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An Area of Darkness: A Discovery Of India
by V. S. NaipaulTHE FIRST BOOK IN V. S. NAIPAUL’S ACCLAIMED INDIAN TRILOGY An Area of Darknessis V. S. Naipaul’s semi-autobiographical account – at once painful and hilarious, but always thoughtful and considered – of his first visit to India, the land of his forebears. He was twenty-nine years old; he stayed for a year. From the moment of his inauspicious arrival in Prohibition-dry Bombay, bearing whisky and cheap brandy, he experienced a cultural estrangement from the subcontinent. It became for him a land of myths, an area of darkness closing up behind him as he travelled . . . The experience was not a pleasant one, but the pain the author suffered was creative rather than numbing, and engendered a masterful work of literature that provides a revelation both of India and of himself: a displaced person who paradoxically possesses a stronger sense of place than almost anyone. ‘Brilliant’ Observer ‘A masterpiece of travel-writing’ Paul Theroux ‘His narrative skill is spectacular. ’ The Times
An Area of Darkness: A Discovery Of India
by V. S. NaipaulThe Nobel Prize-winning author&’s profound reckoning with his ancestral homeland and an extraordinarily perceptive chronicle of his first encounter with India.&“Whatever his literary form, Naipaul is a master.&” —The New York Review of BooksTraveling from the bureaucratic morass of Bombay to the ethereal beauty of Kashmir, from a sacred ice cave in the Himalayas to an abandoned temple near Madras, Naipaul encounters a dizzying cross-section of humanity: browbeaten government workers and imperious servants, a suavely self-serving holy man and a deluded American religious seeker. An Area of Darkness also abounds with Naipaul&’s strikingly original responses to India&’s paralyzing caste system, its apparently serene acceptance of poverty and squalor, and the conflict between its desire for self-determination and its nostalgia for the British raj. The result may be the most elegant and passionate book ever written about the subcontinent.
An Arabian Journey: One Man's Quest Through the Heart of the Middle East
by Levison WoodThe acclaimed author of Walking the Americas shares his epic journey through the war-torn Arabian Peninsula in this fascinating travelogue.Following in the footsteps of famed explorers such as Lawrence of Arabia and Wilfred Thesiger, British explorer Levison Wood brings us along on his most complex expedition yet: a circumnavigation of the Arabian Peninsula. Starting in September 2017 in a city in Northern Syria, a stone’s throw away from Turkey and amidst a deadly war, Wood set forth on a 5,000-mile trek through the most contested region on the planet.Wood moved through the Middle East for six months, from ISIS-occupied Iraq through Kuwait and along the jagged coastlines of the Emirates and Oman; across Yemen—in the midst of civil war—and on to Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, before ending on the shores of the Mediterranean in Lebanon. Like his predecessors, Wood travelled through some of the harshest and most beautiful environments on earth, seeking to challenge our perceptions of this part of the world. Through the people he meets—and the personal histories and local mythologies they share—Wood examines how the region has changed over thousands of years and what it means to its people today.
An Angle on the World: Dispatches and Diversions from the New Yorker and Beyond
by Bill BarichSpanning over thirty years of writing, An Angle on the World is a wonderful collection of articles that cross the globe and introduce readers to many characters, introduced as only Bill Barich can. As said by Time magazine, Barich's touch is always "artful and compassionate."Broken up into two sections, Barich shares stories of the people, from those that have shaken him to the core, to others from a much lighter place.As he notes in his introduction, "I've spent much of my writing life indulging curiosity, throwing myself into situations and subcultures to gain an education and acquire my own angle on the world. The dispatches collected here arose from that desire."From the troubles in Northern Ireland and the homeless in San Francisco to the US-Mexico borders, Barich went to the people to find the "real story. These are his dispatches. "They all explore stories the press had ignored or covered in a desultory way, at least in my view." While doing his research for these pieces, Barich would speak with grocers, butchers, and even barbers to get his story, knowing that they would give him the truth, as opposed to those that would try to skew reality for someone writing for a magazine.Barich also shows the other side of things, as he speaks about diversions of a "lighter fare." From meetings with Jerry Garcia and trips to Barbados and Culebra, readers will enjoy the work that has kept Barich busy for so many decades, and helped him become one of the most enjoyable writers of our time.An Angle on the World is a terrific compilation from a brilliant writer that offers a raw sense of reality from the people who live it. No filter, no fluff, just the truth as Barich told it. They're real and genuine stories, and shown from a caring point of view that make this collection a definite can't-miss.
