Alexander's Path --Freya Stark's long out-of-print travelogue has finally been reissued. Intrigued by the famous journey taken by Alexander the Great over 2000 years earlier, Stark set out with two guides to retrace Alexander's route across Turkey. Her tale, filled with adventure and history, provides a vivid portrait of Turkey and its people. A classic of the travel genre. $13.95
Annapurna: A Woman’s Place--In 1978, a team of 13 women became the first Americans to reach the summit of Annapurna I, at 26,540 feet the tenth highest peak in the world. Arlene Blum, the leader of the expedition, recounts the story of this historic achievement in her wonderful book, reissued this year for the 20th anniversary of the ascent. Blum’s clear, engrossing prose takes the reader from the early planning stages to the successful climb itself. The challenges faced by Blum and her team went beyond altitude, exposure, avalanches and exhaustion. The team encountered resistance to even the concept of women attempting such a dangerous climb. $16.00
More detailed review
The Cloud Forest --Peter Matthiessen's classic adventure is happily back in print. It is the tale of his trip through 20,000 miles of South American wilderness, from the Amazon rain forests to Machu Picchu and south to Tierra del Fuego. As he follows in the footsteps of old explorers he discovers adventures all his own, and we feel lucky to be along for the ride. $12.95
Another newly reprinted Matthiessen classic:
Under the Mountain Wall: A Chronicle of Two Seasons in Stone Age New Guinea.$12.95
The Desert Road to Turkestan --First published in 1929, this is Owen Lattimore's account of his honeymoon with his wife Eleanor on a camel caravan trip along the Silk Road. Unfortunately for them both, caravan etiquette forces the new groom to travel separately from his wife through Mongolia to Chinese Turkestan. Lattimore must brave unfriendly soldiers, non-existent maps, untrustworthy guides and a blinding blizzard to be reunited with his bride. A legendary adventurer describes one of his most fascinating exploits. $16.00
Edith Wharton Abroad: Selected Travel Writings, 1888-1920 --Sarah Bird Wright has collected the best and most evocative of Edith Wharton's travel writings into one volume, and since many of Wharton's books on travel are out of print, Wright has done us all a real favor! Here you will find Wharton's descriptions of hidden corners of Europe, Morocco and the Mediterranean, with an especially well-trained eye focused on the art, architecture and gardens of those regions. Now in paper. $14.95
The Great Railway Bazaar --As a child Paul Theroux was fascinated by trains, and as an adult he did what few people ever do--he lived out his childhood dream of riding on every major train route through exotic parts of the world. Here he describes in vivid, and sometimes hilarious, detail his travels on the Orient Express, the Khyber Mail, and the Trans-Siberian Express, and the people and places he encounters throughout Turkey, Iran, India, Southeast Asia, Japan and the Soviet Union. $13.95
In the Cities and Jungles of Brazil --Paul Rambali takes you on a tour of Brazil's crowded cities and wild jungles, its mix of cultures and people, and its complex history and politics in this absorbing book. He brings all the passion and personalities of Brazil vividly to life, and creates a memorable portrait of this fascinating country. $12.95
Into a Desert Place --Graham Mackintosh fell in love with Baja California on his very first visit, and despite being broke and very inexperienced, the determined Englishman decided to walk its entire 3000-mile coast. This lively, often harrowing book is his account of that walk, what he observed and learned along the way, and especially how he survived. Winner of the London Adventurous Traveller of the Year Award, this memoir is truly astounding. $14.00
Jaguars Ripped My Flesh --Tim Cahill, one of the founders of Outside Magazine, writes hilariously of his trips to remote, wild parts of the world. He is invariably met with some disaster or malfunction that allows you to feel safe (if not smug) in the knowledge that you would never be caught dead in such a situation. Whether gorilla-watching in Rwanda, sea snake hunting in the Philippines or flying into the eye of a hurricane with U.S. stormtrackers, Cahill enlightens, amuses and is happy to do all the hard stuff while you sit in your favorite armchair eating it up. $13.00
Kingdom of the Film Stars --Part travel memoir, part inter-cultural love story, this is a beautifully drawn portrait of contemporary Jordan, from the modern streets of Amman to Petra to a Bedouin encampment in the remote desert. With her handsome Bedouin companion as a guide, Annie Caulfield travels as a near-insider throughout Jordan until struggles between tradition and modern life get in the way. An absorbing and witty addition to the Lonely Planet Journeys series. $10.95
Looking For the Lost: Journeys Through a Vanishing Japan --Alan Booth, author of The Roads to Sata, takes us along as he explores three remote, largely unfamiliar, regions of Japan. In search of the ancient ways and connections that are steadily disappearing, Booth encounters a wide array of characters and numerous surprises. His opinionated descriptions of the land, the people and their history are by turns affectionate, humorous and critical-- but never dull. $15.00
