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Armchair TravelOctober 2014
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"People don't take trips -- trips take people." ~ John Steinbeck (1902-1968), American author, Travels with Charley
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New and Recently Released!
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| Travels with Casey by Benoit Denizet-LewisAuthor and professor Benoit Denizet-Lewis wasn't at all sure that his mixed-breed retriever Casey liked him...even though they'd been together for nearly a decade. Deciding to explore the world of dogs and the humans who love them (and to help him understand his relationship with Casey), the pair took a 13,000 mile cross-country RV trip. They visited farm dogs, racing dogs, wolf-dog hybrids, and various other dogs as well as talking with dog people, including dog trainer Cesar Millan, a stray rescuer, a K9 cop, a psychic who works with dogs, and many others. If you'd love to read an amusing travelogue that'll put a smile on your face, sit down with Travels with Casey. For other books featuring dogs in RVs traveling across America, pick up John Steinbeck's classic Travels with Charley or David Rosenfelt's more recent Dogtripping. |
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| The Emperor Far Away: Travels at the Edge of China by David EimerChina borders 14 countries, and its outer lands are home to many of its 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. Numbering around 100 million, these people often face discrimination from the government and have fewer opportunities than the Han Chinese majority. British journalist David Eimer, who lived and worked in China for years, wanted to give a voice to some of these overlooked people, so he traveled around China's edges, visiting with them and even crossing borders to see how their ethnic brothers fared in other countries. Reporting from the Islamic area of Xinjiang province, the forbidden zone of Tibet, and other places like them, Eimer provides a unique view of an unfamiliar China in this "swift-moving, colorful account" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Berlin Now: The City after the Wall by Peter Schneider; translated by Sophie SchlondorffWillingly admitting that Berlin is not beautiful, longtime Berliner and author Peter Schneider set out to explore what nonetheless makes the ever-changing city so popular among people around the world. In a series of "amusing, knowledgeable essays" (Kirkus Reviews), he provides a fascinating tour of present-day Berlin, exploring its vibrant, heterogeneous culture, including coverage of its architecture, up-all-night party scene, and thriving artistic communities. He also examines the ideological remains of the Berlin Wall, addressing the legacy left by the notorious Stasi and the disparate Eastern and Western Berliner views on life and love. |
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| In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton SidesOn his first Polar voyage in 1873, nothing in the frigid north appealed to Lieutenant George De Long, but he soon became obsessed. A few years later, leading an 1879 Arctic expedition and tasked with finding a mythical open-sea passage, De Long and his crew faced deadly trouble when their ship became trapped in the ice. Using letters, diaries, expedition records, newspaper reports, and other documents, bestselling author Hampton Sides provides a dramatic account of what happened to De Long and his crew. If you'd like to embark on another gripping nautical tale but in warmer climes, try In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. For a compelling modern adventure around the various countries that make up the Arctic, pick up Sara Wheeler's eloquent The Magnetic North. |
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| Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by Robert D. KaplanThe countries that make up the Balkan Peninsula -- Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, the former Yugoslavia (Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia), etc. -- haven't always gotten along, especially in the last century. If you've ever wondered just what is going on over there, but can't seem to get a grasp on the complexities of it all, Balkan Ghosts is a must-read. Not only does veteran foreign correspondent Robert D. Kaplan explore the region's political, social, religious, and economic past in order to understand the nature of the recently rekindled, centuries-old blood feuds, he draws on quotes from earlier travel writers to provide historic context in this "thoroughly captivating" (Library Journal) book. Originally published in 1993, several updated issues have been published over the years. |
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| Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil PeartReaders may recognize Neil Peart's name -- after all, he's been the drummer and lyricist for the mega-popular Canadian rock band Rush for three decades. But even a rock star sometimes wants to give it all up, and Peart did (for a time). One rainy August morning in 1998, Peart left home because his "life depended on it." Grieving the deaths, over the course of a 10-month period, of his beloved 19-year-old daughter in a car accident and her mother from cancer, he set out on his motorcycle with no destination in mind. He ended up traveling more than 55,000 miles over the course of 14 months through various parts of North and Central America, including Quebec, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Mexico, and Belize. Library Journal says "Peart's writing is lyrical and his tale poignant." |
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| Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar by Paul TherouxIn the 1970s, author Paul Theroux took a railroad trip through Eastern Europe, Asia, India, China, Japan, and Siberia, and wrote about his adventures in The Great Railway Bazaar, a book that became a modern travel classic. More than 30 years later, he revisited the past and recreated his journey, which revealed the dramatic changes that had occurred since the writing of his original travelogue. Publishers Weekly says, "no matter where his journey takes him, Theroux always sends back dazzling post cards." Ghost Train to the Eastern Star is a must-read for fans of Theroux, travel, and trains. |
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| Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past by Giles TremlettHaving lived in Spain for years, British journalist Giles Tremlett knows the country well and presents a beautifully written, eye-opening look at the complex place, both its past and its present. Combining travelogue with social and political history, Tremlett visits various regions, discusses the March 2004 Madrid train bombings by Islamist radicals, examines the effects of the Spanish Civil War, and unearths truths about Francisco Franco's military dictatorship, among other things. This eloquent odyssey through Spain is perfect for the armchair traveler who loves history. |
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