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THIS MONTH'S FEATURE: WHALES, WINTER ESCAPES, JAIPUR, CHINA

  1. New & Noteworthy: Peter Hessler, Philip Hoare, George MacDonald Fraser
  2. New in Paper: Beijing, Amazon, Brazil
  3. Winter Escapes: Antarctica, Costa Rica, Egypt, Diving
  4. Footprint Destination Guides: Marrakech, Cape Town, The Nile
  5. Love Travel Guides: Jaipur

Dear Traveler,

It's been difficult but we've been holding off on our January newsletter (and not just because we are dreaming of winter escapes), waiting for Peter Hessler's new book on China (it ships February 2, as does Philip Hoare's The Whale). This month we've also got several favorite books of last year in paper, and the latest Love Travel guide by the irrepressible Fiona Caulfield.

Warm regards,

Daniel Kaizer and Darrel Schoeling
longitudebooks.com
800-342-2164



1. NEW AND NOTEWORTHY: WHALES, CHINA, POLYNESIA, GEORGE MACDONALD FRASER

Philip Hoare, like Peter Hessler, has a knack for dialogue and an appetite for travel. His particular expertise, however, isn't China but rather whales, with his research taking him to London, New Bedford, Provincetown and the Azores. No David Attenborough, he nonetheless goes snorkeling.

The Whale, In Search of the Giants of the Sea (BST144, $27.99)

A deeply engaging and elegiac meditation on all things whale. Fascinated with whales since he was a child in Southhampton, Philip Hoare indulges his whims, following, researching and contemplating not only whales themselves, but also their literary manifestations, especially, of course, Moby Dick. The book is an utter delight, both informative and poetic. Hoare admires all the whales, and abhors their slaughter, but saves his special love and attention for the sperm whale -– not only via a beautiful literary analysis of Moby Dick, but also, eventually by swimming with the sperm whales in the Azores. The book is just landing on these shores after winning the Samuel Johnson Award for the best nonfiction book of 2009 in Britain, where it was published under the title Leviathan. With pictures and illustrations scattered throughout.

Country Driving, A Journey from Farm to Factory (CHN600, $27.99)

As astute as any observer on China, Beijing-based Peter Hessler (River Town, Oracle Bones) shows the absurdity, humor and hope of China in this latest portrait of a nation catapulted into the modern world. Divided into three parts (you may have read some of this book in The New Yorker), Hessler opens with an entertaining account of his adventures on the road across northern China, joining a small army of new drivers in the country. He continues with the tale of a small farming village, and closes with the story of a burgeoning factory city in China's southwest. The Asia Society in New York City is sponsoring an evening with Peter Hessler on February 10.

There are still empty roads in China, especially on the western steppes, where the highways to the Himalayas carry little traffic other than dust and wind. Even the boomtowns of the coast have their share of vacant streets. They lead to half-built factory districts and planned apartment complexes; they wind through terraced fields that are destined to become the suburbs of tomorrow. They connect villages whose residents traveled by foot less than a generation ago. It was the thought of all that fleeting open space—the new roads to old places, the landscapes on the verge of change—that finally inspired me to get a Chinese driver's license.

By the summer of 2001, when I applied to the Beijing Public Safety Traffic Bureau, I had lived in China for five years. During that time I had traveled passively by bus and plane, boat and train; I dozed across provinces and slept through towns. But sitting behind the wheel woke me up. That was happening everywhere: in Beijing alone, almost a thousand new drivers registered on average each day, the pioneers of a nationwide auto boom. Most of them came from the growing middle class, for whom a car represented mobility, prosperity, modernity. For me, it meant adventure. The questions of the written driver's exam suggested a world where nothing could be taken for granted:

223. If you come to a road that has been flooded, you should
a) accelerate, so the motor doesn't flood.
b) stop, examine the water to make sure it's shallow, and drive across slowly.
c) find a pedestrian and make him cross ahead of you.

282. When approaching a railroad crossing, you should
a) accelerate and cross.
b) accelerate only if you see a train approaching.
c) slow down and make sure it's safe before crossing.

Chinese applicants for a license were required to have a medical checkup, take the written exam, enroll in a technical course, and then complete a two-day driving test; but the process had been pared down for people who already held overseas certification. I took the foreigner's test on a gray, muggy morning, the sky draped low over the city like a shroud of wet silk. The examiner was in his forties, and he wore white cotton driving gloves, the fingers stained by Red Pagoda Mountain cigarettes. He lit one up as soon as I entered the automobile. It was a Volkswagen Santana, the nation's most popular passenger vehicle. When I touched the steering wheel my hands felt slick with sweat.

"Start the car," the examiner said, and I turned the key. "Drive forward."

