Favorite

by G. Behor

ARCHAEOLOGY
2000
FLEXI-BOUND
72 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

A great book relating ancient Greek ruins to the highly-decorated civic and religious buildings they once were via ingenious overlaid acetate illustrations. (GRE172, $32.95)

Annapurna, The Epic Account of a Himalayan Conquest and its Harrowing Aftermath

by Maurice Herzog

EXPLORATION
2010
PAPER
256 PAGES
FAVORITE

Conrad Anker provides a new foreword for this new 60th-anniversary edition of Maurice Herzog's classic, dictated from his hospital bed in Paris. French minister of youth and sport in the 1960s and former mayor of Chamonix, Herzog recovered nicely (he's 102 in 2011). (HML07, $16.95)

Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea Map

by British Antarctic Survey

2008
MAP
FAVORITE
HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

One in series that also includes the South Shetlands (ANT300), the Gerlache (ANT228) and South Georgia (ANT221), this excellent map shows the cruise from Ushuaia on one side, with a detail of the Peninsula on the other. (ANT299, $24.95)

Arab World Map

by Geoprojects

1983
MAP
FAVORITE

A shaded relief map of the Arab world. (ARB53, $21.95)

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)

The Archaeology of Tomorrow, Architecture and the Spirit of Place

by Price, Travis | Wyner, Ken | Wade Davis

ART & ARCHITECTURE
2006
HARD COVER
208 PAGES
FAVORITE

Travis Price's spirited survey of great architecture from ancient to modern, with 160 gorgeous full-color photographs by Ken Wyner. (WLD144, $45.00)

Arctic Dreams

by Barry Lopez

NATURAL HISTORY
2001
PAPER
417 PAGES
FAVORITE

A dazzling meditation on the Arctic, breathtaking in scope. Lopez draws on his travels throughout the North, including Baffin Island, the Chukchi and Bering seas, Alaska, the Yukon and Greenland, interweaving natural history, accounts of early exploration, anecdote and lore into an indelible portrait of place. (ARC11, $16.00)

Barcelona

by Robert Hughes

HISTORY
1993
PAPER
570 PAGES
FAVORITE

A Longitude favorite, this big, thoroughly enjoyable cultural history of the city touches on architecture, art, religion and literature from Roman outpost to the present. (SPN01, $21.00)

The Berlin Diaries

by Marie Vassiltchikov

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1988
PAPER
368 PAGES
FAVORITE

The compulsively readable wartime account of an emigre Russian princess who was secretary to Adam Von Trott, mastermind of the failed 20th of July plot to assassinate Hitler. Idealistic, vivacious and observant, "Missie" conveys the flavor of Berlin during the 1940s. (GER104, $15.95)

Between Meals, An Appetite for Paris

by A.J. Liebling

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2004
PAPER
182 PAGES
FAVORITE

Liebling captures with stylish prose his coming-of-age in Paris in this elegant memoir, which is also a tribute to French cuisine. (FRN32, $15.00)

Birds of Europe

by Lars Svensson

FIELD GUIDE
2010
PAPER
416 PAGES
FAVORITE

Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second revised edition of this exquisite guide has been brought up to date with revised text and maps. (FG47, $29.95)

Bradt Guide Madagascar

by Hilary Bradt

GUIDEBOOK
2011
PAPER
468 PAGES
FAVORITE

Hilary Bradt's comprehensive guide to Madagascar, its history, people and nature, now in its 10th edition, remains our model for guidebooks: personal, culturally astute, an absolute pleasure to read. With photographs, sketch maps and wise travel information. (MAD08, $27.99)

Central Florida Map

by

MAP
FAVORITE

Central Florida at a scale of 1:220,000. (FLA73, $5.99)

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi

by William Dalrymple

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2003
PAPER
350 PAGES
FAVORITE

Dalrymple infectiously interweaves his own experiences over a year in Delhi with the art, architecture, history and literature of the city. (IDA06, $16.00)

