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The Best American Travel Writing 2021 (The Best American Series)
by Jason Wilson&“The beauty of good writing is that it transports the reader inside another person&’s experience in some other physical place and culture,&” writes Padma Lakshmi in her introduction, &“and, at its best, evokes a palpable feeling of being in a specific moment in time and space.&” The essays in this year&’s Best American Travel Writing are an antidote to the isolation of the year 2020, giving us views into experiences unlike our own and taking us on journeys we could not take ourselves. From the lively music of West Africa, to the rich culinary traditions of Muslims in Northwest China, to the thrill of a hunt in Alaska, this collection is a treasure trove of diverse places and cultures, providing the comfort, excitement, and joy of feeling elsewhere. THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2021 INCLUDES KIESE MAKEBA LAYMON • LESLIE JAMISON • BILL BUFORD • JON LEE ANDERSON • MEGHAN DAUM LIGAYA MISHAN • PAUL THEROUX and others
Who Discovered America?: The Untold History of the Peopling of the Americas
by Gavin Menzies Ian HudsonGreatly expanding on his blockbuster 1421, distinguished historian Gavin Menzies uncovers the complete untold history of how mankind came to the Americas—offering new revelations and a radical rethinking of the accepted historical record in Who Discovered America?The iconoclastic historian’s magnum opus, Who Discovered America? calls into question our understanding of how the American continents were settled, shedding new light on the well-known “discoveries” of European explorers, including Christopher Columbus. In Who Discovered America? he combines meticulous research and an adventurer’s spirit to reveal astounding new evidence of an ancient Asian seagoing tradition—most notably the Chinese—that dates as far back as 130,000 years ago.Menzies offers a revolutionary new alternative to the “Beringia” theory of how humans crossed a land bridge connecting Asia and North America during the last Ice Age, and provides a wealth of staggering claims, that hold fascinating and astonishing implications for the history of mankind.
Fly-Fishing the 41st: From Connecticut to Mongolia and Home Again—A Fisherman's Oddesy
by James Prosek“James Prosek has eloquently demonstrated that angling is a kind of universal language. . . . he has taken us on an unforgettable journey.” — Thomas McGuane, author of The Cadence of Grass and The Longest Silence: A Life in FishingThe New York Times has called James Prosek "the Audubon of the fishing world," and in Fly-Fishing the 41st, he uses his talent for descriptive writing to illuminate an astonishing adventure. Beginning in his hometown of Easton, Connecticut, Prosek circumnavigates the globe along the 41st parallel, traveling through Spain, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Japan. Along the way he shares some of the best fishing in the world with a host of wonderfully eccentric and memorable characters.
A Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain
by Daniel DefoeBritain in the early eighteenth century: an introduction that is both informative and imaginative, reliable and entertaining. To the tradition of travel writing Daniel Defoe brings a lifetime's experience as a businessman, soldier, economic journalist and spy, and his Tour (1724-6) is an invaluable source of social and economic history. But this book is far more than a beautifully written guide to Britain just before the industrial revolution, for Defoe possessed a wild, inventive streak that endows his work with astonishing energy and tension, and the Tour is his deeply imaginative response to a brave new economic world. By employing his skills as a chronicler, a polemicist and a creative writer keenly sensitive to the depredations of time, Defoe more than achieves his aim of rendering 'the present state' of Britain.
The Town Below the Ground: Edinburgh's Legendary Undgerground City
by Jan-Andrew HendersonBelow Scotland's capital, hidden for almost two centuries, is a metropolis whose very existence was all but forgotten. For almost 250 years, Edinburgh was surrounded by a giant defensive wall. Unable to expand the city's boundaries, the burgeoning population built over every inch of square space. And when there was no more room, they began to dig down . . . Trapped in lives of poverty and crime, these subterranean dwellers existed in darkness and misery, ignored by the chroniclers of their time. It is only in the last few years that the shocking truth has begun to emerge about the sinister underground city.
