The Condé Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places, Vol. II

Timed to coincide with Condé Naste Traveler magazine’s 25th anniversary, this stellar collection of 35 essays compiled from the magazine’s archives will delight nomads of all dispositions. This satisfying compendium, written by “novelists, poets, playwrights, art critics, political reporters, screenwriters, essayists and naturalists,” offers a cornucopia of insights gathered from around the globe. Arranged alphabetically by destination rather than chronologically, the collection begins in Australia with an essay titled “The “Liberation of Sydney” by art critic and native Australian Robert Hughes, and closes with a piece devoted to understanding the paradoxes and contradictions of Uganda by author and eighth-generation Afrikaner Rian Malan. Contemporary pieces—the latest was published in 2011—are sprinkled among the older gems. Julia Reed’s 2009 essay, “A Street Named Sazerac” reveals the many pleasures, liquid and otherwise, abounding in New Orleans. During the same year Christina Nehring delves into the French art of living well, offering an explanation of why publically funded daycare contributes to French women’s reputation of “sexiness, coolness and confidence,” while Calvin Trillin explores the food and environs of the cultural capital and quite walkable city of Cuenca, of Ecuador. Packed with keen observations about history, culture, art and culinary delights, this thoughtful compilation will delight experienced travelers and inspire armchair dreamers. (Sept.)