Travel Narratives

Love And War in the Apennines by Eric Newby

2011-03-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

Lonely Planet Love & War in the Apennines (Travel Literature)

Eric Newby escapes through a hospital window to become a POW on the run in Italy in 1943. With the Nazis moving in from the north and no certain way back to England, his situation appears grim. But with the help of local farmers and villagers, who risk their lives to shelter him, he survives. Hiding in shepherds' huts and even a cave, he achieves three precious months of freedom - and meets the determined and courageous woman who would become his wife.

Love and War in the Apennines is an intimate account of the horror and surrealism of war, and of the heroism and selflessness of those caught up in its madness. Eric Newby creates an unforgettable record of the resilience of human nature in the face of despair, and forcefully remind us of the pointlessness of war.

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat

2011-03-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat

What is more Turkish than the fez? Almost anything, as it turns out. Just two years after Turkey was officially proclaimed a republic in 1923, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk outlawed the fez. For Ataturk, the maroon felt headgear foisted on Turkey's turbaned Ottoman precursors by a similarly reform-minded ruler, Mahmud II, just 100 years earlier, symbolized Turkey's backwardness?unlike the European hats Ataturk himself favored. It's not taking anything away from the book to say that first-time author Seal, after traipsing through Ankara, Istanbul, Cappadocia and many much more obscure Turkish towns (as well as the Moroccan city of Fez), doesn't discover the origins of the fez. But aided by fluent Turkish (it fails him once when he believes a host has invited him to hunt Kurds, only to discover that the game is kurts, or wolves) and wry sensibility, he does offer both an engaging, often very funny travelogue and real insights into Turkey's troubled balancing act between modernity and tradition, between Europe and Islam. For those who were surprised by the plurality gained by Turkey's pro-Islamic Refah (or Welfare) Party in the most recent elections, Seal's book shows that we could all learn a lot from a hat.

Tracks by Robyn Davidson a desert odyssey through Australia on camel

2011-03-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

Tracks

A cult classic with an ever-growing audience, Tracks is the brilliantly written and frequently hilarious account of a young woman's odyssey through the deserts of Australia, with no one but her dog and four camels as companions. Davidson emerges as a heroine who combines extraordinary courage with exquisite sensitivity.

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail

2011-02-24T07:34:00.000-05:00

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail

In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to fulfill a dream and hike the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller's account of this thru-hike along the entire 2,172 miles from Georgia to Maine. On page after page, readers are treated to rich descriptions of the valleys and mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the life-changing moments that can only be experienced when dreams are pursued. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about safety and proper gear, with a view into a professional hiker's preparations and tenacity. This is not merely a travel guide, but a beautifully written and highly personal view into one man's adventure and what it means to make a lifelong vision come true.

Great Travel narratives books for your trip to Italy

2011-02-20T10:10:00.000-05:00

Great Travel narratives books for your trip to Italy http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/travel-tips-and-articles/66656?affil=fb-fan

An Italian Education (Tim Parks). Parks takes a witty and observant look at the society around him as he watches his children navigate the Italian school system. In an earlier work, Italian Neighbours, he viewed a wider panorama, observing everything from Catholicism to racism.

Heel to Toe: Encounter in the South of Italy (Charles Lister). Lister explores the glory and sadness of the south in his trip aboard a clapped-out moped.

Travel Narrative of the Day: Quest for the Sublime: Finding Nature's Secret in Switzerland by @richardbangs

2011-02-16T09:09:00.000-05:00

Travel Narrative of the Day: Quest for the Sublime: Finding Nature's Secret in Switzerland by @richardbangs http://tinyurl.com/SwitzBook

In addition to being a picturesque setting for organized tours into the wild, Switzerland has long been considered the birthplace of adventure travel and the wellspring of eco-tourism. Byron, Shelly, Keats, and Wordsworth all traveled to Switzerland, and upon reaching the Swiss Alps the word they chose to describe what they saw was, not surprisingly, sublime. Here, Richard Bangs embarks upon a new adventure to discover what sublime truly meant to those early travelers and to know how the experiences of past poets and artists transformed the concept of travel. Along the way Bangs examines questions surrounding natural resources, finding answers in Switzerland that may serve as examples for the rest of the world.