A block of streets had been cordoned off expressly for the purpose of testing new drivers. It felt like a neighborhood waiting for life to begin: there weren't any other cars, or bicycles, or people; not a single shop or makeshift stand lined the sidewalk. No tricycles loaded down with goods, no flatbed carts puttering behind two-stroke engines, no cabs darting like fish for a fare. Nobody was turning without signaling; nobody was stepping off a curb without looking. I had never seen such a peaceful street in Beijing, and in the years that followed I sometimes wished I had had time to savor it. But after I had gone about fifty yards the examiner spoke again.

"Pull over," he said. "You can turn off the car."

The examiner filled out forms, his pen moving efficiently. He had barely burned through a quarter of a Red Pagoda Mountain. One of the last things he said to me was, "You're a very good driver."

The license was registered under my Chinese name, Ho Wei. It was valid for six years, and to protect against counterfeiters, the document featured a hologram of a man standing atop an ancient horse-drawn carriage. The figure was dressed in flowing robes, like portraits of the Daoist philosopher Lao Tzu, with an upraised arm pointing into the distance. Later that year I set out to drive across China.

Excerpted from Country Driving by Peter Hessler (Harper, 2010).

Flashman, Flash for Freedom!, Flashman in the Great Game (WLD196, $30.00)

This Everyman's Library edition presents three of George MacDonald Fraser's beloved novels featuring the lovable rogue, soldier, cheat and coward Harry Paget Flashman. Fraser wouldn't have wanted us to say this but ... these hilarious books aren't just fun: they're also educational. Flashman, the debut novel, takes our hapless hero to Afghanistan during the first Anglo-Afghan War; he meets Abraham Lincoln in Flash For Freedom and Flashman in the Great Game puts Fraser's womanizing pollywag (he dallies with a maharani) squarely in the midst of the Sepoy Rebellion for a portrait of Kipling's India.

Aphrodite's Island, The European Discovery of Tahiti (PAC219, $29.95)

Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, James Cook, Samuel Wallis and many more early European voyagers join local heroes, Tahitian warriors and kings in this authoritative, richly detailed history of French Polynesia and its allure. Author Anne Salmond (Two Worlds: Early Exchanges Between Maori and Europeans; The Trial of the Cannibal Dog: The Remarkable Story of Captain Cook's Encounters in the South Seas) is a Distinguished Professor of Maori Studies and Anthropology at the University of Auckland.


2. NEW IN PAPER: AMAZON, BEIJING, BRAZIL, MEDITERRANEAN

Including several of Longitude's Best of 2009.

The Lost City of Z (AMZ117, $15.95)

In this riveting, real-life adventure, the couch-potato Brooklynite David Grann sets out into the wilds of the Brazilian Amazon to solve "the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century" -- the 1925 disappearance of British explorer Percy Harrison Fawcett. Grann is one great storyteller!

A Comrade Lost and Found, A Beijing Story (CHN547, $14.95)

In this surprisingly suspenseful, poignant tale of contemporary China, Jan Wong (Red China Blues, My Long March from Mao to Now) returns to Beijing, with her husband and reluctant teenage sons in tow, on an impossible mission to find a classmate she wronged decades ago at Beijing University. Wong was the first foreign student, a "Montreal Maoist."

Brazil, A Traveler's Literary Companion (BZL83, $14.95)

The latest in the excellent series, this diverse collection of stories, edited by Alexis Levitin, introduces Brazil through a host of contemporary writers, including not only Jorge Amado, Machado de Assis and other greats but also many talented newcomers.

No Man's Lands, One Man's Odyssey Through the Odyssey (MED127, $14.00)

Middle-aged everyman and NPR commentator Scott Huler draws lessons from the twists and turns of the life of Odysseus in this hilarious, razor-sharp account of a whirlwind, six-month Mediterranean journey from Troy to Ithaca by boat, plane, train and bus.


3. WINTER ESCAPES: ANTARCTICA, COSTA RICA, THE NILE

Take your pick: a voyage south, cruise on the Nile, underwater adventures or the marvels of the wildlife (not to mention beaches and birds) of Costa Rica.

Antarctica Cruising Guide (ANT249, $25.95)

This second edition of expedition leader Peter Carey's parka-pocket guide includes a handy roundup of Antarctic visitor sites and a wildlife guide with hundreds of color photographs of penguins, seabirds, seals and whales.

Luxor Illustrated, With Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Nile (EGY277, $22.95)

The ideal companion to a cruise on the Nile, Michael Haag introduces all the famous monuments and temples of the Upper Egypt from Luxor, Karnak and the tomb of Tutankhamun to the marvels of Aswan and Abu Simbel. With hundreds of color photographs, maps and accompanying crisp, lively commentary. The exuberant, informed Haag is also the author of the excellent new Cadogan Cairo, Luxor and Aswan as well as Cadogan Egypt, Cairo Illustrated and Alexandria Illustrated.

