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

BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

SEE ALL >

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

SEE ALL >

OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

SEE ALL >

GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

SEE ALL >

Roof of the World

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

  • E-MAIL
  • PRINT

Kids

Books for

Get the featured set of Essential Reading, our top picks of what to read, and get free shipping on anything else you order.

Essential Reading

Item EXCHN381. Buy these 6 items as a set for $101 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

ADD SET
TO BOOKBAG
Fodor's Exploring China

Fodor's Exploring China

by Christopher Knowles

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES
  • CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
    • >

This excellent guidebook, featuring maps and color photos, brings old and new China to life, with sections on places to visit, a useful language guide and practical information. (CHN25, $22.00)

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)

Understanding China

Understanding China

by John Bryan Starr

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

The Yale professor brings us up to date in this third edition of his succinct and refreshingly forthright best-selling guide to China's economy, history and politics. (CHN196, $17.95)

Before the Deluge, The Vanishing World of the Yangtze's Three Gorges

Before the Deluge, The Vanishing World of the Yangtze's Three Gorges

by Deirdre Chetham

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 306 PAGES

A vivid portrait of the Three Gorges region of the Upper Yangtze River, by the director of the Asia Center at Harvard. Chetham offers a personal, detailed glimpse into the daily life along the river, its spectacular natural beauty and checkered history, including recent efforts to tame it. (CHN132, $25.00)

Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China

Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China

by Jung Chang

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 524 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

In this riveting tale of three generations spanning the end of Old China, Mao's regime and the Japanese occupation, Chang chronicles the enormous changes in China since 1929. (CHN04, $16.99)

China Map

China Map

by International Travel Maps

  • 2006
  • MAP

A double-sided shaded-relief map of China, at a useful scale of 1:3,800,000, indexed with an inset map of central Beijing. (CHN06, $11.95)

 
Tibet Map

Tibet Map


by Gizi Map

  • 2011
  • MAP

A colorful map of Tibet at a scale of 1:2,000,000. (TBT17, $16.95)

Yangzi River Map

Yangzi River Map


by Richard Perry Hayman

  • 2003
  • MAP

Double-sided, this full-color map guide features photos and 10 maps showing the Yangzi from the Himalayas to the East China Sea. (CHN177, $14.95)

Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook

Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook


by Hua-Yuan L. Mowry | Justin Ben-Adam Rudelson

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A handy phrasebook for basic Mandarin, focusing on pronunciation, grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler. (CHN72, $8.99)

Lonely Planet Tibetan Phrasebook

Lonely Planet Tibetan Phrasebook


by Sandup Tsering

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 254 PAGES

A brief guide with place names, pronunciation and common phrases. (TBT52, $8.99)

Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

Three Gorges of the Yangtze River


by Raynor Shaw | Judy Bonavia

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES

Compact, illustrated and up-to-date, this Odyssey Guide focuses on the most popular 120-mile cruise from Chongqing to Wuhan. (CHN368, $22.95)

The Chinese Kitchen

The Chinese Kitchen


by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

  • FOOD
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 452 PAGES

An authoritative compendium of Chinese recipes and food-oriented cultural practices. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's cookbook doubles as an introduction to China itself. (CHN134, $39.95)

China, Inc. How the Rise of the Next Superpower Changes America and the World

China, Inc. How the Rise of the Next Superpower Changes America and the World


by Ted C. Fishman

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

An economist and former commodities trader, Ted Fishman draws on statistics, case studies and interviews in this lively economic history and guide to understanding China's spectacular economic growth and future prospects. (CHN305, $17.00)

Essential Tibetan Buddhism

Essential Tibetan Buddhism


by Robert Thurman

  • RELIGION
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

The foremost Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, Thurman has chosen well from that tradition's sacred literature and helpfully includes suggested further reading, explanatory notes and a directory of sacred sites. (TBT15, $14.99)

