The Best American Travel Writing 2005 (The Best American Series) (Paperback)

~ Jason Wilson (Editor), Jamaica Kincaid (Editor) "AFTER SIX MONTHS at language school in northern Ethiopia, we finally moved south to our first mission station..." (more)
Key Phrases: Wei Ziqi, Wei Jia, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Great travel writing feeds our hunger for armchair journeys while somehow making the armchair less comfortable. Series editor Wilson searched for the rare pieces that weren't "aggressively positive"; Kincaid chose finalists that she says "underline my sense of my displacement." True enough, whether discussing suburban Florida or the bullet-riddled border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, these essays and articles show us the overlooked and never-seen with curiosity, insight, engagement, and humility; none of these writers brags about being at home in the world. Standouts are many: in "Into the Land of bin Laden," Robert Young Pelton finds a soldier who says, "I have no idea who we are fighting"; in "Tight-Assed River," John McPhee sails with the men who pilot aircraft carrier-length barges down Illinois' narrow waterways; and in "Trying Really Hard to Like India," Seth Stevenson serves a stern rebuke to travelers who return with praise for a country simply because they made it there and back. Readers may try to sample this, but they'll end up devouring it all. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

The Best American series has been the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction since 1915. Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of periodicals. A special guest editor, a leading writer in the field, then chooses the very best twenty or so pieces to publish. This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected--and most popular--of its kind.

The Best American Travel Writing 2005 includes

William Least-Heat Moon • Ian Frazier • John McPhee • William T. Vollmann • Simon Winchester • Tom Bissell • Madison Smartt Bell • Timothy Bascom • Pam Houston • and others

Jamaica Kincaid, guest editor, is the author of numerous award-winning works, including the memoirs My Brother and The Autobiography of My Mother and the novel Annie John. Her travelogue Among Flowers: A Walk in the Himalayas appeared in 2005. She lives in Vermont with her two childen and a garden, in which she travels a great deal.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 374 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (October 5, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 061836952X ISBN-13: 978-0618369522 Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,176 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #2 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > African American > Kincaid, Jamaica

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
AFTER SIX MONTHS at language school in northern Ethiopia, we finally moved south to our first mission station. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Wei Ziqi, Wei Jia, United States, Billy Joe Boling, New York, New Jersey, Miss Daeng, Nine North, Chiang Mai, Illinois River, Grand Mosque, Juan Carlos, Miss Nit, Cao Chunmei, Los Angeles, Tom Armstrong, Don Alberto, Gulf Stream, Panama City, Fish Hunter, Grand Canyon, Lincoln Tunnel, Mel Adams, Miss Patcharee, New Delhi

New!
Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 73 books:

• The Massacre of Glencoe by John Buchan on page 294, and page 296
• The Thirty-Nine Steps (Dover Thrift Editions) by John Buchan on page 294, and page 304
• Birds of Sorrow: Notes from a River Junction in Northern New Mexico by Tom Ireland in Back Matter
• The Control of Nature by John McPhee in Back Matter
• Your Life by Tara Russell on page 268

See all 73 books this book cites

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	51% buy the item featured on this page: The Best American Travel Writing 2005 (The Best American Series) 4.0 out of 5 stars (3) $11.90
	14% buy The Best American Travel Writing 2000 4.5 out of 5 stars (14) $9.89
	13% buy The Best American Travel Writing 2006 (The Best American Series) 4.9 out of 5 stars (11) $11.20
	13% buy The Best American Travel Writing 2008 3.6 out of 5 stars (7) $9.89

