Taken for Wonder focuses on nineteenth century travelogues authored by Iranians in Europe and argues for a methodological shift from the study of travel to that of writing travel. This shift allows for a different interpretive framework that moves away from an over-emphasis on the destinations of travel (particularly in cases where the destination, like Europe, signifies larger meanings such as modernity) and which historicizes the travelogue itself as a rhetorical text in the service of its origin's concerns and developments. Within this framework, this book demonstrates the ways in which travel writings to Europe were used to position Qajar Iran (1917-1925) within a global context, i.e. narration of travel to Europe was also narrating the power of the Qajar court even when political events were tipped against it; and relatedly, how both travel to Europe and also translations of travel narratives into Persian should be included in our understanding of the importance of geography and mapping to the Qajars, especially during the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this process, it also re-examines the notion that Iranian modernity was the chief outcome of Iranians travelling in and writing about Europe.

This book (hardcover) is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS. It contains classical literature works from over two thousand years. Most of these titles have been out of print and off the bookstore shelves for decades. The book series is intended to preserve the cultural legacy and to promote the timeless works of classical literature. Readers of a TREDITION CLASSICS book support the mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion. With this series, tredition intends to make thousands of international literature classics available in printed format again - worldwide.

Queen Victoria so liked the Isle of Wight she built a royal residence here. Thousands of people got stoned here at music festivals in the late 1960s. And, in the very un-hippyish Covid summer of 2020, Hunter Davies and his girlfriend escaped locked-down North London for a week’s holiday on the Isle of Wight, fell in love with its sleepy charm – and ended up buying a Grade II-listed love nest in the elegant Victorian seaside resort of Ryde. Love in Old Age tells the story of their first twelve months on the island. It brings together the themes of love in old age; Covid lockdown; rural escape; the anxieties of house-buying; and the history and curiosities of England’s largest and second most populous island – all bound together by Hunter Davies’s inquisitiveness about people and places, and his irrepressible and ironic sense of humour.

In 2013, three friends set off on a journey that they had been told was impossible: the north-south crossing of the Congo River Basin, from Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Juba, in South Sudan.Traversing two and a half thousand miles of the toughest terrain on the planet in a twenty-five year old Land Rover, they faced repeated challenges, from kleptocracy and fire ants to non-existent roads and intense suspicion from local people. Through imagination and teamwork - including building rafts and bridges to cross rivers, conducting makeshift surgery in the jungle and playing tribal politics - they got through. But the Congo is raw, and the journey took an unexpected psychological toll on them all.Crossing the Congo is a story of friendship, what it takes to complete a great journey against tremendous odds, and an intimate look into one of the world's least-developed and most fragile states.

Young couple, four children, husband agriculturalist British Government Kenya; S. Nyanza province. Tea, coffee, pyrethrum. Photographic safaris birds/animals. Many adventures, Kenya/Tanzania/ Uganda/ Ethiopia. Diaries from 1958 (20 years).

A Cult Classic, "The Way of the World" is one of the most beguiling travel books ever written. Reborn from the ashes of a Pakistan rubbish heap, it tells of a friendship between a writer and an artist, forged on an impecunious, life-enhancing journey from Serbia to Afghanistan in the 1950s. On one level it is a candid description of a road journey, on another a meditation on travel as a journey towards the self, all written by a sage with a golden pen and a wide infectious smile. It is published here for the first time in English with the Vernet drawings which are such a dynamic part of its whole.

