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92nd out of 324 books
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In Xanadu: A Quest
While waiting for the results of his college exams, William Dalrymple decides to fill in his summer break with a trip. But the vacation he plans is no light-hearted student jaunt - he decides to retrace the epic journey of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to Xanadu, the ruined palace of Kubla Kahn, north of Peking. For the first half of the trip he is accompanied by Laura, whom h...more
Paperback, 319 pages
Published
April 1st 2000
by Lonely Planet Publications
(first published 1989)
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I'm surprised how much I liked this book. I first heard of it in the Epiphany sermon our priest gave at church, when he read from this book about the legendary birthplace of the Three Kings, as Dalrymple backpacked through Iran. The book, following in the footsteps of Marco Polo as he took oil from the lamp of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to Xanadu, the lair built by Kubla Khan, is taken from his journal of the trip, and is alternatively horrifying, edifying and hilarious. He ca...more
In Xanadu- a Quest; by William Darlymple, 302pp, 1990
Seven centuries ago, the famous trader, explorer Marco Polo set off from Jerusalem on a mission to reach the court of the Mongol King Kubla Khan, who’s palace was in a place called Xanadu. He then immortalized his journey in The Travels, which later became one of the most detailed pieces of travel writing ever completed. In his first book, the (then) 21-year old Mr. Darlymple takes readers back on the same route, attempting at every page ...more
Seven centuries ago, the famous trader, explorer Marco Polo set off from Jerusalem on a mission to reach the court of the Mongol King Kubla Khan, who’s palace was in a place called Xanadu. He then immortalized his journey in The Travels, which later became one of the most detailed pieces of travel writing ever completed. In his first book, the (then) 21-year old Mr. Darlymple takes readers back on the same route, attempting at every page ...more
I received this book as a birthday gift from a dear friend; speed posted through www.flipkart.com. He ofcourse had noticed me eyeing this book in one of the bookshops in bangalore, India.
I read 'The Travels' by Marco Polo, two years back, i.e in 2009;ever since I had been mesmerised by the travel writing genre. In 13th century AD, MArco Polo travelled to Xanadu ( present day China, near Mongolia) to meet the great Kublai Khan. Polo having started from Venice (Italy) passed through Je...more
I read 'The Travels' by Marco Polo, two years back, i.e in 2009;ever since I had been mesmerised by the travel writing genre. In 13th century AD, MArco Polo travelled to Xanadu ( present day China, near Mongolia) to meet the great Kublai Khan. Polo having started from Venice (Italy) passed through Je...more
I love William Dalrymple for the simple fact that he writes about his amazing travels through a seamless blend of fact and fiction. Having read and loved his City of Djinns (a must-read if you're a Dilliwala), Nine Lives and White Mughals, I have loved this first book of his as well. In this book, the author, a final year Cambridge student, tries to backpack his way through the route Marco Polo had taken - Turkey, Iran and finally China, in the Inner Mongols in Xanadu where Marco Polo ended his ...more
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Describing a journey taken from Jerusalem to the Mongol Summer Capital north of Beijing in 1986, this is a delightful piece of classic travel writing marred only by the youth of the author--at the time a Cambridge undergraduate, which explains his tendencies to make somewhat racist and sexist snap judgments about the people he meets and to make fun of how they butcher English. One can only imagine what the people in the countries he visited would have made of the way he spoke their languages, bu...more
Despite the posh-boy-lets-all-climb-the-mountain-in-our-pumps mindset of the author, this is actually a very enjoyable read which I breezed through. There's not much I can add to the various puffs you'll find associated with the book, but I did find myself subconsciously adapting some paragraphs to my own travels:
"There are moments on all long journeys when the whole business of travelling seems utterly futile. One feels homesick, tired, and above all bored. Nothing pleases. Eve...more
"There are moments on all long journeys when the whole business of travelling seems utterly futile. One feels homesick, tired, and above all bored. Nothing pleases. Eve...more
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To embark on a journey from Jerusalem to Mongolia - tracing the path of Marco Polo in itself is a commendable feat - considering that the journey is fraught with dangerous places and not at a pleasure trip at al. If that by itself is commendable, what can be more commendable is the to write the travelogue so well at the 'tender' age of 21. The author knows to hold his audience firmly by sandwiching humor, nail biting incidents, Marco Polo's writings in between more serious stuff about the place...more
This book made me feel like all of my travels have been absolutely insignificant. I too have traveled halfway across the world, often wondering if the form of transport would break down before reaching its destination. I too have spent days with terrible illnesses in desert towns, albeit closer to my home in Texas. I have done many of the things he talks about in this book, but they all pale in comparison to the sense of drive that Dalrymple writes about. After achieving something like that,...more
Oy. I've loved everything else by William Dalrymple so far, but I was really unhappy with this. It lacks a lot of the reflection that I've come to associate with him, and a lot of the humor was really unpleasant. It also skimmed over a lot of detail, and the bits of background history incorporated into the narrative often don't flow very well.
