Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/08/2013
ISBN-13: 9780316110242
ISBN-10: 0316110248

Though most famous for his road trips around the U.S., acclaimed travel writer William Least Heat-Moon, author of the modern classic Blue Highways, ranges further in this collection of 30 essays written over the course of 30 years. Visiting Japan, England, Wales, Italy, New Zealand, and other distant locales as well as places closer to home, Heat-Moon once again offers readers thought-provoking observations and lyrical writing. Though many of the pieces were previously published in other forms in magazines, Heat-Moon has taken control of the editorial reins here, rearranging words and restoring deleted sections from the original versions. This is a must-read for his many fans -- and it provides a great introduction for those new to his writing.

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Publisher: W.W. Norton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/07/2013
ISBN-13: 9780393083712
ISBN-10: 0393083713

Imagine being 100 miles from your base camp in Antarctica with no food and neither human nor canine companions (because they've already died). Oh, and you must avoid hidden crevasses waiting to swallow you up. Find out how Australian geologist Douglas Mawson managed this Herculean task in Alone on the Ice, a well-researched, evocative look at the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913. Mawson's amazing -- though little-known -- adventure (during which he suffered from foot problems, ultimately crawling part of the way back) is a thrilling tale. Readers familiar with Mawson's fellow Antarctic explorers, Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton, and those who enjoy survival stories should definitely pick up this compelling book.

Publisher: Harper
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/08/2013
ISBN-13: 9780061802546
ISBN-10: 0061802549

It's said that deep in the jungles of Honduras there lies Ciudad Blanca, the White City, a place that -- though it may not exist -- has been talked about for centuries. Journalist Christopher S. Stewart, a Brooklyn husband and father, became drawn to stories about the city, especially those of explorer and World War II spy Theodore Morde, who claimed to have found the fabled place in 1940. Interspersing his own 2008 journey with Morde's WWII-era travel notes, Stewart writes of missing his family and juxtaposes the two time periods, showing that both explorers had to worry about not only snakes and bugs but also other humans. Fans of David Grann's excellent The Lost City of Z and Mark Adams' humorous Turn Right at Machu Picchu will want to know more about this similarly themed travelogue.

Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/15/2013
ISBN-13: 9780316105330
ISBN-10: 0316105333

After writing a bestseller called Cold, what better way to follow it up than with a book called Heat? That's exactly what engaging writer Bill Streever has done, and, once again, he combines fun (and maybe a bit crazy) adventures with fascinating scientific facts (in clear, easily understood language). Focusing on the hottest spots and things on earth, he travels to such diverse places as Death Valley, Hawaii, the Netherlands, and Pennsylvania, and explores things like firewalking, volcanoes, wild fires, and the chemistry of cooking. Love reading about travel and popular science topics? Then this hot read has your name on it (in fiery letters, of course).

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Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/24/2012
ISBN-13: 9780374146689
ISBN-10: 0374146683

"J'adore Paris," Rosecrans Baldwin says at a job interview, and his future French boss replies, "Who doesn't?" Indeed -- but most of us don't have a French friend who can help us snag an advertising-agency job in Paris (on the Champs-Elysées, no less!). So, even though Baldwin doesn't speak French very well, he takes the job, and he and his wife leave Brooklyn for the enchanting City of Light. They discover that living there is wonderful, but also more difficult than they'd thought (the language problems, the large amounts of paperwork, etc.). In addition, Rosecrans learns that the office culture in France is quite different from what he's used to (for one thing, political correctness is NOT a concern). If you'd enjoy a young man's view of Paris, pick up this enticing, well-written travelogue.

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Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/29/2012
ISBN-13: 9780670023325
ISBN-10: 0670023329

With North Korea so much in the news of late, people may wonder what the closed-off, repressive country is like. No need to travel there (and most of us don't have Dennis Rodman's chutzpah to do so even if we wanted to) -- simply read the bestselling Escape from Camp 14. Telling the dramatic story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who was born in one of North Korea's infamous political prisons and is one of the only people to have escaped, the book describes brutal conditions, where affection is virtually nonexistent and torture, beatings, and starvation are routine. Follow Shin Dong-hyuk as he makes it to South Korea, China, and the U.S. and deals with culture shock. For another fascinating look at North Korea, try Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea.

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/11/2012
ISBN-13: 9780670025114
ISBN-10: 0670025119

In this "masterful, poetic travel narrative" (Kirkus Reviews), acclaimed British author Robert Macfarlane recounts his walking explorations via the "old ways," examining ancient footpaths, roads, and sea paths. He draws on a wide variety of intriguing subjects, including literature, natural history, and cartography, to illuminate various landscapes in Great Britain (the chalk downs of south England, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, etc.) and in other countries (occupied territory in Palestine, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and sacred regions of the Himalayas). Using rich but readable prose, Macfarlane meditates on people (he meets a lot of them) and the paths they tread in this 3rd in a loose trilogy (after Mountains of the Mind and The Wild Places), which is a perfect read for wondering wanderers.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/28/2012
ISBN-13: 9781608197163
ISBN-10: 1608197166

Across the border from El Paso, Texas is Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a city that has, for more than a decade, vied for (and even won) the title of most violent place in the world. In spite of a record number of murders in previous years, journalist Robert Andrew Powell embedded with the local soccer team, the Indios, during 2010, as they practiced and played at home and across the country. Depicting hard-working players and citizens who are united by a shared love for their hard-luck soccer team, Powell also examines local drug and human trafficking issues, the corruption of local bureaucrats, and the fear of most everyone (including police and journalists). This "terrifying and sad, shocking and humorous" (Library Journal) travelogue is essential reading for anyone interested in modern Mexico.

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