The City of Florence, Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings

by R.W.B. Lewis

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1996
PAPER
350 PAGES
FAVORITE

A vivid tour of the city and its riches by the fine biographer of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Lewis has written what he calls "a partial biography of Florence," beautifully interweaving the personal and the historical. (ITL47, $21.99)

Cloud Forest, A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness

by Peter Matthiessen

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1987
PAPER
280 PAGES
FAVORITE

Matthiessen recounts with wit, insight and style his odyssey to the Amazon and Andes, including Machu Picchu and Tierra del Fuego. (SAM02, $17.00)

The Colossus of Maroussi

by Henry Miller

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2010
PAPER
223 PAGES
FAVORITE

Miller captures the spirit and warmth of the resilient Greek people in this inspired tale of a wartime journey from Athens to Crete, Corfu and Delphi with his friend Lawrence Durrell. (GRE05, $12.95)

Coming into the Country

by John McPhee

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1976
PAPER
438 PAGES
FAVORITE

McPhee's lyrical portrait of frontier life and some unforgettable Alaskan characters captures the spirit of the place like no other. (ALA04, $18.00)

The Crofter and the Laird

by John McPhee

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1978
PAPER
159 PAGES
FAVORITE

McPhee packs up his family and returns for a year to his ancestral land on the Isle of Colonsay in this lyrical, appreciative portrait of place and traditional ways of life in the Hebrides. (SCT23, $16.00)

The Curve of Time

by Muriel Wylie Blanchet

EXPLORATION
1993
PAPER
170 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

Blanchet's delightful, unlikely account of life aboard a 25-foot ketch with her young family. It's a funny, vivid account of Vancouver Island, full of memorable detail on people and place. (PNW48, $15.95)

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)

Desert Solitaire

by Edward Abbey

NATURAL HISTORY
1990
PAPER
303 PAGES
FAVORITE

One of the great works on the value of the desert, eloquent and laugh-out-loud funny. Although Abbey writes specifically about his experiences as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, his message is universal. (DES02, $7.99)

A Dragon Apparent, Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

by Norman Lewis

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2003
PAPER
358 PAGES
FAVORITE
HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A classic account of travels and adventure during the last years of French Indochina, strong on atmosphere and including wonderfully detailed descriptions of local cultures and archaeological treasures. First published in 1951. (SEA40, $33.95)

Dreams of Trespass, Tales of a Harem Girlhood

by Fatima Mernissi

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1995
PAPER
242 PAGES
FAVORITE

This captivating memoir opens, "I was born in a harem in 1940 in Fez, a ninth-century Moroccan city." Mernissi captures not only the spirit of the place, but also the hierarchy and decorum of a family compound in a Muslim household. (MRC10, $17.00)

Ecuador, A Travel Journal

by Henri Michaux | Robin Magowan

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2001
PAPER
144 PAGES
FAVORITE

A brief, querulous and entirely wonderful narrative of the modernist painter Michaux's travels with the poet Gangotena, strong on color and personality. Its many pleasures include an unbeatable description of Quito's accursed mountain weather. (EDR16, $17.95)

Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

by Alfred Lansing

EXPLORATION
1998
PAPER
280 PAGES
FAVORITE

Lansing's gripping day-by-day story of Shackleton's legendary perseverance is essential reading for any Antarctic traveler; it captures all the fortitude, drama and cheer of this most famous Antarctic expedition. (ANT03, $14.95)

Farewell to Salonica

by Leon Sciaky

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2003
PAPER
299 PAGES
FAVORITE

In this affectionate memoir, and portrait of a city now changed forever, Sciaky looks back the thriving, polyglot Salonica of his youth. (GRE236, $14.95)

The Fatal Shore

by Robert Hughes

HISTORY
1988
PAPER
752 PAGES
FAVORITE

In this celebrated social history, both scholarly and entertaining, Hughes traces the fate of those who were transported to the penal colonies of Australia between 1787 and 1868. It's an engaging popular account, drawn from the experiences of the colonists themselves. (AUS04, $19.95)