'Judah paints another Europe with tense and dramatic detail' - Andrey Kurkov 'Will make you lurch between fascination, laughter and tears' - Sophy Roberts _____ What does it now mean to call yourself European? Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start? In a series of vivid, ambitious, darkly visceral but always empathetic portraits of other people’s lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a frenetic and vibrant continent which has been transformed by diversity, migration, the internet, climate change, Covid, war and the quest for freedom. Laid dramatically bare, it may not always be a Europe we recognize – but this is Europe. _____ Praise for Ben Judah’s This Is London: ‘An epic work of reportage’ -The Guardian ‘Eye-opening’ - The Sunday Times ‘Opens readers’ eyes to the hardships experienced by many and ignored by most’ - Independent ‘Shares Orwell’s appetite for documenting parts of society that are easily overlooked’ - Spectator ‘Full of nuggets of unexpected information about the lives of others’ - Financial Times

ryruwi PENTHOUSE of the GODS A Pilgrimage into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa By THEOS BERNARD CHARLES SCRIBNER S SONS NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNERS SONS LTD LONDON To VIOLA CONTENTS. I. ECSTASY I II. THE QUEST 28 III. GYANTSft 62 IV. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE 91 V. FROM GYANTSfi TO LHASA 124 VI. THE FORBIDDEN CITY 161 VII. SHRINES, AND MORE SHRINES 185 VIII. I AM INITIATED 204 IX. I ESCAPE WITH MY LIFE 221 X. FURTHER EDUCATION OF A LAMA 243 XI. MORE SIGHTS, MORE CEREMONIES 267 XII. SIDELIGHTS AND INSIGHTS 289 XIII. GATHERING UP THE LAST THREADS 310 INDEX 339 ILLUSTRATIONS The white Lama Theos Bernard Frontispiece FACING PAGE Temple worship 6 Worship in the Temple of the Dalai Lama 7 Great mesh screens protect gold images 8 A Deity in the Chamber of Horrois 9 Under the Tibetan Plateau 36 lake among the clouds 37 Head lama of the Kaigyupa Monastery 42 A Tibetan mendicant with his teapot 42 It never pays to poison 43 Asking for alms 43 The author crossing a trail through a cliff 46 My transport winding its way up the Lhasa Valley 47 Resting at the foot of Chumolhari 50 Crossing a i6, ooo-fbot pass 51 One of the guardians at the Gyants6 Monastery 64 Temple carvings and paintings by Lama artists 65 Mural painting of the late Dalai Lama 66 A mural painting of one of their Goddesses 67 fix Illustrations FACING PAGE The Kigu Banner hangs one hour once a year 72 The famous black hat dance 73 Jewelled headdress worn by noblewomen from Tsang province 80 Back view of same headdress 80 Tsarong Lacham of Lhasa 80 Rear view of headdress worn by noblewomen of Central Tibet 80 Jigme 8 Tenna Rajah 81 Tsarong Shap6 8 1 Mary 8x Tibetan children 108 Tibetan children 109 Crossing those mountainousplateaus of solitude 132 A small Tibetan village where author spent the night 133 The Penthouse of the Gods taken from Chakpori 146 Stairways leading into the temple of the Penthouse of the Goda 147 The author before the Holy of Holies 1 50 A street scene in Lhasa 1 51 Presents sent by the government on my arrival 1 66 The author with two of his Tibetan lady friends 167 The author with the Prime Minister of Tibet 167 A Tibetan artist at work 172 A young carver 173 I Illustrations FACING PAGE Lamas reading proof 173 The Dalais printing establishment at the Potala 174 Stacks where wood blocks are kept at the Dalai Lamas printing establishment 175 The golden gargoyle on the roof over the late Dalai Lamas tomb 1 86 A door handle 186 Temple decorations 186 Incense burner and ornaments 187 The author photographing among the Lamas 190 Coppcrwarc made by native craftsmen 191 The author with the King Regent of Tibet 194 Bodyguard of the King Regent 195 The author next to the glowing altar of thousand lights 200 Ceremony at tomb of the late Dalai Lama 201 Trail leading around old Chakpori 214 Shrine of the thousand Buddhas 2x5 The author examining Tibetan manuscripts A Tibetan scholar A Tibetan beggar A moments pause a 37 A daily news bulletin hanging in the bazaar at Lhasa 250 Sounding trumpets from top of the Potala 251 Drcpung Monastery, the largest in the world 256 xi Illustrations FACING PAGE Sunrise service at Drepung Monastery 257 Sera Monastery, second largest in Tibet 278 The four head Lamas of Sera Monastery 279 The author with the lay and Lama officials of the Dalai Lama 316 The author visiting with the Rakasha family 317 Yaks used for transport in Tibet 330 A Tibetan Burial 331Crossing a river m a Tibetan Yak-skin boat 33 x Ganden Monastery, third largest in Tibet 334 A Lama debating 335 The golden image of the coming Buddha 336 A golden image of Buddha 337 A PENTHOUSE OF THE GODS CHAPTER I ECSTASY EE began to stir in the middle of the night, as preparations were being made for the great ceremony. With the dawn I was awakened by the rhythmic beating of drums, the ceaseless drone of sixteen-foot trumpets and the vibrant chant ing of thousands of Lamas, as they filed their way to the slab paved courtyard of the famous temple...

