...in Turkey, that starts in the central highlands of the country and follows so many twists and turns to the Aegean Sea that it was never used for transport although it famously connected East and West. Jeremy Seal travels its route by kayak in Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a Turkish River, recalling the river’s famous history (Alexander the Great passed through on his way to conquer Asia) and meeting the mix of people settled along its banks.
Travel is eponymous with road (or river) trips, and Jack Kerouac aside (who headed West, hitchhiked as far as Bear Mountain in New York State, and then took the bus) often has a specific purpose: Trip of the Tongue: Cross-Country Travels in Search of America’s Languages sent Elizabeth Little, with her love of linguistics, on a two-year, 25,000-mile odyssey crisscrossing the United States looking for languages, from Navajo in Arizona to Creole in Louisiana. Edward Enfield, in Greece on My Wheels, hopped on a bicycle to ride through the Peloponnese, then returned to Greece for a second trip to retrace the footsteps of the Romantic poet Lord Byron. Warwick Cairns ventured into Africa with In Praise of Savagery. After meeting Wilfred Thesieger, the first European to explore the Awash River in Ethiopia (everyone before him had been killed by local tribesmen), he followed the explorer’s route and uses their alternating voices to tell the story.
There’s no journey of discovery quite like a pilgrimage, and Rosamund Burton makes hers in Ireland “to rediscover the Irish part of me” along an ancient and mostly forgotten path in Castles, Follies & Four-Leaf Clovers: Adventures Along Ireland’s St Declan’s Way where she visits a grotto with a statue of the Virgin Mary that talked in 1985 and a monastery grain bin mysteriously never emptied during times of famine. Burton had an old map to follow; Doug Mack had an old Arthur Frommer guide book, Europe on Five Dollars a Day (the American travel bible for a generation), with which he planned his trip in Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day: One Man, Eight Countries, One Vintage Travel Guide. And then there’s the magic of the world’s great cities. Richard Tillinghast first visited Istanbul 50 years before and gives the city over in Istanbul: City of Forgetting and Remembering, from its Byzantine, Ottoman, and Turkish roots to the modern culturally blended metropolis it is today. (You can see Turkey’s Russian neighbor in the blue eyes of its citizens). Benjamin Taylor lays out Naples in all its splendor and grit in Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay, while Paris, which has inspired, nurtured, and eaten alive long lists of writers and artists through the centuries (George Orwell, Henry Miller, Arthur Rimbaud, Oscar Wilde…), forced Rosecrans Baldwin to rethink his dream of a life of baguettes and berets until he made the city his own in Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down.
Scores of London’s inhabitants have their say in the oral history, Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now—As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It. Craig Taylor, a Canadian native, found the city “lonely” among other things when he began his interviews with more than 80 Londoners, from manicurists to hedge fund managers. Ultimately, these books should inspire you to get going. In the words of Jack Kerouac: “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”
PW’s Top 10: Travel
Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a Turkish River
Jeremy Seal. Bloomsbury USA, May.
Trip of the Tongue: Cross-Country Travels in Search of America’s Languages
Elizabeth Little. Bloomsbury USA, Mar.
Greece on My Wheels
Edward Enfield. Summersdale, May.
In Praise of Savagery
Warwick Cairns. HarperCollins U.K., Apr.
Castles, Follies & Four-Leaf Clovers: Adventures Along Ireland’s St Declan’s Way
Rosamund Burton. Allen & Unwin, Mar.
Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day: One Man, Eight Countries, One Vintage Travel Guide
Doug Mack. Penguin/Perigee Trade, Apr.
Istanbul: City of Forgetting and Remembering
Richard Tillinghast. Haus, July.
Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay
Benjamin Taylor. Putnam/Marian Wood, May.
Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down
Rosecrans Baldwin. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, May.
Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now—As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It
Craig Taylor. Ecco, Feb.
Travel Listings
AA Publishing
(dist. by IPG)
Exploring Britain’s Castles: Celebrating Britain’s Magnificent Legacy by AA Publishing (Apr., hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0749570750). A showcase of more than 120 of Britain’s finest castles that are among the country’s most beautiful and historically significant buildings, from the U.K.’s largest travel publisher.
