[ebooktalk] Re: Travel books
- From: Ian Macrae <ian.macrae1@xxxxxxx>
- To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:43:47 +0100
I remember Tim Piggot-Smith reading Paul Theroux's In Patagonia in that slot in
the mid 80s.
On 26 Jun 2013, at 11:16, Steven Bingham wrote:
> Voldi
>
> Do you remember how we used to listen to the books that were broadcast at
> 8:45 AM when Parliament was in recess. I particularly remember listening to
> Jerald Durrel's The Drunken Forest and really cursing when the bell for
> morning assembly went too early so that we missed the end of the reading.
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Voldi Gailans
> Sent: 26 June 2013 10:55
> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Travel books
>
> Hi steve and all,
>
> I don't usually read travel books but some years ago they broadcast on A
> book at Bedtime Among the Russians by Colin Thubron. I heard parts of it
> and have always meant to look out for it as I found it quite interesting.
> There were some good characters as well as descriptions of the different
> parts of the then Soviet Union.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Voldi
>
> At 08:51 26/06/2013, you wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> One of the troubles with travel books is that they are only relevant
>> for a very short time after publication. They then become irritatingly
>> out-of-date and rather irrelevant. Then after about 20 years or more
>> they become interesting historical documents.
>>
>> Another problem is that they usually tell you more than you want to
>> know about the author. Of course, the authors flavours the whole thing
>> by what they choose to include and what they choose to leave out.
>>
>> I generally feel that travel books fall short as either a guide or
>> history to the places describbed and only tells you some of the author's
> story.
>>
>> If you want to know about the author get the autobiography (there's
>> usually
>> one) and if you want to know about a place get either a guide or a
>> history depending upon what you need.
>>
>> Some of Bryson's books Notes From A Small Island and Notes From A Big
>> Country for example are rather different in that they set out to tell
>> you more about the way of life in the country and draw comparisons
>> based on the author's experience.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Elaine Harris (Rivendell)
>> Sent: 26 June 2013 00:51
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Travel books
>>
>> Oh, June, I haven't read H. V. Morton in years. Chris and I shared much
>> of his work over 25 years ago; our favourites being "I Saw Two
>> Englands", set before and during the second world war, (rural idyll to
>> munitions factory), and "Ghosts of Old London", pure magic of history!
>> I might find them too dry now but loved them then. Have only read a
>> couple of Bill Brysons and not many other travel books.
>>
>> Thank you for the reminder,
>>
>> Elaine
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Tar Barrels
>> Sent: Tuesday, 25 June 2013 9:08 PM
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] Travel books
>>
>> I enjoy some travel books, but they are mostly ancient ones like HV
>> Morton, where I enjoy the writing as much as any sense of different
>> places - although I love his book on Italy. If I'm hones, I would
>> rather read books of exploits. Climbing books are a passion, and I
>> recently read How to Climb Mont Blanc in a Skirt. This was great fun,
>> and covered all sorts of exploration and adventure by women. Absolutely
>> hilarious in places, deeply disturbing and alarming in others. But most
>> of all it left me with a feeling of awe for all those adventurers, and
> their fanatastic spirits!
>> June
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>> On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
>> Sent: 25 June 2013 10:59
>> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: RECENTLY READ
>>
>> Having watched the original TV series all those years ago and, as
>> mentioned earlier, having read some of Palin's diaries, I think I'd
>> rather gnaw off my own left arm than read one of his travel books. I'd
>> guess the sense of whimsey would be over powering.
>>
>> My own recent reading has included my third Charles Cumming novel in
>> about six weeks. This one, which I'm tantalisingly close to finishing,
>> is called A Spy by Nature. It concerns a young man's recruitment into
>> the British Intelligence service. The central character is rather
>> loathsomely self obsessed, but this is very much part of the weave of
>> the book. I enjoyed the other two better. I've also just finished
>> Horns by Joe Hill. Just when you think you've read everything by
>> Stephen King, along comes his son with more books to stretch the
>> imagination. This one concerns a man who discovers horns growing out
>> of the sides of his head. and unsurprisingly, they have disturbing
>> properties. I think he is a more mannered writer than is dad, but doesn't
> have quite the facility with story telling.
>> On 25 Jun 2013, at 09:18, Clare Gailans wrote:
>>
>>> I like Michael Palin, but I run a mile from most travel books. They
>>> so often seem to be about the traveller's ego more than anything else.
>>> Even worse is being trapped listening to people drone on about their
>>> holidays, but I expect I've grumped about that before. Clare
>>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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