An Angel at My Table: The Complete Autobiography (Virago Modern Classics Ser. #2353)
by Janet FrameThe autobiography of New Zealand's most significant writerNew Zealand's preeminent writer Janet Frame brings the skill of an extraordinary novelist and poet to these vivid and haunting recollections, gathered here for the first time in a single volume. From a childhood and adolescence spent in a poor but intellectually intense railway family, through life as a student, and years of incarceration in mental hospitals, eventually followed by her entry into the saving world of writers and the "Mirror City" that sustains them, we are given not only a record of the events of a life, but also "the transformation of ordinary facts and ideas into a shining palace of mirrors."Frame's journey of self–discovery, from New Zealand to London, to Paris and Barcelona, and then home again, is a heartfelt and courageous account of a writer's beginnings as well as one woman's personal struggle to survive.This book contains selections from the long out–of–print collection entitled Janet Frame: An Autobiography (George Brazillier, 1991), which itself was originally published in three volumes: To the Is–land, An Angel at My Table, and The Envoy from Mirror City.
An Amish Patchwork: Indiana's Old Orders in the Modern World
by Steven M. Nolt Thomas J. MeyersIndiana is home to the world's third-largest Amish population. Indiana's 19 Old Order Amish and two Old Order Mennonite communities show a surprising diversity despite all that unites them as a distinct culture. This contemporary portrait of Indiana's Amish is the first book-length overview of Amish in the state. Thomas J. Meyers and Steven M. Nolt present an overview of the beliefs and values of the Amish, their migration history, and the differences between the state's two major Amish ethnic groups (Pennsylvania Dutch and Swiss). They also talk about Indiana's Old Order Mennonites, a group too often confused with the Amish. Meyers and Nolt situate the Amish in their Indiana context, noting an involvement with Indiana's industrial economy that may surprise some. They also treat Amish interaction with state government over private schooling and other matters, and the relationship of the Amish to their neighbors and the tourist industry. This valuable introduction to the Indiana Amish deserves a place on every Hoosier's bookshelf.
An American Provence
by Thomas P. Huber"I have talked about luscious wines and succulent fruit and exquisite dinners. But there may be no more evocative experience of the two valleys than the smell of new-mown hay in the fields at dusk. If a person were to close their eyes, they could not tell if they were in Provence or the North Fork Valley. That sweet, earthy odor is part of the beauty of these places." -From An American Provence In this poetic personal narrative, Thomas P. Huber reflects on two seemingly unrelated places-the North Fork Valley in western Colorado and the Coulon River Valley in Provence, France-and finds a shared landscape and sense of place. What began as a simple comparison of two like places in distant locations turned into a more complex, interesting, and personal task. Much is similar-the light, the valleys, the climate, the agriculture. And much is less so-the history, the geology, the physical makeup of villages. Using a geographer's eye and passion for the land and people, Huber examines the regions' similarities and differences to explore the common emotional impact of each region. Part intimate travelogue and part case study of geography in the real world, An American Provence illuminates the importance sense of place plays in who we are.
An American Map: American Map (Made In Michigan Writers Ser.)
by Anne-Marie OomenMeditative travel essays by Michigan author Anne-Marie Oomen that explore new landscapes across America.
An Alaskan Woman Writes Again: From the Pipeline, to Field Surveys, to Duct-Tape Cleavage
by Janet Mc CartAn Alaskan Woman Writes Again takes the reader along to experience the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, camping in the bush, encounters with bear and moose, and overcoming fear, through much laughter and some tears. These are stories of construction, geological tent camps, fishing, flying, golfing, and other personal stories of self-discovery are written through the eyes of an Alaskan woman.
An Alaskan Affliction: An Exciting “Best Of” Remote Alaskan Adventures
by Rosi JarussiAn Alaskan Affliction is packed with pure entertainment, featuring highlights from decades of Alaska hard core adventures. It opens with unforgettable dog mushing to embrace the best of the Interior's extreme winters, and snowmachining that doubles the thrills and mishaps of travel over river ice, through blizzards, and sudden whiteouts. Summer offers the finest river journeys. There are sudden storms, log jams, whirlpools, and wildlife encounters in the immense panorama of wilderness and water—with a vivid portrait of the dynamics of being a team member in the bush. The remote prospecting stories are thrilling and risky, and demand a lifetime of bush skills. They end with a resounding bear story that catalyzes the true essence of living and exploring as an Alaskan. All are top notch adventures with good dogs and old machines, undersized kayaks and cantankerous boats, with a touch of lunacy and a can-do attitude, both essential dispositions for exploring Alaska's wilds.