ACC Editions
(dist. by ACC)
New York City Landmarks by Jake Rajs and Francis Morrone (Mar., hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-1851496693). Seventy-five of New York City’s most celebrated landmarks, each image accompanied by the details of the monument, its history, and anecdotal tidbits.
Allen & Unwin
(dist. by IPG)
Castles, Follies & Four-Leaf Clovers: Adventures Along Ireland’s St Declan’s Way by Rosamund Burton (May 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1741759525). One woman’s ramble along the Camino de Santiago of Ireland battling the mist and the rain, with just an old photocopy of a map to guide her.
Avalon Travel
Moon Pacific Northwest Fishing: The Complete Guide to Lakes, Streams, and Saltwater by Terry Rudnick and Craig Schuhmann (May 15, trade paper, $26.99, ISBN 978-1612381695). Find the fish with Pacific Northwest locals in a guide for novice and experienced anglers alike; the Moon Outdoors series.
Bene Factum Publishing
(dist. by IPG)
In the Dolphin’s Wake: Cocktails, Calamities and Caiques in the Greek Islands by Harry Bucknall (Feb. 1, trade paper, $12.95, ISBN 978-1903071342). Spurred by a love of the sea, the author travels 5,000 miles in a six-month journey through the Greek islands from Venice to Istanbul.
Bloomsbury USA
Le Road Trip: A Traveler’s Journal of Love and France by Vivian Swift (Mar. 22, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1608195329). The story of an idyllic French honeymoon, with illustrations, and a blurb from Elizabeth Gilbert.
Meander: East to West, Indirectly, Along a Turkish River by Jeremy Seal (May 16, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1596916524). An exploration of the now forgotten, once majestic Meander river, where the cultures of East and West first came together.
Trip of the Tongue: Cross-Country Travels in Search of America’s Languages by Elizabeth Little (Mar. 8, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1596916562). An enchanting journey across the landscape of American language and culture, including everything from Navajo to Norwegian.
CAMRA Books
(dist. by IPG)
Great British Pubs by Adrian Tierney-Jones (May 1, trade paper, $23.95, ISBN 978-1852492656). A tour of the best public houses in Britain, celebrating the pub as a national institution.
Chronicle Books
Forever Paris: 25 Walks in the Footsteps of Chanel, Hemingway, Picasso, and More by Christina Henry de Tessan (Mar. 21, hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-1452104881). Walking adventures that guide visitors to the bars, restaurants, markets, and famous spots that inspired some of the world’s most iconic people.
The Disinformation Company
(dist. by Consortium)
Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale of a Life Without Reservations by Paul Carr (Apr. 1, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1934708804). Bored, broke, and struggling to survive in London, Carr moves to a luxury hotel in Manhattan when he realizes it’s cheaper than his tiny one-bedroom London apartment.
Ecco
Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now—as Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It by Craig Taylor (Feb. 1, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-0062005854). An epic portrait of today’s London, told in Studs Terkel style, with voices varying from a West End rickshaw driver to a soldier of the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Editions du Chêne
(dist. by ACC)
Paris for Men by Thierry Richard and Juliette Ranck (May, trade paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-2812305825). A hedonistic address book filled with tips, illustrations, and photographs to entice any man to make the most of Paris.
Eye Books
(dist. by IPG)
Discovery Road by Andy Brown and Tim Garratt, foreword by Sir Ranulph Fiennes (Mar. 15, trade paper, $12.95, ISBN 978-1903070833). The story of the first people to ride mountain bikes across the deserts of Australia, the bushlands of Africa, and the mountains of South America in search of adventure and self-fulfillment; the Eye Classics series.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down by Rosecrans Baldwin (Apr. 4, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-0374146689). When Baldwin’s dream of living in Paris becomes a reality, his preconceptions of the city are quickly upended.
Frances Lincoln
(dist. by 45th Parallel Communications)
Alnwick Castle by James McDonald (May 21, hardcover, $50, ISBN 978-0711232372). McDonald takes readers on a tour of 21st-century life in a family-inhabited medieval castle in northern England, including its recent restoration.
Battle Valleys: A Portrait of the Border by Ronald Turnbull (May 21, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0711232297). A look at the enclave between England and Scotland that for 300 years had its own laws, its own ethics, and an economy based on theft, blackmail, and kidnapping for ransom.
