Longitude
   

   Advanced
   Search

   Have An
   Item Number?

   Mysteries

   Summer Reading

   Globes

   Best of 2007

   Favorites


   ABOUT US

      The Business

      The People

      Press

   SMALL PRINT

      Ordering

      Shipping

      Customer
      Service

      Visiting
 
Get a Catalog
 
   Travel With Longitude

   Join Our Partners

 
FAVORITES
Best of 2002   |   READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Highly Recommended E-mail this reading guide
Printer-friendly version
E-mail
Print
Select
Item
The Navigator of New York  •  Wayne Johnston
LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 483 PAGES
This absorbing historical novel, sure to appeal to those interested in Arctic exploration, mixes up details of the real-life adventures of Robert Peary and Frederick Cook with an invented family history. Johnston's tale revolves around young Devlin Stead, and his growing involvement with the wily Dr. Cook and his circle in New York City. A Newfoundlander with some experience in the ice, Johnston is especially good at invoking the icy expanses of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. Put this book on your shelf alongside Andrea Barrett's Voyage of the Narwhal. (ARC127, $15.95)
  The Navigator of New York
Choice Cuts, A Savory Selection of Food Writing from around the World and throughout History  •  Mark Kurlansky
FOOD •  2004 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES
A witty collection, organized thematically, with a rich selection of writing by the likes of Liebling, MFK Fisher, Escoffier and Alice B. Toklas. Kurlansky's rather catholic tastes include (in more or less order of presentation) memorable meals, favorite restaurants, markets, bread, eggs, vegetables, fish, fat, fruit, chocolate, desert, bugs (yes, insects), and the cuisines: French, English, American and German. He concludes with Levi-Strauss, Plato and Proust on the meaning of food. Kurlansky has also written memorably about salt, cod and the Basques. (GEN253, $16.00)
 
Charles Darwin, The Power of Place  •  Janet Browne
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 624 PAGES
The second half of Browne's magisterial history, full of insight into Victorian science. In this big, engrossing volume she follows the fate of Darwin, and his ideas, from the return of the voyage of the Beagle until his death. (GBR375, $25.95)
  Charles Darwin, The Power of Place
The Story of Lucy Gault  •  William Trevor
LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES
A tragedy is born of accident, guilt, religious strife and misunderstanding in another wonderful novel from Trevor -- this one set in 1920s County Cork. If the mark of an affecting novel is that it leaves readers mourning its outcome, then this is a most affecting book. (IRE119, $14.00)
 
The White Rock, An Exploration of the Inca Heartland  •  Hugh Thomson
EXPLORATION •  2003 •  PAPER  • 316 PAGES
Author, explorer and archaeologist Thomson recounts 20 years spent journeying throughout the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador in search of lost Inca cities. Much of his work centered in the cloud forest and steep valleys of Vilcabamba, a region first explored by Hiram Bingham, the discoverer of Machu Picchu. His engaging account, a pleasing mix of discovery, colorful personalities, history and archaeology, draws together his many experiences in the region. No lightweight, Thomson and colleague Gary Ziegler announced their discovery of a major Inca site at Coca Cota in June 2002. With three maps and 45 black-and-white photographs. He includes chapters on Inca roads, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Cuzco. (AND36, $16.95)
  The White Rock, An Exploration of the Inca Heartland
From the Land of Green Ghosts, a Burmese Odyssey  •  Pascal Khoo Thwe
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES
The young Burmese author, a member of a remote hill-tribe in the Shan hills, captures the traditions and challenges of the Padaung people in this astonishing debut. His memoir follows his fate from a traditional upbringing in the village, through love and war, and escape from a rebel camp on the Burmese-Thai border with the help of a Cambridge don. A student activist in the mass demonstrations of 1988 (and talented writer in love with English literature), Khoo Thwe fled to England and Cambridge, where he graduated with honors, an extraordinary feat. (BMA29, $13.95)
  From the Land of Green Ghosts, a Burmese Odyssey
Ninety Degrees North, The Quest for the North Pole  •  Fergus Fleming
EXPLORATION •  2003 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES
A thrilling, artfully told chronicle of the mostly 19th-century adventurers, madmen and explorers who quested after the North Pole. A marvelous storyteller, Fergus (who also wrote Barrow's Boys and Killing Dragons) interweaves journal excerpts with his own account of the often fateful exploits of Robert Peary, Frederick Cook. Elisha Kent Kane and other Arctic explorers. Though all the starvation, cold, braggadocio and lies, Fleming communicates with grace, clarity and wit the magnetic attraction of what historian Pierre Berton has called the Arctic Grail. (ARC124, $15.00)
  Ninety Degrees North, The Quest for the North Pole
The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife  •  Hadoram Shirihai  •  Brett Jarrett
FIELD GUIDE •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 544 PAGES
This book, an essential reference, features striking color illustrations and color photographs of each of the Antarctica's birds and marine mammals north to 40 degrees. Includes detailed species accounts, color distribution maps, 900 photographs and 36 color plates. Between artist Brett Jarrett and author Hadoram Shirihai, they have visited all the islands of the southern Ocean and important coastal areas of the Antarctic. Regional chapters describe all of the subantarctic islands, in addition to most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by maps of each area and photographs of each locale. These chapters present detailed information on geography, climate, geology, general ecology, and flora. They also address conservation efforts -- past, present, and planned. The book concludes with practical information about visiting the area, including details on landing sites and weather conditions. (ANT178, $55.00)
  The Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife
New York City, A Cultural and Literary Companion  •  Eric Homberger
GUIDEBOOK •  2002 •  PAPER  • 258 PAGES
An illuminating guide to the city, its history and geography, as the inspiration for writers, artists, musicians and intellectuals. A volume in the series "Cities of the Imagination," the book is a terrific survey of the neighborhoods and the literature of New York. With chapters on Broadway, Greenwich Village, parks, Harlem, Brooklyn, immigration and Manahatta. (NYC82, $15.00)
 
