Travelogue

The Dead Yard by Ian Thomson

The Dead Yard by Ian Thomson

The Dead Yard ain't no usual travel book, oh no, but I love it. Part social commentary, travelogue and historical account of the Jamaica that exists behind the sand, sun and sex that most tourists only ever experience, this is an impressively comprehensive and accessible narrative of a country still struggling to break free of the slavery shackles binding Jamaicans today via its class and racial divides.

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn by Jamie Maslin

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn by Jamie Maslin

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn provides glimpses of life in Iran from the viewpoint of a young British backpacker as he is showered with hospitality from nearly all he meets during his journey in and around the country in 2007. Travelling mostly by bus and train, Maslin's journey is an on-the-ground account of the changing attitudes of people within the country towards those in control and one which has resulted in him being banned from visiting Iran again.

New Europe by Michael Palin

New Europe by Michael Palin

New Europe by Michael Palin is the companion book to the TV-series of the same name which was filmed in 2006 and early 2007. As the name suggests, Palin visits those countries in what used to be called Eastern Europe, as they look increasingly to the west and inclusion within the European Union. Told with Palin's usual witty style, this is an enjoyable whirlwind tour that takes you through 20 countries that once were on the other side of the iron curtain.

From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple

From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple

From the Holy Mountain is a superb travelogue of Dalrymple’s 1994 journey in the present day Middle East, as he frequents places visited in the late 6th century by the medieval Monk, John Moschos in what was then the Byzantine Empire. Delivering a splendid account of how Christian communities have been impacted over time as Islam has ascended to become the predominant religion, Dalrymple’s story is a reminder of the importance that Christianity used to play in this region and that is in danger of being completely erased from this part of the world.

In Xanadu by William Dalrymple

In Xanadu by William Dalrymple

In Xanadu is a superb first travelogue by William Dalrymple, which describes his 1986 retracing of Marco Polo's journey from Jerusalem to Inner Mongolia in present day China. Dalrymple's amazingly ambitious journey via the Silk Road is a sheer delight to read and provides a wealth of historical information and no small amount of humour for us to enjoy along the way.

Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson

Hokkaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson

Hokkaido Highway Blues (also known as Hitching Rides with Buddha) is an outstanding hitchhiking travelogue by Will Ferguson detailing his journey the length of Japan, from Cape Sata to Cape Soya, in the early 1990's. Insightful observations delivering cultural and historical information in genuinely funny fashion, this is everything you could ever hope a travelogue to be, with the only caveat that a fair amount of the material is at the adult end of the spectrum.

Book Review - Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux

Book Review - Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux

Dark Star Safari is a superb travelogue written in 2002 by one of the genre's finest writers, Paul Theroux. Eschewing game parks and sight seeing, and travelling the "hard way" through Africa by train, bus, truck and matatu, Theroux delivers an enthralling story of his journeys through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

Book Review - Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

Book Review - Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time is a perfect blend of the author’s personal travelogue from trips taken in 2009 and historical information of the “discovery” of Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham III. Written with a keen eye for detail and in humourous fashion, this is must read for anybody considering hiking the Inca Trail or visiting Machu Picchu, as it also provides a wealth of information not just on Machu Picchu itself but also on other surrounding archaeological sites and trails.

Book Review - Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by Robert D. Kaplan

Book Review - Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by Robert D. Kaplan

If you don't know your Baltics from from your Balkans, then Balkan Ghosts is the book for you. Well known travel journalist Robert D. Kaplan wrote this, his third book, from his travels and experiences across the Balkan Peninsula in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union and immediately prior to the Yugoslav Wars that began in 1991. 

Book Review - Blood River by Tim Butcher

Book Review - Blood River by Tim Butcher

Following his posting in 2000 to Africa with The Daily Telegraph, journalist Tim Butcher nurtures a growing obsession with retracing Henry Morton Stanley's exploration down the Congo River. Stanley's expedition in 1874 is well-known as one that has transformed African history as he journeyed down the Congo River from what at the time was believed to be its source at Lake Tanganyika to the Atlantic Ocean, some 3,000 kms distant.

Book Review - Congo Journey by Redmond O'Hanlon

Book Review - Congo Journey by Redmond O'Hanlon

Congo Journey is the Kindle version's name of Redmond O'Hanlon's book first published in 1996 called No Mercey: A Journey to the Heart of the Congo.

I read this as part of a quartet of Congo River books I'd bought with a view to deciding which book was the best Congo River journey of them all. Part way through the book however, I realised that Congo Journey was quite different from the others in that the travelogue mostly occurred on land away from the Congo River and secondarily it took place in the People's Republic of the Congo.