With Few Reservations: Travels at Home and Abroad by Peter I. Rose

2011-02-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

With Few Reservations is a collection of forty-eight engaging commentaries that were written by the sociologist, traveler, and photographer, Peter Rose, editor of the magazine, SoGoNow.com. They offer lively takes on what a travel writer does, "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves", and vivid descriptions of what it is like to enjoy "Austrian Ambiance in the Green Mountains of Vermont" and "Italian Culture in a Swiss Canton." He helps us to understand the reason so many people are "Stoop-Shouldered in Sanibel" and have conversions in the Arizona desert.

How do you enjoy "Moorish Arches and Other Spanish Delights" or spend quality time in "Sarajevo Today?" Come along on a "Northwest Passage across Europe," or take a cruise in "Liner Luxury" and sail on windjammers "Plain and Fancy." Visit many special venues - from Cape Cod to Cape Horn and Arizona to Zeeland, in the Netherlands. Go "Behind the Scenes" in the travel business with a knowledgeable expert. Several photo essays offer new insights relating to places and people-and offer some hindsight as well. These sojourns form the core of the forty-eight stories in With Few Reservations.

With Few Reservations: Travels at Home and Abroad
Peter I. Rose

A Time to Keep Silence

2011-02-13T08:59:00.000-05:00

The current top seller in Travelogues at Amazon is A Time to Keep Silence(New York Review Books Classics) by Patrick Leigh Fermor http://tinyurl.com/TimeToKeepSilence

A Time to Keep Silence (New York Review Books Classics)

While still a teenager, Patrick Leigh Fermor made his way across Europe, as recounted in his classic memoirs, A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water. During World War II, he fought with local partisans against the Nazi occupiers of Crete. But in A Time to Keep Silence, Leigh Fermor writes about a more inward journey, describing his several sojourns in some of Europe’s oldest and most venerable monasteries. He stays at the Abbey of St. Wandrille, a great repository of art and learning; at Solesmes, famous for its revival of Gregorian chant; and at the deeply ascetic Trappist monastery of La Grande Trappe, where monks take a vow of silence. Finally, he visits the rock monasteries of Cappadocia, hewn from the stony spires of a moonlike landscape, where he seeks some trace of the life of the earliest Christian anchorites.

More than a history or travel journal, however, this beautiful short book is a meditation on the meaning of silence and solitude for modern life. Leigh Fermor writes, “In the seclusion of a cell—an existence whose quietness is only varied by the silent meals, the solemnity of ritual, and long solitary walks in the woods—the troubled waters of the mind grow still and clear, and much that is hidden away and all that clouds it floats to the surface and can be skimmed away; and after a time one reaches a state of peace that is unthought of in the ordinary world.”

An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

2011-02-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

You've seen the show, now read the book: An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington http://t.co/VUU9PFL via @amazon

The companion guide to the hysterical television show of the same name, in which Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant force their arrestingly simple pal Karl Pilkington on a global journey

"He'd have been happier in medieval times in a village where you didn't travel beyond the local community." —Stephen Merchant
A cult celebrity due to his role in The Ricky Gervais Show, the most-downloaded podcast ever, Karl Pilkington has been accused of being a comic creation, so unburdened is he by complex thought—but that is truly just him. The trio's newest project mines Karl massive provinciality: put simply, Karl is not big on traveling. Given the choice, he'll go on vacation to Devon or Wales or, if pushed, eat English food on a package tour of the Mediterranean. So what happened when he was convinced by Gervais and Merchant to go on an epic adventure to see the Seven Wonders of the World? Does travel truly broaden the mind? Find out in Karl Pilkington's hilarious travel diaries.