Train Lord: The Astonishing True Story of One Man's Journey to Getting His Life Back On Track
by Oliver MolThe astonishing true story of trust, pain, becoming lost, and finding a way back to yourself despite it all'An intimate preservation of a moment in time, full of personality' THE TIMES__________Life is beautiful - even in the dark . . .Oliver Mol was happily drifting through his twenties when the migraine exploded in his head.Suddenly, he could barely function. He felt marooned. Nothing helped. Yet he was desperate to save himself.Then he found the trains. The job of train guard has intense moments of strict, regimented activity in between periods of calm serenity. It was just what Oliver needed. Not only could he do this, but also it might be a way out.Train Lord is the story of Oliver's extraordinary recovery. A journey back into the light . . .__________'Tender, vital and quietly hopeful: a tale of remaking' Guardian'Rude, raw, visceral, painful and wildly funny' Saga 'Intense and humble, Train Lord won my heart' Australian Book Review
Trans-Europe Express: Tours of a Lost Continent
by Owen Hatherley'A scathing, lively and timely look at the "European city", from one of our most provocative voices on culture and architecture today' Owen JonesA searching, timely account of the condition of contemporary Europe, told through the landscapes of its citiesOver the past twenty years European cities have become the envy of the world: a Kraftwerk Utopia of historic centres, supermodernist concert halls, imaginative public spaces and futuristic egalitarian housing estates which, interconnected by high-speed trains traversing open borders, have a combination of order and pleasure which is exceptionally unusual elsewhere.In Trans-Europe Express, Owen Hatherley sets out to explore the European city across the entire continent, to see what exactly makes it so different to the Anglo-Saxon norm - the unplanned, car-centred, developer-oriented spaces common to the US, Ireland, UK and Australia. Attempting to define the European city, Hatherley finds a continent divided both within the EU and outside it. 'The latest heir to Ruskin.' - Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'Hatherley is the most informed, opinionated and acerbic guide you could wish for.' - Hugh Pearman, Sunday Times 'Can one talk yet of vintage Hatherley? Yes, one can. Here are all the properties that have made him one of the most distinctive writers in England - not just 'architectural writers', but writers full stop: acuity, contrariness, observational rigour, frankness and beautifully wrought prose.' - Jonathan Meades
The Traveller's Guide to Homoeopathy
by Phyllis SpeightDefinitely not for those of you who are contemplating taking on Mount Everest or the Amazon, but this simple guide is the most sensible thing to pack for a business trip or holiday.With a small, basic homoeopathic kit and a copy of this guide you can be reasonably sure that you will be safe from an acute attack of ill-health.Various drugs are available to combat troubles caused by travel but in the majority of cases homoeopathic remedies are much more effective. Their additional advantage is that they have no side effects whatsoever.Full instructions, dosages and potencies are given.
The Travels
by Marco PoloMarco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kubilai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. The accounts of his travels provide a fascinating glimpse of the different societies he encountered: their religions, customs, ceremonies and way of life; on the spices and silks of the East; on precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts. He tells the story of the holy shoemaker, the wicked caliph and the three kings, among a great many others, evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy.
The Travels
by Marco PoloA sparkling new translation of one of the greatest travel books ever written: Marco Polo's seminal account of his journeys in the east, in a collectible clothbound edition. Marco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kublai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. His account of his travels offers a fascinating glimpse of what he encountered abroad: unfamiliar religions, customs and societies; the spices and silks of the East; the precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts of faraway lands. Evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy, Marco's book revolutionized western ideas about the then unknown East and is still one of the greatest travel accounts of all time.For this edition - the first completely new English translation of the Travels in over fifty years - Nigel Cliff has gone back to the original manuscript sources to produce a fresh, authoritative new version. The volume also contains invaluable editorial materials, including an introduction describing the world as it stood on the eve of Polo's departure, and examining the fantastical notions the West had developed of the East.Marco Polo was born in 1254, joining his father on a journey to China in 1271. He spent the next twenty years travelling in the service of Kublai Khan. There is evidence that Marco travelled extensively in the Mongol Empire and it is fairly certain he visited India. He wrote his famous Travels whilst a prisoner in Genoa.Nigel Cliff was previously a theatre and film critic for The Times and a regular writer for The Economist, among other publications, and now writes historical nonfiction books. His first book, The Shakespeare Riots, was published in 2007 and shortlisted for the Washington-based National Award for Arts Writing. His second book, The Last Crusade: Vasco da Gama and the Birth of the Modern World appeared in 2011 and was shortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.
