Customer Reviews

A Book of Traveller's Tales

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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A much better book than the title might suggest. I couldn't let it go once I had started, even though it is a bulky book. The stories are short, pithy, and really varied. Some funny, some weird, some horrifying. And it tells you a lot about people in other parts of the world. Heaps of things. A wonderful read, I would buy it if it were in print, even though I am trying to limit my book collection.

Eric Newby has here given us a wonderful travel anthology, great introductions to lots of writers/works. The entries are arranged by geographical region, and are chronological within each region, with representative entries from antiquity to modern times. Very highly recommend this anthology! My sister recently gave my Dad a copy, and he called to tell me about one entry, and that sparked my memory that I had a copy languishing with my other travel books. So I finally read, or rather, inhaled, this! Highly recommended!

I loved reading these personal accounts of intrepid travelers throughout the ages in exotic areas around the world. When the news contained mentions of Afganistan, Iran, & Iraq, I found entries in this book especially enlightening. Some things never change - like regional conflicts. I recommend this book especially for people like me who found history classes dry & boring. These real life adventures kept me fascinated.