There are books of many different travel experiences this month, and with the 25th April coming up, our first choice is a study and guide to visiting Gallipoli.
There are two books which include visiting atolls, which mentions the possibility that one of these atolls may soon be flooded, one about the High Line in New York City, one about the peoples of Israel and Palestine, and many more!
Gallipoli – 100 years : a comprehensive study and guide to visiting / Michael John Mathews.
“The comprehensive ‘one-stop shop’ to Gallipoli covering all aspects of the campaign and a guide to getting around. Low level aerial colour photographs, detailed colour maps and diagrams. Profile of military leaders, events leading to, submarines, aircraft, conditions, casualties, the three battlefield theatres and engagements in detail-Anzac, Helles, Suvla. Time line, VCs, six walks or challenges, measured guide covering all points of interest, how to get there, where to stay, being there.” (Syndetics summary)
On the high line : exploring America’s most original urban park / by Annik La Farge ; preface, additional text, and photographs, Rick Darke ; principal photography, Scott Mlyn, Juan Valentin ; art direction and design, Lorraine Ferguson.
“…When the High Line opened in 2009 it was expected to attract around 300,000 visitors a year. In 2013, more than four million came. A survey by Travel & Leisure ranked it #10 on a list of the world’s most popular landmarks. On the High Line, first published in 2012, is an engaging guide to everything a visitor sees when strolling through the park: the innovative gardens and their thousands of native and exotic plant species; the architecture, both old and new, industrial and residential; and a neighborhood whose colorful history includes the birth of the railroad, the Manhattan Project, S&M clubs, and the legendary Tenth Avenue Cowboy.” (adapted from Amazon.com)
Between river and sea : encounters in Israel and Palestine / Dervla Murphy.
“…Dervla Murphy describes with passionate honesty the experience of living with and among Jewish Israelis and Palestinians in both Israel and Palestine. In cramped Haifa high-rises, in homes in the settlements and in a refugee camp on the West Bank, she talks with whomever she meets… Meeting the wise, the foolish and the frankly deluded, she gradually knits together a picture of the patchwork that constitutes both sides of the divide – Hamas and Fatah, rural and urban, refugee, indigenous inhabitant, Russian, Black Hebrew and Kabbalist to name but a fraction…” (adapted from Syndetics summary)
#Followmeto : a journey around the world through the eyes of two ordinary travelers / Murad Osmann & Natalia Zakharova.
“The Follow Me project was created in 2012 based on the concept of showing the beauty and uniqueness of different locations around the world. It is a story told through the eyes of two ordinary travelers who attempt to portray local lifestyles and narratives by means of photography. Since the project’s launch on Instagram, it has become a worldwide Internet sensation, emerging as a leading news feature and gathering millions of views on social media and the news sites that covered it. In each stunning image, photographer Murad Osmann is led to a new location by his girlfriend, Nataly Zakharova.” (Syndetics summary)
Mons : European capital of culture / Antony Mason.
“It’s no surprise that Mons was selected as a Europeoan Capital of Culture for 2015. The small, historic city, home to four UNESCO-listed treasures and within a short drive of four others, is the perfect short-stay destination. Wander through the streets of the old town, take a break in the Parc du Waux-Hall, and enjoy the new museums and art galleries being developed to celebrate Mons as European Capital of Culture” (Book jacket)
Weeds in the garden of eden / Barbara Unkovic.
“In 2005, author Barbara Unkovi visited Croatia where members of her family had been living for the last seven generations. On the island of Kor ula, the original home of her father’s family, she discovered her soul and began a new life in a peaceful, unspoiled paradise on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. Weeds in the Garden of Eden is a rich, absorbing account of her purchase of a 200 year old, uninhabited stone house in the timeless village of Ra i e; seasonal life amongst the lush vineyards and olive groves and her encounters with the tainted Croatian bureaucratic system… However, things are not always as romantic as they seem in the small traditional Croatian fishing village. Interfamilial feuds, superstition and long memories all create currents of unrest in this apparent paradise.” (Syndetics summary)
Gatecrashing paradise : misadventures in the real Maldives / Tom Chesshyre.
“To many the Maldives not only symbolises “paradise”, but is paradise. It’s the dream destination: turquoise waters, white sands, palm trees, cocktails. Eyeing the drizzle through his office window one lunchtime, Tom Chesshyre impulsively bought a plane ticket. He had no hotel bookings, a long break from work, and a sense of “what the hell”. What better place to escape to than paradise? …he wanted to see the real Maldives… Until recently outsiders were banned from islands not officially endorsed as “tourist resorts”. But now 1,000 sandy shores had opened up in the Indian Ocean. Tom travels in a giant circle 600 miles around the many islands and atolls of the remote nation – the flattest on Earth – taking him to communities that haven’t seen an outsider for decades…” (adapted from Syndetics summary)
Britain from the rails : a window gazer’s guide / Benedict le Vay.
“A quirky and fascinating guide to Britain’s railways, Bradt’s Britain from the Rails is perfect not only as an entertaining armchair read but as a handy guidebook to help readers explore the country at a slower, more personal pace. This expanded and updated second edition has an attractive fresh design, clear maps and a new section on ‘Britain’s Secret Railways’. Full of fascinating titbits, weird accidents and odd characters, it is a thorough and humorous collection perfect for commuters and local history fans alike.” (Syndetics summary)
Around the world in 50 years : my adventure to every country on earth / Albert Podell.
“Podell first set his mind on traveling the world in 1964, when he quit his job at Argosy magazine and gave up his life as a bachelor in NYC… Invigorated by all the sights, experiences, and drama, Podell set his sights higher: to visit every country in the world before he dies. In this lively travelogue, Podell proves himself a worthy raconteur as he recounts his adventures… and visits the Pacific island of Tuvalu, a major arsenal during WWII that is all but abandoned and “will be the first country to disappear under the waves of the rising ocean.” Rounded out with the author’s frank advice for fellow travellers… as well as his solemn observations that climate change is very real and that “if the work ethic I observed in the Western world continues to weaken… we are history.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)
Nepal trekking and the Great Himalaya Trail : a route & planning guide / Robin Boustead.
“With extensive sections to help choose a trekking region, this is a route and planning guide for anyone organising a trekking holiday in Nepal. It includes the most popular routes as well as the newest trekking areas plus the most extreme route of all, the 160-day Great Himalaya Trail. There are route guides to the following regions: Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Rolwaling, Solu-Khumbu (Everest Region), Helambu & Langtang, Ganesh & Manaslu, Annapurna, Naar & Phu, Mustang, Dolpo, The Far West.” (Syndetics summary)
