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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for free. We offer a mix of guidebooks, maps, field guides, novels and books on art, architecture, history, nature and culture.

Essential Reading

Item EXBMA40. Buy these 5 items as a set for $92 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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The River of Lost Footsteps, Histories of Burma

The River of Lost Footsteps, Histories of Burma

by Thant Myint-U

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER

In this stimulating and important book, Myint-U (grandson of the late UN Secretary General U Thant and author of The Making of Modern Burma) uses Burmese history as a lens for understanding Myanmar today. (BMA51, $15.00)

Letters from Burma

Letters from Burma

by Aung San Suu Kyi | Heinn Htet

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 244 PAGES

A collection of weekly newspaper articles on Burmese culture, daily life and politics written by Burma's Nobel Prize-winning human rights leader. (BMA49, $16.00)

In Buddha's Land

In Buddha's Land

by Moe Min

  • RELIGION
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

This beautiful, illustrated portrait of monuments, monasteries and rituals is both a striking visual overview of Buddhism as practiced in Burma, and a splendid introduction to the country. (BMA52, $30.00)

Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma)

Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma)

by Joe Cummings | Michael Clark

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 428 PAGES

Featuring maps, travel information and a good overview of society, culture, history and politics. (BMA20, $24.99)

Myanmar (Burma) Map

Myanmar (Burma) Map

by Nelles

  • 2011
  • MAP

A double-sided map of Burma at a scale of 1:1,500,000, with an inset of Rangoon. (BMA02, $13.95)

 
Historical Walks in Yangon, A Myanmar Heritage Trust Guide Map

Historical Walks in Yangon, A Myanmar Heritage Trust Guide Map


by Silkworm Books

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • MAP

This innovative map lays out three walking tours through Yangon that guide visitors to landmarks, gardens and architectural points of interest. (BMA66, $15.00)

Culture Shock! Myanmar

Culture Shock! Myanmar


by Saw Myat Yin

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 234 PAGES

A lively guide to customs and business etiquette, culture and manners in Burma. (BMA53, $15.95)

Lonely Planet Burmese Phrasebook

Lonely Planet Burmese Phrasebook


by Lonely Planet

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A palm-size dictionary and guide to the Burmese language with common phrases for travelers. (BMA36, $8.99)

To Myanmar With Love


by Morgan Edwardson

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 294 PAGES

Edwardson draws on a network of fellow expats and locals for this warmly inviting guide to Burma, organized by region and theme, and featuring short essays on food, culture and attractions. (BMA73, $21.95)

A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times, Traditions and Transformations

A History of Myanmar Since Ancient Times, Traditions and Transformations


by Michael A. Aung-Thwin

  • HISTORY
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 304 PAGES
  • COMING IN MARCH

Michael Aung-Thwin and Maitrii Aung-Thwin take us from the sacred stupas of the plains of Bagan to the grand colonial-era British mansions in this tale of Burma's storied 3,000-year history and rich culture. (BMA72, $39.00)

Blooming in the Desert, Favorite Teachings of the Wildflower Monk Taungpulu Sayadaw


by Anne Teich | Andrew Harvey

  • RELIGION
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 90 PAGES

A collection of the straightforward teachings of the venerable Burmese monk Taungpulu Sayadaw, as recorded by Anne Teich (who also provides an overview of Buddhist practices and history). (BMA35, $11.95)

Burma/Myanmar, What Everyone Needs to Know

Burma/Myanmar, What Everyone Needs to Know


by David I. Steinberg

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

One in a series of brief, balanced, and authoritative guides by Oxford University Press. (BMA60, $16.95)

No Bad News for the King

No Bad News for the King


by Emma Larkin

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Larkin (Finding George Orwell in Burma) chronicles the tragedy that unfolded in the aftermath of the devestating 2008 cyclone. (BMA75, $16.00)

Sacred Sites of Burma


by Donald Stadtner

  • RELIGION
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 300 PAGES

Stadtner focuses on the origins and evolutions of the Buddhist myths behind Burma's sacred sites, some of the most spectacular in Asia, in this beautifully illustrated portrait. (BMA64, $35.00)

The Burma Road, The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II

The Burma Road, The Epic Story of the China-Burma-India Theater in World War II


by Donovan Webster

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

Donovan draws on archival materials, military history, interview and travel in recreating the harrowing events surrounding the building of the 700-mile route across Burma to China. (BMA41, $14.99)

The Voice of Hope

The Voice of Hope


by Aung San Suu Kyi

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Leader of Burma's struggle for democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi speaks her mind with wisdom and humor on personal, religious and political topics in this new edition of conversations with Alan Clements. The dialogues are especially enlightening on the notion of politically engaged Buddhism. (BMA09, $18.95)

Visions of Myanmar


by James Muecke

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 237 PAGES

This beautiful photo essay displays the rich diversity of its people in addition to the natural and architectural wonders of Burma. (BMA65, $45.00)