Book List

2011-02-10T08:02:00.001-05:00

great list of travel books: http://tinyurl.com/8zcku including Over the Top & Back Again by Brandon Wilson, Life is a Trip by Judith Fein.

Complete List of Modern Travel Narratives

2011-02-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

Title Author

The Art of Travel Alain de Botton

Cooper's Creek Alan Moorehead

The Beach Alex Garland

Chasing the Monsoon Alexander Frater

Jaguars and Electric Eels (Penguin Great Journeys) Alexander von Humboldt

My Journey to Lhasa Alexandra David-Neel

Without Reservations Alice Steinbach

Catfish and Mandala Andrew X. Pham

A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines Anthony Bourdain

Wind, Sand and Stars Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Worst Journey in the World Apsley Cherry-Garrard

About this Life Barry Lopez

Arctic Dreams Barry Lopez

West with the Night Beryl Markham

A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson's African Diary Bill Bryson

In a Sunburned Country Bill Bryson

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe Bill Bryson

Notes from a Big Country: A Selection Bill Bryson

Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson

The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America Bill Bryson

Between Extremes: A Journey Beyond Imagination Brian Keenan

In Patagonia Bruce Chatwin

The Songlines Bruce Chatwin

Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books… Bruce Feiler

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey Candice Millard

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition Caroline Alexander

The Voyage of the Beagle Charles Darwin

K2, The Savage Mountain Charles S. Houston

Quest for Adventure Chris Bonington

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia Chris Stewart

Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad (Adventura Books) Christina Henry de Tessan

The Sea Hunters Clive Cussler

The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First… Colin Fletcher

In Siberia Colin Thubron

Shadow of the Silk Road Colin Thubron

The Lost City of Z David Grann

On the Ridge Between Life and Death: A Climbing Life… David Roberts

Eight Feet in the Andes: Travels with a Mule in Unknown… Dervla Murphy

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle Dervla Murphy

Selkirk's Island: The True and Strange Adventures of the… Diana Souhami

Survive the Savage Sea Dougal Robertson

Last Chance to See Douglas Adams

High Adventure Edmund Hillary

The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic Edward Beauclerk Maurice

The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a… Edward M. Grylls

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across… Elizabeth Gilbert

The Historian Elizabeth Kostova

Plane Insanity: A Flight Attendant's Tales of Sex, Rage,… Elliott Hester

Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo Eric Hansen

A Book of Traveller's Tales Eric Newby

A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush Eric Newby

Love and War in the Apennines Eric Newby

Slowly Down the Ganges (Picador Books) Eric Newby

The Big Red Train Ride Eric Newby

The Last Grain Race Eric Newby

Canoeing With The Cree Eric Sevareid

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Long Way Down Ewan McGregor

Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World Ewan McGregor

Eastern Approaches Fitzroy MacLean

A Year in the World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveller Frances Mayes

Bella Tuscany Frances Mayes

Under the Tuscan Sun Frances Mayes

The Oregon Trail Francis Parkman

Alexander's Path Freya Stark

The Valleys of the Assassins: and Other Persian Travels… Freya Stark

The Fearful Void Geoffrey Moorhouse

Ordeal by Hunger George R. Stewart

Nathaniel's Nutmeg: Or the True and Incredible Adventures… Giles Milton

Journey Without Maps Graham Greene

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ...… Greg Mortenson

The Sea and the Jungle H. M. Tomlinson

Seven Years in Tibet Heinrich Harrer

The White Spider Heinrich Harrer

Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for Women Who Are… Holly Morris

The White Rock Hugh Thomson

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hunter S. Thompson

The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place Ian Baker

A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (The Western Frontier… Isabella Lucy Bird

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial… J. Maarten Troost

On the Road Jack Kerouac

The Dharma Bums Jack Kerouac

Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure (Kodansha… James West Davidson