A Fine Balance

by Rohinton Mistry

LITERATURE
1997
PAPER
624 PAGES
FAVORITE

Set in Indira Gandhi's "Emergency Raj" of 1975 in an unnamed Indian "city by the sea," which bears a striking resemblance to Bombay, this tender novel follows the intermingled fortunes of a Parsi widow, her boarder and two tailors. (IDA92, $17.00)

Galapagos, Islands Born of Fire

by Tui De Roy

NATURAL HISTORY
2010
HARD COVER
168 PAGES
FAVORITE

Author, naturalist, photographer and friend Tui de Roy's original stunning celebration of the landscapes, wildlife and habitats of the archipelago, out in a 10th anniversary edition. (GPS28, $29.95)

The Great Game

by Peter Hopkirk

HISTORY
1994
PAPER
565 PAGES
FAVORITE
HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

Hopkirk's spellbinding account of the great struggle for European supremacy in Central Asia takes us over the high mountain passes and through the scorching deserts and caravan towns of the Silk Road, capturing the glamour, intrigue, treachery and adventure of the time. (CAS09, $18.00)

The Greenlanders

by Jane Smiley

LITERATURE
2005
PAPER
608 PAGES
FAVORITE

This marvelously researched novel recreates life in the Viking settlements in Greenland. (ARC08, $15.95)

The Happy Isles of Oceania

by Paul Theroux

EXPLORATION
2006
PAPER
480 PAGES
FAVORITE

The peripatetic author flies off to Australia and New Zealand with a kayak and ends up exploring much of Melanesia and Polynesia, including Tonga, Fiji and the Marquesas in this wickedly funny, wide-ranging tale. (PAC03, $15.95)

The Heights of Machu Picchu

by Pablo Neruda | Nathaniel Tarn

LITERATURE
1972
PAPER
71 PAGES
FAVORITE

Machu Picchu and the Inca civilization inspired this celebrated epic hymn to the Americas by the great Pablo Neruda. Bilingual edition. (AND22, $14.00)

Here is New York

by E.B. White

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1999
HARD COVER
56 PAGES
FAVORITE

Written in a hotel room over two hot days in the summer of 1948, White's timeless love letter (it's easily read in an hour) captures the spirit of New York. It's a swift, lyrical portrait of the city that moves from Broadway to Central Park and the Hudson River to favorite haunts on 3rd Avenue. (NYC28, $16.95)

High Jungles and Low

by Archie Carr

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1992
PAPER
226 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

This absorbing memoir of slogging through the forest as a gun-toting tagalong on a commercial expedition in search of mahogany in the Honduran highlands is a classic. The book to read for anyone heading to the tropics. (CAM01, $19.95)

History of the Inca Realm

by Maria Rostworowski De Diez Canseco

HISTORY
1998
PAPER
269 PAGES
FAVORITE

This scholarly history boasts the most thorough treatment of the pre-Hispanic Incas available in English. (AND63, $28.99)

Homage to Catalonia

by George Orwell

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1987
PAPER
234 PAGES
FAVORITE

Orwell's portrait of the Barcelona uprising and the spirit of a city at war is a classic, an observant and heartfelt report from the streets. (SPN03, $14.00)

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)

In a Sunburned Country

by Bill Bryson

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2001
PAPER
335 PAGES
FAVORITE

The intrepid, ever-resourceful Bryson revels in Australia's eccentric characters, dangerous flora and fauna, and other oddities in this wildly funny, effortlessly informative travelogue. (AUS83, $15.99)

In Patagonia

by Bruce Chatwin

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1989
PAPER
204 PAGES
BEST SELLER
FAVORITE

A masterpiece of travel, history and adventure, this award-winning book captures the spirit of the land, history, wildlife and people of Patagonia. There's no travel writer as engaging, insightful and just plain wonderful as Bruce Chatwin. (PAT01, $15.00)

In Siberia

by Colin Thubron

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2001
PAPER
304 PAGES
FAVORITE

