It was perhaps the first book to achieve best-seller status before the invention of the printing press-it was certainly the most controversial. Did Venetian trader and explorer MARCO POLO (1254-1324) actually reach the court of Kublai Khan, serve the emperor as his emissary, and journey the distant lands of Cathay for 17 years, as he relates in his Travels of Marco Polo? The question still hasn't quite been settled today... but whether Polo experienced firsthand the wonders of ancient China, retold tales he heard from Arab travelers along the Silk Road, or simply invented half his stories, this remains a delightful read for fans of history, adventure, and medieval literature.

In the 17th century Britons left their country in vast numbers - explorers, diplomats, ecclesiastics, merchants, or simply "tourists." Only the most intrepid ventured into the faraway lands of the Ottoman Empire. Their travel narratives, best-sellers in their day, provide an entertaining but also valuable testimony on the everyday life of Orthodox Christians and their coexistence with the Turks. Greek Christians, though living under the Ottoman yoke, enjoyed greater religious freedom than many of their brothers in Christian Europe. The travelers' intellectual curiosity about Greece opened a window on the Orthodox Church, and paved the way for future dialogue.

Not content with walking the Pennine Way as a modern day troubadour, an experience recounted in his bestseller and prize-wining Walking Home, the restless poet has followed up that journey with a walk of the same distance but through the very opposite terrain and direction far from home. In Walking Away Simon Armitage swaps the moorland uplands of the north for the coastal fringes of Britain's south west, once again giving readings every night, but this time through Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, taking poetry into distant communities and tourist hot-spots, busking his way from start to finsh. From the surreal pleasuredome of Minehead Butlins to a smoke-filled roundhouse on the Penwith Peninsula then out to the Isles of Scilly and beyond, Armitage tackles this personal Odyssey with all the poetic reflection and personal wit we've come to expect of one of Britain's best loved and most popular writers.

Research on pilgrimage has traditionally fallen across a series of academic disciplines - anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, history and theology. To date, relatively little work has been devoted to the issue of pilgrimage as writing and specifically as a form of travel-writing. The aim of the interdisciplinary essays gathered here is to examine the relations of Christian pilgrimage to the numerous narratives, which it generates and upon which it depends. Authors reveal not only the tensions between oral and written accounts but also the frequent ambiguities of journeys - the possibilities of shifts between secular and sacred forms and accounts of travel. Above all, the papers reveal the self-generating and multiple-authored characteristics of pilgrimage narrative: stories of past pilgrimage experience generate future stories and even future journeys.

Simon Coleman moved to Sussex University in 2004, having spent 11 years at Durham University as Lecturer and then Reader in Anthropology, and Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health.

John Elsner is Senior Research Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

These timely reconsiderations of European Travel writing from the 1930s reassert the oppositional primacy of subjective translations and disavow hermetic notions that travel should or even can be divorced from socio-political or cultural contexts. * Journeys Cultural Encounters offers a rich, varied and yet impressively coherent collection of essays on the meanings and practices of travel writing in 1930s Europe. Carefully building on theoretical interest in travel writing of recent years, the essays follow written journeys to Graham Greene's Liberia and Lorca's Cuba, to Fascist Italy's Greece and France's Indochina, and many more. Throughout, texts and authors are shown to be alive with hybrid constructions of self and of ideological, national and colonial identity. What is more, the book provides compelling reasons for seeing 1930s travel writing as being of particular fascination, lying on a cusp between the Depression, totalitarianism, colonialism and modernism, and the seeds of mass tourism, post-colonialism and globalization.* Re-reading German literature since 1945, Robert Gordon, Cambridge University The 1930s were one of the most important decades in defining the history of the twentieth century. It saw the rise of right-wing nationalism, the challenge to established democracies and the full force of imperialist aggression. Cultural Encounters makes an important contribution to our understanding of the ideological and cultural forces which were active in defining notions of national identity in the 1930s. By examining the work of writers and journalists from a range of European countries who used the medium of travel writing to articulate perceptions of their own and other cultures, the book gives a comprehensive account of the complex intellectual climate of the 1930s. Charles Burdett is lecturer in Italian at the University of Bristol and co-editor of European Memories of the Second World War (1999). He is currently working on representations of Africa in fascist Italy. Derek Duncan is lecturer in Italian at the University of Bristol. He has published extensively on twentieth century Italian literature with particular reference to questions of gender and sexuality.

