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In Xanadu
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
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Published
(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
Because I am a fan of obscure literary travel memoirs, I picked up this book at a library book sale. It's an under-the-radar account of a Cambridge student's trip in the 1980's. William Dalrymple becomes obsessed with retracing the route of Marco Polo from Jerusalem to Xanadu, Kubla Khan's legendary palace. His mission is to take holy oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulcre, just as Marco Polo did, when he was deputized to deliver it to Kubla Khan. History claims that the Khan had contacts and...more
This journey (from Jerusalem to former Xanadu, along the route of one of Marco Polo's journeys), Willian Darymple makes clear to us on the first few pages, is doomed from the start: Part of it is to be undertaken with a formidable Ex-Oxford hockey player he has barely met, but who conveniently agrees to fill in as his now Ex-girlfriend flakes out, part of it is to be undertaken with same Ex-girlfriend, who, apparently reconciled with the ex-relationship does not mind so much riding on the back o...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 to co...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 to co...more
Young Cambridge undergraduate William Dalrymple sets off with a scholarly agenda to follow Marco Polo's route from Jerusalem (where both picked up some oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to take to eastern emperor Kubla Khan) to Xanadu, in Inner Mongolia. He and two different women companions - the formidable Laura and the lovelorn Louisa - trace the Polo expedition's route through Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the edge of Central Asia. They ride in coal trucks, buses with no w...more
This is a fine book, very enjoyable at times. The history is incorporated very well, the journey documented is fascinating and the captured bits of dialogue are unbelievably great.
It’s far from flawless, however. To many times, Dalrymple relies on architectural details of sepulchers, arches, and tombs. There are very little of logistics here, which would be interesting: how big are their packs? What did they bring? How did they resupply? And almost nothing is said of the scenic Karakoram Highway...more
It’s far from flawless, however. To many times, Dalrymple relies on architectural details of sepulchers, arches, and tombs. There are very little of logistics here, which would be interesting: how big are their packs? What did they bring? How did they resupply? And almost nothing is said of the scenic Karakoram Highway...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 Jerusalem, Cyp...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 Jerusalem, Cyp...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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I read this a shortly after it first appeared. It is one of the most enjoyable travel books that I have ever read. Dalrymple's youthful enthusiasm is infectious.
This and his From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East are amongst Dalrymples's earliest books, and are well worth reading.
I am looking forward to reading his White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India now that I have visited Hyderabad where much of it takes place.
This and his From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East are amongst Dalrymples's earliest books, and are well worth reading.
I am looking forward to reading his White Mughals: Love and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century India now that I have visited Hyderabad where much of it takes place.
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. Everything palls. Fo...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. Everything palls. Fo...more
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This was an interesting mix of William Dalrymple's personal experiences while travelling, descriptions of the places he saw, and a little of the history and culture of the different places (sometimes of the countries as a whole, sometimes of a particular city, fortress or group of people). Although this was an fairly light read, he'd got an impressive looking bibliography at the end which would get someone started if they wanted to read more deeply about the subjects he touched on. I think that'...more
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 places...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, I c...more
In 1269, a 17 year old Venetian merchant, his father and his uncle embarked on an epic journey to the east corner of Asia. They were set upon meeting the then Mongol king Kublai Khan, the grandson of the great Genghis Khan himself. They needed his support in order to protect the Christian lands from conquerors. His name was Marco Polo. They travelled about 24000 Kms. Just to give you an idea the circumference of the earth is about 1.6 times that figure. Marco later documented his travels in a bo...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 breakneck speed through a post revoluti...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 breakneck speed through a post revoluti...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, terrifying, painf...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, terrifying, painf...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 present day inc...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 present day inc...more
Just how impromptu a journey retracing the footsteps of Marco Polo en route to Xanadu can be is debateable!
However, whatever the backdrop, this was a remarkable feat and told so well by Dalrymple who has since become a very established writer on the far east.
This early book of his is full of gusto, wit and charm and it is really a cracking adventure that is also hard to put down.
Highly recommended.
However, whatever the backdrop, this was a remarkable feat and told so well by Dalrymple who has since become a very established writer on the far east.
This early book of his is full of gusto, wit and charm and it is really a cracking adventure that is also hard to put down.
Highly recommended.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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.
i liked this 'classic' travel tale. a few things grated (one too many references to cambridge; like freya stark, he explains how things look by comparing them to things in the UK which leave the non-british reader puzzled - it's as though the british send forth a few travellers, who then report back to the citizens with easy-to-relate-to descriptions). that said, he was 22 when he wrote it. very clever indeed.
May 17, 2013
Babak Fakhamzadeh
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
travel-literature,
iran
A lovely travelogue, where Dalrymple journeyed from Jerusalem to Xanadu, roughly following in Marco Polo's footsteps, in 1986.
A pity that, here and there, I was able to catch Dalrymple in factual errors, perhaps by him employed for more dramatic prosaic effect.
A pity that, here and there, I was able to catch Dalrymple in factual errors, perhaps by him employed for more dramatic prosaic effect.
Like any other Dalrymple book, this book also makes a compelling read. A great journey in the steps of the legendary traveller Marco Polo, with all the necessary ingredients of despondence, adventure, exhilaration and the pure joy of travelling is amply demonstrated in the book.
Very nice idea in the first place following in the footsteps of the legendary Marco Polo. For a twenty one year old to have accomplished it was amazing. The unbelievable part were the two girls who accompanied him. Would I have been so brave at 21; Doubt it.
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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.
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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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May 11, 2013 07:20pm