International Travel Book Descriptions

INTERNATIONAL FAVORITES - Click on Book link to purchase
Title	Author	Description
An Unexpected Light	Jason Elliot	One mans descriptions and stories about his two journeys through war torn Afghanistan. His first journey was in 1979 and then later in 1989. This is excellent travel writing - part travelogue, historical and personal story that highlights the dangers as well as the joys of traveling in Afghanistan during this war torn period.
Avenger	Frederick Forsyth	This book involves two separate parties trying to do good for their country, takes place just before 9/11 - raises moral questions. Note the date referenced just before the story ends - it is September 10, 2001. This novel is an excellent fast paced complicated thriller which weaves real life places and people into the story.
Bad Lands	Tony Wheeler	Join Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler as he explores some of the "badlands" in the world. He visited the following nine countries because of their human-rights abuses: Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia
Classic Motorsport Routes	Richard Meaden	Coffee table book, 224 pages of race routes and color photos. This book predominately covers famous historical racing routes in Europe but towards the end of the book you find routes in the mid and western USA. A must have for any racing car enthusiast - work these routes into a vacation! Very nice write-up on Pike's Peak and the fast courses of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.
Forbidden Knowledge: Travel	Michael Powell	Interested in knowing how to break laws abroad and perhaps not get caught, or smoke in a plane or scam your fellow tourists or any of a number of sometimes highly illegal activities? This feisty and always entertaining book describes how to do things that perhaps you've always wondered about trying but never had the guts to do. This is a great read for both armchair travelers or those adventurers trying to add some additional adrenaline to their trips. Each "how to do" contains detailed instructions and an accompanying image. While some of the activities described in this book are highly illegal or dangerous, some are quite entertaining and others may prove useful. This book can certainly be used as a conversation starter especially when trying to kill some time while on any number of forms of transportation during your trips.
Grounded	Seth Stevenson	Grounded; this word is not in the vocabulary of any frequent flyer today but in this case it is the title of Seth Stevenson's intriguing new travel book. This is the modern day tale of how Seth and his girlfriend Rebecca travel the globe without ever setting foot inside a jet. This is somewhat of a logistical nightmare in today's age of waking up in New York and eating dinner in Paris the same day. Their story starts when they sell just about everything they own and then board a freighter ship in Philadelphia that is bound for Europe. Highlights include their experiences on the Trans-Siberian Railway, bicycling Vietnam and several freighter rides. This book explores the richness and insights that one invariably discovers by taking the "slower way".
Home Away From Home	Nghiep Dao	This is a first hand account of a family who evacuated Vietnam just before Saigon fell in 1975. This book initially chronicles their escape via a military cargo plane and describes a 2 month stay in California's Camp Pendleton. Eventually a sponsor is found and Coffeyville, a small town in the middle of Kansas becomes their new home. This is an intriguing, at times sad and sometimes humorous story of how a Vietnamese family initially struggled to adjust to their new life in America. It is clearly evident that author Nghiep Dao has a vivid memory for details and conversations and a penchant for remembering humorous situations. This is a story you cannot help but be caught up in.
I'm Off Then	Hape Kerkeling	Hape admits he is sometimes a couch potato but sets off anyways on the intriguing and spiritual journey across the Pyrenees to the Spanish shrine of St. James (Santiago de Compostela). This is story of Hape's interesting and at times humorous experiences (Hape is a well-known German comedian and his humor definitely shows through in this book) on the Camino Santiago where "pilgrims" stay in free refugios and distances are often long and solitary. Meet some of the interesting characters that Hape gets to know on the walk and read some of the humorous events he experiences including one situation where he pours water from his second story window onto an unsuspecting mob of Spanish teenagers who are causing problems. He ends each chapter with the "insight of the day", advice dispensed to the reader based on an integral part of that days' experiences. This is a good read for anyone interested in making this pilgrimage or for those who would rather read about it then walk it!
Invisible China	Colin Legerton & Jacob Rawson	This is one of the more in depth well written books that has come across our desk in some time. Join authors Colin Legerton and Jacob Rawson as they journey to a number of remote parts of China, regions that most westerners will never visit. They are both fluent in Mandarin (official language of China), Uyghur and Korean. Without language barriers they are able to really connect with a variety of people as well as gain their trust (speaking the language and being Caucasian in non touristy areas, they were definitely asked if they were spies on more than several occasions!). Read about their experiences in small villages and their descriptions of how both government and natural resource availability has changed people's livelihoods in a relatively short amount of time. This is a fascinating read from many perspectives; travelers interested in a part of China you don't hear about often in the "western world" as well as those interested in anthropology and the minority cultures within China's vast geographic regions. By the way, collectively the population of China's minority cultures number over 120 million which is more than many countries of the world.