Fulcrum Publishing
Planes, Trains, and Auto-Rickshaws: A Journey Through Modern India by Laura Pedersen (July 1, paper, $16, ISBN 978-1555916183). This humorous travel essay highlighting the roles of women and children in modern-day India provides a glimpse of this country beyond the headlines.
Globe Pequot Press
Around a Greek Table: Recipes & Stories Arranged According to the Liturgical Seasons of the Eastern Church by Katerina Katsarka Whitley, photos by Jasmin Hejazi (Apr. 1, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-0762778362). “Kefi,” loosely translated, is the Greek sense of joy, often found around the dinner table during large and boisterous family meals; it’s presented here with recipes of spanakopita, keftedes, and more.
HarperCollins U.K.
(dist. by IPG)
In Praise of Savagery by Warwick Cairns (Apr. 1, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-0007414031). Travelogue, biography, history, and humor merge in the alternating voices of Warwick Cairns—a young traveler—and Wilfred Thesiger, the first European to explore the Awash River in Ethiopia.
Haus Publishing
Istanbul: City of Forgetting and Remembering by Richard Tillinghast (July 1, hardcover, $19.95, ISBN 978-1907973215). The story of a city that stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and the different cultures and ideas that have shaped it over time; the Armchair Traveller series.
The History Press
(dist. by IPG)
From High Places: A Journey Through Ireland’s Great Mountains by Adrian Hendroff (Apr. 1, trade paper, $29.95, ISBN 978-1845889890) celebrates Ireland’s mountains and hills with 200 color photos, cultural history, and detailed accounts of walking routes.
Hyperion
The Barefoot Bandit: The True Tale of Colton Harris-Moore, New American Outlaw by Bob Friel (Feb. 29, hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-1401324162). The adventure of America’s first Web age outlaw, aka the “barefoot bandit,” Harris-Moore, 19, who led authorities on a two-year chase from the Pacific Northwest to the Bahamas.
Interlink Books
Jewish London: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Visitors and Londoners by Rachel Kolsky and Roslyn Rawson (Mar. 13, trade paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-1566569002). A guide to London’s Jewish heritage includes eight neighborhood walking tours, Judaic art and artists, literature and film, a cultural events calendar, kosher restaurants, and synagogues.
Interlink/Cadogan Guides
Bilboa & the Basque Lands by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (Apr. 10, trade paper, $21.95, ISBN 978-1566568807). This exhaustively researched guide to one of Spain’s most distinctive regions includes in-depth cultural and historical background, and hand-picks the best places to stay and eat and visit.
The Intrepid Traveler
(dist. by NBN)
After Disney: The Other Orlando by Kelly Monaghan and Seth Kubersky (Apr. 1, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1937011031). Information for a nonstop, thrill-a-minute vacation in Orlando without a mouse ear in sight.
Lonely Planet
The World’s Best Street Food (Apr. 1, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1742205939). More than 100 dishes are presented with scene-setting text, images, and recipes; the General Pictorial series.
Western USA (May 1, paper, $22.99, ISBN 978-1742205915). The regional title focuses on the states from California to New Mexico and Arizona and includes road trips and scenic drives; the Regional Guide series.
Mainstream Publishing
(dist. by IPG)
100 Classic Coastal Walks in Scotland by Andrew Dempster (Mar. 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1845965860). An essential guide to hiking Scotland’s truly dramatic, extensive, and ever-varying coastline on foot.
National Geographic Books
National Geographic Traveler: Sicily, Third Edition, by Tim Jepson, photos by Tino Soriano (Feb. 21, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1426208638). A guide for today’s experiential travel enthusiasts who want an authentic, enriching immersion; the National Geographic Traveler series.
The 10 Best of Everything, Third Edition: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers by Nathaniel Lande and Andrew Lande (Apr. 3, trade paper, $21.95, ISBN 978-1426208676). Revised and updated entertaining blue-chip bible for globe-trotting connoisseurs.
Walking London (Mar. 6, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1426208706). New urban series presenting must-do neighborhood itineraries along with insider tips on how to visit recommended sites; : Cities of a Lifetime series.
Walking New York (Mar. 6, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1426208737). I’ll take Manhattan, and Staten Island, too. Cities of a Lifetime series.