Life and Death in Shanghai

Life and Death in Shanghai


by Nien Cheng

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 560 PAGES

A plainly told account of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution in Shanghai, from an author who was a six-year political prisoner. (CHN42, $17.95)

My Tibet

My Tibet


by Galen Rowell

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 162 PAGES

Rowell captures the spirit and powerful allure of Tibet in these striking color photographs of the people and landscapes. (TBT58, $49.95)

Oracle Bones

Oracle Bones


by Peter Hessler

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

In this fine portrait of tumult and tradition, Hessler (River Town) finds clues to modern China's realities in the personal stories of peasants, scholars, day laborers and activists. (CHN316, $15.99)

Shanghai, The Rise and Fall of the Decadent City 1842-1949

Shanghai, The Rise and Fall of the Decadent City 1842-1949


by Stella Dong

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 318 PAGES

A riveting portrait of "the most pleasure-mad, rapacious, corrupt, strife-ridden, licentious, squalid and decadent city in the world." (CHN128, $15.99)

The Art of Happiness, A Handbook for Living

The Art of Happiness, A Handbook for Living


by Dalai Lama XIV

  • RELIGION
  • 1998
  • HARD COVER
  • 336 PAGES

Tenth anniversary edition. Drawing on Buddhist tradition and teaching, His Holiness the Dalai Lama shows how to confront negative emotions, stresses, and obstacles of everyday life in order to find the source of inner peace. (TBT124, $25.95)

The Open Road, The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The Open Road, The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama


by Pico Iyer

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Travel writer Pico Iyer, who has known the Dalai Lama since his days as a graduate student in Britain, draws on his long association with the man and his ideas for this remarkable portrait of the Tibetan people and the aspirations of their leader. He includes chapters on daily life in Dharamsala, travels with the Dalai Lama and incisive commentary on the history and future of Tibet. (TBT118, $14.95)

Tibet, A Culture on the Edge

Tibet, A Culture on the Edge


by Phil Borges

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

Borges focuses on the people of Tibet in this new collection. (TBT139, $45.00)

Tibet, An Inner Journey

Tibet, An Inner Journey


by Matthieu Ricard

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 232 PAGES
  • COMING IN OCTOBER

Ricard draws on his long association with the region and Buddhism for this collection of 191 vivid color photographs of the people and landscapes of Kham, or Eastern Tibet. (TBT113, $19.95)

Tracking Bodhidharma, A Journey to the Heart of Chinese Culture


by Andy Ferguson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 288 PAGES
  • COMING IN MAY

Ferguson's evocative journey on the trail of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, takes him deep into the heart of Chinese culture old and new. (CHN707, $26.00)

Tragedy in Crimson

Tragedy in Crimson


by Tim Johnson

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 333 PAGES

Based on extensive on-the-ground reporting in China, Nepal, India, and the United States, this hard-hitting account of the status of Tibet travels from isolated Tibetan villages and monasteries to the heart of the exile movement in Dharamshala, on tour with the Dalai Lama, and to Hollywood and Washington, where the Tibet issue gets the most public exposure. (TBT138, $26.99)

Trespassers on the Roof of the World

Trespassers on the Roof of the World


by Peter Hopkirk

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Hopkirk's spellbinding history of the uninvited exploration of Tibet from the 19th century to the present, including a fantastic array of Victorian adventurers. His wild tale has as its centerpiece the 1949-1951 invasion by China. (TBT08, $16.00)

Visions of Tibet: Outer, Inner, Secret


by Brian Kistler | Robert Thurman

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 144 PAGES

Kistler's photographs, taken over a 15-year period, celebrate Tibet, its monuments, people and places. (TBT95, $49.95)

Art of Tibet

Art of Tibet


by Robert Fisher

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A concise survey of the culture and religion of Tibet as expressed through its art. With 200 illustrations of monasteries, painting and sculpture throughout the country. (TBT13, $21.95)

