Books

Books go hand in hand with travel in many guises, from travel guides, travel writing and the good old holiday read.

As good as they are, I’m torn over the likes of Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. There is little doubt that, should you be wanting to read tips on where to head and where to eat, these are the perfect books for you. However, on most occasions, I prefer to head in to a city with just what’s in my head. Whether I’ve read this on the internet, a magazine article or a travel guide before going on the trip, I find rummaging through the hazy memories of tips more enjoyable and it often leads to uncovering something unexpected. It’s not for everyone and, of course, there have been occasions where I’ve missed a wonderful site that a quick glance at a travel guide would have alerted me to.

Travel writing, that’s another matter altogether. Such is my love of this broad genre that I’ve read little else for years and these books have become my “good old holiday read”. It started many years ago with Bill Bryson’s books and I soon became hooked, taking in McCarthy’s Bar by the amiable Pete McCarthy along the way. In fact, every time I’ve had Singapore noodles since, I’ve been reminded of that book!

However, the author that really took my love of travel writing on to a new level was Paul Theroux, and he has inspired not only my fondness for the genre, but also some of my travels. It was while reading Ghost Train to the Eastern Star that I began to dream of visiting Bukhara in Uzbekistan, a dream that was achieved in 2013. That book and its predecessor The Great Railway Bazaar whet my appetite to visit Istanbul by train – a dream achieved in 2014.

So here below, I would like to share with you some of my favourite travel books, be they famous, obscure, niche or of broad appeal. I have even linked to an online bookstore, but please check your local bookshop first.

Please feel free to suggest your own favourites in the comments section below.

• The Great Railway Bazaar: Paul Theroux – The young Theroux travels from London to Singapore and back by rail. A true classic.
• Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: Paul Theroux – Thirty years later, Theroux tries to recreate his journey in The Great Railway Bazaar. Fascinating read showing how times, places and people change.
• McCarthy’s Bar: Pete McCarthy – The humorous travel broadcaster travels round Ireland finding bars with his name on them.
• Out of Steppe: Daniel Metcalfe – The annoyingly talented Metcalfe (able to speak both Farsi and Russian) travels through Central Asia, meeting lesser-known peoples and tribes. Inspired my journey to Karakalpakstan.
• Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: Peter Hopkirk – Hopkirk details the “Great Game” of early 20th-century western explorers such as Aurel Stein, Paul Pelliot and Langdon Warner as they race across the Taklamakan desert in China to uncover remains of ancient civilisations. They also bring back a wide range of treasures, stirring up long-lasting controversy in the process.
• Eastern Approaches: Fitzroy Maclean – An account of life as a diplomat, soldier and adventurer in the early half of the 20th Century, focuses on his travels around Russia, Central Asia and the North Africa campaign in World War Two.
• Istanbul: Orhan Pamuk – The Nobel Prize-winning author’s love letter to his home city.
• The Complete Notes: Bill Bryson – An anthology of his excellent travels around the UK (Notes from a Small Island) and the US (Notes from a Big Country)
• Mother Tongues: Helena Drysdale – The author investigates the almost lost languages of Europe as she travels around the continent in a mobile home, husband, young children and all.