Travels in the Land of Kubilai Khan (Penguin Great Ideas #Vol. 27)
by Marco PoloThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. A profound influence on medieval Europe's view of the wider world, this thirteenth-century account of a Venetian merchant's amazing experiences in the court of the great Mongol leader, Kubilai Khan, remains one of the most fascinating tales of exploration ever written.
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville
by John MandevilleOstensibly written by an English knight, the Travels purport to relate his experiences in the Holy Land, Egypt, India and China. Mandeville claims to have served in the Great Khan's army, and to have travelled in 'the lands beyond' - countries populated by dog-headed men, cannibals, Amazons and Pygmies. Although Marco Polo's slightly earlier narrative ultimately proved more factually accurate, Mandeville's was widely known, used by Columbus, Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Frobisher, and inspiring writers as diverse as Swift, Defoe and Coleridge. This intriguing blend of fact, exaggeration and absurdity offers both fascinating insight into and subtle criticism of fourteenth-century conceptions of the world.
Treading Grapes: Walking Through The Vineyards Of Tuscany
by Rosemary GeorgeTuscany offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. The unique combination of cypress trees and olive groves mingling with vineyards and woods on undulating hillsides is enchanting. With villages and villas at every turn, what better way to explore the countryside than on foot? Over fifteen months of changing seasons Rosemary George did just that, visiting wine producers along the way, observing and savouring the local colour and the idiosyncrasies of a myriad of winemakers. Each chapter will feature a walk through a wine region and include advice on the key estates, places to visit and favourite restaurants. Chianti, which covers the heart of Tuscany, is the wine we all know and love, with vineyards in the magical hills around Florence and Siena, and the medieval cities of Arezzo and Pisa. However, the face of Tuscan viticulture has changed enormously in recent years with the development of the vineyards of the Maremma, bringing a host of new wines. Treading Grapes charts this wonderful renaissance of Tuscan wines, not just of Chianti, but also of the newer prestigious names such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia in the rising area of Bolgheri. It also covers the old-established wines of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and several others, not least the island of Elba. It will be enjoyed by wine enthusiasts and armchair travellers alike.
Tribe Wanted: My Adventure on Paradise or Bust
by Ben KeeneParadise or Bust is the fascinating adventure story of Tribewanted, a revolutionary eco-tourism project founded by twentysomething Ben Keene.As featured in the BBC documentary series, Keene's story follows the ups and downs of a global online network of like-minded travellers and an indigenous Fijian community as they attempt to build a new life on a 200-acre island in the South Pacific. All major decisions on the island are voted on by an online tribe that anyone around the world can join.There are many challenges to overcome. A fire sweeps the island, a military coup (delayed until the end of a rugby match!) brews on the mainland, and a tropical cyclone threatens to wipe out the emerging village. Online there are other storms to fight, as accusations of scam artistry, tribal politics and the regular grind of debates and decision-making among Tribewanted's 1000+ members push the adventure and the business to the very edge. But in the end, with a little luck and a lot of hard work, they might just build their paradise...Now a major 5 part series for transmission on BBC2 in winter 2008.
Two Wheels In The Dust: From Kathmandu to Kandy
by Anne MustoeIndia is no place for the faint-hearted cyclist. The streets are jammed with cars, busses, rickshaws, animals, fortune-tellers, barbers, beggars and people sleeping or cooking. Following the success of her two previous outings, A Bike Ride and Lone Traveller, adventuresome ex-headmistress Anne Mustoe donned the cycle helmet once more and set out on an exhilarating journey round the Indian subcontinent. Beginning in Kathmandu in Nepal and ending in the tranquil hill town of Kandy in Sri Lanka, Anne's amazing journey is told with keen observation and the relish of the open road.
