Welcome!

Enrich Your Travels with Longitude

We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.

SIGN UP FOR

Longitude News

Get our monthly e-mail update

GET A

Catalog

In the Kitchen

Gran Cocina Latina, The Food of Latin America

Maricel E. Presilla

SEE ALL >

Antarctica

Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred Lansing

SEE ALL >

Our Favorites

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

Tuscany

Every Day in Tuscany, Seasons of an Italian Life

Frances Mayes

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Back in Print

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

A Time of Gifts

A Time of Gifts

by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

Fermor effortlessly interweaves anecdote, history and culture in this exuberant account of a walk from Holland, up the Rhine and down the Danube, through Germany, Prague and Austria in 1933. Written not in the moment, but 40 years later, the accumulation of time and experience give the book particular poignancy. (CEU30, $16.95)

Dersu the Trapper

Dersu the Trapper

by V.K. Arseniev | Malcolm Burr

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 358 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Captain Arseniev's mesmerizing account of adventure, exploration and friendship in the Russian Far East, source for the Kurosowa film. (SIB24, $16.00)

The Towers of Trebizond

The Towers of Trebizond

by Rose MacAulay | Jan Morris

  • LITERATURE
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 277 PAGES

Mixing high farce, archaeology, history and lively travel writing, Rose MacAulay's impossibly witty short novel is back in a new edition., Originally published in 1956, MacAulay follows the adventures of English missionaries traipsing to across Turkey from Istanbul to Trabzon. (TKY15, $16.00)

Mornings in Mexico

Mornings in Mexico

by D.H. Lawrence

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES

Lawrence's magnificent collection of luminous short essays on the allure and spirit of Mexico and the American Southwest. (MEX166, $17.00)

From the Land of the Thunder Dragon

From the Land of the Thunder Dragon

by Susan S. Bean | Diana K. Myers

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 247 PAGES

This magnificent survey, featuring 130 color photographs, illuminates with authority the huge cultural significance of weaving in Bhutan. With contributions by Michael Aris, Francoise Pommaret, Susan Bean and principal author Diana Myers, it's the definitive book on the subject, published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum. (BHU01, $50.00)

The Marsh Arabs

The Marsh Arabs

by Wilfred Thesiger

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Thesiger's masterful account of the distinctive customs, traditions and way of life of the Ma'dan, a once isolated, ancient people of the watery marsh and reeds of Southern Iraq. (IRQ19, $16.00)

Danube

Danube

by Claudio Magris

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

Mixing history, personalities and literature, Magris traces the course of the Danube from its source in the heart of the Austro-Hungarian empire through the Balkans to the Black Sea in this anything but conventional travelogue, first published in 1986. (EUR58, $17.00)

Montaillou, The Promised Land of Error

Montaillou, The Promised Land of Error

by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie | Barbara Bray

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 383 PAGES

This absorbing, candid and marvelously detailed portrait of daily life in 13th-Century Languedoc was a French bestseller. It's based on the 600-year-old transcript of heretic interrogations by Bishop (later Pope Benedict XII) Jacques Fournier of Pamiers. 30th Anniversary Edition. (FRN304, $24.95)

Ring of Bright Water, A Trilogy

Ring of Bright Water, A Trilogy

by Gavin Maxwell

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

This magical book, treasured by generations of parents and children, is best known for its portrayal of otters -- and the naturalist who loves them. But Maxwell's descriptions of the Scottish coast, and other wildlife, are equally captivating. This handsome edition, featuring Gavin's line drawings, brings together Ring of Bright Water (1960), The Rocks Remain (1963) and Raven Meet Thy Brother (1969). With cottages available to rent), Eilean Ban ('White Island'), nestled beneath the Isle of Skye bridge, is today a museum and nature preserve. (SCT17, $18.95)

Dreams of My Russian Summers

Dreams of My Russian Summers

by Andrei Makine

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Andrei Makine conjures an entire world -- and the sweep of Russian history -- in this lyrical debut novel. Set in a sleepy village on the Volga, the narrator spins tales both of coming-of-age in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 70 -- and of his remarkable grandmother, born in France at the turn of the century, a nurse during the Revolution and a witness to the horrors of Stalin. Tenth anniversary edition. (RUS266, $14.95)

Last of the Curlews

Last of the Curlews

by Fred Bodsworth

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

A classic, with marvelous illustrations by Abigail Rorer, Fred Bodsworth's haunting novel tracks a solitary Eskimo Curlew from the pampas of Argentina to its summer breeding grounds high above Hudson Bay. This new edition includes a foreword by poet W.S. Merwin, who re-discovered the book, originally published in 1955. Once one of the most numerous shorebirds in North America, the last confirmed sighting of the Eskimo Curlew was in the 1960s and Bodsworth's novel is both an elegy to the bird and cautionary tale about wanton hunting. (BRD92, $14.95)