Kite Runner	Khaled Hosseini	This is a gripping read starting with a boy's (Amir) childhood life in Afghanistan before war tore apart this country. This is fiction but it reads like real life and is interwoven with real life events and places. Eventually the principal character Amir moves to the USA with his father (baba, meaning father). Where else can you find Afghan culture, love and the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose, California tied together in one story! An incident that occurred during Amir's childhood haunts him throughout the story and isn't personally resolved until the end of the story when he revisits Kabul and confronts his "fears".
Kon Tiki	Thor Heyerdahl	An incredible journey of over 4000 nautical miles by Thor & friends on a hand built balsa raft. They left from Callao, Peru and arrived in the South Pacific. On this journey, Thor explores the social dynamics of the group on the small raft, provides insights into the long days and long nights with just the ocean as your home. This story also makes the argument that this journey was possible thousands of years ago.
Little Cream Book, Drives	David Hall	Produced by the luxury travel operator, Wanlilu who is based in Hong Kong, the Little Cream Books do not disappoint. Each book is small but packed with quality road trips - the cover is elegant cloth and each book comes in its own blue box. This book highlights 26 spectacular drives worldwide, one drive for each letter of the alphabet. Each drive lists at least one luxury car rental (possibly a Ferrari or Lamborghini) and at least one exclusive lodging. Think of yourself driving the rugged Amalfi Coast in a red Porsche 911 with the top down with a babe or handsome guy next to you - or perhaps the windy roads of the mountainous Col de Turini north of Monacao are more your style. From Africa, Europe, Asia to North & South America, "Drives" is your luxury guide to the best drives each continent has to offer.
Long Way Round	Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman	Join actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they set off on a round the world 20,000 mile motorbike trip from the UK across Europe, Asia and then North America. A partnership between good friends that produces perspective, perseverance and adventure soon ensues with both Ewan and Charley taking turns providing commentary throughout the book. There is nothing like the freedom of setting off on a motorbike through distant lands even if those distant lands are ripe with nasty roads (and they experienced more than their fair share of sand, dirt, gravel, rivers and mud on). From hanging out with mysterious gun toting Ukrainians to camping in the Mongolian frontier this book is packed with adventure. This is a serious "road trip"!
My Soul to Take	Yrsa Sigurdardottir	This is a murder mystery (actually two of them), set in Snæfellsnes, a peninsula on Western Iceland about 120km from Reykjavik. Author Sigurdardottir weaves a tangled web of mystery, introducing multiple suspects, an element of the otherworld while always leaving the reader somewhat in doubt as to who the real culprit is. The story is not always what it seems as it unfolds. 3/4 of the way through the book many clues only leave you guessing and asking questions like "who did it"? As the main character Thora narrows down the suspects her short list of possible culprits will only leave you surprised towards the end of this book. Click here & scroll down to view author Sigurdardottir discussing her new book.
Papillon	Henri Charrière	This is a classic story of a wrongly jailed Frenchman and his prison life which involves fascinating stories about escaping prison and evading capture including living with local villagers. Rarely has one man gone to such great lengths to escape a wrongful imprisonment.
Passeggiata	G.G. Husak	Passeggiata which means a kind of walk or stroll in Italian, is a travel memoir based on a couples first trip to Italy with additional insights provided based on a number of trips taken later. This book is both personal, reflective and informative. Various chapters cover the author's experiences in not only some of Italy's most popular cities and regions including Rome, the Riviera, Umbria, Florence but also the quaint off the beaten path villages and towns that Italy is so known for. A good chapter is the one on "traveling light"; however this is not the only chapter that provides travel tips. There are also many practical tips about how to travel like the locals and how to make the most of an and enjoy an immersion in another culture. Visit the author's website for more information: www.passeggiataitalia.com
The Heart of the Buddha	Elsie Sze	This is a story of twin sisters who find themselves in Bhutan for different reasons. Marion goes to Bhutan to direct and improve a local library but instead becomes passionate for a Bhutanese monk, overstays her visa, and then disappears. The story takes place in the late 1990's before email comes to Bhutan and Marion shares her story with her sister Ruth until the letters mysteriously stop. Fearing the worst, Ruth jets over to Bhutan and begins the search for her missing sister. As she finds the "keys" along the way, the mystery unravels. Ruth ends up in her own fleeting relationship. This is a fun and easy to read story which incorporates details of the Bhutanese culture and way of life. This is a book that will simply keep you glued to the pages from the beginning to the end.