Tired of airport security queues, delays and all those extra taxes and charges, Tom Chesshyre embarks on a series of high-speed adventures across the Continent on its fast trains instead. From shiny London St Pancras, Tom travels to places that wouldn't feature on a standard holiday wish-list, and discovers the hidden delights of mysterious Luxembourg, super-trendy Rotterdam, much-maligned Frankfurt and lovely lakeside Lausanne, via a pop concert in Lille. It's 186 mph all the way - well, apart from a power cut in the Channel Tunnel on the way to Antwerp. Is our idea of 'Europe' changing as its destinations become easier to reach? And what fun can you have at the ends of the lines? Jump on board and find out!

Contents Include: John Farquharson - Lonavey - Lost on the Grampians - A Glorious Twalt O' August! - A Dundonian's Lesson in Deerstalking - Two Days with John Farquharson - Athole Gamekeepers Cleverly Outwitted - How They Carried off the Deer - An English Sportsman's Initiation - Sportsmen Sold: Gamekeepers made Game of - Seven deer Shot Within a Minute - Stalking the Stalkers - Running the Blockade - A Wonderful Dream - Minor Incidents, Bamboozling Glenshee Gamekeepers, Deer Attacked by an eagle, Two Close Shaves - Ranter's Famous Fox Chase - All About "Nell," Farquharson's Pointer - Alexander Davidson

With a new introduction by the author

Inspired by a movie, television show, book, or stories from friends, we may find ourselves daydreaming about trips to exotic locations with exciting adventures. For some lucky ones, these dreams become reality.

Would a Maharajah Sleep Here? presents firsthand stories of luxury travel and discovery by two fun and experienced travelers. Authors and travelers Stephen and Leanne Troy provide accounts of historic exploration, luxury hotel stays, and encounters with interesting people around the world. Each trip is private and planned in great detail to make sure each and every adventure is unique and experienced in five-star luxury. Chronicling their exploits at the end of each day, the Troys describe checking into the finest hotels in the world and getting whisked away for incredible tours of some of the world's greatest treasures.

In addition to personal anecdotes, this travelogue shares information about sites, history, culture, and food in countries around the world. The Troys reveal the good, the bad, and, of course, the fun and funny events that they encountered on their trips around the globe.

For years Patricia Schultz has been telling us where to go-her 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (R) books and calendars have sold millions of copies to eager travelers looking to explore new destinations and round out bucket lists. Now, in a beautifully illustrated gift book that's filled with inspiration perfectly timed to meet the pent-up demand for travel, Patricia Schultz tells us why to go. Personal stories and anecdotes, quotes about travel, affirmations, ideas, and travel hacks-and stunning photographs throughout-Why We Travel comes at its subject from many directions, but all of them point to the same goal: Travel is one of the most richly rewarding experiences we can have. It is, as Pico Iyer says, the place where we stay up late, follow impulse and find ourselves as wide open as when we are in love. It is something we must do ourselves, since No one can explore the world for you. It forces us to go with the flow: When plan B doesn't work, move on in the alphabet. And it gives us so many memories. Patricia shares some of her most rewarding, like going on safari in Zambia and finding her most lasting memory in a classroom of five-year-olds.

"Spots of a leopard - on being a man" is a quest to discover the meaning of life in this day and age. When internationally acclaimed journalist Aernout Zevenbergen moved to Kenya in 1997, he had no idea how deeply his encounters with joy and sorrow in Africa would effect him. Writing about the most inspiring as well as the most disconcerting facets of life, Zevenbergen goes onto a subtle journey of self-discovery. What is love? If it takes a village to raise a child, does it also take a village to bury one? How does romance play a role in our lives? When is a man considered to be a good father? Can friendship conquer loneliness? What gives strength and inspiration when the going gets tough? Zevenbergen discusses these questions with a wide variety of men; from truckers to bikers, from paupers to presidents, from warriors to widowers. 'We are leopards wiping away their spots.' The author asks questions few have dared to ask men. Faced with their honesty, the author finds the courage to finally grow up as well. === Matthew Fox (author of 'The Hidden Spirituality of Men'): 'Your story telling is very powerful and moving and altogether creates a tapestry that gets one thinking strong thoughts and asking important questions.' The Weekender: 'Zevenbergen has a true talent for getting people to open up and speak their hearts' Cape Argus: 'Wordsmith: Aernout Zevenbergen has written beautifully crafted essays' Jury report Dick Scherpenzeel Foundation: 'He portrays in an extremely skillful way the face of traditions-in-flux.' Olivia Umurerwa Rutazibwa - politics.be: 'By voicing his own doubts and questions and by openly reflecting upon his own life, the journalistic stories get a beautiful human face.' Biblion: 'An extremely well written work on a topic for which there has been little attention.'

