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Old 11-15-2013, 11:04 AM   #16
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I like that one as well, but I'm not sure if it comes under the heading of essays / memoir. Should we include travel books in that category? (If so, I could nominate all of Bill Bryson's travel works.)

Mike
Yes, I think that the best travel writing has a literary quality, like Theroux's and Bryson's travel books (or Bruce Chatwin's In Patagonia, mentioned by barutanseijin) are more like essays or memoirs. Bryson's Neither Here nor There and In a Sunburned Country would be useless as practical travel guides, but are still delicious reading. Eric Newby's work is also like that (ex. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush). Newby wrote a wonderful short book about his experience as an apprentice seaman on a windjammer carrying wheat from South australia around Cape Horn in 1939, The Last Grain Race - unfortunately not available as an ebook - I would buy it in a second if it was available.

Similiarly Geert Mak's In Europe is far more a series of essays on 20th century European history than on travelling in Europe. Likewise, Hans Magnus Enzensberger's Europe, Europe.
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Old 11-15-2013, 12:49 PM   #17
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Eric Newby's work is also like that (ex. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush). Newby wrote a wonderful short book about his experience as an apprentice seaman on a windjammer carrying wheat from South australia around Cape Horn in 1939, The Last Grain Race - unfortunately not available as an ebook - I would buy it in a second if it was available.
We seem to have similar tastes. I've read all of Eric Newby's, and have enjoyed them all.

From Newby, it's only a short step to Patrick Leigh Fermor. Have you read A Time of Gifts?

Regarding The Last Grain Race, if you can bear to read a paper book, you'll find plenty of low-priced copies at Abe Books.

Mike
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Old 11-15-2013, 02:39 PM   #18
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We seem to have similar tastes. I've read all of Eric Newby's, and have enjoyed them all.

From Newby, it's only a short step to Patrick Leigh Fermor. Have you read A Time of Gifts?

Regarding The Last Grain Race, if you can bear to read a paper book, you'll find plenty of low-priced copies at Abe Books.

Mike
Hi, Mike,

Yes, I do think that our tastes are similar. I've put A Time of Gifts on my TBR. Thanks very much for the suggestion.

Cheers,
Bruce
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Old 11-15-2013, 10:44 PM   #19
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I like that one as well, but I'm not sure if it comes under the heading of essays / memoir. Should we include travel books in that category? (If so, I could nominate all of Bill Bryson's travel works.)

Mike
I've always viewed it as a memoir, rather than a travel book.
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Old 11-17-2013, 02:07 AM   #20
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Well, I don't read too many books that fit this category, but the ones I have read have all been outstanding. A couple that stood out right away were:

Early Love and Brook Trout, by James Prosek. I don't think it's even available as an ebook, possibly because the author's many watercolor illustrations might not make the transition well, but used copies are available very inexpensively.

The Siege: A Family's Journey Into the World of an Autistic Child, by Clara Claiborne Park. Again, I think it's only available on paper. I also recommend the follow-up, Exiting Nirvana, which apparently is available as an ebook.
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Old 11-19-2013, 09:47 AM   #21
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I too like Bill Bryson's travel books, and I specially enjoyed his one about Australia (Brit and US editions have different titles). Shows it's possible to be very funny, but with genuine affection for the subject. His description of cricket is hilarious. And I'm an Aussie.
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Old 11-19-2013, 09:52 AM   #22
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I just put a hold on his latest one at my library -

One Summer: America, 1927. looks interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Summer-Ame...ds=bill+bryson
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Old 11-22-2013, 07:22 AM   #23
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Unfortunately it is not available on line, but I just re-read "The Book of Knowledge" by Steven Harvey

It was first published in River Teeth - a journal of creative non-fiction I'd highly recommend (available as individual ebook issues from Amazon and elsewhere as well as paper). It was also chosen for this years Best American Essays (2013).

This is an excellent essay/memoir that truly combines all the things embodied in the title of this thread information, memoir, creative presentation and a true sense of wow.

There's a brief part of the essay (beginning) here: http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&typ...3.2.harvey.pdf
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