Great Cities Through Travellers' Eyes


Book Description

Throughout history, intrepid men and women have related their experiences and perceptions of the worlds great cities to bring them alive to those at home. The thirty-eight cities covered in this entertaining anthology of travellers tales are spread over six continents, ranging from Beijing to Berlin, Cairo to Chicago, Lhasa to London, St Petersburg to Sydney and Rio to Rome. This volume features commentators across the millennia, including the great travellers of ancient times, such as Strabo and Pausanias; those who undertook extensive journeys in the medieval world, not least Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta; courageous women such as Isabella Bird and Freya Stark; and enterprising writers and journalists including Mark Twain and Norman Lewis. We see the worlds great cities through the eyes of traders, explorers, soldiers, diplomats, pilgrims and tourists; the experiences of emperors and monarchs sit alongside those of revolutionaries and artists, but also those of ordinary people who found themselves in remarkable situations, like the medieval Chinese abbot who was shown round the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris by the King of France himself. Some of the writers seek to provide a straightforward, accurate description of all they have seen, while others concentrate on their subjective experiences of the city and encounters with the inhabitants. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling historian Peter Furtado, each account provides both a vivid portrait of a distant place and time and an insight into those who journeyed there. The result is a book that delves into the splendours and stories that exist beyond conventional guidebooks and websites.




The Travelers' World


Book Description

An unforgettable voyage filled with delightful characters, dramatic encounters, and rich cultural details, this book heralds a moment of intellectual preparation for the modern global era. Harry Liebersohn examines the transformation of global knowledge during the great age of scientific exploration.




The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys


Book Description

From the #1 travel magazine in the country, a collection of travel tales from some of today's finest writers Travel writing maintains its seemingly endless popularity, and this volume offers a particularly transporting body of work, pairing exotic locales with writers of the highest caliber: Russell Banks writes on the Everglades, Francine Prose explores the secrets of Prague, Robert Hughes takes us on a tour of Italy, and more. From the most beautiful gardens to visit in Japan to the best free things to do in Provence, this book is as enlightening as it is entertaining. Whether off to the other side of the globe or to their favorite reading chair, wanderers of every sort will find this book truly indispensable. Other featured writers and places include: Nik Cohn on Savannah Philip Gourevitch on Tanzania Shirley Hazzard on Capri Pico Iyer on Iceland and Ethiopia Nicole Krauss on Japan Suketu Mehta on the Himalayas Edna O'Brien on Bath Patricia Storace on Provence and Athens James Truman on Iran Gregor Von Rezzori on Romania Edmund White on Jordan Simon Winchester on Mount Pinatubo William Dalrymple on his pilgrimage to Santiago John Julius Norwich on the Vatican Jan Morris on Hawaii




The Last Motley


Book Description

A hunted child. A magical curse. And a tailor in over his head. Every century a motley is born. Though only children, their patchwork skin marks them as dangerous, especially to those who know about the first motley. That one nearly destroyed the world. But a chance meeting with Roderick the tailor may hold the key to breaking the curse. Roderick has no sword or armor or power of his own. He's not even rich. But what he does have is a heart moved by compassion for a hunted boy. Old legends spring to life. Nightmares walk the land. But heroes may be found in the most unlikely of places. Will this be the last motley? If you like heart-warming fantasy you'll love this original fantasy novel from Grace Award finalist DJ Edwardson.




A Sense of the World


Book Description

He was known simply as the Blind Traveler -- a solitary, sightless adventurer who, astonishingly, fought the slave trade in Af-rica, survived a frozen captivity in Siberia, hunted rogue elephants in Ceylon, and helped chart the Australian outback. James Holman (1786-1857) became "one of the greatest wonders of the world he so sagaciously explored," triumphing not only over blindness but crippling pain, poverty, and the interference of well-meaning authorities (his greatest feat, a circumnavigation of the globe, had to be launched in secret). Once a celebrity, a bestselling author, and an inspiration to Charles Darwin and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the charismatic, witty Holman outlived his fame, dying in an obscurity that has endured -- until now. A Sense of the World is a spellbinding and moving rediscovery of one of history's most epic lives. Drawing on meticulous research, Jason Roberts ushers us into the Blind Traveler's uniquely vivid sensory realm, then sweeps us away on an extraordinary journey across the known world during the Age of Exploration. Rich with suspense, humor, international intrigue, and unforgettable characters, this is a story to awaken our own senses of awe and wonder.