Luck of the Irish --Christine Breen and Niall Williams have finally written the long-awaited sequel to their three earlier books, including O Come Ye Back to Ireland. In this latest installment, the authors describe their life on Christine's great-grandfather's farm in rural County Clare with their two children; Niall's first play is produced, the local government is in turmoil and the weather as always is unpredictable. The authors bring events great and small to life, and make you feel as though you were right next door $11.00
No Mercy --Redmond O'Hanlon is one of those insane travel writers who must go where no one else has dared to go and take wild risks with his health and sanity. His new book proves this beyond a shadow of a doubt; here O'Hanlon ventures into the (literally) unmapped swamps of the People's Republic of the Congo in search of a dinosaur rumored to have survived the Ice Age in a pre-historic lake. He and his companions encounter magnificent wildlife, poisonous and other deadly creatures, supernatural forces, political upheaval, illnesses and death. Throughout it all, O'Hanlon keeps his sense of humor, insatiable curiosity, compassion and (thankfully) his life. "now in paper"---$14.00
On Persephone's Island --Mary Taylor Simeti went to Sicily in 1962 for a visit and stayed for over twenty years. This delightful book is her journal of one full year in Sicily and once you read it you will easily understand her love affair with this beautiful island. From Mafiosi to religious festivals to a sweet cake called "the Triumph of Greed", Simeti captures all the flavors and moods of Sicily and entices the reader with her intimate and informed prose. $13.00
The Oxford Book of Travel Stories --Explore the world through the eyes of Anthony Trollope, Edith Wharton, V.S. Pritchett, John Cheever, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Alice Adams, among others. A first-rate sampler of great travel writing edited by Patricia Craig. $27.50
Pilgrim's Road: A Journey to Santiago de Compostela --Like Dervla Murphy, Bettina Selby's favorite mode of transportation is the bicycle. In this wonderful tale she bikes along the famous medieval pilgrim's route through France and Northern Spain to the legendary shrine of St. James the Apostle. Also like Murphy, Selby is an amazingly adventurous woman whose sense of history is matched by her great story-telling skills.
Note: This book just went out of print. Try your local library.
A Place in Normandy --When Nicholas Kilmer's grandmother dies and her body is carried back to the small town of Mesnil in Normandy to be buried next to her husband, Kilmer's family discovers that they have inherited an old, dilapidated farmhouse surrounded by acres of orchards. This book lovingly details the restoration of the house and Kilmer's exploration of his new hometown (and culture). A charming look at the ex-patriate life. $12.95
Reflections On a Marine Venus --Lawrence Durrell's classic memoir is now back in print after a long absence. Here he once again falls under the spell of his "islomania", an affliction that causes people to "find islands somehow irresistible". This time the island is Rhodes, where Durrell spent two glorious years. He describes the island, its inhabitants, food and landscape with loving detail, and makes the reader consider his "islomania" to be a blessing. $10.95
The River at the Center of the World --If you are not among the lucky few who will see the Yangtse before the Chinese damn project changes its course forever, take solace in this new book. Simon Winchester travelled the entire length of the river in 1994-5, and shares with us his unique glimpse of the China few see, truly a step back in time. His blend of British wit and intrepid curiosity, and his command of Chinese history, make for very engaging reading. Now in paper. $14.95
NEW The Rom: Walking in the Paths of the Gypsies--Roger Moreau has done great justice to a people we now know much more about due to his interest and wanderings. Full of history and astonishing personalities, this book follows the path of these nomads in India, Turkey and parts of Europe, and tells the story of who the gypsies really are, where they came from and where they are going. If you have ever known the aching pull of the road, you will be fascinated by these wanderers, and enlightened by Moreau’s inspired writing. $14.95
Seasons of Rome --Former Times Rome bureau chief and veteran travel writer Paul Hofmann has written a journal chronicling one full year in Rome, season by season. His descriptions of Italian daily life and meditiations on what it means to be a Roman are insightful and enjoyable to read. $25.00
NEW Shadows in the Sun--Wade Davis, ethno-botonist and acclaimed author of The Serpent and the Rainbow, has written a fascinating book about his travels among indigenous peoples in places as diverse as the Arctic Circle, Borneo, and the Amazon. He focuses on placing the people in their natural context; discovering how they have adapted to their (often harsh) surroundings, how they use the plants, animals and other natural resources upon which they depend, and how they are faring against increasing tourism, logging and other incursions into their way of life. Davis’ writing is informed and passionate, without sentimentality or over-simplification, and makes for compelling and inspiring reading. I highly recommend it. Cloth, $22.95
Shooting the Boh --When Tracy Johnston signed up for a rafting trip on Borneo's Boh river, she was ready for an unusual vacation. But what she did not expect, and of course gets in droves, are never-before-charted waters, treacherous rapids, sweat eating bees and evil spirits. Her offbeat and funny story illuminates life on and off the river, and might make you give up your dreams of wild adventure. $11.00.
