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[Barrett]

The aim of this topic is to create a comprehensive, traveller-built recommendation list of the best books to read before travelling to a country or region, while you are there, and even after you have come back. I'm talking about cracking reads, that suck you in and bring a place alive for you.

While I travelled I always had a book or four with me. Sometimes my back and legs hated me for it but having great literature got me psychologically through some rather trying times.

If there is interest in this post, maybe in a few month time I can edit it down to what seems to be the popular consensus and we can post TravelPodder's Greatest Book List or some equally grandiose title.

So here's the start of my list, I'll add more as others contribute. And by all means feel welcome to critique.

Tibet: Seven Year's in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

Tibet and India: Younghusband: The last great Imperial Adventurer

Nepal (Everest region): Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Bombay and Calcutta: The Honourable Company by John Keay

North Central India: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Vietnam: The Girl in the Picture by Denise Chong

The Middle East: The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence

Turkey: Snow by Orhan Pamuk

Spain: Cervantes by Don Quixote

Austalia: The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

The Balkans: Various books by Robert D. Kaplan including Balkan Ghosts and Eastward to Tartary

Russia and former Soviet Republics: Imperium by Ryszard Kapuscinski

[kevandsian]

Good Topic Barrett! Whilst we were travelling, I always tried to read about the country or area we were travelling in and it really helped me to relate more to places, the people and their culture.

Off the top of my head, some of the best were:

Sudan: Emma's War by Deborah Scroggins

Africa: Africa by John Reader

Uganda: The Impenetrable Forrest by Thor Hansen

Africa: A Passage to Africa by George Alagiah

Vietnam: When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip

Cambodia: Stay Alive my Son by Pin Yathay

[Barrett]

Kevandsian Thanks for you contributions. I was especially interested to see a book on Sudan. Hopefully we can get at least one book for every country. What do you think?

[Llarica]

Morocco - Maroc By Daniel Easterman

[Anthony]

Australia - another vote for "In a Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson

Vietnam: "Catfish and Mandella" by Andrew Pham (my favorite)

Vietnam: "Shadows and Wind" by Robert Templer

Thanks,
Anthony

[whereshegoes]

Great thread!

The Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela (South Africa)

[Barrett]

Keep 'em coming! This thread is looking sweet as. How about some books for North and South America?

For China: Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett. I know this is the second Pratchett book I put on here but really, doesn't he just have a great way of getting to the silly heart of the matter without being preachy?

[boku]

Japan fiction-Anything by Haruki Murakami
Japan non-fiction- The Japanese Mind and Inventing Japan by Ian Buruma.

Canada- How to be a Canadian.

[Paul]

India - "Rediscovering Gandhi" by Yogesh Chadha is a great book explaining Gandhi and his thoughts and life which still (hopefully) affect India

Cambodia - "The Killing Fields" is a classic and moving book.

South America - "The Motorcycle Diaries" by Che Guevara. I was actually reading it in India but it was amazingly effective at transporting me to South America.

In the Himalaya - Michael Palin's "Himalaya" is easy to read short stories covering most of the region.

"Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest" by Judy and Tashi Tenzing will help give these people some much deserved respect if you are traveling in the mountains and using their services.

Burma (Myanmar) - "From the Land of Green Ghosts" by Pascal Khoo Thwe is about the current civil war in Burma and how it affected this young man and his people.

Thailand - Anything by Buddhadasa Bikkhu will explain Thai Buddhism perhaps the way it should be.

Most (but not all) books I have found written by farangs (Westerners) on Thailand have shown very little understanding of Thai culture so please be be careful of these books and don't believe everything you read. Try reading books written by Thai authors.

[kevandsian]

This is getting to be quite a good list. I also read Che Guevara's Motorcycle Diaries and thought it was a good read whilst travelling in South America. I must admit though, I didn't get through too many books on S.A whilst I was there. Does anyone have any more suggestions?

Barrett - A book for every country - now that's quite a challenge you've set everyone! As for the book on Sudan (Emma's War), I really enjoyed it. It really helped me get a grasp of the history behind the recent civil war without being at all 'hard going' to read. I'd definitely recommend it as a good read whether you're visiting the country or not.