The Soul of a Great Traveler


Book Description

For ten years the editors of Travelers' Tales have run a writing competition to find the best travel story of the year: The Solas Awards. Over those years, thousands of stories have come across their desks, from writers famous and unknown, covering all corners of the globe with stories of adventure and discovery, love and loss, humor and absurdity, grief and joy. In this collection appear all of the top prize winners of the last ten years, stories that bring readers along for journeys that are inspiring, uplifting, and, very often, transformative. These tales are powerful, moving testaments to the richness of our world, its cultures, people, and places. In this book, readers will: Deposit a loved one's ashes in a Bolivian River Find the Celtic soul you never knew you had in rural Ireland Grope through the maze of sorcery and madness in Cameroon Rediscover your sense of self on a return to Russia after many years away Follow the spirit of John Wesley Powell down the Grand Canyon in Arizona Engage loss and the specter of death in Mexico Face your deepest fears alone in an Alaskan winter Encounter the realities of prostitution in Thailand Absorb the rhythms and soul of Flamenco in Spain Fall in love with a home in rural France and make it your own... and much more




Chic Stays


Book Description

From Sofia Coppola’s luxurious family retreat in beautiful Bernalda, Italy, to the beaches of Kate Winslet’s secret Scottish hideaway of Eilean Shona, to Kate Moss’s favorite beach in the Maldives, each of these thirty-six personal tales of the loveliest spots around the globe are packed with anecdotes and lyrical descriptions to transport readers. The photography bursting across each page—from the crystal waters and azure skies of UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, to the lush hillsides of Sri Lanka, to the hipster hangouts of Portland, Oregon—adds to the allure, inspiring a new desire to discover these beloved corners of the world. Condé Nast Traveller Britain has been setting the luxury travel agenda for almost twenty years, providing inspiration and advice for discerning travelers looking for unique, unforgettable experiences. Editor Melinda Stevens, named BSME New Editor of the Year in 2013, began her career at Vogue, followed by roles at Tatler, The Sunday Times and the London Evening Standard. Fiona Kerr is features editor and Matthew Buck is photographic editor of Condé Nast Traveller.




Traveling the World with Hemingway


Book Description

This lavish over-size 10 x 12 book in beautiful landscape format brings to life the more than one dozen colorful places the great 20th century novelist Ernest Hemingway called home--for short periods or for years. Hemingway won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and in 1954 was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Hundreds of spectacular new digital images capture the odyssey of the adventurous author's remarkable life. Starting at his birthplace home in Oak Park, Illinois, you'll follow his footsteps north to his boyhood summer home on Lake Superior in northern Michigan. Then onto the Italian front during World War I and Milan; Paris and Pampola; Key West to Sun Valley, Africa to Havana. Hemingway made all these places and more as vivid and indelible as his fictional characters. Juxtaposed against page after page of lush landscapes and cityscapes are historic sepia portraits of the author, friends and family in all these far-flung locations. This is a book filled with the romance and inspiration of a great writer's favorite places--the perfect gift for the literate traveler.




Destination Earth


Book Description

'Travel is the departure from ones little pond. It is the bold renouncement of the petty comforts that hold us prisoner. It is a movement away from the known towards the unknown and unimaginable. Travel is expansion, widening, opening-up...''




Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery


Book Description

A new chapter book series from bestselling author Raj Haldar that explores etymology and world cultures using an exciting, action-packed mystery story! Eddie and Molly-Jean are next door neighbors and best friends. One Saturday, Eddie's mom sends him up to the attic to get his great-grandpa's most prized possession (a book, of course). Eddie and Molly-Jean are suddenly transported to India where they must use their word knowledge to solve a mystery and help a new friend save his school. This new series will follow the two best friends as they discover the hidden stories behind common words. Using their Awesome Enchanted Book and a healthy dose of imagination, the daring duo transport themselves to exotic locales, always encountering new adventures and learning how different cultures have contributed to the English language along the way. Content is vetted for language and reading level by Alycia Zimmerman, a Princeton graduate who has written for Netflix's Magic Schoolbus, a contributing teacher for Scholastic, and former 3rd grade teacher in NYC.