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BEST OF 2011

Wild Coast

John Gimlette

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FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To the Arctic

Florian Schultz

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OUR FAVORITES

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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GLOBES

The Pioneer

Replogle

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Wonders of the World

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites

by UNESCO Publishing

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 856 PAGES
  • NEW

How many have you visited? This beautifully illustrated compendium includes color photographs, a map and succinct description of each of the 911 archaeological sites, monuments, cities or parks inscribed by UNESCO from 1978 to 1911. (CON53, $29.95)

Lost Worlds, Ruins of the Americas

Lost Worlds, Ruins of the Americas

by Arthur Drooker

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES

The sugar mills of St. John, Brimstone Hill Fortress in St. Kitts, Mitla, Teotihuacan, Chichen-Itza, Palenque, Tikal, Antigua, Copan, Chan Chan, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman and Machu Picchu are all included in this arresting visual survey, atmospherically photographed in black and white. (NAM68, $49.95)

World Architecture, The Masterworks

World Architecture, The Masterworks

by Will Pryce

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Hagia Sophia, Islamic masterworks at Isfahan, Reims Cathedral, Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, Philip Johnson's Glass House and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao are all included in this audacious -- and beautifully illustrated -- photographic survey of 80 great buildings across the world and through history. (WLD222, $40.00)

The Alhambra

The Alhambra

by Robert Irwin

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 213 PAGES

Irwin's brief, indispensable guide introduces the stunning Moorish palace and fortress complex, revealing its mysteries, myths and significance with wit and insight. (SPN226, $14.95)

Temples of Cambodia, The Heart of Angkor

Temples of Cambodia, The Heart of Angkor

by Helen Ibbitson Jessup | Barry Brukoff

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

Jessup (Art and Architecture of Cambodia) provides the accompanying essays to this oversized portfolio of dazzling color images by Barry Brukoff, who has been photographing the monuments of Cambodia since 1963. (CBD73, $65.00)

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

by Giles Tillotson | Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 190 PAGES

An enlightening pocket guide to the myth, meaning and legends of the celebrated tomb, "the queen of architecture." (IDA528, $19.95)

 
Central China Map

Central China Map


by MapLink

  • 2006
  • MAP

This detailed map shows the most visited sites in China from Beijing and Shanghai to Chendu, Chongqing and the Three Gorges to Xi'an and Lanzhou at a scale of 1:2,000.000. (CHN431, $9.95)

Southeast Asia Map

Southeast Asia Map


by Nelles

  • MAP

A clear, double-sided map of all of Southeast Asia at a scale of 1:4,500,000. (SEA12, $13.95)

50 Wonders of the World

50 Wonders of the World


by Hugh Thomson

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

Arranged in order of longitude (how great is that!) and chosen by explorer Hugh Thomson, this spectacular survey presents 50 remarkable places, both ancient and modern, from Stonehenget to Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat and the Golden Gate Bridge. With accompanying essays on the story of the peoples and civilizations behind these places. (WLD223, $39.95)

Culture Smart! China

Culture Smart! China


by Kathy Flower

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 168 PAGES

Take along this handy guide to local customs, etiquette and culture. (CHN434, $9.95)

Eyewitness Guide Beijing and Shanghai

Eyewitness Guide Beijing and Shanghai


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

This superb guide features color photography, excellent maps and a neighborhood-by-neighborhood overview of each city. (CHN385, $23.00)

Eyewitness Guide Egypt

Eyewitness Guide Egypt


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A visually rich guide to the history, culture and monuments of Egypt. (EGY90, $25.00)

Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands

Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 408 PAGES

Color photography, excellent local maps and an island-by-island synopsis of attractions make this book the one to carry with you. (GRE37, $28.00)

Eyewitness Guide Istanbul

Eyewitness Guide Istanbul


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

This superb guide to Istanbul features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a district-by-district synopsis of the city's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (TKY86, $25.00)

Eyewitness Guide Malaysia & Singapore

Eyewitness Guide Malaysia & Singapore


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 367 PAGES

A visually stunning guide to Singapore and surroundings, featuring hundreds of photographs and illustrations, detailed city maps, and information on history, culture and attractions. (SGP12, $25.00)

Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat

Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 312 PAGES

Featuring innovative site diagrams, local maps and hundreds of color photographs, this handy companion introduces the culture, history and attractions of Vietnam. (VNM102, $25.00)

Fodor's Bangkok's 25 Best

Fodor's Bangkok's 25 Best


by Sylvie Franquet | Anthony Sattin

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

This slim guide to Bangkok includes an excellent pullout map of the center of the city along with essential information on its highlights. (TLD40, $11.99)

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)

Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best

Fodor's Hong Kong's 25 Best


by Fodor's

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

A handy shirt-pocket guide and map. (HKG09, $11.99)

