To the Ends of the Earth - The Selected Travels of Paul Theroux
by Theroux, Paul
pub by Ivy Books (Ballantine), NY, 1990 - - LCCN 91-9533 - - isbn 0-8041-1122-7 - - 358 p. - - Contents p. ix-xi Introduction p. xiii-xix map p.xx-xxi
This book contains exerpts of 6 of Theroux travel books - perhaps could be considered the -best of- those books
1. The Great Railway Bazaar . 1975 - from England to Turkey - more-or-less the Orient Express
Where among other things he met an elderly WWII spy.
2. The Old Patagonian Express . 1979 - from Boston the length of North and South America
When in Buenos Aires had a good meeting with author Jorge L. Borges who was blind.
3. The Kingdom by the Sea . 1983 - mostly walking clockwise around England, Wales, N.Ireland, Scotland
Most of the places are fundamentally the same - except for Northern Ireland. It was done when Mrs Thatcher was Prime Minister.
4. Riding the Iron Rooster . 1988 - Starting Russia into and around China including Tibet
This was in post Mao and the time of excess - the change is almost jarring
The trip to Tibet which was in an automobile and was difficult.
5. Down the Yangtze . 1984 - China - boat trip in 1970 even through the gorges
Interesting river boat travel.
6. Sunrise with Seamonsters . 1985 - short bits - Africa - S. Asia - NY - home and family in Massachusetts
This is an interesting read as a sampling of each of the travel books involved.
It does begin interestingly enough with some information on how Theroux left fiction writing and got into travel writing.
~ 2018-01-30 ~
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