Thubron captures the beauty, personality, contradictions and harsh nature of this huge land in this classic account of a 15,000-mile, cross-continental odyssey from the Yenisei to Baikal, Khabarovsk and Magadan. (SIB14, $14.99)

In Trouble Again

by Redmond O'Hanlon

EXPLORATION
1990
PAPER
272 PAGES
FAVORITE

As funny as he is insightful, O'Hanlon starts his comic masterpiece of a journey between the Orinoco and the Amazon with a litany of the insects, protozoa, snakes and predators that can do you harm. (AMZ04, $13.95)

Independent People, An Epic

by Halldor Laxness

LITERATURE
1997
PAPER
480 PAGES
FAVORITE

Rich in local color, this great mock-epic by the Icelandic Nobel Prize-winner features the indelible Bjartur of Summerhouses, a hard-headed, independent-minded sheep farmer. (ICL01, $16.00)

The Inland Sea

by Donald Richie

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2002
PAPER
255 PAGES
FAVORITE

Richie's masterpiece, more than a travel account, is a beautiful reflection on all things Japanese by one of its most acute observers. (JPN13, $16.95)

Istanbul and the Civilization of the Ottoman Empire

by Bernard Lewis

HISTORY
1989
PAPER
187 PAGES
FAVORITE

In this slim volume the great Islamic scholar describes the invasion of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks on May 29, 1453, evoking the city at this pivotal moment in its long history. (TKY17, $24.95)

Italian Days

by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1998
PAPER
479 PAGES
FAVORITE

Grizzuti Harrison writes with warmth and depth of her journey from Milan south to Calabria in this sprightly account of Italy and the Italians. (ITL02, $15.00)

Karamoja, Uganda's Land of Warrior Nomads

by David Pluth | Sylvester Onyang | Jeremy O'Kasick

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2007
HARD COVER
276 PAGES
FAVORITE

Evocative stories by Jeremy O'Kasick and Sylvester Onyang, paired with David Pluth's gorgeous photos, capture the culture, history and daily life of Uganda's warrior nomads. (UGD18, $75.00)

The Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories

by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

LITERATURE
2002
PAPER
128 PAGES
FAVORITE

A collection of eleven stories written during the last 10 years of Chekhov's life. A great place to start if you're new to the Russian master's work. (RUS404, $14.00)

The Last Place on Earth, Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole

by Roland Huntford

EXPLORATION
1999
PAPER
576 PAGES
FAVORITE

Igniting huge controversy when it first appeared, Huntford's rousing dual biography contrasts Amundsen's well-planned campaign to achieve the Pole with Scott's ill-fated quest. (ANT100, $15.95)

The Leopard

by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa

LITERATURE
2007
PAPER
384 PAGES
FAVORITE

Evoking a lost world of privilege and tradition, Giuseppe Di Lampedusa's memorable tale, set on a rural Sicilian estate during the days of independence, follows the world-weary Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina. A classic, now in a 50th anniversary edition. (ITL11, $16.00)

Letters on Cezanne

by Rainer Maria Rilke | Joel Agee

ART & ARCHITECTURE
2002
PAPER
84 PAGES
FAVORITE

This brilliant meditation on Paris, art, and life takes the form of a series of short letters by the great poet Rilke to his wife Clara. The book chronicles Rilke's daily pilgrimage to a Cezanne exhibition at a Paris gallery. (FRN300, $14.00)

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

by John Steinbeck

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1995
PAPER
288 PAGES
FAVORITE

The classic account of a collecting trip to the Sea of Cortez with marine biologist Ed Ricketts, first published in 1941. Subtitled "A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research," this much-loved book captures the wonders of the Gulf of California and the joys of discovery. (BJA02, $16.00)

Lost City of the Incas

by Hiram Bingham

EXPLORATION
2003
PAPER
286 PAGES
BEST SELLER
FAVORITE

This first-rate adventure story by the man who brought Machu Picchu to the attention of the world 100 years ago on July 24,1911 is not just a gripping tale of exploration and archaeology, it also sets the scene for any visitor to the site. Hugh Thomson (A Sacred Landscape, The Search for Ancient Peru) provides the introduction to this Centenary Edition. (AND05, $12.95)