Skip this one and go straight to City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi.
Skip this one and go straight to City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi.
"I got our maps out and drew a black line between Jerusalem and Acre. It was about a quarter of an inch long. Lahore was three feet away at the edge of the map. Peking lay halfway across the room on an entirely different sheet. It seemed a long way indeed."
- William Dalrymple in In Xanadu.
Equipped with a generous share of bravado and a rugged backpack, Dalymple makes that journey halfway across the room. While you struggle to catch your breath to match his break...more
- William Dalrymple in In Xanadu.
Equipped with a generous share of bravado and a rugged backpack, Dalymple makes that journey halfway across the room. While you struggle to catch your breath to match his break...more
A wry, funny and very British travelogue, this book follows Marco Polo's overland journey through the Arabia and the Orient to Xanadu, famed summer capital of Kubla Kahn, on what amounted to a failed expedition to convery the Mogol king as he was considering Christianity. Imagine if that had worked?
The book is full of facts and history (perhaps a bit too much, or too dense, requiring a familiarity with the subject matter that I don't think many have), but it's also a fantastic, terr...more
The book is full of facts and history (perhaps a bit too much, or too dense, requiring a familiarity with the subject matter that I don't think many have), but it's also a fantastic, terr...more
Perhaps i should have consulted a doctor; instead i went to a travel agent and bought a ticket to Jerusalem.
William Dalrymple's first book takes us across Asia, from Jerusalem to Xanadu, as he retraces the footsteps of Marco Polo. Along the way, he takes in the glorious sites along the Silk Road, searching for the remnants of towns described by Polo in his own writing. He does an excellent job of combining historical and travel writing, comparing the cities of the past with their pre...more
William Dalrymple's first book takes us across Asia, from Jerusalem to Xanadu, as he retraces the footsteps of Marco Polo. Along the way, he takes in the glorious sites along the Silk Road, searching for the remnants of towns described by Polo in his own writing. He does an excellent job of combining historical and travel writing, comparing the cities of the past with their pre...more
A smidge misleading in its description, since Dalrymple does not, in fact, follow the path of Polo precisely, but more heads down the Silk Road in the same vague direction while hitting a couple of the stops on Polo's line. It's an excellent read nonetheless, chock full of hilarious anecdotes and historical perspective. Though it does rather leave one wondering just how batshit nuts Dalrymple must be.
The concept of the book will forever inspire me in travel writing: William Dalrymple traced the footsteps of Marco Polo, while intertwining his own modern-day perspective. Two criticisms I would have are his somewhat condescending tone of non-English speaking cultures and the lack of detail as he gets closer to China. It's still good fun to read.
p18
For two thousand years, Jerusalem has brought out the least attractive qualities in every race that has lived there. The Holy City has had more atrocities committed in it, more consistently, than any other town in the world. Sacred to three religions, the city has witnessed the worst intolerance and self-righteousness of all of them.