Shopping For Buddhas --While living in Kathmandu in the late 1980's, Jeff Greenwald decides that if he could just find the perfect Buddha statue he would not only discover the true meaning of life, but he would also find the inspiration to finish the novel he's been trying to write for years. During his search he immerses himself in some core Buddhist teachings but in the end learns that enlightenment can be hard to find... Part of the Lonely Planet Journeys series, this book is witty, enjoyable and yes, even a little enlightening. $10.95
NEW A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush-- Originally published in 1958 and now back in print thanks to the dedicated people at Lonely Planet, this is explorer and travel writer Eric Newby’s classic account of a mountain climbing expedition to Nuristan--north-eastern Afghanistan-- in the remote heart of Central Asia. At a time when no other Englishmen had travelled in the region in over fifty years, Newby and his friend Hugh Carless, complete novices, had to apply as a mountain climbing expedition to gain access to the area. In great travel writing tradition, they trek across Central Asia and confront some rather intimidating mountains, as well as other hardships. This wonderful, funny book will enchant anyone with an interest in this still-wild region as well as anyone who simply enjoys a great story well-told. $12.95
NEW Note: The Lonely Planet Journeys series has also just re-released these other long out-of-print favorites by Eric Newby:
On the Shores of the Mediterranean $14.95
Round Ireland in Low Gear $12.95
Slowly Down the Ganges $14.95
A Small Place in Italy $12.95
So Close to Heaven --Barbara Crossette, a frequent contributor to the New York Times, explores the "vanishing kingdoms of the Himalayas" in this beautifully written new book. As she travels through Tibet, Sikkim, Ladakh and Bhutan, Crossette introduces us to religious lamas, separatist guerrillas, shrine plunderers, and modern reformers, and brings her exceptional knowledge and understanding to bear on this extraordinary culture that (except for in Bhutan) is close to disappearing. $13.00
Travelers' Tales Food --The travelogues in this new collection take place all over the world, connected to each other by one universal theme--food and the cultural doors that are opened by the sharing of meals. The essays are by authors both unknown and famous (such as Edmund White, Colin Thubron and M.F.K. Fisher). The subjects range from hot chiles to an 1806 Ch_teau Lafitte to finding food aboard an Indian train. Some of the pieces makes you salivate, others do just the opposite, but all celebrate one of the greatest joys of travel. $17.95
NEW Travels With My Elephant--This is a lovely memoir recounting explorer and travel writer Mark Shand’s journey across India on his newly purchased elephant, Tara. Shand has a gift for pulling the reader into his story--we wince at every misstep along his road to becoming a mahout, elephant master, and become, like him, terribly attached to Tara. There is real tension as Shand and his entourage reach their final destination, the elephant market at Bihar, and he must decide Tara’s fate. This engaging travelogue makes for great reading, imparting the flavor of India past and present with humor and grace. Color photographs complement the text. $16.95
Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret Exploration of Tibet --For nineteenth century adventurers Tibet was the prize destination, and determined travellers from Britain, Russia and elsewhere tried to be the first to enter and control Lhasa, its capital city. Peter Hopkirk explores this chapter of the Great Race, describing the lively characters involved and all the covert activities and disastrous events that mark this period of exploration. His account brings us right up to the Chinese invasion and annexation of Tibet in the 1950's and reads like a suspense thriller. $14.00
Tropical Classical --Pico Iyer's latest collection contains essays on subjects that range from his travel adventures, to people he has known (such as Norman Lewis and the Dalai Lama), to books he has read and quirky takes on things like author blurbs. He travels to Kathmandu, Ethiopia, Bombay, California and New York, and keeps us enthralled all the way. "now in paper"-----$13.00
Under the Tuscan Sun --If you are not yet in love with all things Italian, you will be once you have read this lovely memoir by Frances Mayes, a noted poet and food writer. It consists of the recollections of five summers in Cortona, a small village in Tuscany, where Mayes and her husband own a farmhouse. From her own expanding garden to colorful local markets to excursions into the hill towns, Mayes paints a vivid picture of her life in Italy and makes the reader feel like an cherished house guest. $14.00
The World, The World: Memoirs of a Legendary Traveler --Graham Greene called him "one of the best writers of our century", and we agree. Now Norman Lewis has written a fascinating memoir of more than 50 years of travel to remote parts of the world; Vietnam, Burma, India, Peru, Cuba, and North Africa, among many others. Lewis also reminisces about fellow travellers such as Ian Fleming and Ernest Hemingway, and Mafia contacts made in Sicily during the war. A magnificent book by a magnificent writer. $27.50
NEW A Walk in the Woods—Bill Bryson’s latest is an entertaining account of a middle aged man’s slightly quixotic attempt to hike the entire length of the Appalachian trail. Stretching from Maine to Georgia, the exact length is disputed but it is at least 2,140 miles, or as Bryson puts it "a long way…and not easy". Bryson sets off anyway, outfitted with an array of hideously expensive outdoor paraphernalia and accompanied by a friend. With all the problems they encounter along the way, we’re not sure we would want to be Bryson’s hiking partner, but whether he’s telling us about the history of the trail or sharing his paralyzing fear of bears, A Walk in the Woods is moving, informative, and terribly funny. Cloth, $25.00
Yesterday's Train: A Rail Odyssey Through Mexican History --Terry Pindel, a veteran train buff, travels across Mexico by train and sees all the variations of the Mexican landscape, as well as much of Mexico's history, literally flash before his eyes. Descriptions of the countryside blend with observations on politics and his fellow travellers to provide us with an enjoyable glimpse into a Mexico that most of us never see. $15.95