Malgudi Days

by R. K. Narayan

LITERATURE
2006
PAPER
272 PAGES
FAVORITE

Wonderful tales about a fictional South Indian town, populated by quirky characters whose unique approaches to tradition and modernity are the stuff of great short stories. (IDA59, $15.00)

Midnight in Sicily, On Art, Food, History, Travel and La Cosa Nostra

by Peter Robb

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2007
PAPER
400 PAGES
FAVORITE

Combining interviews, research and essays on Sicilian history and culture, this vivid report by journalist Peter Robb is a superb introduction to Italy's glorious, corrupt and troubled south. (ITL74, $18.00)

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)

Midnight's Children

by Salman Rushdie

LITERATURE
1995
HARD COVER
533 PAGES
FAVORITE

Recently crowned Best of the Booker, Rushdie's greatest novel is a madcap, comic take on the birth of modern India in all its splendid and unexpected manifestations. (IDA589, $25.00)

Moonlight Downs

by Adrian Hyland

LITERATURE
2009
PAPER
322 PAGES
FAVORITE

The Ned Kelly Award-winning first Emily Tempest investigation set in the Australia. Emily, a half-white, half-Aboriginal woman returns to her hometown in the Outback only to find that the tribe's elderly leader has been murdered. (AUS251, $14.00)

Motoring with Mohammed, Journeys to Yemen and the Red Sea

by Eric Hansen

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1992
PAPER
240 PAGES
FAVORITE

Shipwrecked en route from the Maldives, rescued with his buddies by Eritrean goat smugglers, and an accidental tourist in Sana'a, Hansen's misadventures make a terrific story. Even better, he provides a rich portrait of a little-known region. (ARB11, $16.00)

Muddling Through in Madagascar

by Dervla Murphy

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1990
PAPER
269 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

This entertaining and culturally astute writer has made hard travel to remote places a cottage industry. In this travelogue, she roams the Malagasy countryside with her 14-year-old daughter, commenting on the people and places she encounters. (MAD05, $)

My Famous Evening: Nova Scotia Sojourns, Diaries and Preoccupations

by Howard Norman

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2004
HARD COVER
208 PAGES
FAVORITE

Howard Norman returned to Nova Scotia over a period of 30 years to interview local legends and research the folklore of the area. Norman writes with an impressionistic intimacy to create a portrait of this enchanting place and its people. (CND204, $20.00)

My Traitor's Heart

by Rian Malan

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
2000
PAPER
425 PAGES
FAVORITE

The Afrikaner and journalist recounts his return to his homeland just before the collapse of Apartheid. Malan grapples with the black and white heart of South Africa, drawing on the 300-year history of his family in Africa, legends of the Zulu nation and some brutally honest reporting. (SAF19, $15.00)

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Marine Mammals of the World

by Randall Reeves | Pieter Folkens

FIELD GUIDE
2002
PAPER
528 PAGES
FAVORITE

A handsome, comprehensive guide to 120 species of whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, sirenians, polar bears and their kin worldwide. Each species gets a four-page spread with color photographs and an overview of range, habitat, behavior, status and conservation. (FG58, $28.95)

Never Cry Wolf

by Farley Mowat

LITERATURE
2001
PAPER
246 PAGES
FAVORITE

A laugh-out-loud account of wolf research and government folly set on the barren lands of northern Manitoba. Perfect for teens. (BST34, $12.99)

North of South, An African Journey

by Shiva Naipaul

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1979
PAPER
349 PAGES
FAVORITE

A sharp portrait of Africa, circa 1979. A brilliant and provocative observer, Naipaul meditates on the various peoples he encounters in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. The best, most insightful thing we've read about race relations in Africa. (EAF28, $16.00)

Nothing to Declare

by Mary Morris

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1999
PAPER
250 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

