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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXSAM264. Buy these 6 items as a set for $93 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Lonely Planet Rio de Janeiro

Lonely Planet Rio de Janeiro

by Regis St. Louis

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES

A practical guide filled with maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information. We also carry Lonely Planet Buenos Aires (ARG10). (BZL19, $19.99)

Lonely Planet Buenos Aires

Lonely Planet Buenos Aires

by Lonely Planet

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

The best of Buenos Aires is included in this practical guide, along with a pullout map and insider recommendations on shopping, eating, sleeping and day trips. (ARG10, $19.99)

Samba

Samba

by Alma Guillermoprieto

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 244 PAGES

A memorable account of life and music on the coast of Brazil by the talented and wide-ranging Guillermoprieto. A dancer herself, she lived for a year in Manguiera, a favela near Rio known for its samba school. Nominated for a National Book Award. (BZL38, $16.00)

Buenos Aires, A Cultural History

Buenos Aires, A Cultural History

by Jason Wilson | Alberto Manguel

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 249 PAGES

This well-referenced book offers a look into the geographical history of the city and goes in hand nicely with a more traditional guidebook. The city's underlying themes are laid out: Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortazar and the European literary tradition; tango, the longing and despair of the music and its roots; the cult of Evita Peron; European-influenced architecture and cafe life; totalitarian politics; and the nearly religious importance of soccer. (ARG21, $15.00)

Travels in a Thin Country, A Journey through Chile

Travels in a Thin Country, A Journey through Chile

by Sara Wheeler

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

British author Sarah Wheeler deploys her wit, intelligence and powerful investigative skills on the Republic of Chile in this insightful travelogue. (CHI06, $15.00)

South America Map

South America Map

by ITMB

  • 2010
  • MAP

A colorful fold-up, double-sided map of the entire continent at a scale of 1:4,000,000. (SAM13, $13.95)

 
Buenos Aires Map

Buenos Aires Map


by Borch Maps

  • 2006
  • MAP

A laminated street map of Buenos Aires and surroundings at a scale of 1:15,000. (ARG38, $8.95)

Rio de Janeiro Map

Rio de Janeiro Map


by National Geographic

  • 2011
  • MAP

With an index, inset maps and points of interest. (BZL25, $8.99)

Santiago Map

Santiago Map


by ITMB

  • 2006
  • MAP

A travel map of Santiago, shown at a scale of 1:12,500. (CHI34, $8.95)

Insight Guide Argentina

Insight Guide Argentina


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

This profusely illustrated guide features concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history, politics and culture. With hundreds of photos and excellent maps. (ARG02, $23.99)

Insight Guide Brazil

Insight Guide Brazil


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A profusely illustrated overview of the country, this guide features concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history, politics and culture. With hundreds of photos and maps. (BZL01, $22.99)

Insight Guide Chile

Insight Guide Chile


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 380 PAGES

This glossy guide provides a full-color introduction by a team of experts to the land, people, history and attractions of Chile. Brief background essays highlight important topics. With many local and regional maps. (CHI03, $23.99)

Say It in Portuguese, Brazilian Usage

Say It in Portuguese, Brazilian Usage


by Alexander Prista | Francisco Da Costa

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 118 PAGES

A handy, palm-size phrasebook for travelers with 1,100 useful words and expressions. It provides the English phrase, Portuguese equivalent and transliteration. (BZL37, $4.95)

The Authentic Bars, Cafes and Restaurants of Buenos Aires

The Authentic Bars, Cafes and Restaurants of Buenos Aires


by Gabriela Kogan

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

Kogan's great tips on where to eat, drink and dance the tango all night, including a map and a glossary of Argentine food. (ARG84, $14.95)

Bossa Nova, The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World

Bossa Nova, The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World


by Ruy Castro

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

Journalist Ruy Castro interviewed everyone who had anything to do with Boss Nova for this animated history, capturing not only the personalities of pioneers like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto but also the spirit of Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. (BZL47, $17.95)

Estancias: The Great Houses and Ranches of Argentina

Estancias: The Great Houses and Ranches of Argentina


by Maria Saenz Quesada | Xavier Verstraeten

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1992
  • HARD COVER
  • 200 PAGES

Two dozen magnificent country estates are detailed in this sumptuously illustrated volume, featuring 200 color photographs and a cultural and social history by Maria Saenz Quesada. (ARG62, $75.00)

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro


by Ruy Castro

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2004
  • HARD COVER
  • 224 PAGES

Castro brings journalistic insight to this marvelous, diverse portrait of Rio, its history, diverse culture and contemporary challenges. (BZL42, $16.95)

