Armchair Traveler

An acclaimed travel writer and novelist, in his eightieth year, takes a dramatic journey on the little known Far East Asian river that forms the highly contested border between Russia and China, covering almost 3,000 miles.

"The essays in this year's Best American Travel Writing are an antidote to the isolation of the year 2020, giving us views into experiences unlike our own and taking us on journeys we could not take ourselves. From the lively music of West Africa, to the rich culinary traditions of Muslims in Northwest China, to the thrill of a hunt in Alaska, this collection is a treasure trove of diverse places and cultures, providing the comfort, excitement, and...

"Getting roughed up by Islamic fundamentalists, the weekly "feline sex-fest" in Kyiv, bribing Russian police to avoid jail in Moscow, sheltering under the sink (with the lizards) when the ammo dump exploded in Juba, automatic weapons training in Indiana, and that ill-fated morning bike ride in Kabul. It was a great job! Bike Riding in Kabul follows the professional and personal adventures of international legal consultant Jamie Bowman, an attorney...

"An illustrated travelogue that brilliantly captures artist and illustrator's Emma Fick's epic train journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway--from Beijing through Mongolia to Moscow--including more than 200 watercolor illustrations and handwritten text that includes cultural and historical information as well as invaluable travel tips"--

"Ever been obsessed with something? I mean really obsessed? Ever lain awake dreaming about it: a new car perhaps, your dream house, a person? I guess we all have them, only my obsession is a little offbeat. Mine is plants. . ." After making a strange discovery on a childhood trip to Ikea, Chris Thorogood dreamed of becoming a botanist and would stop at nothing to feed his growing addiction to plants. In his hair-raising adventures across Europe, Africa,...

An award-winning broadcaster and educator presents his experiences following the path of African Americans who traveled the country during the age of segregation using The Green Book, a guide which helped Black people travel safely. "Join award-winning broadcaster Alvin Hall on a journey through America's haunted racial past, with the legendary Green Book as your guide. For countless Americans, the open road has long been a place where dangers lurk....

From the heights of the Peruvian Andes to the banks of the Mekong River Delta in Laos, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has traveled far and wide to find culinary inspiration in some of the world's most remote locations. In this travelogue-meets-cookbook, Ramsay reveals the rich food traditions and cultures he's found in 25 remarkable destinations from his explorations on the National Geographic Channel's Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.

An ambitious and magnificent new travelogue by bestselling and prize-winning author Erika Fatland (The Border and Sovietistan), on a journey along the Himalaya. The Himalaya weave through five very different countries, where the world religions of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are mixed with ancient shamanic religions. Countless languages and vastly different cultures live in the secluded mountain valleys. Modernity and tradition collide, while the...

"In recent years Naples has become, for better or worse, the new 'destination' in Italy. While many of its more esoteric features are on display for all to see, the stories behind them remain largely hidden. In Marius Kociejowski's portrait of this baffling city, the serpent can be many things -- Vesuvius, the mafia-like camorra, the outlying Phlegrean Fields (which, geologically speaking, constitute the second most dangerous area on the planet)....

The Temporary European is a collection of vivid, entertaining travel tales from across Europe.--