An absorbing memoir of a woman traveling alone throughout Mexico and Central America. Morris, a favorite writer, evokes the people and places she visits in gritty immediate detail. (CAM08, $15.00)

Our Man in Havana

by Graham Greene

LITERATURE
2007
PAPER
240 PAGES
FAVORITE

The classic story of a British vacuum cleaner salesman who gets accidentally drawn into cold war espionage with disastrous results. (CBA19, $15.00)

Out of Africa

by Isak Dinesen

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1985
PAPER
466 PAGES
FAVORITE

The perennially best-selling tale of a naive young woman who leaves Denmark for East Africa, Dinesen's autobiography draws us into life on a struggling coffee plantation. It's a moving story inspired by a love for Kenya and its people. Includes the novella Shadows on the Grass. (EAF22, $15.00)

The Panama Hat Trail

by Tom Miller

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2001
PAPER
288 PAGES
FAVORITE

An entertaining and insightful social history of Ecuador -- as told through its hat-making history. It's a classic example of travel writing, and one of the best things written on Ecuador. (EDR15, $14.00)

The Path Between the Seas, The Creation of the Panama Canal: 1870-1914

by David McCullough

HISTORY
2004
PAPER
700 PAGES
FAVORITE

Admirably told in vivid, page-turning detail. McCullough reveals the full scope of the Panama Canal, its characters, technical difficulties and Byzantine politics. (CAM32, $20.00)

Playing With Water: A Passion and Solitude on a Philippine Island

by James Hamilton-Paterson

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1994
PAPER
282 PAGES
FAVORITE

In this altogether wonderful memoir, Hamilton-Paterson writes with unusual warmth of his time among the villagers -- and under the water -- on a small Filipino island. (PLP04, $14.95)

Prost! The Story of German Beer

by Horst D. Dornbusch

FOOD
1997
PAPER
160 PAGES
FAVORITE

The Munich-based aficionado weaves history and culture with the marvels and mysteries of German beer in this brief, authoritative guide. (GER99, $14.95)

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)

Race to the End: Amundsen, Scott and the Attainment of the South Pole

by Ross MacPhee

EXPLORATION
2010
HARD COVER
245 PAGES
FAVORITE

Curator of the riveting exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History, MacPhee includes panoramic maps, never-before-seen photographs of artifacts from Scott's last camp, iconic photographs by Ponting and Hurley, and contemporary accounts of the two celebrated expeditions in this month-by-month and day-by-day look at the two iconic expeditions. (ANT322, $27.95)

Requiem for Nature

by John Terborgh

NATURAL HISTORY
2004
PAPER
248 PAGES
FAVORITE

A passionate and thoughtful plea for conservation of the rain forest from a noted biologist. (FST07, $29.50)

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)

Sailing Alone Around the World

by Joshua Slocum

EXPLORATION
2008
PAPER
272 PAGES
FAVORITE

A born storyteller and American hero, Slocum recounts his many adventures aboard the 36-foot wooden sloop Spray on the first-ever solo circumnavigation of the globe. (EXP03, $14.00)

Seville Map

by Streetwise Maps

MAP
FAVORITE

A laminated, folded walking map of Seville. (SPN221, $7.95)

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush

by Eric Newby

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2008
PAPER
255 PAGES
FAVORITE

Newby wrote a string of memorable books about his adventures, often on a bicycle, but sometimes by foot or train, usually with his wife. This classic is a superb example of the misguided lark: a comically ill-prepared jaunt in the Naristan mountains of northeastern Afghanistan. "People like it," he explained, "when things go wrong." (CAS32, $14.99)

The Sibley Guide to Birds

by David Sibley

GUIDEBOOK
2000
FLEXI-BOUND
544 PAGES
FAVORITE

With 6,600 original paintings, full-color detailed range maps and Sibley's mania for accuracy, this is the book that every North American birder must own. It's beautiful, too. (FG48, $39.95)

Siren Land: A Celebration of Life in Southern Italy

by Norman Douglas

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2010
PAPER
216 PAGES
FAVORITE