What the Buddha Taught

What the Buddha Taught


by Walpola Sri Rahula

  • RELIGION
  • 1972
  • PAPER
  • 151 PAGES

A classic account of Theravada Buddhism by a respected monk and scholar from Sri Lanka. Provides translations from original texts with explanations for Western readers. A good foundation for any visitor to Southeast Asia. (SEA41, $14.95)

Where China Meets India

Where China Meets India


by Thant Myint-U

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 384 PAGES

Home to 60 million people and bigger than France, Burma -- as Thant Myint-U so effectively argues --- is hardly small or politically isolated; it is at the center of Asia. Mr. Thant mixes anecdote, travel, memoir and history in this compelling personal portrait -- and Cri de Coeur for western engagement in the region. (BMA70, $27.00)

Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Struggle for Democracy


by Bertil Lintner

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 200 PAGES

A veteran journalist in the region, Lentil traces the history and impact of Burma's pro-democracy movement from 1988 alongside the life of its leader. (BMA68, $22.50)

Burmese Looking Glass

Burmese Looking Glass


by Edith Mirante

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 333 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A moving story of resistance in the highlands by a dedicated writer with the soul of a poet and the passion of a revolutionary. Deported to Thailand in 1988, Mirante was the first westerner to march with the rebels. (BMA05, $12.00)

Finding George Orwell in Burma

Finding George Orwell in Burma


by Emma Larkin

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

An American journalist fluent in Burmese, Emma Larkin (a pseudonym) masterfully interweaves her travels in the footsteps of the British colonial officer and writer with interviews and an astute, moving history of modern Burma. (BMA40, $16.00)

From the Land of Green Ghosts, a Burmese Odyssey

From the Land of Green Ghosts, a Burmese Odyssey


by 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 memoir. (BMA29, $13.99)

Golden Earth, Travels in Burma

Golden Earth, Travels in Burma


by Norman Lewis

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 275 PAGES

The classic, mesmerizing account of the people and country of Burma as recorded by the author during a visit shortly after independence in 1951. (BMA33, $32.95)

The Gentleman in the Parlour

The Gentleman in the Parlour


by Somerset Maugham

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 300 PAGES

Maugham's much-loved portrait of the land and people of Burma circa 1925. (SEA05, $18.95)

Twilight over Burma, My Life as a Shan Princess

Twilight over Burma, My Life as a Shan Princess


by Inge Sargent | Bertil Lintner

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

A memoir (though told in the third person) of Inge Sargent, an Austrian who in 1953 married Sao Kya Seng, the princely leader of Shan, an ethnic enclave in the hill country of northeastern Burma. A fascinating story. (BMA11, $14.95)

Under the Dragon, A Journey Through Burma

Under the Dragon, A Journey Through Burma


by Rory MacLean | William Dalrymple

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

Maclean's perceptive and heartbreaking portrait of contemporary Burma, originally published in 1999, focuses on the ordinary people he met on travels from Rangoon and Mandalay to Pagan and the Golden Triangle. (BMA56, $15.95)

Burmese Days

Burmese Days


by George Orwell

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 287 PAGES

Orwell, a veteran of the Colonial police force in Rangoon, writes with irony and insight in this sharp novel of politics, folly and the British. (BMA03, $14.00)

Saving Fish from Drowning

Saving Fish from Drowning


by Amy Tan

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 474 PAGES

Tan interweaves history, incident and magic in this beguiling novel of Americans on tour who disappear into the jungles of Burma. (BMA44, $15.00)

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats


by Jan-Philipp Sendker

  • LITERATURE
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

This sentimental bestseller, marvelously set in modern New York and Burma traces the epic, fifty-year love between a blind monk, later a successful New York lawyer with a new family who knows nothing of his past, and the Burmese woman who captured his heart all those many years ago. (BMA71, $14.95)

The Glass Palace

The Glass Palace


by Amitav Ghosh

  • LITERATURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 474 PAGES

In this panoramic novel full of tales and anecdote, Ghosh follows the lives and fortunes of Rajkumar and his family over three eventful generations in Burma, India and Malaysia. (IDA173, $15.00)

The Piano Tuner

The Piano Tuner


by Daniel Mason

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

In this transporting first novel, a mild-mannered tradesman is seduced by late Victorian Burma. Mason's complex, absorbing tale dives into the world of 19th-century colonial Burma, its traditions, trappings, personalities and politics. (BMA31, $14.95)

Birds of Myanmar

Birds of Myanmar


by Kyaw Nyunt Lwin | Khin Ma Ma Thwin | Aung Thant

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 165 PAGES

A slim field guide to 350 birds of Burma, featuring 74 full-color plates, descriptive information, and a comprehensive checklist. (BMA42, $37.95)

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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.