A musician offers an account of his travels through the Mid-Atlantic and New England. He offers commentary on Native American contact, social life, and hunting game and fishing (a passion of his).

There's never been a better time to live on this planet London - the Jolly Pilgrim sets off on a bicycle ride to Istanbul, planning a rendezvous with the girl he wants to marry. Eighteen months later and halfway around the world, following hospitalisations, financial meltdown, torment and heartbreak, he goes to live as a hermit in South America, to explore a bunch of ideas about humanity's place in the universe. He swims the Bosporus and works in a drag club, hitchhikes across Australia and dances salsa in an Ecuadorian prison, experiences rapture and revelation amidst talismanic historical and religious sites, endures love, voyeurism, bees, ants, sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and in response, conceives a message of hope for civilisation. Part adventure story, part reflection on the state of our species, this profoundly uplifting, real-life odyssey ends with a call-to-arms for the human race to be more honest about itself. It's time to think bigger Welcome to enlightenment 2.0

Originally published in 1828, Francois Rene de Chateaubriand's 2-volume Travels in America and Italy is an important literary travel narrative written by a leading (some would say founding) figure of French Romanticism. Chateaubriand traveled to America in 1791 to escape the volatile atmosphere of Revolutionary France. While some doubt has been raised as to whether he actually traveled to all the areas he claimed, (discrepancies in his descriptions of flora and fauna, lead scholars to believe that Chateaubriand did not travel to the Mississippi River, Florida, Alabama, or to Louisiana, as implied by his writing) Chateaubriand's lush descriptions of nature, particularly that of the sparsely populated landscape of the American South, place this work at the forefront of the French Romantic tradition, strongly impacting leading writers and thinkers of the time. Moral and intellectual concerns are explored throughout the work, for example in the Preface that contains his theories of geographical science and the history of travel. The work is also known for its exploration of the customs, manners, and languages of the Native American tribes Chateaubriand encountered. vol. 2 of 2

***SILVER AWARD WINNER, 2019 NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS!*** The Children's Fire forges a trail into Britain's wild and ancient Celtic past. It locates the fragments of a story that still has resonance today; the pulse and surge of an older wisdom that cracks the mendacity of the shopping mall's vacuous promise. It is a passionate evocation of a generous, inclusive, diverse and spiritually significant world - the world of our longing. In the winter of 2009 Mac Macartney walked from his birthplace in England across Wales to the island of Anglesey, once the spiritual epicentre of Late Iron Age Britain, navigating by the sun and the stars, with no map, compass, stove or tent, and in the coldest winter for many years. The Children's Fire records that journey, and seeks to lay bare the aching loss of knowing and understanding sacredness as it applies to everything ordinary that brings joy to the human heart. It asserts the emergence of a new story; the story of a people coming home to a truth made all the more poignant having so painfully broken faith with nature, our deeper humanity, and the paradise we fouled with such casual disrespect. It is a love story and part of a larger narrative that is surfacing all around the world. It seeks to reclaim our future and name it, beautiful.

How I Accidentally Became a Global Stock Photo and Other Strange and Wonderful Stories is part memoir, part travelogue and part love letter. Shubnum Khan takes the reader on a journey around the world. Whether it is teaching children in a remote village in the Himalayas, attending a writers’ residency where the movie The Blair Witch Project was shot, getting pulled out of the ocean in Turkey or becoming a bride on a rooftop in Shanghai, Shubnum is quirky, moving and vulnerable in what she shares.

Shubnum offers an introspective reflection on what it means to be a woman, particularly a single Muslim woman in South Africa, trying to find herself in a modern world. The stories are drawn from her life journey, which has been full of unexpected twists and turns, and are interspersed with reflections on culture and religion as well as musings on family, relationships and love.

The Mindy Project meets Bridget Jones’s Diary with a side of Keeping Up With The Kandasamys, this is a book about holding onto hope and a reminder that once ‘you step off the edge, anything can happen’.

