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.Istanbul: Memories of a City
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Orhan Pamuk

April 06, 2006
An unusual and insightful guide to what remains for many a mysterious city. At the same time, a personal memoir that is wry, moving, and original. I feel as though I now have a good friend to whisper in my ear as I navigate the streets of Istanbul, no longer clueless.
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.California (Lonely Planet Regional Guides)
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Andrea Schulte-Peevers, Sara Benson, Tom Downs, Robert Landon, Suzanne Park, Ryan ver Berkmoes, John A. Vlahides

April 01, 2006
I bought the 4th edition (2006) of this book, not as a travel companion, but to help me decide whether to take a trip to California. The hotel prices are more up to date now, and this is one factor which was important to me as one of my aims in reading this book was to assess the cost of a possible trip. I found the introductory sections on Environment, History and Culture really interesting, I think the thoroughness of the background information is one of the areas in which LP excel. I looked at the practicalities - food, transport, etc., and I read the sections on San Francisco and the National Parks. Despite finding the descriptions of the National Parks very tempting, the book has not yet persuaded me that California is the place for ... Read More:
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.Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons: Travels in Sicily on a Vespa
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Matthew Fort

April 03, 2008
Many people will have seen Matthew Fort on Great British Menu or read his Guardian columns over the years. His passion for food is totally infectious. And behind his affable demeanour is a sharp mind, wonderful eye for detail and delightfully involving use of language. On this journey around Sicily he also shows an awful lot of himself. It is a very personal journey. It shows not only a sense of the history of the places he visits, it also tells a lot about his own self; his family relationships, his strength of character, his willingness to engage anyone and everyone in his quest. You sense how hard such a journey is; the loneliness of several weeks on a scooter, the uncertainty of what you will find. This is a rare book as it is readable ... Read More:
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.Motorworld
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Jeremy Clarkson

May 27, 2004
3.5 stars really. The author is fun to watch in action on TV. He is not afraid to speak his mind and has a unique turn of phrase when critcally examining something. He writes in much the same way. In fact, you sometimes catch yourself reading like Clarkson talks - complete with the pregnant pauses!

A light-hearted read, really. I did find some of the explanations/comments frustrating though. There is a chapter on Australia with a few outlandish statements that could be read as fact when they're not. Outlandish statements are, of course, pure, classic Clarkson but it got me thinking what else in the book (several countries I am not too familiar with) was really an embellishment - a "Clarksonism".

But then, that'd be ... Read More:
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.Bitter Lemons of Cyprus
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Lawrence Durrell

July 03, 2000
The first issue here is over the name of the book, It is NOT `Bitter Lemons of Cyprus'; it was published as `Bitter Lemons', and that title has far more contextual meaning. Lemons are bitter sweet, and that defines Durrell's relationship with Cyprus, his village, the villagers and indeed the UK, which he generally referred to as Pudding Island. I will declare an interest: I adore Cyprus; this book was a main reason for me to visit, and subsequently, some 20 years ago we bought an arty house in a beautiful village. We have spent eight years living amongst some of the most generous, open and warm-hearted people on earth. This rings out from Durrell's book too. His descriptions are precise, accurate, affectionate and objective. In parallel with ... Read More:
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.The Wild Places
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Robert Macfarlane

July 01, 2008
It woud be churlish to say that Robert Macfarlane's writing is not beautifully crafted and I wish I had his vocabulary and skill with words, but that's about as far as it goes. Much of this book seems to me to be pompous and smug. I get the impression that landsacape is a stage that Macfarlane uses to show how clever and sensitive he is. Most of the chapters have a small percentage about the so called wild place and a huge amount of pseudo intellectual background. Why he can't he just go to these places without the need to read forty books beforehand and then tell us all about them? There's also this slightly sanctimonious and quasi spiritual tone throughout - very hard to put my finger on, but it irritates me - it reminds of the writing that fills ... Read More:
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.In Patagonia (Vintage Classics)
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Bruce Chatwin

January 08, 1999
How many children become adults fulfilling a childhood dream by visiting remote places? Bruce Chatwin, driven by memories of his grandfather's strange artifact, takes us with him to the farthest reaches of South America. His travels in that mysterious realm result in this masterfully done account of journeys in Patagonia - southern Argentina and Chile. It's not an exaggeration to praise this work as the first to supplement Darwin's. Both sought fossils, although Chatwin's pursuit is rather more specific. Both described the land, the people and events in the most captivating and readable manner. A rare treasure in travel literature, this book is a timeless treasure.

Patagonia has been a haven for many European nationalities besides the Spanish. ... Read More:
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.Indian Takeaway: One Man's Attempt to Cook His Way Home
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Hardeep Singh Kohli

September 04, 2008
I really like Hardeep Singh Kohli and I love food; so this book should have been right up my alley. Having asked himself the question, `Why did I feel the need to apologise for being British in India and apologise for being Indian when in Britain?', Hardeep plans a journey to India in order to `find himself'. The blurb would have you believe that he does this by cooking typically English foods such as Yorkshire Pudding and fry ups, and using them as a means to connect with Indian people and as a result to learn more about himself and his feelings about having a dual nationality.

Unfortunately, the blurb is a bit misleading. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I quote from page 208 (more than two-thirds of the way through the book) `I have been rather remiss in preparing ... Read More:
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.A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush (Picador Books)
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Eric Newby

December 04, 1981
From the pathetically inadequate preparations to the cooking of Eric Newby`s watch to the meeting with Thesiger...One absurd incident follows another as the two brave and foolish climbers fail to achieve their declared aim. It is such a funny book, every page is a joy. It is the kind of book you hope will never end. Sadly it does. Nothing to do but read it again...but, alas, I lent my copy to someone, and then it went out of print.
Luckily I managed to find a replacement in a second hand book shop.
So glad its in print again,now I can lend my copy without risk of being unable to replace it if it strays..
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.French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour De France
City Travel Guides > Books > Travel Writing
by: Tim Moore

June 06, 2002
didn't really get on with this at all - the central problem was a dislike of Mr Moore - a bit of a moaning cheat, he was rude and miserable to everyone he met, cut corners and thought he'd have a go a using drugs. A few "funny" moments but Bryson on two wheel it is not!
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