Two Wheels on my Wagon: A Bicycle Adventure in the Wild West
by Paul HowardAs bicycle races go, the attractions of the Tour Divide are not immediately apparent. For a start, it is the longest mountain-bike race in the world, running nearly 3,000 miles down the Rockies from Canada to Mexico. But the distance is not the only challenge - the total ascent of 200,000 ft is the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest nearly seven times.Then there are the dangerous animals likely to be encountered on the route: grizzly bears, mountain lions and wolves, not to mention rattlesnakes and tarantulas. Worse, the rewards for all this effort are strictly limited. Unlike in the Tour de France, there is no fabled yellow jersey and no prize money.Yet, undaunted, and in spite of never having owned a mountain bike, Paul Howard signed up. Battling the worst weather for generations, drinking whiskey with a cowboy and singing karaoke with the locals, Howard's journey turned into more than just a race - it became the adventure of a lifetime.
The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club
by Marlena de Blasi'If you loved Under the Tuscan Sun, you’ll love this' Red Magazine Every week on a Thursday evening, a group of four rural Italian women gather in an old stone house in the hills above Italy’s Orvieto. There – along with their friend, Marlena – they cook together, sit down to a beautiful supper, drink their beloved local wines, and talk. Surrounded by candle light, good food and friendship, the four women tell Marlena their evocative life stories, and of cherished ingredients and recipes whose secrets have been passed down through generations.
Uneasy Rider: Travels Through a Mid-Life Crisis
by Mike CarterA broken heart and a moment of drunken bravado inspires middle-aged, and typically rather cautious, journalist Mike Carter to take off on a life-changing six month motorcycle trip around Europe. Never mind that he hadn't been on two wheels since an inglorious three-month teenage chapter involving a Lambretta, four crashes and an 18-month ban for drink-driving, a plan had begun to loosely form...And so, having completed a six day residential motorcycle course and hastily re-mortgaged his flat, Mike sets off alone, resolving to go wherever the road takes him and enjoy the adventure of heading off into the unknown. He ends up travelling almost 20,000 miles and reaching the four extremes of Europe: the Arctic Circle in the north, the Mediterranean coast in the south, the Portuguese Atlantic to the west and the Iraqi border of Turkey in the east.But really it's a journey inwards, as, on the way, Mike finds his post-divorce scars starting to heal and attempts to discover what he, as a man in his forties who hasn't quite found his place in the world, should be doing. Self-deprecating, poetic and utterly engaging, his is a heroic journey taken for the rest of us too scared to leave our 9 to 5 office-bound existence.
Unforgettable Things to do Before you Die
by Clare Jones Steve WatkinsYou only get one life. Make it a memorable one.This is the second title in an exciting international bestselling series of books that will help you search out essential sights and experiences around the world.In Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die, international travel writers and photographers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones draw on their years of experience to select their ultimate trips of a lifetime. This book will introduce you to a host of unusual and amazing activities to be done in fabulous destinations during a break of two weeks or less.Adventures range from searching for pearls in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and dog-sledding through the snowy landscapes of Sweden, to exploring the rainforests of Belize, and sailing down the Nile on an Egyptian felucca. For the less active explorer they offer more relaxed but equally unmissable pursuits, such as watching an opera in the ancient ruins of Verona, Italy, or wine-tasting in Bordeaux, France. Lavishly illustrated with specially commissioned photographs, Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die is aimed at anyone looking for an inspirational experience of a lifetime.
Up and Over: A Trek Through Rugby League Land
by Dave HadfieldAlong the way he met the people whose enthusiasm for the game has made it so durable - current and former internationals as well as others involved at all levels - as well as a few miserable old gits for balance. In this intimate account, Hadfield observes the way rugby league fits into the history and sociology of towns like Wigan and Castleford, with which it is synonymous. His record of the journey is in the great tradition of writers from Wordsworth to Laurie Lee, who found in long walks the perfect medium to explore and reflect upon their surroundings. Up and Over is the definitive book about the game and the local passions it engenders, as Hadfield seeks out the poignant and the humorous on a personal journey of discovery. For those who follow rugby league, it will give a unique perspective on the parts of the world they know intimately; for others it will be an introduction to a different world, seen via one of the elements that gives it its identity.