An African In Greenland
by James Kirkup Tété-Michel Kpomassie A. AlvarezTété-Michel Kpomassie was a teenager in Togo when he discovered a book about Greenland—and knew that he must go there. Working his way north over nearly a decade, Kpomassie finally arrived in the country of his dreams. This brilliantly observed and superbly entertaining record of his adventures among the Inuit is a testament both to the wonderful strangeness of the human species and to the surprising sympathies that bind us all.
An Affair with Africa: Expeditions and Adventures Across a Continent
by Alzada Carlisle KistnerIn June 1960, a young faculty wife named Alzada Kistner and her husband David, a promising entomologist, left their 18-month old daughter in the care of relatives and began what was to be a four month scientific expedition in the Belgian Congo. Three weeks after their arrival, the country was gripped by a violent revolution trapping the Kistners in its midst. Despite having to find their way out of numerous life-threatening situations, the Kistners were not to be dissuaded. An emergency airlift by the United States Air Force brought them to safety in Kenya where they continued their field work.Thus began three decades of adventures in science. In An Affair with Africa, Alzada Kistner describes her family's African experience -- the five expeditions they took beginning with the trip to the Belgian Congo in 1960 and ending in 1972-73 with a nine-month excursion across southern Africa. From hunching over columns of ants for hours on end while seven months pregnant to eating dinner next to Idi Amin, Kistner provides a lively and humor-filled account of the human side of scientific discovery. Her wonderfully detailed stories clearly show why, despite hardship and danger -- and contrary to all of society's expectations -- she could not forsake accompanying her husband on his expeditions, and, to this day, continues to find the world "endlessly beckoning, a lively bubbling cauldron of questions and intrigue."In the spirit of Beryl Markham's West with the Night and Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa, An Affair with Africa shares with readers the thoughts and experiences of a remarkable woman, one whose unquenchable thirst for adventure led her into a series of almost unimaginable situations. Readers -- from armchair travelers fascinated by stories of Africa to scientists familiar with the Kistners's work but unaware of the lengths to which they went to gather their data -- will find An Affair with Africa a rare treasure.
An Account of the Natives of the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific Ocean (Hakluyt Society, Third Series)
by Ian C. Campbell Nigel StathamJohn Martin (1789-1869) was a London-based, Edinburgh-educated physician interested in anthropological matters. This is his only book. He was inspired to write it by a chance encounter with its subject, William Mariner (1791-1853) who spent four years (1806-1810) in Tonga, in the South Pacific, one of the earliest European residents at a time before European influence disturbance or modification society. Mariner, an extraordinarily mature and perceptive youth, became thoroughly imbued with Tongan language and culture as the adopted son of the most powerful chief in Tonga. Thanks to Martin’s intelligent engagement with Mariner resulted in a compelling narrative and a comprehensive account of Tongan society which became a classic. Often celebrated as an extraordinary real-life adventure story, it is a pioneering work of anthropology, and for 200 years it has been a primary and authoritative source for research into Tongan history and culture.
Amusing the Million
by John F. KassonAmusing the Million examines the historical context in which Coney Island made its reputation as an amusement park and shows how America's changing social and economic conditions formed the basis of a new mass culture.
Amsterdam: A brief life of the city
by Geert MakA magnet for trade and travellers from all over the world, stylish, cosmopolitan Amsterdam is a city of dreams and nightmares, of grand civic architecture and legendary beauty, but also of civil wars, bloody religious purges, and the tragedy of Anne Frank. In this fascinating examination of the city's soul, part history, part travel guide, Geert Mak imaginatively recreates the lives of the early Amsterdammers, and traces Amsterdam's progress from waterlogged settlement to a major financial centre and thriving modern metropolis
Amsterdam Like a Local: By the people who call it home (Local Travel Guide)
by Nellie Huang DK Eyewitness Elysia Brenner Michael MordechayIf you&’re looking for the ultimate European getaway, Amsterdam won&’t disappoint!Iconic canals, centuries-old townhomes, cobblestone lanes and flower-adorned bridges. Amsterdam is truly one-of-a-kind and offers so many different kinds of experiences. Use the travel tips from this ultimate Amsterdam travel book to plan your trip to the Netherlands!Beyond the well-trodden sights, there&’s a secret side of the city — and who better to guide you to it than the locals? This travel guide to Amsterdam includes: • Two-color, bold, modern design with contemporary illustrations throughout • Authors are true locals and have been picked for having their fingers on the pulse and their diverse tastes. Their suggestions and advice sit alongside quotes from Amsterdam creatives, performers, volunteers and