Insight Guide Vietnam

Insight Guide Vietnam


by Insight Guides | Scott Rutherford

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A highly recommended guide to history, culture and popular destinations, featuring essays, informative maps and photographs. (VNM02, $24.99)

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 Oman, UAE, & Arabian Peninsula

Lonely Planet Oman, UAE, & Arabian Peninsula


by Lonely Planet Publications

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 596 PAGES

A practical guide to the gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. (ARB87, $31.99)

Petra, A Traveller's Guide

Petra, A Traveller's Guide


by Rosalyn Maqsood | Ann Jousiffe

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 236 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This excellent compact guide features 10 walking tours and practical details for getting the most out of visiting Petra. Please take the history chapter with a grain of salt; the biblical information is peculiar at best -- and unneeded. (MDE02, $19.95)

A Traveller's History of Southeast Asia

A Traveller's History of Southeast Asia


by J.M. Barwise | Nicholas J. White

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES
  • COMING IN MARCH

A compact history of the region, including the Khmer and the various ancient kingdoms that produced Borobudur, Angkor and other architectural marvels. (SEA36, $14.95)

Ancient Turkey, A Traveller's History

Ancient Turkey, A Traveller's History


by Seton Lloyd

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

Turkey's archaeology and early history for the traveler by the former head of the British Archaeological Institute in Ankara. (TKY43, $28.95)

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)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong


by Jan Morris

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A wonderful portrait of Hong Kong by one of our favorite writers. Morris enumerates the many personal pleasures of the city, deftly interweaving reportage, history and culture. (HKG02, $17.00)

India

India


by Stanley Wolpert

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

Reflections on India -- religion and philosophy, art, culture, and politics -- by the dean of its American historians: beautifully written, and provocative as well as evocative. (IDA04, $24.95)

Islam, A Short History

Islam, A Short History


by Karen Armstrong

  • RELIGION
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 230 PAGES

Armstrong brings authority and experience to this vivid, clear-headed survey of the history and impact of Islam from the birth of Muhammad to present-day challenges. (ISL15, $15.95)

Machu Picchu Revealed

Machu Picchu Revealed


by Ruth M. Wright

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 128 PAGES

Wright's handsome little tribute to Machu Picchu includes not only gorgeous color photographs but also a map, color rendering and suggestions for exploring the site. (PRU91, $16.95)

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)

The Ancient Mediterranean

The Ancient Mediterranean


by Michael Grant

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 374 PAGES

Grant explores the realms of archaeology, geography, art and economics to sketch this classic portrait of the ancient world, from prehistory through the Roman Imperium, and the influence on western civilization. (MED10, $20.00)

The First Emperor, China's Terracotta Army


by Jane Portal

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A richly illustrated portrait of the magnificent archaeological site in Xi'an and the culture, society and conquests of the Qin Dynasty. (CHN459, $24.95)

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City


by Geremie R. Barme | Mary Beard

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 252 PAGES

A compact, elegant volume in Harvard's excellent Wonders of the World series, this pocket history illuminates the culture, mystique, architecture and politics of imperial Beijing. Fittingly, the book opens with Mao's symbolic address from the Gate of Heavenly Peace. (CHN468, $19.95)

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)

Understanding Vietnam

Understanding Vietnam


by Neil Jamieson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 428 PAGES

Jamieson's ambitious primer addresses politics, social history, village life, structural renewal, literature and the arts, illuminating the Vietnamese worldview with insight and depth. It's a terrific introduction to Vietnam. (VNM01, $27.95)

Vale of Kashmir


by John Isaac

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

Isaac's 160 gorgeous color photographs showcase the thriving culture, people and breathtaking landscapes of this enchanted land. (ASA67, $65.00)

Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit

Vietnam: Journeys of Body, Mind, and Spirit


by Nguyen Van Huy | Laurel Kendall

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES

A marvelously illustrated portrait of culture and society in contemporary Vietnam, featuring informed essays by diverse contributors with accompanying color photographs. (VNM66, $50.00)

Arts of Southeast Asia

Arts of Southeast Asia


by Fiona Kerlogue

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A handsome guide to the art, architecture, textiles and crafts of Southeast Asia. (SEA45, $16.95)

Galen Rowell, A Retrospective

Galen Rowell, A Retrospective


by Sierra Club | Galen Rowell

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A tribute to the traveler, photographer and friend, by a host of contributors and the editors of Sierra Club books, featuring a stunning sampling of Rowell's magnficent color photographs, including the Himalayas, Antarctica and the Arctic. (PHT21, $39.95)

