TRAVEL BLOGHappy Fourth of JulyWorld Hum’s Most Read: June 28-July 3What We Loved This Week: Def Leppard in Greece, Austrian Competence and Freedom in ColombiaThe LAX Theme Building, Then and Now
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As a Woman, Can I Really Travel Without Much Fear for my Safety?Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel AUDIO SLIDESHOW Inside Slum TourismWith mixed feelings, Rob Verger recently signed on for a tour of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. He looks back on the experience—and the photos he was allowed to take. HOW TO
Break Bread and Brie in FranceGreat cheese abounds in the land of Gaul, but dig in and you risk committing any number of faux pas. Terry Ward explains how to partake of the nation’s famed fromage with savoir faire. THE LIST
10 Wanderlust-Inducing Summer ConcertsCall it world music or global pop or the sound of the world hum. Ben Keene reveals 10 acts on tour that are sure to transport you. Plus videos.
Q&A
Bryan Mealer: ‘War and Deliverance in Congo’The former AP correspondent traveled up the Congo River. Frank Bures asks the author of “All Things Must Fight to Live” about following in the wake of Joseph Conrad. SPEAKER'S CORNER
A Journey Into ‘The Second World’Some bureaucrats joke that they would never claim expertise about countries they had not at least flown over. In an excerpt from his new book, Parag Khanna argues that real global understanding can only come from serious travel.
BOOKS
‘The Worst Guidebook Writer Ever’?Lonely Planet author Robert Reid reviews Thomas Kohnstamm’s “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” and weighs in on the controversy surrounding it |
TRAVEL BLOG12.4.07
New Travel Book: ‘Marco Polo’
Author: Laurence Bergreen, who also wrote “Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe” and biographies of Al Capone and Irving Berlin. Released: Oct. 23, 2007 Travel genre: Historical footstep following Territory covered: The Silk Road from, uh, Venice to Xanadu Promo copy: “As the most celebrated European to explore Asia, Marco Polo was the original global traveler and the earliest bridge between East and West. A universal icon of adventure and discovery, he has inspired six centuries of popular fascination and spurious mythology...In this masterly work, Marco Polo’s incredible odyssey—along the Silk Road and through all the fantastic circumstances of his life—is chronicled in sumptuous and illuminating detail.” Critical verdict, Zagat-style: The book is “as enthralling as a rollicking travel journal” (New York Times), and a “richly researched” and “full-blooded rendition of Polo’s astonishing journey.” (Washington Post) “The marvellous plates, which include color reproductions of medieval miniatures as well as spectacular photographs of the Silk Road and other exotic sites, enhance this unexpected feeling of immediacy.” (New York Sun) Audio excerpt: Laurence Bergreen reads from Marco Polo Categories: Weblog • Adventure Travel • Asia • China • Life of a Travel Writer • New Travel Books 
Permalink • Comments (3)
COMMENTSI’m reading it right now. I must confess I either never knew or totally forgot that that Marco traveled with his father and his uncle. Is that a well-known fact? The story of how the book came to be written is one of the all-time great publishing stories, too. By Barbara Benham on 12.4.07 at 06:46 AM
I didn’t know that either, Barbara. It’s another good reason I want to read the book. By Mike on 12.5.07 at 10:52 AM
I guess that all great guidebooks are written in extrordinary conditions. This is what makes them great. Thank you Barbara for sharing this fact. By on 5.16.08 at 02:42 PM
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Full title: “Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu”
