portrait of Hugh Leach, an end-of-era soldier, diplomat, traveller and, above all, charismatic enthusiast. The title reflects his passion for Just William books, one of his many and varied interests. To echo a phrase that Hugh used on the flyleaf of his Strolling About on the Roof of the World, the 'fons et origo' of these memories was an idea mooted at his memorial service in April 2016, five months after his death. The book combines anecdotes and recollections submitted after that service with others previously received for his RSAA obituary, together with Hugh's own reminiscences in his later years. Tales from twenty-five years of service between the Nile and the Euphrates and travels throughout Central Asia are interwoven with biographical details to create a 'memory book' of this unique, much missed, man of many parts.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA time-travelling, genealogical adventure, bringing pre-industrial, rural, eighteenth-century England vividly to life on the page. One day Ian Marchant, acclaimed author of books on music, railways and pubs, decided, as all men of a certain age must, to have a dig around his family history. Surprisingly quickly, a web search informed him that his seven-times-great great-grandfather, Thomas Marchant had left a detailed diary from 1714 to 1728. So far, so jolly ... Life-loving diarist Thom - who liked a drink and a game of cards - feels recognisably Marchant to Ian. With fascinating, immersive detail we learn about Thom's family farm and fishponds; about dung, horses and mud; about beer, the wife's nights out, his own job troubles and their shared worries for their children. But as Ian digs deeper beyond the Sussex diary's bucolic portrait he discovers a subtext - a family descended from immigrants, with anti-establishment politics, who are struggling with illness, political instability and cash crises - just as their country does three centuries on. 'When I was reflecting late one January evening on the differences between Thom and me, I realised the unbridgeable thing that comes between us is industrialisation. He lived right at its beginning, while I am living somewhere towards its end. Old Thom Marchant was one of the last people before industrialisation to understand how his world worked - and how to be largely self-sufficient in it. He knew where his food came from, his fuel, his water, his clothes. He knew how the welfare system worked, and was part of its administration; he knew who looked after the roads, too. He collected taxes. He was not separate from the system, but part of it.' Rich with immersive detail, One Fine Day draws a living portrait of Marchant family life in the 1720s and how their England (rainy, muddy, politically turbulent, illness-ridden) became the England of the 2020s.Trade Review'Elegiac, consistently funny, deeply moving.' - Richard Beard; 'Ian Marchant is one of England's most original writers. One Fine Day is a masterwork.' - Monique Roffey; ‘I enjoyed it hugely, and was strangely moved.' - Deborah Moggach; ‘Bloody marvellous.’ - New Statesman

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLight, portable and high in value, amber is an ideal commodity for long-distance trade. An Amber Route, comparable to the Silk Road, ran from the Baltic to the Mediterranean for thousands of years. In Along the Amber Route, C.J. Schüler follows this route by bus, train and boat for 2,500 kilometres along river valleys, forest paths and Roman roads. His journey traces both the greatest fault lines of European geopolitics and his own family’s history. As he explores lands contested by Romans and Vandals, Teutons and Slavs, lost empires and the former Iron Curtain, Schüler must also confront his own family history, Nazism and the Holocaust.Trade ReviewCharming. * The Daily Mail *Wonderful account of the story of amber. * Late Night Live on ABC *This timely and powerful book is more than an enticing travelogue or a paean to amber. * The Financial Times *Packed with intriguing diversions through former Soviet states, the author's journey begins in St Petersburg's Amber Room and intertwines with the story of his grandfather's flight from Nazi Germany. * Lonely Planet *A rich and rewarding read, providing a kaleidoscopic multi-layered view of Central Europe.’ * BookBlast *Crisp, quirky dialogue and incisive scene-sketching [...] full of incident and anecdote and the oddest facts imaginable. Pure pleasure.Artfully woven into these stories is a contemporary travelogue of [Schüler’s] experience; a poetic memoir of his experience of constantly moving through these landscapesAn excellent book, and perfect holiday reading. Deeply moving. * Edward Biddulph, Oxford Archaeology *Schüler is the perfect guide to this complex history. * Vanora Bennett *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Harrison’s Forgotten Footprints is the untold story of the sailors, sealers and eccentrics who discovered the last continent: Antarctica. A thrilling record of lost triumph and tragedy, a saga of adventure and ambition against all odds, and a compelling insight into extraordinary personalities and the times that shaped them, Forgotten Footprints captures the fascination of this most extreme, mysterious and beautiful of environments in John Harrison’s characteristically vivid and affecting prose.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wide-ranging collection of essays from new and established voices writing about nature, environment, conservation, biodiversity and the challenges that London faces to protect green spaces from urban development as well as the drive towards rewilding. The first of four books about London's wildlife, this edition focuses on the green spaces of Richmond Deer Park, Barnes Wetlands, Kew Gardens, Gunnersbury Triangle, Crane Park, Chiswick House, Bushy Park and many others.Trade Review"This slim volume of 136 pages with hard covers and numerous colour photos immediately exudes quality...It consists of a series of 14 essays covering different sites or areas of West London, written by ten different authors, interspersed with many colour photos (including double-page spreads). The diverse writing styles of the different authors add to the charm of the book, each seemingly representing an authentic voice of experience and expertise. In addition, between each chapter, there is a full-page image opposite a short ‘inspirational quote’, generally well-chosen and apposite; while some may see these as ’padders’, we found them useful to give the book space to breathe, the rest of the pages being either full of words and photos, or completely given over to large images. All too often such places are suffering at the hands of Man, and so need the sorts of actions, understanding and care that are amply demonstrated here. Each individual story could provide such inspiration for somebody faced with similar challenges, wherever they are." -- Chris and Jude Gilbert; "A gorgeous photography book showcasing some gorgeous wildlife featured in London. I often feel you see so much of the historical side and building ect so this is quite nice to see as well. I think readers will really enjoy it." ***** Jill Speedman - Librarian, Netgalley reviewer; "Having lived in West London all my life I was really interested to see what areas I knew here. My local venue in here is Ruislip lido, loved reading about the history of the lido. Many places in here I have visited and a few I haven't like the Wetland but this will be on my list. Beautiful photographs my favourites ones are the red deer and Jackdaw and mandarin duck both by James Yates, both stunning I would absolutely love to frame these photographs." ***** -- Lucy Cawte - Netgalley reviewer; "Beautiful photography throughout is interspersed with inspirational quotes by such diverse characters as William Shakespeare, Andy Warhol and Sir David Attenborough. Divided into chapters about different areas of open space in West London, there are a whole host of interesting facts about the biodiversity that can be found there. It has given me a taste for what I might see when next I venture to explore some of the beautiful parks and other wild spaces near me." ***** Sue Hill - Netgalley reviewer

Read more less

Book SynopsisOff the coast of Istanbul, in the Marmara Sea, lie the Princes' Islands. An archipelago of unusual natural beauty, they have long been considered the maritime suburb of the imperial capital on the Bosporus and effectively shaped by its manifold history. The poet Joachim Sartorius draws a loving portrait of the landscape and the light; the political observer Sartorius describes the microcosm, which was always a reflection of Istanbul-Constantinople-Byzantium, while the novelist Sartorius introduces us to the characters, who inhabit this time capsule.Trade Review'This book is a ravishing account of the enchantment of a poet by the landscape, rekindling in us the wish to buy a ticket at once and embark for the islands' -Orhan Pamuk

Read more less