Entertainment For Lively Minds
Recommendations from the WM
Along with books on music, my favourite genre of writing is travel, however I am out of ideas for new authors.
With this in mind I thought I would ask the most literate and knowledgable bunch of people I know, the Word Massive, to see if anyone has any suggestions.
Looking for something along the lines of Paul Theroux, Jonathan Raban and even Bill Bryson. Should be readable (not to dry), humourous is good as long as its not wacky (no travelling around Greece with a blow up doll etc.) and, more specifically, I am interested in eastern central Asia and westernmost China, but anywhere will do.
I have looked at Eric Newby, Jan Morris etc. but they dont seem my C of T for some reason.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
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How about Rory MacLean?
I've only read "Next Exit Magic Kingdom" by him, but I enjoyed it and I see from Amazon that he has written books in the neck of the woods that you are interested in.
Travel Writers
You might try Tim Moore. He's one of my favourite writers and one of the few who can still make me laugh out loud. I think he's anything but 'wacky' but I can see how some might perceive him in that way so he may not be your cup of tea.
Most of his travel books have a theme - recreating historic travels ('Frost on my Moustache', 'Continental Drifter'), or dreaming up unlikely ideas and then following them through ('Spanish Steps' where he does the pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela with a donkey in tow or 'French Revolutions' when he attemtpts to cycle the route of the Tour de France).
He rarely ventures outside Europe and doesn't purport to be creating the most profound travel literature but in amongst the jokes and the self-deprecation he has important things to say.
If your other passion is music books you might start with 'Nul Points', in which Moore travels to meet those (un)fortunate few who have failed to score a single point in the Eurovision song contest. Although laced with plenty of humour it turns into a sympathetic and even poignant account.
Absolutely.
I love Tim Moore. Continental Drifter and Frost On My Moustache are proper travel books and make great reading. Do Not Pass Go is another fascinating read.
Robert Twigger
Big Snake, mostly set in Indonesia, is entertaining, but I thoroughly recommend his first book, Angry White Pyjamas. Teaching English in Japan and beginning to feel a bit past it he enrolls in the an elite Tokyo riot police martial art course, which pretty much guarantees broken bones. Very interesting and funny.
Also Peter Matthiessen. His book on Africa, The Tree where Man was Born, is one of the best on the continent. He has also written fantastic books on the Himilayas (The Snow Leopard), Japan, and Native American culture.
Great Plains
By Ian Frazier is a great book that may not be a travel book exactly, but is the one I usually suggest to people who like a bit of Theroux, especially if they are interested in the US. On the Rez is good as well. Given they are about the Native Americans. and necessarily involve telling some pretty sad stories, they both leave a good taste in the brain.
He's also the author of Coyote V. Acme
one of the funniest short stories I've read.
http://beebo.org/smackerels/coyote-v-acme.html
Way Back
Have you tried Patrick Leigh Fermor?
Not all of his writing is brilliant, but his two books about walking through Europe in the 1930s are beyond compare: A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water. A bit old school but he is a wonderful writer.
I've just bought myself In Europe: Travels Through the Twentieth Century by Geert Mak, which I am assured is splendid, if a little on the hefty side.
P L Fermor seconded
"old school" or simply, literally, from a very different world, his two books referenced above are remarkable and immensely enjoyable.
The Worst Journey in the World..
might not be the most enticing title, but in the edition I've got, Paul Theroux describes it as his favourite travel book. It's by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, and it's about Scott's last expedition to Antarctica, on which Cherry-Garrard was the youngest member. He is a very vivid writer whether he's describing the landscape, the people or the wildlife -for example, writing about the killer whales coming up above the ice to try to attack the horses.
It was given to me as a present, and I put off reading it for a time, thinking that it would just be a lot of "it snowed again today", but when I got round to it I couldn't put it down. Very readable, but I admit not humorous (and I wasn't inspired to go there - my armchair seemed more comfortable the more I read.)
Agreed
It's my favourite travel book, although it's not a traditional one.
As far as Central Asia/Western China goes, I've really nothing to recommend. Colin Thubron's In The Shadow Of The Silk Road is set in that part of the world, and is beautifully written, but he's so humourless you want to punch him.
Fraser
perhaps you could recommend something on North Korea, another country that I have read too little about and never fails to fascinate in the articles/web sites that I have looked at.
It depends what you want...