Unsuitable for Ladies: An Anthology of Women Travellers Jane Robinson

An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan Jason Elliot

Journal of the Dead: A Story of Friendship and Murder in… Jason Kersten

A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's… Jason Roberts

Facing the Congo: A Modern-Day Journey into the Heart of… Jeffrey Tayler

Three Men in a Boat Jerome K. Jerome

Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge Jill Fredston

Man-Eaters of Kumaon Jim Corbett

The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag (Oxford India… Jim Corbett

Running the Amazon Joe Kane

The Beckoning Silence Joe Simpson

This Game of Ghosts Joe Simpson

Touching the Void Joe Simpson

The Ascent of Everest John Hunt

Travels with Charley: In Search of America John Steinbeck

Eiger Dreams Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest… Jon Krakauer

Bad Land: An American Romance Jonathan Raban

Hunting Mister Heartbreak: A Discovery of America Jonathan Raban

Old Glory : A Voyage Down the Mississippi Jonathan Raban

Passage to Juneau Jonathan Raban

Cold Oceans: Adventures in Kayak, Rowboat, and Dogsled Jonathan Turk

Sailing Alone Around the World Joshua Slocum

No Vulgar Hotel: The Desire and Pursuit of Venice Judith Martin

Rivers Running Free: Stories of Adventurous Women Judith Niemi

Out of Africa Karen Blixen

Bad Trips Keath Fraser

Worst Journeys: The Picador Book of Travel Keath Fraser

Cruelest Journey: Six Hundred Miles To Timbuktu Kira Salak

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why Laurence Gonzales

Castaway Lucy Irvine

A Woman's Path: Women's Best Spiritual Travel Writing… Lucy McCauley

The Travels of Marco Polo Marco Polo

Worlds to Explore: Classic Tales of Travel and Adventure… Mark Jenkins

Iron and Silk Mark Salzman

Following The Equator: A Journey Around the World Mark Twain

Life on the Mississippi Mark Twain

Roughing It Mark Twain

A Thousand Days in Venice Marlena De Blasi

Mutant Message Down Under Marlo Morgan

Travels in West Africa Mary Kingsley

A Woman's World Marybeth Bond

Wild Stories: The Best of Men's Journal Men's Journal Editors

The Journals of Lewis and Clark (Lewis & Clark Expedition) Meriwether Lewis

Travels Michael Crichton

Around the World in 80 Days Michael Palin

Full Circle Michael Palin

Himalaya Michael Palin

Pole to Pole Michael Palin

Sahara Michael Palin

Living With Cannibals And Other Womens Adventures Michele Slung

Travels in the Interior of Africa Mungo Park

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex Nathaniel Philbrick

The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands Nicholas Clapp

Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe Nicholas Crane

Danziger's Travels: Beyond Forbidden Frontiers (Paladin… Nick Danziger

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most… Nick Heil

Out of the Noosphere: Adventure, Sports, Travel, and the… Outside Magazine

To the Heart of the Nile: Lady Florence Baker and the… Pat Shipman

A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople - From the Hook… Patrick Leigh Fermor

Between the Woods and the Water Patrick Leigh Fermor

Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese (New York Review… Patrick Leigh Fermor

Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece (New York Review Books… Patrick Leigh Fermor

Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown Paul Theroux

Fresh Air Fiend: Travel Writings Paul Theroux

Pillars of Hercules Paul Theroux

Riding the Iron Rooster Paul Theroux

The Great Railway Bazaar Paul Theroux

The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific Paul Theroux

The Mosquito Coast Paul Theroux

The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas Paul Theroux

To the Ends of the Earth Paul Theroux

Brazilian Adventure Peter Fleming

News from Tartary Peter Fleming

The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and… Peter Forbath

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: The Search for the Lost… Peter Hopkirk

Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret… Peter Hopkirk

A Walk Across America Peter Jenkins

Looking for Alaska Peter Jenkins

The Walk West: A Walk Across America 2 Peter Jenkins

End of the Earth: Voyaging to Antarctica Peter Matthiessen

The Snow Leopard Peter Matthiessen

A Year in Provence Peter Mayle

Toujours Provence Peter Mayle

Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of The World Pico Iyer

It's Not About the Tapas: A Spanish Adventure on Two Wheels Polly Evans

Scott's Last Expedition: The Journals R. F. Scott

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know Ranulph Fiennes

Congo Journey Redmond O'Hanlon

In Trouble Again: A Journey Between Orinoco and the Amazon Redmond O'Hanlon

Into the Heart of Borneo Redmond O'Hanlon

Trawler: A Journey Through the North Atlantic Redmond O'Hanlon

Alone Richard E. Byrd

First Footsteps in East Africa: Or an Exploration of Harar… Richard F. Burton

Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels Richard Halliburton

The Royal Road to Romance Richard Halliburton

Two Years Before the Mast, A Personal Narrative of Life at… Richard Henry Dana

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring Richard Preston

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World Rita Golden Gelman

The Road to Oxiana Robert Byron

The Ends of the Earth: From Togo to Turkmenistan, from Iran… Robert D. Kaplan

Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination Robert Macfarlane

Robert Young Pelton's The World's Most Dangerous Places:… Robert Young Pelton

Tracks Robyn Davidson

N by E Rockwell Kent

The Last Place on Earth Roland Huntford

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term… Rolf Potts

The Places In Between Rory Stewart

Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff Rosemary Mahoney

Travels with Herodotus Ryszard Kapuściński

Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica Sara Wheeler

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure Sarah Macdonald

Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris Sarah Turnbull

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men against the Sea Sebastian Junger

The Home of the Blizzard: A True Story of Antarctic… Sir Douglas Mawson

Gypsy Moth Circles the World Sir Francis Chichester

Atlantis of the Sands Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Living Dangerously Sir Ranulph Fiennes

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom Slavomir Rawicz

Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea Steven Callahan

Malaria Dreams: An African Adventure Stuart Stevens

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph T. E. Lawrence

Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph Ted Simon

Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?: A Swashbuckling Tale of High… Thomas Kohnstamm

AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island Thor Heyerdahl

Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature Thor Heyerdahl

Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific in a Raft Thor Heyerdahl

Blood River: a journey to Africa's broken heart Tim Butcher

Jaguars Ripped My Flesh Tim Cahill

Not So Funny When It Happened: The Best of Travel Humor and… Tim Cahill

Pass the Butterworms: Remote Journeys Oddly Rendered Tim Cahill

Pecked to Death by Ducks Tim Cahill

Road Fever Tim Cahill

Throwim' Way Leg: Tree-Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds Tim Flannery

Travels with a Tangerine : A Journey in the Footnotes of… Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Frost on my Moustache: The Arctic Exploits of a Lord and a… Tim Moore

The Grand Tour: The European Adventure of a Continental… Tim Moore

In Search of Moby Dick: Quest for the White Whale Timothy Severin

The Brendan Voyage Timothy Severin

The China Voyage: Across the Pacific by Bamboo Raft Timothy Severin

The Jason Voyage: The Quest for the Golden Fleece Timothy Severin

The Sinbad Voyage Timothy Severin

The Spice Islands Voyage Timothy Severin

The Cloud Garden: A True Story of Adventure, Survival, and… Tom Hart Dyke

On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel Tony Cohan

Round Ireland with a Fridge Tony Hawks

Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia Tony Horwitz

Blue Latitudes Tony Horwitz

Antarctic adventure : the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic… Vivian Fuchs

An Illustrated Viking Voyage: Retracing Leif Erikssons… W. Hodding Carter

The Ascent of Rum Doodle W.E. Bowman

Arabian Sands Wilfred Thesiger

The Marsh Arabs Wilfred Thesiger

In Xanadu William Dalrymple

Blue Highways: A Journey into America William Least Heat-Moon

River Horse William Least Heat-Moon

Miles Away: A Walk Across France Miles Morland

Travel Book: Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran

2011-02-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

New Book: Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran by @jamiemaslin Published by @skyhorsepub