Glacier Ice

Glacier Ice

by Austin Post | Edward R. LaChapelle

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 145 PAGES

A classic book of extraordinary black-and-white aerial photographs of mountains and glaciers by two devoted men of ice. Ed LaChapelle's text is paired with Austin Post's stunning aerial photographs of glaciers from Alaska and Chile to Switzerland and the Himalayas. (SCI07, $27.95)

A Book of Migrations, Some Passages in Ireland

A Book of Migrations, Some Passages in Ireland

by Rebecca Solnit

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

In this intriguing book, the American-born author (now an Irish citizen) introduces the country, its history and literature in a series of essays. Solnit, a wonderful writer, is a thoughtful questioner of the modern Irish identity. (IRE44, $16.95)

The Evolution of Jane

The Evolution of Jane

by Cathleen Schine

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Setting her novel on a Galapagos cruise, Schine mixes psychological insight and travel with impressive musings on Darwin and modern evolutionary theory in this fast-paced tale. (GPS30, $14.95)

 
Island of Bali

Island of Bali


by Miguel Covarrubias | Adrian Vickers

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 417 PAGES

First published in 1937, this classic portrait of Bali captures the life, traditional culture and customs of the Balinese people. (BAL03, $25.00)

The Raven Crown

The Raven Crown


by Michael Aris

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES

Aris chronicles the rise of the Wangchuk dynasty in this beautifully illustrated history of the kingdom and its 20th-century monarchy, featuring 106 rare photographs. (BHU02, $60.00)

Why I Hate Canadians

Why I Hate Canadians


by Will Ferguson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 305 PAGES

The tenth anniversary edition of Ferguson's wickedly astute cultural salvo, the collection of humorous essays that launched his career. As you might guess, the title is tongue-in-cheek. (CND154, $15.95)

African Textiles

African Textiles


by John Gillow

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

Region by region, John Gillow's absorbing, superbly illustrated and colorful survey covers the traditional, handcrafted and indigenous textiles of the whole continent. Gillow also authored the marvelous Traditional Indonesian Textiles (INS22) and Indian Textiles (IDA543). (AFR137, $44.95)

Below the Convergence, Voyages Toward Antarctica 1699-1839

Below the Convergence, Voyages Toward Antarctica 1699-1839


by Alan Gurney

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

A polished storyteller (and popular lecturer on Antarctic voyages), Gurney weaves remarkable tales of early exploration in this riveting account. (ANT43, $15.95)

Between the Woods and the Water

Between the Woods and the Water


by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Fermor continues with youthful adventures in Hungary and Romania, culminating with his arrival at the Iron Gates on the Danube. (CEU31, $15.95)

Bitter Lemons

Bitter Lemons


by Lawrence Durrell

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

Durrell's lyrical memoir evokes village life and the tumult of politics in Cyprus in the 1950s. Living and teaching on the island, he became caught in the movement for self determination. (MED13, $12.00)

My Journey to Lhasa

My Journey to Lhasa


by Alexandra David-Neel

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

Dressed as a humble pilgrim and traveling under the cover of night, the indomitable 55-year-old David-Neel and her young companion climbed mountains and tricked soldiers to ultimately reach Tibet's forbidden capital. Originally published in 1923, her account stands as a riveting portrait of early 20th-century Tibet. (TBT26, $14.99)

Reflections on a Marine Venus

Reflections on a Marine Venus


by Lawrence Durrell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 198 PAGES

The great novelist writes of the warmth of the people and the intoxicating beauty of Rhodes in this classic ode, originally published in 1953. Also out in new editions are Durrell's books on Corfu (GRE48), Cyprus (MED13) and Sicily (ITL08). (GRE29, $12.00)

Roumeli, Travels in Northern Greece

Roumeli, Travels in Northern Greece


by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 260 PAGES

Extending his travels to the north, Fermor visits with the Sarakatsans and Kravarites, two remote peoples (ethnography was among his many interests), and chases off to Missolonghi to retrieve a pair of Lord Byron's shoes. (GRE249, $15.95)

Sicilian Carousel

Sicilian Carousel


by Lawrence Durrell

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 291 PAGES

Durrell writes with warmth and grace of his journey around the island in the 1950s. (ITL08, $12.00)

The Oysters of Locmariaquer

The Oysters of Locmariaquer


by Eleanor Clark

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 203 PAGES

Winner of the 1965 National Book Award, this paper edition of Clark's pleasurable portrait of the hardy oystermen and byways of coastal Brittany is introduced by Mark Kurlansky. (FRN152, $13.99)

The Trail of War

The Trail of War


by Sven Hedin

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

An enthralling account of high adventure and a telling portrait of Central Asia. Hedin recounts his journey through one of the most inhospitable regions of the world, involvement in a bloody war for independence, encounters with rebels and bandits and imprisonment and near execution. (CAS169, $18.00)

