Traveler's Book Club

From a fan, Rob: Spice, the History of a Temptation, by Jack Turner : One of the ideas in days gone by was that paradise was where the spices came from. The world was essentially explored by boat, not so much as to see what was on the other side of the mountain but to find spices (mainly cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg).

The Journey's Echo, Freya Stark: A collection of stories by one of the original female adventurers - made me wish I was born a hundred years ago! Lovely poetic style.

Shadows in the Sun, Wade Davis: This collection of essays is cultural anthropology at it's best. A short, easy, fascinating read. Davis is a well known "ethnobotanist".

ASIA Misc. :
These books feature chapters on various countries in Asia.
The Lands of Charm and Cruelty, Stan Sesser
All the Wrong Places, James Fenton
Hard Travel to Sacred Places, Rudolph Wurlitzer

CHINA :
from a fan, Kathleen recommends: The River Road to China, Milton Osborne : the Frenchmen trying to see if the Mekong could offer a navigable trade route into China. Really interesting, the days of those really rough and ready explorers.

Also from a fan, Tony recommends:
one of the Great Game Trilogy; The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk. Hopkirk gives an excellent account of the rivalry between Great Britain and Russia for control of Central Asia. Very pertinent today given the current situation in Central Asia with the new "game" being played by the United States and China.

Louise Levathes' book about the Ming treasure fleet, When China Ruled the Seas: the Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne 1405-1433; Oxford Univ. Press 1994.

From a fan, Terri recommends:
The Forbidden Kingdom, Peter Goullart : His amazing 1930's book on living in the Lijiang area, home of the Naxi tribal culture. He was one of the last westerners to live and work there befor the communists took over.

Also from Terri:
The Last Days of Peking, David Kidd : One of the last "white men " in china during the last days of the mandarins, their final feasts, Mah Jong games - you can taste the food and hear the tiles clack!

from a fan and China scholar:
A Dream of Red Mansions, Tsao Hsueh-chin and Kao Ngo.
Tony gave me this very thorough synopsis:
Written during the middle of the eighteenth century, during the decline of the Manchu or Ching dynasty. The novel is two fold, a love story and the record of the decline of a once powerful extended Mandarin family. The family is based on the experiences of Tsao Hsueh-chin's own family. The love story is a tragic relationship between cousins, comparable to Romeo and Juliet. The novel is also a commentary against feudalism. The last forty chapters and happier ending were added later by Kao Ngo. Either the work was left unfinished by Tsao or the last forty chapters were lost. The abridged version is fine, but I feel the character of the novel is altered. I prefer the unabridged version although it is lengthy at three volumes.

Wild Swans, Jung Chang: popular historical novel centering around a Chinese family.
The River at the Center of the World - A Trip Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time, Simon Winchester : A lengthy memoir, great to take on a Yangtze Cruise!
Iron & Silk, Mark Salzman : Memoir of an American school teacher in China.

INDIA :
There are many different aspects of Indian history that make great stories.
*Far Pavilions, M.M. Kaye : A classic historic novel, long! Good for a three month trip!
Gandhi, William Shirer : A first step in understanding the great man and Indian culture.
A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth. Long & not gripping, but a very pleasant read for anyone with a little patience . Weaves history, & politics with the story of three families in the newly independent India.
Raj, Gita Mehta : The time when the Rajputs (Indian Princes) ruled the country.
In Rajasthan, Royina Grewal : Part of the Lonely Planet Journeys series.
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy : Beautifully written story of an Indian family in Kerala in the 1960's. Weaves politics, the caste system, and a vivid picture of Indian life with a family tragedy, and the "small things" that are not discussed.
Moonlight on the Ganga, Claire Krulikowski A spiritual journey that takes place in Rishikesh on the Ganges River, home to many seekers & ashrams. The author does a good job of illuminating the experience of independent travelers - trying to be open to a very different culture, but struggling with wariness of strangers and differences that we cultivate in our culture, where we think WE are the ones in control.

LAOS :
I love the country & loved all three of these books.
*Tragedy in Paradise, Charles Weldon : Memoirs of an American doctor who, with his wife and three children, lived and worked in Laos during the Vietnam war.
*The Ravens, Christopher Robbins : Fascinating, personal accounts of the secret war that was fought in Laos while the world watched what was happening in Vietnam.
Stalking the Elephant Kings, Christopher Kremmer : A contemporary portrait of an ancient monarchy and the political history of Laos.

VIETNAM :
When Heaven & Earth Changed Places, Le Ly Hayslip : Le Ly's true story of her childhood during the Vietnam war and her return 20 years later.

*Saigon, Anthony Grey : One of my all time favorites. The history of Indochina, from French rule to the American evacuation of Saigon. Follows a love story between an American and a Vietnamese girl over five decades.
The Quiet American, Graham Greene : A classic, every backpacker in Vietnam has a bootlegged copy - The trials and tribulations of an American journalist trying to do the right thing during the French war in Vietnam.
A Wavering Grace, Gavin Young
Seeing Vietnam, Susan Brownmiller

SPAIN : (Pamplona)
The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
Death in the Afternoon, Ernest Hemingway

JAPAN :
The Lady and the Monk, Pico Ayer

The Samurai's Garden, Gail Tsukiyama

REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA:
Recommended by a viewer who says: Stories I Stole, Wendell Steavenson the author lived in Georgia for several years " it's a hoot!!"

Ali and Nino, Kurban Said : A love story between a Christian girl and Muslim boy in World War I Azerbaijan, first published in Austria in 1937.

NEPAL :
Love & Death in Kathmandu, Amy Willesee & Mark Whittaker : True tale of the royal family of Nepal, living a life that attempts to straddle the centuries, and the massacre at the palace in 2001. Makes me wonder, are all royal families a tad nutty?

*The Mountain is Young, Han Suyin. Story about the expats in 1950's Kathmandu.
Shopping for Buddhas, Jeff Greenwald, Lonely Planet Journeys

AFRICA:
*West with the Night, Beryl Markham : A "must read" even if you never go to Africa!
Innocents in Africa, Drury Pifer
Malaria Dreams, Stuart Stevens

BORNEO:
Stranger in the Forest, On Foot Across Borneo - Eric Hansen

Shooting the Boh, Tracey Johnston : The author's mid life crisis converges with the first decent of a treacherous river. A good contemporary travel book, exciting, easy read.

What's your favorite Travel Book?