Sian

[Barrett]

Allen: I fully agree with you on the Thamel book stores, they are so full of great Himalaya literature as well as a huge amout of other genres. Here's a tip on book buying in Nepal/India: Buy books you figure you can't get anywhere else in Thamel, Kathmandu, then go to India and buy everything else cheap. By now your backpack is bursting and too heavy. Have a packing wallah wrap everything in muslin for $1. Go the the post office and sent them all home for virtually nothing. Why? Because India has a great deal on sending books, and only books, through the mail overseas.

I see we have some Antarctica books! Excellent. How about some Arctic ones?

Boku: How to Be Canadian by Will and Ian Ferguson for Canada is an excellent and hilarious book isn't it? My Kiwi partner thought it was great but I think Canadians actually enjoy it the most as there are so many in-jokes.

How about some more books for Europe?

Can we use "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne for Iceland or does someone have a better one?

[uncle_davros]

As I am in India at present, I just read Are you experienced. Rather amusing, but the ending was a big let down. Currently, I am now reading Jesus lived in India. Different to the norm

[Barrett]

Two more books to add to the list:

Eritrea: 'I didn't Do it For You' by Michela Wong; a 20th century history

Taiwan: 'Keeping up With The War God: Taiwan as it Seemed to Me' by Steven Crook



Davros, the Jesus in India book was recommended to me a number of times, strangely always by Germans, but I didn't get around to it, how do you like it?

[technotrekker]

Yep - great topic.

China: From Rice to Riches (Jane McHutcheon)

Vietnam: Shadows and Wind (Robert Templar)

Cambodia: First they killed my father (Loung Ung)

A cute, mystical one for North Africa/Egypt: The Alchemist (Paulo Cielo)

For his 'Spontaneous Narrative' about rambling back and forth across the US (and eventually Mexico), Jack Kerouac - On the Road.

I'll have to think about this one some more...

Keep trekkin,
TT

[Jessica_CDN]

Great topic! There's nothing I love more than reading about the history of a country as I travel through it....

Here's a good one for Israel / Palestine (actually a pretty even account of the history.....starting at the creation of the Israeli state) : The Iron Wall, Avi Shlaim

I'd also recommend Balkan Ghosts by Kaplan - his stream of consciouness writing tends to work a little better in the travelog genre than in his political writing.

[Guest_steph_444_*]

I've only really read books about European countries as that's where I have been.

Ireland: McCarthy's Bar and Round Ireland with a Fridge. Very funny, but give you a good sense of the countries and the people as I have found true while visiting Ireland.

Spain: Same as above two by Chris Stewart. It's always great to see exactly what the author has described and understand their point of view.

France: A Year in Provence, Encore Provence, and all the other non-fiction books by Peter Mayle.

England: Though totally subjective and not really history but purely a good laugh is Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson. Gotta love him. Also his book about touring Europe can't remember the name.

I've read so many about Europe I can't think of them right now. I'll add more if I remember.

[uncle_davros]

Whilst sitting bored at home, yesterday I read, He died with a felafel in his hand. Brought back many memories of sharing houses in the UK

[ScottWoz]

Though totally subjective and not really history but purely a good laugh is Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson. Gotta love him. Also his book about touring Europe can't remember the name.

I'm currently reading it Steph (Neither here nor there). In fact I'd recommend all Bryson's books (mainly travel), just for a light hearted laugh-out-loud preview of a place. His account of his pained attempt at the Appalachian Trail (Walk in the Woods) is an excellent read!

[Guest_Steph_444_*]

I forgot Italy. Haven't read Under the Tuscan Sun, but am reading Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes and I love it. Totally brings me back to Italy and she has a really nice way with words and descriptions. I'm sure Under the Tuscan Sun would be great too. I will lilkely read it now too.

Bill Bryson is I'm sure good for a laugh at whatever he writes about.

[uncle_davros]

I found his book on Australia, painfully not funny at all