business leaders to give the book a local feel • A narrative style throughout, making the local, personal voice central to every entry • Structured by six themes and subsequent sub-themes — rather than areas — to echo how people are traveling, rather than where. For example, Eat, Drink, Shop, Art and Culture, Nightlife • Each entry includes its unique address so readers can pinpoint precisely where they are heading • Each theme ends with a tour spread, dedicated to a specific interest or experience. For example, A Foodie Tour of Oud-West, and Art and Antiques Shopping in the Spiegelkwartier Amsterdam is as pretty as a postcard! You can&’t walk a mile without bumping into a masterpiece in this city. Besides its cultural attractions like the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, and Van Gogh museum, the Dutch capital also has leafy parks, hip shops, craft breweries and some of Europe's hottest clubs. From taking a bicycle tour through the polder landscape in Amsterdam Noord to relaxing at a canalside bruin café (traditional Dutch pub) in Jordaan, this Amsterdam guidebook helps you to experience the real side of Amsterdam.Additional tidbits to expand your experience are peppered throughout this local guide to Amsterdam. For example, local tips and recommendations for exploring this vibrant city, secret places that only a local would know, hands-on experiences (cookery classes and art workshops), and ideas for traveling solo, in a pair and in a crowd. It also includes tips on how to travel sensibly in a post-Covid world without compromising on experience.From New York and London to Paris and Tokyo, there are more places to discover with these niche local guides! Written by the people who call it home, the Like A Local series from DK takes you beyond the tourist track to experience the heart and soul of each city!
Amsterdam Like a Local: By the People Who Call It Home (Local Travel Guide)
by Nellie Huang DK Eyewitness Elysia Brenner Michael MordechayAre you keen to explore a different side of Amsterdam? Like a Local is the book for you.This isn't your ordinary travel guide. Beyond Amsterdam's monolithic museums are family-run bakeries, waterside parks, and down-to-earth jazz bars that locals love - and that's where this book takes you.Turn the pages to discover:- The small businesses and community strongholds that add character to this vibrant city, recommended by true locals- 6 themed walking tours dedicated to specific experiences such as vintage shopping and sampling Dutch spirits- A beautiful gift book for anyone seeking to explore Amsterdam- Helpful what3word addresses so that you can pinpoint all the listed sights- A thoughtfully updated second edition, including new places to visitCompiled by three proud Amsterdammers and revised and updated for 2024, this stylish travel guide is packed with the city's best experiences and secret spots, handily categorized to suit your mood and needs.Whether you're a restless local on the hunt for a new hangout or a visitor keen to discover a side you won't find in traditional guidebooks, Amsterdam Like A Local will give you all the inspiration you need.
Amour: How the French Talk About Love--Photographs and Stories
by Stefania RousselleFrom award-winning journalist and filmmaker Stefania Rousselle, a stunning collection of photographs and essays that seek to understand the universality of love Journalist and filmmaker Stefania Rousselle found herself overwhelmed and dejected with the horrors of the news after covering terrorist attacks, human trafficking, and the rise of extremism. To renew her faith in humanity, she took off on a solo road trip across France, determined to see if love still exists. Traveling from village to village, farming towns to industrial cities, heart to heart, Rousselle sought out ordinary women and men, all to ask them one question, What is love?Collecting more than 90 personal testimonies, each one moving and beautiful in its own way, alongside over 100 intimate photographs, Rousselle reveals the many facets of love, and discovers that love can still be found even in the darkest of places. From a baker in Normandy to a shepherd in the Pyrenees, from a tree trimmer in Martinique to a mail woman in the Alps, Amour is a visual testament to love in all its many forms.
Amory (Images of America)
by Bo Miller Sue BrownIn November 1887, the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad (KCM&B)--later the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad, or "Frisco"--established a new town as a halfway point on its route between Memphis and Birmingham. The town was named Amory in honor of Harcourt Amory, a prominent Bostonian and railroad executive. The 500 acres the railroad purchased from Amanda Owen were surveyed and drawn into plots parallel to the railroad tracks, creating Mississippi's first planned community. Amory prospered as men like E.D. Gilmore and Archibald Dalrymple moved to town and opened up shop. Businesses and homes from nearby Cotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee River were moved to Amory to be part of the growing town. The garment industry played a vital part in Amory's development, as the Glenn and Longenecker families established factories that made the town known as the "Pants Capital of the World." Today, the community is home to a regional medical center, top-rated schools, and a diverse mixture of retail and industrial businesses.
