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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

[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.