Costa Rica's National Parks and Reserves (CAM04, $21.95)

Joseph Franke's practical guide features trail descriptions, maps and details on 46 parks and preserves from Santa Rosa and Guanacaste to Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, Tortuguero and La Amistad. Also just released is Barrett Lawson's in-depth, A Bird-finding Guide to Costa Rica (CRC73, $29.95), featuring 53 birdy places.

Footprint Diving the World (OCE102, $29.95)

Beautifully illustrated, this inviting guide by Beth and Shaun Tierney covers 220 favorite dive sites in Australia and the Pacific, Central America, the Red Sea, East Africa, Thailand, Indonesia and the South Pacific.


4. GUIDEBOOKS: FOOTPRINT REGIONAL SERIES

Well-organized and with hundreds of enticing photographs, these compact new guides are an excellent place to turn for planning your next getaway.

Footprint Marrakech, the High Atlas & Essaouira (AFR254, $21.95)

Whether you are headed for a riads (many of the restored houses perfect for a family), the marvels of the fabulously and newly refurbished La Mamounia (Churchill's favorite hotel) or an experience with the Berbers at Kasbah Toubkal in the High Atlas, this guide will do the trick. Geared for a short visit, it focuses on highly recommended excursions, experiences and itineraries, including a concise overview of the region, its history, nature, architecture and culture.

Footprint Egypt, Nile Valley & Red Sea (EGY272, $21.95)

Packed with lots of local knowledge, this stylish guide includes an excellent month-by-month overview of the pros and cons of visiting at the various times of year.

Footprint Cape Town, the Winelands & Garden Route (SAF253, $21.95)

The latest by Lizzie Williams. No novice, she seems to have a hand in writing dozens of guides, including all the Footprint Africa guides, Frommer's Cape Town Day-by-Day and Eyewitness Kenya.


5. LOVE, TRAVEL: LOVE JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

Yes, love. That's what the marvelous Bengaluru-based Fiona Caulfield pours into her hand-crafted Love Travel Guides, each with a judicious selection of authentic experiences, remarkable shops, fantastic cafés and other carefully curated selections. Fourth in a series that also includes Bengaluru (AKA Bangalore), Delhi and Mumbai, this handsome guide, presented in a satchel of locally woven cloth, will make even the most jaded traveler stop and take note of The Pink City, often overlooked, Caulfield notes, in a rush is get to the majestic Amber Fort, the golden city of Jaisalmer, or stunning Jodhpur, also all covered. Jaipur now even has its own Literature Festival, the largest in Asia, where Love Jaipur was launched last week, attended by a cavalcade of authors, William Dalrymple, Louis De Bernieres, Jamaica Kincaid, Esther Freud and Alexander McCall Smith among them.

Caulfield suggests a rest from sightseeing at Ram Deva's sweet shop, founded 50 years ago by the owner's father, or a visit across the lane for savory snacks at Shri Ram Chat Bhandar, which she calls her favorite discovery in the old city, "somewhere to restore and rest, with not a tourist or tour in sight."

Apart from wanting to stay in every palace hotel she describes, we were taken by her remarkable collection of shops, galleries and centers of design, including a puppet shop ("Best Souvenirs"), open by appointment only, across from the Rambagh Hotel. It like all the places is marked on a very clear map.

Rajesh Bhat Nagori

"Rajesh lives in a small one-room house in the Katpuli colony, also known as the puppet slum, which houses 250 other families who also practice this craft. The skill is passed from generation to generation, with the wooden faces carved and painted by the men and the women making the ornate clothing. New puppets range in price from Rs.50 to Rs.7,000 per pair, depending on their quality and the neogitation skill of the buyer. The most popular are the Raj and Rani sets (King and Queen). These beautiful dancing puppets are gracious and charming and the experience of seeing Rajesh's whole family creating the music and songs whilst the puppet performs is unforgettable.

Love Jaipur, Rajasthan (IDA590, $40.00)

With sections on Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Agra, plus hotels and advice for touring Rajasthan.

Essential Reading: Rajasthan

Including Jaipur Nama, Tales from the Pink City by Giles Tillotson, author of the excellent Taj Mahal in the pocket Wonders of the World series. He also writes the forward to Love, Jaipur.



Longitude, Recommended Reading for Travelers
115 West 30th Street, Suite 1206, New York, NY 10001
longitudebooks.com
info@longitudebooks.com
800-342-2164

Happy New Year!

EOM