The Last Aloha	Gaellen Quinn	This is historical fiction about the last days of the Hawaiian monarchy. In spite of a rather tragic start to the book the main character Laura leaves San Francisco for Hawaii to start a "new life" with her Aunt and Uncle who live in Honolulu. Living with an overbearing evil uncle helps create the impetus to move out of his house and live and work for the royal family in Honolulu. Laura's family is part of the wealthy elite planning to overthrow the monarchy and Hawaii's last queen, Lili'uokalani struggles to save "her" kingdom. Author Quinn expertly weaves a tale of personal lives along with Hawaiian history - even author Robert Louis Stevenson makes an appearance. A number of twists and turns make this a highly fascinating read.
The Lunatic Express	Carl Hoffman	This is a fascinating read about travel through countries with some of the world's craziest and most dangerous transportation networks. Author Hoffman's recollections of his journey are gripping, engaging, reflective and at times humorous. He travels as locals would almost always in the lowest seating class - from the insanely crowded Mumbai trains where over 4,000 are killed annually due to train related accidents to the -40F temperatures experienced when he hopped a ride in an old 20 ton truck for 36 hours (on a dirt track) in the dead of winter in Mongolia. He purposely seeks out the world's most dangerous airplanes, ferries, trains and buses. As a curious reporter, Hoffman wants to understand how nearly all of the world's population by numbers, travel.
The Places in Between	Rory Stewart	An amazing modern day tale of one man's journey walking across Afghanistan in the middle of the winter, mostly with just his dog. Takes place right after the "fall" of the Taliban and is a unique insight into the Afghan culture. Throw in freezing temperatures, heavy snow, and some hostile villagers and you have an epic tale. Rory stayed with local villagers during this entire hike - his "guides" ended up leaving after part of the hike and he continued on solo.
The Road to Ubar	Nicholas Clapp	The 'lost' city of Ubar is located in Oman in the Desert of the Empty Quarter, one of the largest deserts in the world. The author spent many years researching this fabled city buried under sand. Satellite imagery helped with the discovery. A fascinating read. Dave has personally visited the site of this city. His photo here.
The Wishing Trees	John Shors	This is a compelling tale of a father and daughter as they embark on an International journey to help recover from the death of their wife/mother Kate. The story is imbued with sadness throughout as both father and daughter shared an extraordinary closeness to Kate. Kate has instructed them on this journey by sharing letters to both the mother and the daughter to be opened only during certain parts of the trip. Hope arises for both towards the end of their journey and both father and daughter start to rise up from their grief. Author John Shors has lived in Asia (where much of the story takes place) and masterfully weaves his knowledge of the locations into the book.
to hellholes and back	Chuck Thompson	This is one of the most humorous travel reads that has come across our desk in a long time. Chuck Thompson decides to visit what he perceives to be four scary "hellholes": Congo, India, Mexico City and as he says, "perhaps most terrifying of all", Disney World in Florida. The book is chock full of memorable witty quotes that will leave you hunched over laughing especially the chapters on India and even more so if you have ever traveled to India. His stories are scattered with expletives, crazy stories, unusual situations and interesting characters. This all makes for a very entertaining read. Chuck is American and it is also interesting to read some of his observations regarding America's perception abroad. In the end, he survives these four destinations and his reflective comments indicate none of these destinations was in actuality as scary as his original perception.
Unlikely Destinations	Tony/Maureen Wheeler	The full autobiographical story of Lonely Planet, how the business started, how it grew and where it is today. Join founders, Tony & Maureen Wheeler on their unique trips which formed the basis for their publishing empire which today spans almost 40 years.
Whale Warriors	Peter Heller	A true Story. In 2005 author Peter Heller joined captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd during their time attempting to stop Japanese whalers from killing whales. The read is fast, intriguing and at times repulsive and sad. A must read for anyone interested in eco-adventure and wildlife conservation.
Women of the Four Winds	Elizabeth Fagg Olds	This book profiles four women who were "ahead of their time" who lived in the early/mid 1900's including Annie Peck, the first person to climb the great 6000+ meter Huascaran in Peru. We feature this book here because of the story of Annie Peck and that is the only story we actually read & reviewed in this book. Annie had several aborted and failed attempts before successfully summiting Huascaran. Read all about the unique trials and hardships that this amazing women dealt with during her climbing attempts.

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