Walking Paris (Mar. 6, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1426208713). Bien-venue! the Cities of a Lifetime series.
Walking Rome (Mar. 6, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1426208720). The Eternal City is showcased; Cities of a Lifetime series.
Pelican Publishing
Kentucky’s Civil War Battlefields: A Guide to Their History and Preservation by Randy Bishop (May 1, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1455616077). Bishop covers the 13 major conflicts that took place in the Bluegrass State through firsthand documents, maps, and photographs.
Penguin
Britain and Ireland’s Best Wild Places: 500 Essential Journeys by Christopher Somerville (Feb. 28, trade paper, $22, ISBN 978-0141029221). A guide to the forgotten places, with literary references to delight the imagination “Informative and poetic,” says the Financial Times.
Penguin/Avery
Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash by Edward Humes (Apr. 19, hardcover, $27, ISBN 978-1583334348). A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist takes readers on a surprising tour of the world of garbage.
Penguin/Perigee Trade
Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day: One Man, Eight Countries, One Vintage Travel Guide by Doug Mack (Apr. 3, trade paper, $15, ISBN 978-0399537325). Mack travels the continent following a 47-year-old edition of Arthur Frommer’s classic guide, Europe on Five Dollars a Day.
Putnam/Marian Wood
Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay by Benjamin Taylor (May 10, hardcover, $26.95, ISBN 978-0399159176). A witty amble through the purgatorial realms of Naples: a city of contrasts, much squalor, and astonishing natural and manmade beauty.
Quayside/Voyageur Press
Ghost Towns of California: Your Guide to the Hidden History and Old West Haunts of California by Philip Varney (June 15, trade paper, $24.99, ISBN 978-0760340820) equips you with everything you need to know to explore these remnants of the past.
Random House Australia
(dist. by IPG)
Surfari by Tim Baker (June 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1864712124). Surfing writer Baker relates how he gave up on the status quo and returned to hanging 10 in this homage to his beloved sport.
Reader’s Digest
Most Scenic Drives, Newly Revised and Updated: 120 Spectacular Road Trips by the editors of Reader’s Digest (Mar. 1, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-1606523582). An update of the classic that’s sold 750,000 copies, with new illustrations, tourist information, additional Canadian drives, Web site links, and more.
Rizzoli/Universe
Best Things to Do in Los Angeles: 1001 Ideas by Joy Yoon (Mar. 20, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-0789322579). A guide to Los Angeles that goes beyond locations and events to tap into the things only a local could know.
Rodale Books
The Best Place for Everything: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to the Greatest Experiences Around the World by Peter Greenberg (Apr. 19, trade paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1609618292). Veteran travel writer Greenberg offers a definitive guide for thrill seekers and armchair travelers alike.
Santa Monica Press
Destination Cocktails: The Traveler’s Guide to Superior Libations by James Teitelbaum (July 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1595800725). Reviews of more than 200 cocktail bars across the U.S. and around the world, with photos of each location, interviews with mixologists, and signature drink recipes.
The Disneyland Encyclopedia: The Unofficial, Unauthorized, and Unprecedented History of Every Land, Attraction, Restaurant, Shop, and Major Event in the Original Magic Kingdom by Chris Strodder (Apr. 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1595800688). The Disneyland Encyclopedia, updated, profiles more than 500 attractions, restaurants, stores, and events.
Skyhorse Publishing
(dist. by Norton)
Burqalicious: The Dubai Diaries: A True Story of Sun, Sand, Sex, and Secrecy by Becky Wicks (June 1, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1616085896). A beautiful female expat reveals everything in this Middle East tell-all.
Sailing Around the World: One Man, One Boat, and the Desire to Do Something Grand Before It’s Too Late by Michael Cosgrove (June 1, trade paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-1616087289). Cosgrove turns 60 and decides to “do something grand.”
Skyhorse Publishing/Arcade
(dist. by Norton)
Alaskan Travels: Far-Flung Tales of Love and Adventure by Edward Hoag-land, foreword by Howard Frank Mosher (Apr. 1, hardcover, $22.95, ISBN 978-1611455038). The writer that Philip Roth has called “America’s most intelligent and wide-ranging essayist-naturalist” takes on Alaska.