Douglas (Old Calabria) writes lovingly about the people, folklore and past of his adopted home in this classic account, first published in 1911. (ITA128, $16.00)

A Small Place

by Jamaica Kincaid

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
2000
PAPER
81 PAGES
FAVORITE

Antigua-born Kincaid meditates on the politics, history and culture of the islands in these remarkable short essays. A useful antidote to the usual fun-in-the-sun approach of the local tourist office, she exposes the poverty, corruption and startling beauty of the Caribbean. (CRB03, $13.00)

The Snow Leopard

by Peter Matthiessen

EXPLORATION
2008
PAPER
368 PAGES
FAVORITE

The most perceptive, acutely observed and personal of all his books, Matthiessen's account of a five-week journey through Nepal with naturalist George Schaller combines their quest for the elusive cat with a moving introduction to Buddhism and the people and culture of the Himalayas. (NPL03, $16.00)

So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

by Barbara Crossette

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1996
PAPER
297 PAGES
FAVORITE

Asia correspondent for the New York Times, Crossette portrays Bhutan and neighboring Ladakh and Sikkim as strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. (NPL04, $16.00)

The Songlines

by Bruce Chatwin

CULTURAL PORTRAIT
1988
PAPER
294 PAGES
FAVORITE

Chatwin transforms a journey through the Outback into an exhilarating, semi-fictional meditation on our place in the world. (AUS01, $16.00)

The Spirit of Mediterranean Places

by Michel Butor

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1986
PAPER
147 PAGES
FAVORITE
HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

In this remarkable short book, the celebrated French novelist chronicles his travels to Cairo, Luxor, Crete, Istanbul and other Mediterranean sites in absorbing, appreciative painterly detail. (MED03, $13.95)

Stranger in the Forest

by Eric Hansen

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2000
PAPER
288 PAGES
FAVORITE

Hansen's absorbing account of a trek across Sarawak in the company of the nomadic Penan is an entertaining portrait of a little-visited world and vanishing way of life. (BRN16, $15.00)

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice

by Mark Plotkin

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1994
PAPER
328 PAGES
FAVORITE

In this marvelous book, Plotkin recounts his work documenting the use of medicinal plants among remote tribes in the Northwest Amazon of Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana and French Guiana. A portrait of people and their environment, a tale of adventure and, most of all, a moving example of science in the service of preservation. (AMZ15, $16.00)

Tennis: A Cultural History

by Gillmeister, Heiner

HISTORY
1998
PAPER
320 PAGES
FAVORITE

Gillmeister charts the global evolution of tennis from its origins in the early Middle Ages to the appearance of the modern game in the 20th century. (GEN466, $70.00)

This Cold Heaven

by Gretel Ehrlich

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2003
PAPER
400 PAGES
FAVORITE

Ehrlich spent seven seasons in Greenland, mostly alone, traveling by boat, helicopter, plane and dogsled. This exhilarating book reflects her insight, knowledge and deep appreciation of the people and barren landscapes of the north. (ARC107, $18.95)

This Earth of Mankind

by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

LITERATURE
1996
PAPER
367 PAGES
FAVORITE

A coming of age story set in pre-revolution Indonesia, this novel captures the oral rhythms of a master storyteller. Its protagonist is a native high school student, educated at the exclusive Dutch-language school and of royal Javanese birth. (INS04, $16.00)

Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Bummel

by Jerome Jerome | Jeremy Lewis

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1999
PAPER
361 PAGES
FAVORITE

Written in 1889, "Three Men in a Boat" (to say nothing of the dog!) is a laugh-out-loud account of a man-powered voyage along the River Thames, full of detail on life and lore. A Longitude favorite. (GBR28, $11.95)

Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World

by Times of London

REFERENCE
2011
BOXED
544 PAGES
FAVORITE

25% off the $200 retail price. The thirteenth edition of this world's most authoritative atlas, presented in all its meticulous glory, is so up-to-date that brand new South Sudan is featured among its 25,000 revisions (the last edition was in 2007). We dare you to name a place that is not included! Each double-page spread is a whopping 16 x 22 inches and the amazing index of 200,000 place names is unequaled. (GEN71, $150.00)

