Reading is always a positive thing. One cannot read and not learn anything from it. This learning process is not only limited to informational, non-fiction or science books, but even in fiction books. Today we take a look at the top 5 travel books that are an absolute must read.
1. Naples ’44 by Norman Lewis
Norman Lewis arrived in Naples mid-war in 1944 as an intelligence offices employed by the army to liaise with the locals of Naples. This book is a year- long diary that tells the story of the city and its people, a population that is starving, having eaten all the tropical fish. The women were driven to prostitution and the array of characters he meets ranges from a gynaecologist specialising in restoring lost virginity to the widowed housewife who times her British lover against the clock. Lewis wrote that if he had the chance to be born again, Italy would be his home of choice.
2. Travels with Charley: In search of America by John Steinbeck.
John Steinbeck took his French poodle, Charley with him in his converted pick-up truck to tour the United States of America in 1960. The book is a phenomenally written and absorbing account of the landscapes and encounters on his tour. His bleak evocation of events and attitudes, especially in the deep south, gives one a clear view on how much America has changed in the past years.
3. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
This has been considered to be Theroux’s finest book and as his first, it recounts a journey through Europe, Asia and the Middle East that lasted four months. This book has especially been a favourite of train travel enthusiasts, as it features some of the world’s greatest lines.
4. The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
This definite favourite of Hemingway portrays the colourful ebb and flow of 1920s American expatriates as they lose themselves in the lives and loves of Spain and Paris. Most memorable for the incredible bull-fighting sequences set in Pamplona, it will probably also change your perception of the word “utilise” forever.
5. Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger
This book was published in 1959 and accounts Thesiger’s dangerous journey through the Arabian deserts. Over a period of 5 years he recorded the lives of the remote tribes he met, often in hostile lands. His tales of trouble, unlikely friends and of a time long since passed is now a timeless appeal to travellers all around.
When you’re unsure of how to occupy yourself while relaxing on the beach this holiday, make sure you have one of the above ready to learn something new.
Reading is always a positive thing. One cannot read and not learn anything from it. This learning process is not only limited to informational, non-fiction or science books, but even in fiction books. Today we take a look at the top 5 travel books that are an absolute must read.
1. Naples ’44 by Norman Lewis
Norman Lewis arrived in Naples mid-war in 1944 as an intelligence offices employed by the army to liaise with the locals of Naples. This book is a year- long diary that tells the story of the city and its people, a population that is starving, having eaten all the tropical fish. The women were driven to prostitution and the array of characters he meets ranges from a gynaecologist specialising in restoring lost virginity to the widowed housewife who times her British lover against the clock. Lewis wrote that if he had the chance to be born again, Italy would be his home of choice.
2. Travels with Charley: In search of America by John Steinbeck.
John Steinbeck took his French poodle, Charley with him in his converted pick-up truck to tour the United States of America in 1960. The book is a phenomenally written and absorbing account of the landscapes and encounters on his tour. His bleak evocation of events and attitudes, especially in the deep south, gives one a clear view on how much America has changed in the past years.
3. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
This has been considered to be Theroux’s finest book and as his first, it recounts a journey through Europe, Asia and the Middle East that lasted four months. This book has especially been a favourite of train travel enthusiasts, as it features some of the world’s greatest lines.
4. The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
This definite favourite of Hemingway portrays the colourful ebb and flow of 1920s American expatriates as they lose themselves in the lives and loves of Spain and Paris. Most memorable for the incredible bull-fighting sequences set in Pamplona, it will probably also change your perception of the word “utilise” forever.
5. Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger
This book was published in 1959 and accounts Thesiger’s dangerous journey through the Arabian deserts. Over a period of 5 years he recorded the lives of the remote tribes he met, often in hostile lands. His tales of trouble, unlikely friends and of a time long since passed is now a timeless appeal to travellers all around.
When you’re unsure of how to occupy yourself while relaxing on the beach this holiday, make sure you have one of the above ready to learn something new.
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