SPY Publishing
(dist. by IPG)
Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection: Italy by Juliet Kinsman, Lucy Fennings, and Anthony Leyton (May 1, trade paper, $29.95, ISBN 978-0956534712). The newest entry in this boutique hotel guide series showcases 33 of Italy’s most romantic retreats and includes 250 photos.
Stackpole Books
Haunted Indiana: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Hoosier State by James A. Willis (Mar. 1, paper, $10.95, ISBN 978-0811707794). A selection of the state’s bone-chilling stories of the paranormal, like Pierre’s dog-headed woman
Haunted Missouri: Ghosts & Strange Phenomena of the Show Me State by Troy Taylor (Apr. 1, $10.95, ISBN 978-0811710145). Frightening stories of hauntings throughout the state, including phantoms of Mark Twain Cave and spirits of the Civil War battle of Wilson’s Creek.
New Jersey Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past by Patricia A. Martinelli (Mar. 1, paper, $11.95, ISBN 978-0811709101). The history and present condition of settlements and towns of New Jersey that have been deserted, transformed into tourist attractions, or have fewer than 200 residents.
Pirates of Virginia: Plunder and High Adventure on the Old Dominion Coastline by Mark Donnelly and Daniel Diehl (Apr. 1, paper, $10.95, ISBN 978-0811710367). Tales of high adventure and dastardly deeds, with newly uncovered lore about Virginia’s most famous pirates.
Steerforth Press/New Europe Books
(dist. by Random)
The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian: 50 Facts and Facets of Nationhood by Istvan Bori (July 3, trade paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-0982578100). Everything you always wanted to know about Hungary and Hungarians.
Sterling Publishing/Conway
Arctic by Bruce Parry and Huw Lewis-Jones (Feb. 7, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1844861309). A full-color companion to a BBC2 series following a seven-month journey around the Arctic traversing Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Scandinavia.
Sterling Publishing/New Holland
London’s Afternoon Teas: A Guide to London’s Most Stylish and Exquisite Tea Venues by Susan Cohen (May 1, hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-1847739933). Guide to 40 fine places to enjoy afternoon tea in the city, from classic spots like Claridge’s and the Wolseley to unexpected, off-the-beaten-path parlors.
London’s Best Pubs, Second Edition: A Guide to London’s Most Interesting and Unusual Pubs by Peter Haydon and Tim Hampson (Apr. 3, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1847739193). An updated lowdown on 117 of the best London pubs organized by area, mapped, and photographed inside and out, with an overview of the cask ales on offer.
Royal London: A Guide to the Capital’s Historic and Iconic Royal Sites by Jane Struthers (May 1, trade paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1847739643). For Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee in 2012, this sumptuously illustrated book celebrates the enduring influence of the British monarchy on the cultural, social, and architectural landscape of London.
Sterling/White Star
Wonders of the World by Valeria Manferto De Fabianis (Mar. 6, hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-8854405998). From Mt. Rushmore to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, some of the planet’s most remarkable natural and manmade sites beautifully photographed; the CubeBook series.
Summersdale
(dist. by IPG)
Are We Nearly There Yet: A Family’s 8,000-Mile Car Journey Around Britain by Ben Hatch (July 1, trade paper, $13.95, ISBN 978-1849531559). A five-month family trip to write a travel guide, with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes.
Greece on My Wheels by Edward Enfield (May 1, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1849531689). Two explorations of Greece by bicycle, the first through the Peloponnese, the second following in the footsteps of the Romantic poet Lord Byron.
Live Fast Die Young: Misadventures in Rock & Roll America by Chris Price (May 1, trade paper, $13.95, ISBN 978-1849530391). Two friends drive across the U.S. to pay homage to the roots of rock and roll.
Taylor Trade Publishing/Moonlight Publishing
(dist. by NBN)
The Homestead Story by Geraldine Hempel Davis (June 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1589797024). The story of the Homestead resort in Virginia, from its 18th-century beginnings to today’s holiday tradition.
Thames & Hudson
(dist. by Norton)
On the High Line: A Walk Along America’s Newest Urban Park by Annik LaFarge, preface by Rick Darke (Apr. 1, trade paper, $29.95, ISBN 978-0500290200). The first illustrated guide to the elevated park that has transformed an entire neighborhood of New York City.