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.  travel(2) afghanistan(1) best american writing(1) best american writing series(1) osama bin laden(1) robert young pelton(1) taliban(1) travel essays(1) Agree with these tags? Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 20 of 21 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Essays Highlight the Dark Underbelly of Travel, December 19, 2005 By  M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       This year's editor Jamaica Kincaid has done an excellent job of choosing essays that, more than chronicle exotic journeys, speak about the perplexities of the human condition as her selections are often scabrous, sardonic, and emphasize the dangers and follies that roil beneath the surface of a travel itinerary. Here are some highlights: 1. "War Wounds" by Tom Bissell. A son and father, a Vietnam vet, travel through the father's war trajectory forty years later as Bissell explores what it means to be the son of a "war wounded" father. 2. "My Florida" by William E. Blundell. Famous for his book The Art of Feature Writing, Blundell has written my favorite essay in the collection. This is a gem of style, pungent, sarcastic, and wise. Blundell describes Florida as a place of grotesque indulgence for those geriatrics who decided to retire into a life of philistinism, tackiness, and decadence. A hilarious essay that would make Mark Twain proud. 3. "A Really Big Lunch" by Jim Harrison. Novelist Jim Harrison proves to also be a rather unapologetic gourmand who describes with hilarity his glutton quests with fellow sensualists. Almost as funny as "My Florida." 4. "My Kindergarten" by Peter Hessler. Set in rural China, this is a sad but inspiring essay about a peasant family struggling to overcome a mentally-handicapped family member and a child with a near deadly blood disease. Hessler shows how peasants, held in contempt, and urban citizens, given proper medical care, are treated differently by the government. 5. "My Thai Girlfriends" by Tom Ireland. An American living in Thailand, Ireland can't convince anyone that he is not a tomcat American embarking on a salacious quest in spite of his demure lifestyle. 6. "If It Doesn't Kill You First" by Murad Kalam. A recent convert to Islam and novelist, Kalam chronicles his pilgrimage to Mecca and shows his struggle to navigate through excruciating ritual, fanatics, and Muslims who, like him, are sincere but scared living in a post 9/11 world. 7. "Into the Land of Bin Laden" by Robert Young Pelton. The author shows how difficult it is to track Bin Laden in the no-man's land region of Taliban sympathizers and tribalists who afford great loyalty to the el Qaeda leader. He goes deep in the mountains of the Pakistan border and risks his life to tell his tale. 14 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars What would be so bad about uplifting, humourous writing?, December 20, 2005 By  Patrick E. Clarke "msgclarke7" (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I'm sorry. I haven't even completed the book. And,in fact, I may not complete it. There's too much to read to subject myself to such negativity. So, the search for stories for this book was for "rare pieces that weren't 'aggressively positive'; or that 'underline my sense of my displacement.' Give me a break! This is travel writing! "A Walk in the Woods" still stands out as my all-time favorite piece of travel writing. Please don't misunderstand - I read copious amounts of non-fiction, and sadly, the majority of that writing isn't positive - it's more investigative, historical material or the author has an ax to grind - as in Al Franken's latest book. But, what's wrong with picking up something to read that will provide a sense of joy or enlighenment? I don't care to read about how brutal Haiti's existence has been - I get quite enough of reality thru the Jim Lehrer Newshour. Don't waste your money if you're hoping for something light - that's for sure. 6 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I'm not there, March 1, 2006 By  D. P. Birkett (Suffern, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    Travel has become so much easier that it has made travel writing harder. Travel writers used to feed the imagination by tales of exotic places the reader could only dream of seeing, reached after long and arduous journeys. Simon Winchester's piece about Ascension Island and Ben Ryder Howe on the Darien Gap are the closest to being in that old-fashioned genre in this book. These days we can jet to Timbuctu or Samarkand and stay at the Holiday Inn. To make up for the lack of difficulty getting there, some places are so dangerous that accounts of them provide vicarious excitement. Madison Smart Bell in Haiti and Robert Young Felton on the NorthWest Frontier are in this category. A lesser degree of this is to make the destination sound so unpleasant that we feel good not being there. Seth Stevenson does this brilliantly about India. He should negotiate with the Indian Tourist Board to get bribed to keep quiet. Others to make you happy you stayed home are Peter Hessler (helping a sick child in China) and Murad Kalam on the Haj. Another gimmick is to stretch the definition of "travel writing". William Blundell, Ian Frazier, William Least Heat Moon, Pam Houston and John McPhee do not leave the United States. Bucky McMahon doesn't get anywhere. Frazier describes a trip from Montclair, New Jersey to Weehawken, New Jersey. No doubt this will intrigue Montclair residents who want to know what Weehawken is like. McPhee is wonderful at explaining complicated technology, and that's what he mostly does in his long piece about barges in the Mid-West. I always find reading McPhee rather hard work.		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Active discussions in related forums Discussion Replies Latest Post travel Shamelessly plug your travel novel... 47 5 hours ago travel info: india guesthouses..varanasi/ayodyha 1 6 days ago travel Leaving the internet behind 1 6 days ago travel Traveling to Cuba: Looking for Tips & Advice 12 6 days ago travel Tell me about your adventure or expedition 29 8 days ago travel Going to Chicago: Recommend good eats? (cheap, hearty, not fancy) 10 9 days ago travel turkey on a shoestring budget...??? 17 12 days ago Search Customer Discussions Search all Amazon discussions

The Travel community Latest activity 45 minutes ago 11,263 customers have contributed 9,529 products, 108 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Afghanistan community Latest activity 53 minutes ago 2,783 customers have contributed 878 products, 183 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Taliban community Latest activity 3 days ago 690 customers have contributed 175 products, 35 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums afghanistan taliban travel (108 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

Seagypsy writer's shelf: A list by Barbara Molin "seagypsy"   Enlightening Non-Fiction: A list by Nicholas Springer "Cartographer"   The Cosmos according to Bill Bryson: A list by Golden Lion "Reader" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Be a Globe-Trotter!: A guide by book worm Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > African American
• Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Essays & Travelogues