See Description, Reviews and buy on Amazon Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran

"Bill Bryson meets Jack Kerouac." --Simon Van Booy, author of The Secret Lives of People in Love and Love Begins in Winter

"A timely and valuable book by a young Westerner who decides to see Iran for himself. Maslin is naive upon his arrival--having no idea what to expect--but keeps an open mind and invites the reader along on his fascinating and colorful adventures. His experiences reveal the lies that mainstream media are telling us about the country. Having read this book, I may visit Iran in the near future." --Richard Kendrick, author of Déjà Vu

"Jamie Maslin follows a long line of intrepid young Britons, from Laurie Lee to Paddy Leigh Fermor and, most recently, Rory Stewart, who set off on a journey to distant parts with little money but lots of curiosity; and return to tell their tale. Maslin has a good ear for dialogue and a keen eye. The result is a hitchhiking odyssey across Iran that provides a fascinating, and timely, behind-the-scenes glimpse of a country the news anchors never reach." --Simon Worrall, author of The Poet and the Murderer

"Jamie Maslin's book is Iran from the ground up, and a total surprise to those who only know the media version of that country. A fascinating likeness of a complicated people." --Anthony Brandt, editor of the Journals of Lewis and Clark and The National Geographic Adventure Classics series

"Without pretending to know anything beyond the headlines, Maslin finds his way into conversations with an array of guys who hang out in coffee shops, wanting to party. He charms these young people and various others. More youthful in tone than Jason Elliot's 'Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran,' this travelogue will appeal to armchair travelers and those wondering about future prospects for Iranian society." --Library Journal

"Bill Bryson meets Jack Kerouac." ----Simon Van Booy, author of The Secret Lives of People in Love and Love Begins in Winter

"A timely and valuable book by a young Westerner who decides to see Iran for himself. Maslin is naive upon his arrival--having no idea what to expect--but keeps an open mind and invites the reader along on his fascinating and colorful adventures. His experiences reveal the lies that mainstream media are telling us about the country. Having read this book, I may visit Iran in the near future." ----Richard Kendrick, author of Déjà Vu

"Jamie Maslin follows a long line of intrepid young Britons, from Laurie Lee to Paddy Leigh Fermor and, most recently, Rory Stewart, who set off on a journey to distant parts with little money but lots of curiosity; and return to tell their tale. Maslin has a good ear for dialogue and a keen eye. The result is a hitchhiking odyssey across Iran that provides a fascinating, and timely, behind-the-scenes glimpse of a country the news anchors never reach." ----Simon Worrall, author of The Poet and the Murderer

"Jamie Maslin's book is Iran from the ground up, and a total surprise to those who only know the media version of that country. A fascinating likeness of a complicated people." ----Anthony Brandt, editor of the Journals of Lewis and Clark and The National Geographic Adventure Classics series

"Without pretending to know anything beyond the headlines, Maslin finds his way into conversations with an array of guys who hang out in coffee shops, wanting to party. He charms these young people and various others. More youthful in tone than Jason Elliot's 'Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran,' this travelogue will appeal to armchair travelers and those wondering about future prospects for Iranian society." ----Library Journal

Arctic Wolf at San Diego Zoo Howling

2011-02-09T11:25:00.000-05:00

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.

In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

Red wolves live in the southeastern United States, where they are endangered. These animals actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. Scientists established a breeding program with a small number of captive red wolves and have reintroduced the animal to North Carolina. Today, perhaps 100 red wolves survive in the wild.

The maned wolf, a distant relative of the more familiar gray and red wolves, lives in South America. Physically, this animal resembles a large, red fox more than its wolf relatives.

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles (20 kilometers) in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey—large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.

Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.