Bradley K. Martins' Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader is the one to go for if you want to read up on the history of the place. It's vast, and doesn't stray far from straight reporting, but it's about as comprehensive as you can get. If you want a foreigner's take, the book that captures the atmosphere of the place better than any other is actually a graphic novel, Guy Delisle's Pyongyang. Apart from those two, there's a real lack of well written books by either foreigners or defectors. In the former category, I'd go for Comrades and Strangers by Michael Harrold, an English guy straight out of university who got a job in Pyongyang translating speeches into English and ended up spending seven years there. It's not the greatest bit of writing, but it's very sad. And in the latter category, Aquariums Of Pyongyang is probably the most well recognized of the published works by defectors. There's also a book by an Italian chef who ended up working in Kim Jung-il's kitchens which is supposed to be good, but it's never been translated into English, as far as I know.
The biggest problem with literature about North Korea is that that foreign authors don't generally get access to the country, and the only accounts from natives are from defectors, who tend to have very similar stories to tell. At the moment I'm reading this, and it suffers from both problems. There aren't many books that add much knowledge that's new, or offer a fresh perspective.
Simon Winchester
If you like a bit of history with your travel he's written some excellent books. The one on Joseph Needham in China is the only book recently that I have started again as soon as I had finished it. A personal favourite is Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle which I have reread several times.
Tim Cahill
He hasn't done too much lately but his books are well worth reading. He does a lot of diving, climbing, etc. but his books are mainly about the places he goes to and people he meets. He's like a more adventurous Bill Bryson.
Tim Cahill!
Years and years since a read it but I remember that 'Jaguars Ripped My Flesh' was a right laugh.
from that period - late 80s? - 'Holidays in Hell' PJ O'Rourke was good too.
Agreed
Beaten to the recommendation. Books often a collection of articles for travel/adventure magazines, but highly readable, often with humour, and comes across as the sort of sociable person who would be good to travel with.
Norman Lewis is a great travel writer.
I haven't read it but he did a book called A Dragon Apparent about travels in Asia.
I have read The Honored Society and Naples 44, both of which are marvelous. I've also done a collection of short pieces by him called A View Of The World which is recommended.
See also:
Golden Earth (Burma)
Dragon Apparent (French IndoChina)
An Empire of the East (Indonesia)
A Goddess in the Stones (India)
Norman Lewis was not only a great travel writer he was a great writer.
I knew you wouldnt let me down
Some very interesting ideas here. I will defintely give the book on Scott a go and I remember Paul Theroux mentioning it a number of times in one of his books.
I have read Tim Moores exploration of the streets on the Monopoly Board and why they were chosen which was pretty good, so I might look at one his as well as checking out Frazier and Twigger.
Also the Voyage Of The Beagle has to worth reading as well.
Thanks all.
Vintage
Robert Byron's the Road to Oxiana from the 20s is a classic of travel in Persia and Afghanistan. Foreward by Bruce Chatwin, who's in Patagonia is very good if not (apparently) at all reliable.
Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game and follow ups give a vivid picture of the real world of Kiplings Raj, and politicking in Tibet, Aghanistan and India.
Peter Fleming's The News for Tartary covers Peking to Kashmir in the 30s.
I never really got Eric Newby, but A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is a classic of how not to do it.
2nd the 'In Patagonia' recommendation
and 'The Songlines' is even better. Read it at least twice and would happily read again tomorrow.
(I took the Byron on holiday last year, it good but quite 'academic' in parts. Great if you want to know about Islamic architecture in specific regions, maybe...)
"Blue Highways" by William Least-Heat Moon
This is the best travel book I've ever read about America.
A Native American spens a year travelling the backroads of the States in an old van in the late 1970s, talking to people, recording what he finds. A genuine American classic.
Mrs eddie suggests William
Mrs eddie suggests William Dalrymple's 'In Xanadu:A Quest'. "...carries us breakneck fom a pre-dawn glimmer in The Holy Sepulchre right across Asia to a bleak wind in Kubla Khan's palace." as the jacket blurb says.
Unread on the eddie bookcase is Colin Thubron's 'Behind The Wall'. It's about China I believe.
Also recommend
"From The Holy Mountain", "City Of Djinns" and "The Age Of Kali" by William Dalrymple.
Tim Parks
Italian Neighbours and An Italian Education, not as much travel books as his experiences living and bringing up a family in Italy. A Season with Verona when he follows his favorite, though not particularly succcessful (then) Serie A team and discussed racism in Italian football is also good.
Agree with the comments on Tim Moore, particularly French Revolutions about the Tour de France and I remembered really enjoying Harry Pearson's Tall Man in a Low Land about Belgium, though did not like "Around the World by Mouse" very much.
Also "Penguins stopped play" by Harry Thompson about the cricket team trying to play a match on every continent was really entertaining
For China
try this : http://www.amazon.co.uk/China-Road-Journey-Heart-Modern/dp/0747593353/re...
It's an account of a road trip across the country on its Route 66 equivalent. Erudite and funny by turns, as they say in reviews, (and crucially, not written by an irritating public schoolboy who wants to be the next Captain Scott, as so much English travel literature is).