Trading with the Enemy

by Tom Miller

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
2008
PAPER
352 PAGES
FAVORITE

Miller captures the openness, sensuality and pride of Cuba and the Cubans in this eloquent account of entertaining travels in Fidel's Cuba. (CBA11, $16.95)

Tropical Nature

by Adrian Forsyth | Ken Miyata

NATURAL HISTORY
1984
PAPER
248 PAGES
FAVORITE

A lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. (GPS13, $16.00)

The Tuscan Year, Tuscan Life and Food in an Italian Valley

by Elizabeth Romer

FOOD
1996
PAPER
182 PAGES
FAVORITE
OUT OF PRINT

An intimate portrait of life on a Tuscan farm as seen primarily through the robust food and a Longitude favorite. Romer captures the goings-on in the countryside, and especially in the Cerotti kitchen, where traditional Tuscan rural food is prepared with loving care. Every chapter includes concisely described recipes. (ITL131, $14.00)

Two in the Far North

by Margaret Murie | Olaus Murie

EXPLORATION
2003
PAPER
369 PAGES
FAVORITE

Murie's field biologist husband supplies not only fodder for the stories, but also the illustrations for this tale of life on the Alaskan frontier. (ALA57, $16.95)

Two Towns in Provence

by M. F. K. Fisher

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1983
PAPER
208 PAGES
FAVORITE

Celebrated food writer M.F.K. Fisher contrasts village life in Aix-en-Provence with bustling Marseilles, evoking both with anecdote and loving description. (FRN27, $16.95)

Village in the Vaucluse

by Laurence Wylie

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1986
PAPER
390 PAGES
FAVORITE

A loving portrait of rural Provence and its inhabitants by a sociologist who lived in Roussillon just after WWII. It was a different world then, a traditional village with two telephones and a single cafe. (FRN225, $27.50)

Vincent Van Gogh, The Passionate Eye

by Pascal Bonafoux

ART & ARCHITECTURE
1992
PAPER
175 PAGES
FAVORITE

From Paris to Asnieres, Amsterdam and Provence, this jewel of a book traces the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh, the spirited, self-destructive painter who celebrated the south of France. Engaging, compact and illustrated with hundreds of photographs. (FRN29, $12.95)

Voyage of the Beagle

by Charles Darwin

EXPLORATION
2002
PAPER
468 PAGES
BEST SELLER
FAVORITE

The wide-eyed tale of a young man on a five-year voyage that changed his life -- and our way of thinking about the world. First published in 1839, it's still a marvelous introduction to the wildlife, nature and allure of South America. (GPS02, $12.95)

West with the Night

by Beryl Markham

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
1983
PAPER
294 PAGES
FAVORITE

Markham evokes the landscapes, people and wildlife of East Africa in engrossing detail in this memoir of adventures as a bush pilot in 1930s Kenya. A Longitude favorite. (EAF10, $16.00)

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)

Wind, Sand and Stars

by Antoine de Saint Exupery

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1967
PAPER
229 PAGES
FAVORITE

St. Exupery's luminous account of flying early postal routes over South America, Europe and the deserts of North Africa in the 1930s includes the classic tale of his crash in the Libyan desert. (DES11, $13.95)

The World of Venice

by Jan Morris

TRAVEL NARRATIVE
1995
PAPER
315 PAGES
FAVORITE

Morris displays her talent for research, anecdote and well-wrought prose in this spirited history of a beloved city. (ITL12, $18.95)

The Worst Journey in the World

by Apsley Cherry-Garrard

EXPLORATION
2006
PAPER
573 PAGES
FAVORITE

Cherry-Garrard's epic midwinter jaunt to an emperor penguin rookery is just a warm-up for the main event: Scott's doomed last expedition. (ANT23, $18.00)

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