Tango: the Dance, the Song, the Story

Tango: the Dance, the Song, the Story


by Simon Collier

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

A spirited, illustrated tribute to the tango, the now-elegant dance born in the brothels among the working class of 19th-century Buenos Aires. (ARG14, $29.95)

The Brazilians

The Brazilians


by Joseph Page

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 540 PAGES

A clear, comprehensive and compelling introduction to Brazil, covering politics, history, economics, ecology, conservation and culture. (AMZ16, $22.95)

Rough Guide Music Astor Piazzolla

Rough Guide Music Astor Piazzolla


by Astor Piazzolla | Rough Guide World Music

  • MUSIC
  • 2005
  • AUDIO CD
  • OUT OF PRINT

Practically a soundtrack to Buenos Aires, this superb anthology by the modernist maestro of tango includes the soulful Vuelvo al Sur. (ARG60, $14.95)

A Death in Brazil

A Death in Brazil


by Peter Robb

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 329 PAGES

Peter Robb (Midnight in Sicily) flourishes his mastery of the complexities of Brazilian travel, politics, culture and history. This book is impressive for its prose, insight and the author's sheer bravura. (BZL43, $18.00)

Brazilian Adventure

Brazilian Adventure


by Peter Fleming

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A classic and very entertaining account of a 3,000-mile quest through the Amazon in search of a missing English colonel, first published in 1933. (AMZ55, $16.95)

Evita, The Real Life of Eva Peron

Evita, The Real Life of Eva Peron


by Nicholas Fraser

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 222 PAGES

Separating fact from myth, Frazer traces Evita's life from her humble origins to her place as a revered cult figure, also exploring Peronism and Argentine politics of the 1930s and 1940s. (ARG03, $15.95)

Far Away and Long Ago

Far Away and Long Ago


by W.H. Hudson

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 338 PAGES

Hudson's enthralling childhood remembrances are rich with descriptions of the landscapes, birds and nature of Argentina. (SAM11, $34.95)

Long After Midnight at the Nino Bien

Long After Midnight at the Nino Bien


by Brian Winter

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 336 PAGES

A journalist posted to the capital during the economic crisis, Winter captures the rhythms and character of Buenos Aires with fearless, profane wit in this wise and rollicking portrait. (ARG80, $24.95)

Travelers' Tales Brazil

Travelers' Tales Brazil


by Annette Haddad

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

A collection of stories, articles and excerpts on Brazil -- an excellent introduction to the people, culture and traditions of the country as seen through the eyes of modern writers. (BZL06, $18.95)

Argentina, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Argentina, A Traveler's Literary Companion


by Jill Gibian

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

These choice stories introduce the landscapes and culture of Argentina, from the Andes to the Pampas, through the eyes of its writers. (ARG97, $14.95)

Chile, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Chile, A Traveler's Literary Companion


by Katherine Silver

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

These choice stories introduce both the country and a host of contemporary writers. (CHI38, $14.95)

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands


by Jorge Amado

  • LITERATURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 576 PAGES

The best known novel by Brazil's much loved author. Amado spins a satiric tale of a young cooking teacher in Salvador, Bahia, who is haunted by her first husband, a philandering ne'er do well who dropped dead at carnival. (BZL35, $15.95)

Imagining Argentina

Imagining Argentina


by Lawrence Thornton

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

A brilliant first novel that captures the hope and spirit of Argentina during the military rule of the late 1970s. This inventive tale focuses on Carlos Rueda and a group of citizens whose relatives disappeared. (ARG01, $15.00)

Night Flight

Night Flight


by Antoine de Saint Exupery

  • LITERATURE
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 87 PAGES

Saint Exupery captures the thrill and mystery of early flight in this tale of a pilot alone in a storm over the Andes en route to Buenos Aires. (PAT09, $12.00)

The Buenos Aires Quintet

The Buenos Aires Quintet


by Manuel Vazquez Montalban

  • LITERATURE
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 377 PAGES
  • COMING IN FEBRUARY

Montalban comments on not just wine, women and song, but also much of Argentina's political and cultural history in this riveting detective tale set against a backdrop of 1970s Buenos Aires culture and the era's repressive military junta. (ARG48, $14.95)

The House of the Spirits

The House of the Spirits


by Isabel Allende | Magda Bogin

  • LITERATURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 433 PAGES

A compulsively readable novel chronicling real and imagined events surrounding the extended Trueba clan from the turn of the 20th century to 1973, much in the spirit of One Hundred Years of Solitude. (CHI02, $7.99)

Birds of Southern South America & Antarctica

Birds of Southern South America & Antarctica


by Martin D. la Pena | Maurice Rumboll

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

With color plates, range maps and brief descriptions, this is a compact regional guide. (SAM12, $29.95)

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.