Angkor, Celestial Temples of the Khmer Empire  •  Joe Ortner  •  Ian Mabbett  •  John Sanday
ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES
A striking collection of 240 photographs with accompanying essays on the architecture, history and meaning of Angkor. Handsomely produced and packaged in a slip case by the art publisher Abbeville. Joe Ortner (Where Every Breath is a Prayer) photographed 50 monuments of the Khmer Empire, including rooftop views, landscapes, and details of inscriptions and art. John Sanday, Director of the World Monuments Fund in Cambodia since 1989, Ian Mabbett, an authority on the Khmer empire and others contribute the context for the photographs. With black-and-white floor plans and antique watercolor illustrations. (CBD31, $95.00)
  Angkor, Celestial Temples of the Khmer Empire
Atonement  •  Ian McEwan
LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 351 PAGES
A literary page-turner. This book is not only a pleasure to read, but is greatly evocative of Britain and its culture. The first part is set in pre-war British country estate; it's followed by a harrowing section on the Dunkirk retreat. The final section is set in modern-day London. The story concerns a family torn asunder by a great mistake that one of them makes as a child; it is rendered in rich, sensuous language, and great psychological nuance. A Booker Prize finalist and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. (GBR370, $14.95)
 
Old Man Goya  •  Julia Blackburn
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES
Taking 1792--the year that Goya went deaf--as her starting point, Julia Blackburn chronicles the painter's fruitful last 35 years in captivating, imaginative detail. Her book is informed by her travels and research, her own family history and her keen intellect. Blackburn has explored similar topics, people and places in this same mesmerizing fashion in her previous books, most memorably in The Book of Color (Seychelles and the Indian Ocean), The Emperor's Last Island (St. Helena) and Daisy Bates in the Desert (Australian outback). (SPN171, $13.95)
 
The Art of Travel  •  Alain de Botton
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES
A digressive, philosophical riff on desire, happiness and the experience of travel by the author of "How Proust Can Change Your Life." What is the point, after all, of traveling? Read this book, in part a manual of how best to experience a place, and find out. In five sections, arranged by category: Departure, Motives, Landscape, Art and Return. De Botton, a philosopher, enlists painters, writers and other historical figues as guides in each essay, covering wide-ranging topics from airports, landscapes and museums, to holiday romances and shopping. (TVL13, $13.95)
  The Art of Travel
Gould's Book of Fish, A Novel in Twelve Fish  •  Richard Flanagan
LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 404 PAGES
The third book by this Tasman author, a wildly inventive novel steeped in the 19th-century history of the island and its brutal colonial prison. Interweaving past and present, Flanagan keeps the reader guessing with a dizzying mix of history, fantasy and word play. Billy Gould, his bawdy convict narrator, contributes the paintings that introduce each section, reproduced in this paper edition in black-and-white. (AUS126, $14.00)
  Gould's Book of Fish, A Novel in Twelve Fish
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Marine Mammals of the World  •  Randall Reeves  •  Pieter Folkens
FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES • FAVORITE
A handsome, comprehensive guide to 120 species of whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, sirenians, polar bears and their kin worldwide. Each species gets a four-page spread with excellent color photographs, a double-page full color painting, and a good overview of the animal, range, habitat, behavior, status and conservation. With range maps, checklists by region, an illustrated glossary and introductory chapters. (FG58, $26.95)
  National Audubon Society Field Guide to Marine Mammals of the World
Servants of the Map, Stories  •  Andrea Barrett
LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES
Barrett introduces a cast of truth-seekers and explorers in these luminous tales of discovery. The subtly integrated stories -- a worthy, wonderful follow-up to Barrett's magnificent The Voyage of the Narwhal -- range over the map (and centuries) from the Himalayas to Pennsylvania and New York. (WLD30, $13.95)
  Servants of the Map, Stories
Cuba, A Traveler's Literary Companion  •  Ann Louise Bardach
ANTHOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 234 PAGES
A collection of mostly contemporary short fiction in the excellent series. Organized geographically, the anthology includes contributions by Reinaaldo Arenas, Alejo Carpentier, Jose Lezama Lima and many other Cuban literary giants. (CBA58, $13.95)
  Cuba, A Traveler's Literary Companion
Modern Mongolia, Reclaiming Genghis Khan  •  Paula Sabloff
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  PAPER  • 148 PAGES
Originally conceived as a companion to a joint exhibition in Philadelphia and Ulaaanbaatar, this slim primer, richly illustrated with 120 color photographs, highlights the people, politics and heritage of modern Mongolia. With both American and Mongolian contributors, it covers the sweep and excitement of 20th-century Mongolian history, the country's nomadic heritage and legacy of Genghis Khan. (MGL37, $22.95)
  Modern Mongolia, Reclaiming Genghis Khan
The Complete Guide to the Birds of Europe  •  Lars Svensson  •  Peter J. Grant  •  John Mulvaney  •  Dan Zetterstrom
FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES
An oversized version of the best-selling field edition of Birds of Europe (FG47), featuring 195 stunning color plates. This handsome book would make an excellent addition to the library of any bird watcher. Our colleagues at Worldtwitch call it the world's best bird book (but that may be an exaggeration). (EUR120, $60.00)
 
 

Related Categories


Related Categories
Here are some other groups of books that might interest you. Click to view a listing:

More Books

 



home map   |   book bag   |   advanced search   |   contact us

 
 
(800) 342-2164   (212) 904-1144      115 West 30th St., Suite 1206    New York, NY 10001    USA

Copyright 2007 Geographica, Inc.
site created by bitflip interactive group
powered by metarhythm