A member of Parliament records his travels and offers data; a very detailed account of travel in New England and New York. vol. 3 of 3

Die vierde boek in ‘n reeks. Al die boeke is met intensiteit baie fyn geskryf, Christof neem die leser op vlerke, elkeen het ‘n besonderse boodskap betreffende die natuur wat uitgedra word, dit gaan oor skryfkuns, vertelkuns wat jou vasvang, nie net oor die spesifieke reise wat gekies is nie, maar veral hoé dit beskryf is. Ervaar die passie waarmee dit geskryf is, met balans die natuurlewe uitbeeld soos dit daar gebeur, die unieke manier hoe die tonele en prentjies in die reisjoernaal die gebeure in Afrikaans vasvat, ook in die ruskampe, hoe die woorde ingespan word.

In die natuur gebeur daar nooit niks nie, al is daar byvoorbeeld nie ‘n leeujag nie, Christof en sy vrou volg die gebeure soos dit daar in die natuur met hul besoeke gebeur, die leser sien nie net die prentjies en tonele, wat beskryf word, hoor die geluide van die bos nie, maar ervaar dit asof hy/sy daar mét hulle is, jy ruik dit, proe dit, jy kan daaraan vat.

Die natuurlewe het sy eie ritme en bekoring, nét soos musiek, met elke lewende wese wat, in die omgewing waarin hulle moet oorleef, die sintuie en vaardighede wat aan hulle, eie aan hul soort, toegedeel is, ook teen die elemente inspan om hul spesie se voortbestaan te verseker.

Dit is soos dit in die Op Vlerke boeke geskilder word, met eie ritme, die note hou, om uiting aan elkeen se oorlewingsmeganisme te gee. Die manier van uitdrukking gee, diere, voëls beskryf, hier en daar ‘n insek, wat hulle doen, hoé, interaksie, beweging, gevoel, klanke, wat jou vasvang, die omgewing, plantegroei, die veld lewe gee, water, die terrein, dít is waaroor die boeke gaan, die skryfkuns met spesifiek die natuurlewe, waarin mens die skryfstyl kan uitleef wat met elke sintuig van jou praat.

Alive with the mayhem of the present and sparkling with William Dalrymple’s irrepressible wit, 'City of Djinns' is a fascinating portrait of a city.

Watched over and protected by the mischievous, invisible djinns, Delhi has, through their good offices, been saved from destruction many times over the centuries. With an extraordinary array of characters, from elusive eunuchs to the last remnants of the Raj, Dalrymple’s second book is a unique and dazzling feat of research. Over the course of a year he comes to know the bewildering city intimately, and brilliantly conveys its magical nature, peeling back successive layers of history, and interlacing innumerable stories from Delhi’s past and present.

It is the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile and climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents and still Australia teems with life - a large portion of it quite deadly. In fact, Australia has more things that can kill you in a very nasty way than anywhere else. Ignoring such dangers - and yet curiously obsessed by them - Bill Bryson journeyed to Australia and promptly fell in love with the country. And who can blame him? The people are cheerful, extrovert, quick-witted and unfailingly obliging: their cities are safe and clean and nearly always built on water; the food is excellent; the beer is cold and the sun nearly always shines. Life doesn't get much better than this...

At the height of the financial crisis in 2009, Sarah Moss and her husband moved with their two small children to Iceland. From their makeshift home among the half-finished skyscrapers of Reykjavik, Moss travels to hillsides of boiling mud and volcanic craters, and the remote farms and fishing villages of the far north. She watches the northern lights and the comings and goings of migratory birds, and as the weeks and months go by, she and her family find new ways to live.

From one of the most important chroniclers of our time, come two extended excerpts from her never-before-seen notebooks - writings that offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of a legendary writer. Joan Didion has always kept notebooks: of overheard dialogue, observations, interviews, drafts of essays and articles Here is one such draft that traces a road trip she took with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, in June 1970, through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. She interviews prominent local figures, describes motels, diners, a deserted reptile farm, a visit with Walker Percy, a ladies' brunch at the Mississippi Broadcasters' Convention. She writes about the stifling heat, the almost viscous pace of life, the sulfurous light, and the preoccupation with race, class, and heritage she finds in the small towns they pass through. And from a different notebook: the "California Notes" that began as an assignment from Rolling Stone on the Patty Hearst trial of 1976. Though Didion never wrote the piece, watching the trial and being in San Francisco triggered thoughts about the city, its social hierarchy, the Hearsts, and her own upbringing in Sacramento. Here, too, is the beginning of her thinking about the West, its landscape, the western women who were heroic for her, and her own lineage.