Hindu Art and Architecture

Hindu Art and Architecture


by George Michell

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

An excellent survey of Hindu art and architecture, explaining the meaning and construction of principal images and buildings, as well as the development of Hinduism and the corpus of myths that have influenced its artistic tradition. (IDA147, $18.95)

Petra, The Rose-Red City

Petra, The Rose-Red City


by Christian Auge | Jean-Marie Dentzer

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

Jam-packed with color illustrations, archival material, maps and site plans, this shirt-pocket encyclopedia is our best-selling book on Petra. (JRD13, $15.95)

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)

St. Peter's

St. Peter's


by Keith Miller | Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

Miller traces the evolution of St. Peter's from its original incarnation, built on the orders of Emperor Constantine, to its medieval rebirth and additions by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Maderno in this history, guide and celebration of the great baroque basilica. (ITL886, $19.95)

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal


by M.C. Joshi | Jean-Louis Nou | Amina Okada

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1993
  • HARD COVER
  • 231 PAGES

This lavish portrait features 158 full-color photographs (including four magnificent foldout panels) by the extraordinary Jean-Louis Nou. With grand exterior views, filigreed inscriptions and bejeweled floral mosaics. (IDA108, $75.00)

The Ajanta Caves, Ancient Paintings of Buddhist India


by Benoy Behl

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A beautifully photographed overview of the ancient murals and paintings of the life of Buddha carved into a hillside in western India. (IDA316, $34.95)

The Arts of Thailand

The Arts of Thailand


by Steve Van Beek | Luca Invernizzi

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 220 PAGES

A beautifully illustrated and authoritative introduction to Thai art. Includes full-color photographs, a glossary, maps, and site plans. (TLD30, $39.95)

The Colosseum

The Colosseum


by Keith Hopkins | Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

This engaging overview of the history of the Colosseum deconstructs Hollywood-perpetrated misconceptions of gladiator-eating lions, Nero fiddling and other myths. (ITL654, $14.95)

The Great Wall Revisited, From the Jade Gate to Old Dragon's Head

The Great Wall Revisited, From the Jade Gate to Old Dragon's Head


by William Lindesay

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 292 PAGES

Lindesay juxtaposes modern color photographs with archival material in this visually arresting portrait of the wall and its watchtowers, fortified checkpoints, granaries, gates and ramparts. (CHN532, $39.95)

The Parthenon

The Parthenon


by Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 204 PAGES

A lively tale of the construction, significance and many uses of the 2,500-year-old marvel. (GRE195, $14.95)

The Search for Ancient Egypt

The Search for Ancient Egypt


by Jean Vercoutter

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 207 PAGES

This pocket encyclopedia, packed with illustrations, tells the tale of Greek travelers, buried treasure, international intrigue and scholarship in understanding Egypt. (EGY02, $15.95)

The Search for Ancient Greece

The Search for Ancient Greece


by Roland Etienne | Francoise Etienne

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

Lavishly illustrated, this pocket encyclopedia covers the archaeology and meaning of ancient Greece, quite an accomplishment for such a slim book. (GRE01, $15.95)

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World


by Chris Scarre

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 1999
  • HARD COVER
  • 304 PAGES

A comprehensive, illustrated overview of the great monuments of the ancient world and how they were built. (GEN92, $40.00)

Arabian Sands

Arabian Sands


by Wilfred Thesiger

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

The last of the great British traveler-explorers, Thesiger (1910-2003) journeyed among the nomadic camel-breeding peoples of Southern Arabia in the late 1940s, falling in love with the desert and ways of life of the Bedouin. This eloquent book is his tribute to them. (ARB15, $16.00)

Catfish and Mandala, A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam

Catfish and Mandala, A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam


by Andrew X. Pham

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 344 PAGES

Much more than the story of a road trip, this book combines the author's family history with his many and often-gritty adventures by bicycle through foreign lands including Mexico, Japan and, notably, Vietnam. (VNM50, $16.00)

Down the Nile, Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff

Down the Nile, Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff


by Rosemary Mahoney

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 273 PAGES

Mahoney weaves the tale of her quest to row the Nile with deft portraits of the people she meets in this marvelously engaging chronicle. (EGY207, $14.99)

Ho Chi Minh, A Life


by William Duiker

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 695 PAGES

Dissident, revolutionary and communist, Ho Chi Minh returned from exile to lead North Vietnam's defiant break with colonial France. Duiker charts Ho Chi Minh's long march from son of a scholar in the rural provinces to idealist student in heady 1920s Paris to determined revolutionary. A scholarly, definitive biography. (VNM45, $19.99)

Istanbul, Memories and the City

Istanbul, Memories and the City


by Orhan Pamuk

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Nobel Prize-winner Pamuk writes with quiet grace of the city of his birth, celebrated in his many novels: a magical place of crumbling mansions and Ottoman riches, mingling Asian, Islamic, secular and European influences. (TKY99, $16.95)