The Way of the White Clouds

The Way of the White Clouds


by Lama Anagarika Govinda | Robert Thurman

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

The 40th anniversary edition of the remarkable German-born monk and interpreter of Tibetan Buddhism's account of travels and discoveries in Tibet before the 1950 Chinese invasion. (TBT87, $19.95)

D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths

D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths


by Edgar D'Aulaire | Ingri D'Aulaire

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES
  • FAMILY

The D'Aulaireses vividly recreate the characters and Norse landscapes of Odin the All-father, Thor the Thunder-god, Loki, Bragi and the Valkyries in this beautifully illustrated volume. For the whole family. (SCN35, $24.95)

Iceland's Bell

Iceland's Bell


by Halldor Laxness | Philip Roughton

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 425 PAGES

The first translation into English of a novel in the spirit the medieval sagas by Iceland's Nobel Laureate. (ICL22, $15.95)

Love in a Fallen City

Love in a Fallen City


by Eileen Chang | Karen S. Kingsbury

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 338 PAGES

A major 20th-century Chinese writer, little known in the U.S. (these sparkling translations will go far to change that), Chang wrote these four fascinating novellas and two glittering stories in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the 1940s. Her work is a revelation, poised tellingly between Confucian tradition and Western modernity. (CHN387, $15.95)

Memed, My Hawk

Memed, My Hawk


by Yasar Kemal

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

From Turkey's master storyteller comes this deceptively simple tale of a rebellious boy in the Taurus mountains of rural Turkey. (TKY57, $15.95)

Paris Stories

Paris Stories


by Mavis Gallant | Michael Ondaatje

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 350 PAGES

All written in Paris (where Gallant has long lived), these magnificent stories take place from the Left Bank to the French Riviera, postwar Germany and Franco-era Spain. If you haven't read her work (many of the stories originally appeared in the New Yorker), you are in for a treat. Gallant is one of the great 20th century short story writers. (FRN373, $15.95)

Sleepless Nights

Sleepless Nights


by Elizabeth Hardwick

  • LITERATURE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

Harwick's luminous 1979 novel of longing, desolation, New York City and Billie Holiday, thankfully returned to print. Read it for the extraordinary language, the flavor of 1940s New York. (NYC21, $14.00)

The Siege of Krishnapur

The Siege of Krishnapur


by J.G. Farrell

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 344 PAGES

Farrell evokes the folly and hubris of empire in this splendidly detailed tale, which takes place during the bloody revolt of 1857 that set Indian military recruits against the Raj. (IDA240, $15.95)

The Singapore Grip

The Singapore Grip


by JG Farrell

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 572 PAGES

One of a trio of remarkable historical novels by J.G. Farrell, its centerpiece is the Japanese invasion of British-ruled Singapore. Ranging all over the colony from the slums to posh clubs and cricket fields, it's an evocative portrait of the colonial city in peace and war. (SGP13, $17.95)

Troubles

Troubles


by J.G. Farrell

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 459 PAGES

Set on the eve of the Irish Rebellion, this first novel in Farrell's remarkable Empire Trilogy illuminates the British Empire's decline in Ireland and the Anglo-Irish to hilarious, haunting effect. (IRE171, $16.95)

Under the Glacier

Under the Glacier


by Halldor Laxness | Magnus Magnusson

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Laxness brings the full range of his wit, humor, humanity and imagination to this strange, rather sleight, and amusing book, in which a Church of Iceland envoy travels inland to investigate the strange goings-on in a remote parish. (ICL24, $15.00)

Varieties of Exile

Varieties of Exile


by Mavis Gallant | Russell Banks

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Wonderful stories set mostly in Gallant's native Montreal, a city starkly divided between working-class French Catholics and genteel English Protestants. (CND267, $15.95)

Winter Wheat

Winter Wheat


by Mildred Walker

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 386 PAGES

A classic novel of family life and love on a 1940s-era farm in Central Montana. (RKY75, $15.95)

Down The Garden Path

Down The Garden Path


by Beverley Nichols

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 296 PAGES

With charming original illustrations by Rex Whistler, this facsimile edition of Nichols' 1932 ode to the pleasures and perils of gardening is an entertaining account of creating a garden at Huntingdonshire. (GBR598, $24.95)

The Columbian Exchange, Biological and Cultural Consequences

The Columbian Exchange, Biological and Cultural Consequences


by Alfred W. Crosby

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 268 PAGES

Crosby, a historian with an ecological perspective, explores the impact of Columbus' voyage on the ecosystems -- and people -- of the New World in this lively and provocative study. (GEN21, $33.95)

The Malay Archipelago

The Malay Archipelago


by Alfred Russel Wallace

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 515 PAGES

A contemporary of Darwin, the great British naturalist describes his wanderings throughout Borneo, Java, Bali, Lombok, the Moluccas, New Guinea and remote islands from 1854 to 1862 in this classic of natural history and travel. (INS06, $25.00)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.