Amore and Amaretti: A Tale of Love and Food in Italy
by Victoria CosfordVicky arrives in Tuscany to study the language and culture of Italy, but soon falls in love with charismatic chef Gianfranco and starts to learn the art of Italian cooking in his trattoria. This intoxicating gastro-memoir, interspersed with recipes, humour and heartbreak, will leave you entranced and with a hankering for tagliatelle and truffles.
Amore and Amaretti: A Tale of Love and Food in Italy
by Victoria CosfordVicky arrives in Tuscany to study the language and culture of Italy, but soon falls in love with charismatic chef Gianfranco and starts to learn the art of Italian cooking in his trattoria. This intoxicating gastro-memoir, interspersed with recipes, humour and heartbreak, will leave you entranced and with a hankering for tagliatelle and truffles.
Amore
by Roger FriedlandAs his twin daughters approached adolescence, sociologist Roger Friedland was worried. The thing that most bothered him was not the erotic heat of America's youth culture, but the lovelessness of its sex. Offered the chance to live and teach in Rome, Roger and his wife, Debra, seized the opportunity to take their family to live in a city where love is alive, family bonds hold, divorce and rape are rare, and "ciao, bella" is a constant refrain.In Amore, Friedland shares the stories of his family's enchanted and unnerving passage into the heart of Rome, and considers its lessons for America, where love is at risk.Amore is a love story, a father's exploration of the ways of life and love in Rome, and what they have to teach us about the erosion of romance in America.
Among the Tibetans
by Isabella L. BirdBird (1831-1904) recounts her rugged passage through the Himalayas by horseback and her four-month sojourn amid "the pleasantest of people." Bird's evocative accounts of Tibetan ceremonies, decorations, costumes, and music, along with her vivid descriptions of palaces, temples, and monasteries, offer rare glimpses of a vanished world. 21 black-and-white illustrations.
Among the Iranians: A Guide to Iran's Culture and Customs
by Sofia A. KoutlakiThe eyes of the world are on Iran, from nuclear issues to women's rights to Iran's perspective on Palestine. Yet a strictly political view does not allow for an accurate or complete outlook on this important and facinating country. In Among the Iranians, Greek-born author Sofia A. Koutlaki shares the lessons she's learned firsthand as a foreigner living in Tehran. Through memorable anecdotes and in-depth explanations of Iranian customers, Koutlaki presentd a side of Iran that foreigners rarely see. The author's insight challenges readers to dispel their previous notions and judgements to see Iran at its heart--warm, inviting and rich with tradition. Among the Iranians is also an indispensable practical guide, offering insight about Iranian dress, etiquette and even food.
Among the Great Apes: Adventures on the Trail of Our Closest Relatives
by Paul Raffaele“Raffaele spins riveting tales of his mission to visit every species and subspecies of great ape in its natural habitat.” —Discover magazineAward winning adventure journalist Paul Raffaele’s Among the Great Apes is the first book in over a decade—and possibly the last ever—to take its readers into the lives of our charismatic cousins in their native habitats. Humans have long felt a deep attraction to the great apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. We see a reflection of ourselves in their faces, mannerisms, and interactions with kin. But we also look to them for contrast. Part of how we define ourselves as human rests with recognizing the differences between us and the great apes, in spite of the substantial amounts of DNA we share.Many great primatologists have dedicated their lives to the observation and study of these species in their natural habitats. Unfortunately, many of these sheltering places no longer exist. The great apes live in some of the most volatile regions on our planet, lands plagued by civil unrest, poverty, environmental degradation, and corrupt governments. In this book, Raffaele goes into the wild to see how our closest relatives are faring today. He takes us through isolated jungles and misty mountain forests, sharing wonderfully intimate observations of ape life paired with the most current research about their behavior.Raffaele, called the “last of the great, old-fashioned adventure writers” by the Washington Post, introduces us to leading conservationists and researchers working to save and study the apes. But best of all, he gets up close to these amazing animals. He describes orangutans fashioning umbrellas from long leaves, a young chimpanzee mothering a “baby” log, and the bonobos’ lively ritual of swinging like gymnasts through the treetops before building elaborate nests to sleep in. Moving from Borneo to the Congo, Among the Great Apes brings us to the natural habitats of all the species and subspecies of the great apes—a trip possible for perhaps the last time.“A powerful account of the author’s journey into our planet’s last remaining gorilla communities.” —The Ecologist“Fantastic. . . . Anyone who cares about animals will benefit hugely from reading it.” —Shaun Ellis, star of Animal Planet’s Living with the Wolfman and author of The Man Who Lives with Wolves“Profound and important . . . Raffaele shows us how amazing interesting and complex great apes are.” —David Greer, coordinator, World Wildlife Fund’s African Great Apes Program