For two thousand years, Jerusalem has brought out the least attractive qualities in every race that has lived there. The Holy City has had more atrocities committed in it, more consistently, than any other town in the world. Sacred to three religions, the city has witnessed the worst intolerance and self-righteousness of all of them.
One of the best books I have read recently. I love to read anything by William Dalrymple. He is a fantastic writer. He mixes historical facts, narratives from ancient writers, his own views, and misadventures all with Scottish wit, charm, and fun.
The first book of William Dalrymple. I love anything by this guy. Youthful yet insightful and erudite in his travels across Asia. Also his more recent 'White Mughals' is an accessible gem for those with an interest in British-Indian History.
Give a good insight into China. One will be able to better appreciate the book if one knows the Christian History and some details of the Crusades.
Gets a little tedious in a few places as the author and his companion (the companion changes in between the trip keep avoiding the law to make further progress.
But many good details about China. Very little of other countries through which they pass for obvious reason as the travel distance covers most of China and only little parts of other...more
Gets a little tedious in a few places as the author and his companion (the companion changes in between the trip keep avoiding the law to make further progress.
But many good details about China. Very little of other countries through which they pass for obvious reason as the travel distance covers most of China and only little parts of other...more
For the most part I enjoy his historical asides, but sometimes they run on too long for me. I think that is why it took me a while to get through this; many other books grabbed my attention more in the interim. Once he really started traveling - getting into Syria, then Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and China - I enjoyed the read much more. I guess maybe I tolerate the historical bits, but I enjoy the travel adventures. I think part of the reason for my slow read is also that Marco Polo isn't a compell...more
Inspiring tale of youth's possibilities and quests. At the same time packed with tales and historical facts about some of the least known and even less understood regions and peoples on the planet. Great read!
El libro empezó bien pero se fue deformando en un montón de generalizaciones nada que ver. Le abono el párrafo en el cuál se desmitifica la imagen de Marco Polo como un viajero romántico.
The first book from William Dalrymple, this book tells about the journey that the auther had taken in lines with Marco Polo centuries earlier. Very good read
This nonfiction account of Dalrymple's travels, following Marco Polo's trail, is very detailed. It is much more than I wanted to know about small towns in Turkey and Iran, etc. BUT, if you are going to travel in areas Marco Polo was in, then this book is at least worth checking out of the library. Dalrymple writes with an easy style, and he loves the adventure he is on at age 22, when the book was written. I respect and envy his knowledge of ancient history. I realize that when I look at a ruin,...more
The hardships on the trip are no deterrent to imagining yourself following the trip with the author. Impressed that he was 21 when he started. And Inspired.
What an adventure. This was true travel indeed.
Reminded me of our travel days in the early 70's.
Reminded me of our travel days in the early 70's.
Some good bits but overall not "as advertised," at least to me. I suspect the review that put me onto this hyped the book more than was justified. An undergraduate's effort to be Paul Theroux best describes it.
It was one of those books that just started off great, like an adventure and I was bored by the middle. I put it down and a month later I went back to finish it. I liked it but didnt really come away with a great sense of I want to read it again or read somthing else by the author. Maybe his books on India will be more intresting. We will see.
Funny and beautifully written.
By turns fascinating, informative and downright hilarious, this has (rightly) become one of the modern-day travel-writing classics. It is a superb read.
Dalrymple follows the steps of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to the court of Ghengis Khan, via the then (just as now) very volatile Middle East (and Iran in particular).
Bits of this are so funny they had my Dad laughing so hard in his hospital bed that he was told to shush by the nurses.
Dalrymple follows the steps of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to the court of Ghengis Khan, via the then (just as now) very volatile Middle East (and Iran in particular).
Bits of this are so funny they had my Dad laughing so hard in his hospital bed that he was told to shush by the nurses.
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William Dalrymple was born in Scotland and brought up on the shores of the Firth of Forth. He wrote the highly acclaimed bestseller In Xanadu when he was twenty-two. The book won the 1990 Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award and a Scottish Arts Council Spring Book Award; it was also shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize. In 1989 Dalrymple moved to Delhi where he lived for six year...more
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