An enthralling, intimate collection of essays and over 75 recipes exploring the history of eight countries to understand the impact of geopolitical conflict and its outcomes on cuisine and food system, from Somali refugee and James Beard Award-winning author of In Bibi's Kitchen.

Countries dealing with major conflict are rarely portrayed in a well-rounded light by the media. Images of disarray and decline saturate their narratives, ignoring the strength, resourcefulness, and ingenuity that arise from having to navigate conflict. With empathy, curiosity, and an insistence on sharing different aspects of human survival, Hawa Hassan gathers singular, multifaceted narratives for eight countries from around the world.

Each chapter is devoted to a different country and opens with an informative essay on the culture and its history. Recipes follow highlighting indigenous ingredients and share intimate portraits of the people preserving food culture, including food from:

• Afghanistan, such as Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread) and Borani Banjan (Stewed Eggplant with Garlic Yogurt)
• Democratic Republic of Congo, such as Chikwanga (Cassava Flour Cake) and Pondu (Cassava Leaf Stew)
• Egypt, such as Ta'ameya (Fava Bean Fritters) and Ghorayeba (Shortbread Cookies)
• El Salvador, such as Sopa de Res (Beef Shank Soup) and Pupusas con Curtido (Filled Masa Flatbreads with Cabbage Slaw)
• Iraq, such as Shorbat Adas (Lentil Soup) and Bamia (Lamb and Okra Stew)
• Lebanon, such as Malfouf (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) and Mouhamara (Spicy Walnut and Red Pepper dip)
• Liberia, such as Ground Peanut Soup and Kala (Sweet Fried Dough)
• Yemen, such as Saltah (Lamb Stew with Fenugreek Fruth) and Sahawiq

An original and groundbreaking work, Setting a Place for Us returns agency to the people whose stories, up until now, have been ignored in the media. It sheds light on the important work of preserving recipes and food traditions in places of conflict and migration.

From comical misunderstandings and hilarious mishaps to the sheer terror of a near-death experience, these are the true-life global adventures and keen observations of one American traveler.

During his forty years of international travel, Edward Gray journeyed through the old Communist regimes of the USSR, Western Europe, the Americas, and the Far East. He lived through coup attempts in Portugal, Peru, and France; skyjacking incidents in the Middle East and the United States; and his family's extended stay at the JFK Airport in the blizzard of 1993.

At once a personal memoir, an intriguing international travelogue, and a fascinating blend of history and sociology, "Call a Bomb a Rifle" includes Gray's most entertaining, lively, and insightful anecdotes about life among strangers. Whether he's witnessing the purchase of a bushel of cherries in Istanbul, skiing in the Italian Alps, or watching the pilot and his fellow passengers perish in a major airplane crash, Gray is forever changed by his worldly excursions.

This remarkable memoir chronicles a lifetime of exploration into the various cultures, languages, and idiosyncrasies that divide us as a species-and the underlying humanity that unites us.