Up North...
The Ice Museum by Joanna Kavenna
Magnetic North by Sara Wheeler
And a bit more literary (and possibly pretentious)
The Idea of North by Prof Peter Davidson
All of these dwell on people's perception of the North whether it be the Arctic itself or anywhere north of Crewe. They are all on Amazon.
Richie..
if you haven't already read it then grab a copy of Last Places by Lawrence Millman. He traces the journey of the Vikings across a number of remote, rocky and inhospitable, locations. It's very funny too.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Places-Journey-Lawrence-Millman/dp/06180824...
On the same lines
I cannot recommend enough 'True North' by Gavin Francis.
Simple enough concept: the author travels around the European arctic circle and meets lots of interesting people and sees some awe-inspiring landscapes. He's a young and adventurous writer and he evokes the place beautifully.
Oh, and he's a lovely chap who would probably come round to your house to thank you for buying his book.
Thanks gents
Will investigate...
How about Pete Brown's
3 sheets to the wind about tracking the worlds best beer.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Sheets-Wind-Quest-Meaning/dp/0330442473/re...
It's funny and not too spoddy and got a good review from Bob from St Etienne!
Why do you say
"even" Bill Bryson? His first two books are amongst the funniest books I've ever read.
Johan
I agree they are very funny and I loved A Walk In The Woods as well and own pretty much every book he has ever had published. I say 'even' as, as much as I enjoy his books, and at the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, a lot of books are labelled as the 'new Bill Bryson' but they turn out to be pretty dopey travel writing in which the cracks are plastered over with poor jokes. A prime example, in my opinion, is Up North by Charles Jennings.
new
He is not strictly a travel writer but Anthony Bourdain's A Cooks Tour is an excellent read. He has a show on the travel channel called No Reservations. Check him out,very good
How about Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild?
The story of Christopher MacCandless's journey into the wilderness of Alaska, pieced together after his death. A fascinating tale of a young man's determination to escape from civilisation and materialism, which ultimately led to his early demise. A very touching tale that has also been made into a film of the same name.
Not a conventional travel book - as it isn't told from the first person perspective, but well worth a read.
I'd go along with the Patrick Leigh Fermour and Norman Lewis choices above as well as Theroux and some Thubron.
Another recommendation is Dantziger's Travels by Nick Dantziger. He travels through post revolution Iran, into Afghanistan (lives and fights with the mujahadeen) and then gets into communist China! Truly amazing stuff.
Nicholas Crane's book Clear Waters Rising is well worth a read. It is the account of his walk across the mountain ranges of Europe all the way from the Atlantic Spanish coast to Instanbul, taking in the Picos d'Europa, the Pyrenees, Massif Central, Alps (including Mont Blanc), the Carpathians and the Balkan Mountains - all told taking 18 months - entirely on foot with no car rides, hitch hiking or anything mechanical.
Seconded on Krakauer
'Into the Wild' is a fantastic book, filled with both wonder and terror. The portrayal of Chris McCandless in the novel is so much more complex than the fairly one-sided image of him in the Penn movie.
Oddly, I found Crane's book really hard to get into. It was the kind of book that I should have loved but found it strangely uninvolving.
Into Thin Air
Krakauer's Into Thin Air is also a brilliantly told tale. I suppose it's a travel book if you call climbing Mount Everest "travelling".
Ian Marchant
A man who would, I'm sure, fit right in with The Massive. We should send him invitations.
His name has been mentioned before. Mainly by me. Parallel Lines (Trundling around the UK by train) and The Longest Crawl (Most southerly to most northerly pub, with a few inbetween)are books which smell of love for the right things. Ian Marchant will be a National Treasure one day. A National Treasure who smells of rollies, pork scratchings, real ale, well-worn fleeces, farts and spectacle cleaning cloths but a National Treasure nonetheless.
Spain
"Ghosts Of Spain" by Giles Tremlett
"Duende", "Andalus" and "Guerra" by Jason Webster
USA
"Divine Magnetic Lands" by Timothy O'Grady
"America's Back Porch" by Daniel Jeffreys
Rat Scabies And The Holy Grail
By Christopher Dawes
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/278-8936353-18...
is a cracking read and is often found in the travel section at Waterstones.
Ted Simon
As a lover of travel books you may have already read Jupiter's Travels, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it.
Thanks All
There seem to be some great ideas here, some I am familiar with and others i have not come across before.
I will get my wish list on Amazon up to date now!
Duncan Fallowell
Going as Far as I Can: The Ultimate Travel Book
To Noto, Or, London to Sicily in a Ford
One Hot Summer in St.Petersburg