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
American Essays
Travel
Travel - General
Essays & Travelogues
Travel / Essays & Travelogues
Travelers' writings, American
Voyages and travels


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 374 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (October 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061836952X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618369522
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,176 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #2 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > African American > Kincaid, Jamaica

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essays Highlight the Dark Underbelly of Travel, December 19, 2005

By	M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This year's editor Jamaica Kincaid has done an excellent job of choosing essays that, more than chronicle exotic journeys, speak about the perplexities of the human condition as her selections are often scabrous, sardonic, and emphasize the dangers and follies that roil beneath the surface of a travel itinerary. Here are some highlights:

1. "War Wounds" by Tom Bissell. A son and father, a Vietnam vet, travel through the father's war trajectory forty years later as Bissell explores what it means to be the son of a "war wounded" father.

2. "My Florida" by William E. Blundell. Famous for his book The Art of Feature Writing, Blundell has written my favorite essay in the collection. This is a gem of style, pungent, sarcastic, and wise. Blundell describes Florida as a place of grotesque indulgence for those geriatrics who decided to retire into a life of philistinism, tackiness, and decadence. A hilarious essay that would make Mark Twain proud.

3. "A Really Big Lunch" by Jim Harrison. Novelist Jim Harrison proves to also be a rather unapologetic gourmand who describes with hilarity his glutton quests with fellow sensualists. Almost as funny as "My Florida."

4. "My Kindergarten" by Peter Hessler. Set in rural China, this is a sad but inspiring essay about a peasant family struggling to overcome a mentally-handicapped family member and a child with a near deadly blood disease. Hessler shows how peasants, held in contempt, and urban citizens, given proper medical care, are treated differently by the government.

5. "My Thai Girlfriends" by Tom Ireland. An American living in Thailand, Ireland can't convince anyone that he is not a tomcat American embarking on a salacious quest in spite of his demure lifestyle.

6. "If It Doesn't Kill You First" by Murad Kalam. A recent convert to Islam and novelist, Kalam chronicles his pilgrimage to Mecca and shows his struggle to navigate through excruciating ritual, fanatics, and Muslims who, like him, are sincere but scared living in a post 9/11 world.

7. "Into the Land of Bin Laden" by Robert Young Pelton. The author shows how difficult it is to track Bin Laden in the no-man's land region of Taliban sympathizers and tribalists who afford great loyalty to the el Qaeda leader. He goes deep in the mountains of the Pakistan border and risks his life to tell his tale.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What would be so bad about uplifting, humourous writing?, December 20, 2005

By	Patrick E. Clarke "msgclarke7" (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm sorry. I haven't even completed the book. And,in fact, I may not complete it. There's too much to read to subject myself to such negativity. So, the search for stories for this book was for "rare pieces that weren't 'aggressively positive'; or that 'underline my sense of my displacement.'
Give me a break!
This is travel writing! "A Walk in the Woods" still stands out as my all-time favorite piece of travel writing. Please don't misunderstand - I read copious amounts of non-fiction, and sadly, the majority of that writing isn't positive - it's more investigative, historical material or the author has an ax to grind - as in Al Franken's latest book.
But, what's wrong with picking up something to read that will provide a sense of joy or enlighenment? I don't care to read about how brutal Haiti's existence has been - I get quite enough of reality thru the Jim Lehrer Newshour.
Don't waste your money if you're hoping for something light - that's for sure.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I'm not there, March 1, 2006

By	D. P. Birkett (Suffern, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Travel has become so much easier that it has made travel writing harder. Travel writers used to feed the imagination by tales of exotic places the reader could only dream of seeing, reached after long and arduous journeys. Simon Winchester's piece about Ascension Island and Ben Ryder Howe on the Darien Gap are the closest to being in that old-fashioned genre in this book. These days we can jet to Timbuctu or Samarkand and stay at the Holiday Inn.
To make up for the lack of difficulty getting there, some places are so dangerous that accounts of them provide vicarious excitement. Madison Smart Bell in Haiti and Robert Young Felton on the NorthWest Frontier are in this category. A lesser degree of this is to make the destination sound so unpleasant that we feel good not being there. Seth Stevenson does this brilliantly about India. He should negotiate with the Indian Tourist Board to get bribed to keep quiet. Others to make you happy you stayed home are Peter Hessler (helping a sick child in China) and Murad Kalam on the Haj.
Another gimmick is to stretch the definition of "travel writing". William Blundell, Ian Frazier, William Least Heat Moon, Pam Houston and John McPhee do not leave the United States. Bucky McMahon doesn't get anywhere. Frazier describes a trip from Montclair, New Jersey to Weehawken, New Jersey. No doubt this will intrigue Montclair residents who want to know what Weehawken is like. McPhee is wonderful at explaining complicated technology, and that's what he mostly does in his long piece about barges in the Mid-West. I always find reading McPhee rather hard work.