One of the Daily Telegraph's 20 Books Perfect for Travel Scotland has its rugged Hebrides; Ireland its cliff-girt Arans; Wales its Island of Twenty Thousand Saints. And what has England got? The isles of Canvey, Sheppey, Wight and Dogs, Mersea, Brownsea, Foulness and Rat. But there are also wilder, rockier places - Lundy, the Scillies, the Farnes. These islands and their inhabitants not only cast varied lights on the mainland, they also possess their own peculiar stories, from the Barbary slavers who once occupied Lundy, to the ex-major who seized a wartime fort in the North Sea and declared himself Prince of Sealand. Ian Crofton embarks on a personal odyssey to a number of the islands encircling England, exploring how some were places of refuge or holiness, while others have been turned into personal fiefdoms by their owners, or become locations for prisons, rubbish dumps and military installations. He also describes the varied ways in which England's islands have been formed, and how they are constantly changing, so making a mockery of human claims to sovereignty.

A Visit to Wazan, the Sacred City of Morocco Originally published in 1880, this book offers a fascinating insight into a Morocco that, at that time, was untouched by western influence. Contetns Include: Introduction, Langifr, The Great Cherif and the Cherifa, Preparation, On the Road, Druidical Remains at Majorah-Arjila, By the Way, Al Kasar, The Way to Wazan, Wazan, Asigen, Rest, Across Country, Toward Tetuan, Tetuan, Return to Tangier, Tangier Again. Also includes appendix and maps and illustrations. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Democracy is a living, breathing thing and Erica Benner has spent a lifetime thinking about the role ordinary citizens play in keeping it alive: from her childhood in post-war Japan, where democracy was imposed on a defeated country, to working in post-communist Poland, with its sudden gaps of wealth and security. This book draws on her experiences and the deep history of self-ruling peoples – going back to ancient Greece, the French revolution and Renaissance Florence – to rethink some of the toughest questions that we face today.

What do democratic ideals of equality mean in a world obsessed with competition, wealth, and greatness? How can we hold the powerful to account? Can we find enough common ground to keep sharing democratic power in the future? Challenging well-worn myths of heroic triumph over tyranny, Benner reveals the inescapable vulnerabilities of people power, inviting us to consider why democracy is worth fighting for and the role each of us must play.

Perhaps the first modern travelogues still to capture the imaginations of armchair explorers, the mid-19th-century bestselling books of American diplomat and writer JOHN LLOYD STEPHENS (1805-1852) reads like the most inspired of novels. The poetic immediacy places the reader square in the saddle of adventure.In this classic 1837 work-which a critic like Edgar Allan Poe praised for its "freshness of manner evincing manliness of feeling"-Stephens takes the reader on an evocative journey through the Middle East, from a visit to the pyramids of Egypt to encounters with enthusiastic locals and much more.Complete with all the beautiful original illustrations by English artist and architect Frederick Catherwood (1799-1854), this delightful book continues to enthrall adventurous spirits today.JOHN LLOYD STEPHENS (1805-1852) was an important part of the reintroduction of Mayan Civilization to middle America. He was an explorer, diplomat, and writer, who specialized in Mesoamerican studies. He incorporated the Ocean Steam Navigation Company at a time when the British controlled travel to and from the United States. In 1849 he was appointed the Vice President of the Panama Railroad Company, later becoming the president. He supervised the project until his death from a liver disease at age 46.

As Suid-Afrikaner wat in Engeland woon, het André Pretorius die geleentheid om plekke te besoek wat vir die meeste van ons net drome bly. Maar met sy uitstekende skryfwerk bring hy in hierdie boek talle van die eksotiese plekke naby sy lesers.

Hy laat ons deel in die soektog na ’n kelim in die mark van Marrakesj, in die nostalgie van Nobelpryswenner Orhan Pamuk se Istanboel, in die verhewe skoonheid van die St. Pieterskerk in Rome en in ’n bootrit op die magtige Irrawaddy-rivier in Birma gedurende die reënseisoen wanneer dit voel asof die waters van hemel en aarde versmelt.

Daar is ook vermaaklike oomblikke, soos wanneer hy aan ’n wynproe-cum-marathon in die Medoc-vallei deelneem (met voorspelbare gevolge) en wanneer hy met net ’n klein lappie as bedekking dit na ’n openbare bad in Boedapest waag.