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)

The Great Wall, The Extraordinary Story of China's Wonder of the World

The Great Wall, The Extraordinary Story of China's Wonder of the World


by John Man

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

Off he went, across China and Mongolia, in search of the wall of history and legend, not continuous, built over millennia, in many places a faint hill or rammed earth, not necessarily a wall at all. (CHN533, $16.95)

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)

The Sacred Willow, Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family

The Sacred Willow, Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family


by Duong Van Mai Elliott

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 506 PAGES

This vivid family saga, beginning with the author's great-grandfather, captures the life and momentous history of Vietnam over the last 100 years. (VNM39, $24.99)

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)

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)

Bangkok 8, A Novel

Bangkok 8, A Novel


by John Burdett

  • MYSTERY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 318 PAGES

Burdett explores the criminal underworld of Bangkok -- and mysterious deaths by snakebite. (TLD72, $14.95)

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile


by Agatha Christie

  • MYSTERY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 333 PAGES

How could we resist? Christie wrote Egypt's most famous murder mystery on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. (EGY09, $12.99)

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)

Letters from Thailand, A Novel

Letters from Thailand, A Novel


by Botan | Susan Fulop Kepner

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 350 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A prize-winning novel, first published in 1969 and here newly translated into English. Taking the form of a series of letters back home to his mother, the novel follows the fate of Tan Suang U, a Chinese immigrant in Bangkok at the close of World War II, who marries, raises a family, and runs a successful business. The novel, among its many pleasures, depicts daily life in Bangkok's thriving Chinatown. (TLD45, $19.95)

Midnight's Children

Midnight's Children


by Salman Rushdie

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 533 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Crowned Best of the Booker in 2008, Rushdie's greatest novel is a madcap, comic take on the birth of modern India in all its splendid and unexpected manifestations. (IDA12, $16.00)

The Honourable Schoolboy

The Honourable Schoolboy


by John Le Carre

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 608 PAGES

Le Carre at his best, with British Secret Service agent George Smiley at work among the backstreets of Hong Kong, and across Asia. A riveting cold war spy story that is suffused in Hong Kong atmosphere. (HKG01, $16.00)

The Quiet American

The Quiet American


by Graham Greene

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 180 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A classic, this is the most famous Western work of fiction on Vietnam. Greene writes of a love triangle between a war correspondent, his Vietnamese consort and an optimistic young American during the last days of French rule. (VNM08, $16.00)

The Yacoubian Building

The Yacoubian Building


by Alaa Al Aswany

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 255 PAGES

The politics, repressed desires, hopes and dreams of Cairo are reflected through the lives of the inhabitants of a once grand apartment house in this deft novel of contemporary Egypt. (EGY175, $13.99)

Travelers' Tales India

Travelers' Tales India


by James O'Reilly | Larry Habegger

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 496 PAGES

A collection of 45 descriptive and thought-provoking short excerpts on Indian life and culture, including contributions from Rushdie, Naipaul and Dalrymple, plus some valuable excerpts from books long out of print. (IDA05, $19.95)

Vietnam, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Vietnam, A Traveler's Literary Companion


by John Balaban | Nguyen Qui Duc

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 239 PAGES
  • COMING IN FEBRUARY

From rain forest and rural countryside to the cities, these 17 stories from Vietnam's finest writers explore Vietnam's landscapes, myths and changing traditions. (VNM04, $14.95)

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)

Lasting Light, 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography

Lasting Light, 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography


by Stephen Trimble

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 126 PAGES

A celebration of the canyon and its allure for great photographers, this book showcases work of prominent photographers over the last 125 years. The images are enhance by Trimble's profiles of 21 contemporary artists. (USW508, $40.00)

Margaret Mee's Amazon, Diaries of an Artist Explorer

Margaret Mee's Amazon, Diaries of an Artist Explorer


by Margaret Mee

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 300 PAGES

A handsome edition of the diaries, paintings and sketchbooks of Margaret Mee (1909-1988), an intrepid traveler and collector. With 250 stunning botanical and other illustrations. (AMZ86, $59.50)

A Field Guide to the Birds of China

A Field Guide to the Birds of China


by John MacKinnon | Karen Phillipps

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 586 PAGES

A comprehensive field guide to the birds of China, featuring 128 color plates illustrating 1,300 species of birds. Contains introductory chapters on the history of ornithology in China, biogeography, and conservation. (CHN85, $124.00)

Chinese Wildlife

Chinese Wildlife


by Martin Walters

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

This compact introduction to birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and plants found from the Tibetan plateau to the deserts, tropical forests and mountains includes 200 color photographs. (CHN440, $26.99)

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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.