The Voyage of the Beagle
by Charles DarwinWhen HMS Beagle sailed out of Devonport on 27 December 1831, Charles Darwin was twenty-two and setting off on the voyage of a lifetime. His journal, here reprinted in a shortened form, shows a naturalist making patient observations concerning geology, natural history, people, places and events. Volcanoes in the Galapagos, the Gossamer spider of Patagonia and the Australasian coral reefs – all are to be found in these extraordinary writings. The insights made here were to set in motion the intellectual currents that led to the most controversial book of the Victorian age: The Origin of Species.
Voyages and Discoveries: Northeastern Europe, And Adjacent Countries
by Richard HakluytRenaissance diplomat and part-time spy, William Hakluyt was also England's first serious geographer, gathering together a wealth of accounts about the wide-ranging travels and discoveries of the sixteenth-century English. One of the epics of this great period of expansion, The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation describes, in the words of the explorers themselves, an astonishing era in which the English grew rapidly aware of the sheer size and strangeness of their world. Mingling accounts of the journeys of renowned adventurers such as Drake and Frobisher with descriptions by other explorers and traders to reveal a nation beginning to dominate the seas, Hakluyt's great work was originally intended principally to assist navigation and trade. It also presents one of the first and greatest modern portraits of the globe.
A Walk from the Wild Edge: ‘This Book Has Changed Lives’ Chris Evans
by Jake TylerThe remarkable true story of one man's inspiring journey through his 3,000 mile walk across the country'A great and inspirational read' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive'Inspiring' INDEPENDENT'An uplifting and inspirational journey through raw emotion' RAYNOR WINN, bestselling author of The Salt PathAS SEEN ON BBC BREAKFAST______Jake Tyler had forgotten how to feel alive.With only a pair of boots and a backpack, he set off on a 3000-mile walk around Britain - along coastal paths, over mountains, through every national park.His journey became his road to recovery. On it he rediscovered the British landscape, the extraordinary kindness of strangers and most importantly, his place in the world.This is his inspiring story, away from the wild edge.______'Jake you have changed people's lives . . . we are all fans!' Chris Evans, Virgin Radio'An incredible journey, an inspirational memoir . . . beautiful' Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'Inspiring . . . It's something that will help many through these dark times' Bryony Gordon'This book is a tonic. Until we can all get out and explore Britain's beauty for ourselves again, this is the ideal substitute' Mirror'So compelling in his honesty . . . very poignant' Express'A tale told with courageous honesty. There's much to learn here about how reconnecting with nature and trusting others can rekindle the joy of being alive' BBC Countryfile 'A testament to the power of human connection, this is a physical and mental journey to inspire hope even in the darkest of times' National Geographic
Walk Through History: Discover Victorian London
by Christopher Winn'What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.' - W.H. DaviesWalking around London is one of life's great pleasures. There is a huge amount that you can only see on foot – but sometimes it is hard to know where to look. Luckily, Christopher Winn, bestselling author of I Never Knew That About London, knows where all the hidden treasures are. This book takes the reader on a series of stimulating original walks through different areas of central London, focusing on one particular period of history, the Victorian, so ubiquitous that we take it for granted, and yet so astonishing and so far reaching in its variety, imagination, ambition and detail.Discover.....the remarkable 300-foot bell tower at the Houses of Parliament you never knew was there.... ..the extraordinary fairytale house in Kensington where the Mikado was inspired.....the best Victorian loos in the world near Old Street... ..a hidden chapel in Bloomsbury described by Oscar Wilde as 'the most delightful private chapel in London'... ..London's best preserved high class Victorian shop near Tottenham Court Road… ...an almost complete Victorian townscape boasting the world's oldest surviving mansion block... Walk through history and discover the hidden gems of Victorian London!
Walking in Ireland
by Christopher SomervilleWalking has never been a more popular pastime and nowhere is more beautiful for walkers to explore than Ireland. In this beautifully written and superbly researched guide, Christopher Somerville draws on his very popular column for the Irish Independent, to present 50 of the very best walks in Ireland - from the Nephin Beg Mountains in Mayo to Dingle Way in Kerry. Practical instructions for the walks are married with evocative and informative passages on the history, flora and fauna, culture and topography of the land. Whether it's exploring the Burren in its floral glory or seeing the Walls of Derry, or even sitting at home in your armchair planning your next walk, this book will prove popular with ramblers, holiday makers and anyone who loves the Irish landscape.