Search for Ancient China

Search for Ancient China


by Corinne Debaine-Francfort

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

With information on everything from jewelry to emperors' tombs, the Great Wall and the dazzling 400-year Han empire, this shirt-pocket survey of discovery features 150 illustrations. (CHN69, $15.95)

The Arts of China

The Arts of China


by Michael Sullivan

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A lively survey of Chinese visual arts and culture through the ages, thoroughly illustrated and accessible. With a new chapter on the 20th century and beyond, this fifth edition covers bronzes, ceramics, painting and architecture from the Neolithic to now. (CHN16, $39.95)

Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong


by Jonathan Spence

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

Yale Sinologist, writer and historian Spence tracks the life of the Chinese ruler from his provincial upbringing through his powerful rule. (CHN66, $14.00)

Mr. China, A Memoir

Mr. China, A Memoir


by Tim Clissold

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 262 PAGES

An excellent portrait of contemporary China. Clissold writes with humor and insight in this entertaining account of his encounters with the Chinese and the Chinese way of doing business. (CHN306, $14.99)

Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet


by Heinrich Harrer

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

First published in 1953, this is the riveting account of a young Austrian adventurer and mountaineer who became tutor to the Dalai Lama. (TBT02, $14.95)

Sky Train, Tibetan Women on the Edge of History

Sky Train, Tibetan Women on the Edge of History


by Sam Canyon

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 278 PAGES

Winner of the 2010 Pen American Center Open Book Award. The Dalai Lama provides the forward for this affecting odyssey, which artfully mixes stories of four remarkable Tibetan women with the author's first visit to Tibet as a youth and return thirty years later for the inauguration of the Beijing-Lhasa high speed train. (TBT140, $24.95)

The River at the Center of the World

The River at the Center of the World


by Simon Winchester

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 410 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Winchester writes about the character of Yangtze and people and places along its banks with easy grace in this absorbing portrait of the great river flowing through the heart of China. (CHN31, $16.00)

To a Mountain in Tibet

To a Mountain in Tibet


by Colin Thubron

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 288 PAGES

The intrepid, soulful Thubron journeys from Nepal to Kailas, the revered mountain, "source of the universe, created from cosmic waters and the mind of Brahma." (TBT134, $25.99)

Why the Dalai Lama Matters


by Robert Thurman

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

With knowledge, depth and compassion (Thurman was ordained as a Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama 40 years ago), Thurman offers not only a sympathetic portrait of the Tibetan leader but also a succinct overview Tibetan Buddhism and his hope for peace with China. (TBT122, $14.00)

A Single Pebble

A Single Pebble


by John Hersey

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 181 PAGES

A haunting novel by the Pulitzer Prize-winner. Hersey writes, with deceptive simplicity, of an American engineer looking for a dam site on the Yangtze. Think Hemingway on the Yangtze. (CHN03, $14.00)

Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun


by J. G. Ballard

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 279 PAGES

Ballard's widely acclaimed novel of an English boy in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation, drawn from his own experiences. It's a powerful tale of the upheaval and trauma of war. (CHN265, $14.00)

Empress Orchid

Empress Orchid


by Anchee Min

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 346 PAGES

In this novel of the glorious, decadent last days of 19th-Century Imperial China, Min (Red Azalea, Becoming Madame Mao) combines her tale of a young girl from the provinces who marries an emperor -- and then improbably becomes the Last Empress -- with a lovingly re-created portrait of life in the Forbidden City. (CHN267, $14.00)

The Good Earth

The Good Earth


by Pearl Buck

  • LITERATURE
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 379 PAGES

The modern classic that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1931. Drawing heavily on Buck's personal experience as a young newlywed in rural China, it is the plainly told story of a poor farmer and his stalwart wife. (CHN15, $15.00)

Waiting

Waiting


by Ha Jin

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 308 PAGES

A spare, haunting story of a military doctor who tries for 18 years to divorce his peasant wife so he can marry a more sophisticated nurse at his hospital. Greatly evocative of quotidian life in China during the Cultural Revolution and after. (CHN80, $15.00)

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.