Tim Cahill writes in his introduction to The Best American Travel Writing 2006, "'Story' is the essence of the travel essay. Stories are the way we...
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reviews
Apr 08, 2010
Christy
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Here is a rundown of the essays in the 2006 compilation that stand out in my mind:
“After the Fall” by Tom Bissell and Morgan Meis
In this essay, the authors visit Vietnam, a week in advance of the 30th anniversary of South Vietnam’s surrender. Things go wrong for the journalists when they visit a few too many dissidents. The end of the article finds one of them stumbling around Saigon while the celebrations commence, his companions having been forced to leave the country More...
“After the Fall” by Tom Bissell and Morgan Meis
In this essay, the authors visit Vietnam, a week in advance of the 30th anniversary of South Vietnam’s surrender. Things go wrong for the journalists when they visit a few too many dissidents. The end of the article finds one of them stumbling around Saigon while the celebrations commence, his companions having been forced to leave the country More...
Feb 11, 2012
This is travel writing that takes you beyond place – and beyond mere description. These pieces illuminate the places visited by looking beyond tourist clichés and descriptions, by looking at the people and the issues that inform these geographies, or by looking anew at places travelled to previously. There are pieces which shine a spotlight on personal experiences, mixing the personal with the place, and there are pieces which mine the conundrums that face all of us as tourists, travellers or gu
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Jul 07, 2009
Matthew
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This was an excellent collection that really helped me engage my travel writing wet dream. Best articals include: The New Mecca by George Saunders, The Selling of the Last Savage by Michael Behar, A St. Petersburg Christmas by Gary Shteyngart, and Lets Ski Korea by Christopher Solomon. There are several other really good ones. I am making it a personal goal get into the 2009 or 2010 editions, so keep your eye out.
Jan 26, 2009
Mina
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A compilation of short travel essays. Some of my favorite stories:
"The Price of Paradise" -- Poking fun at an enormously expensive trip to the Grand Waimea.
"The New Mecca" -- Surreal trip through Dubai and speaking with the worker inhabitants there.
"Out of Ohio"-- A beautiful reminiscence on growing up in Ohio, and hitchiking out of, and back to Ohio. Gorgeous!
"The Price of Paradise" -- Poking fun at an enormously expensive trip to the Grand Waimea.
"The New Mecca" -- Surreal trip through Dubai and speaking with the worker inhabitants there.
"Out of Ohio"-- A beautiful reminiscence on growing up in Ohio, and hitchiking out of, and back to Ohio. Gorgeous!
Dec 16, 2009
Michael
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I love these compendiums of short stories - it's an excellent opportunity to be exposed to writers that you otherwise would not have heard of. Pick any genre you like - I like mystery and travel - and take down little bite size pieces of reading. The travel stories, especially, can be little epics of adventure of which you can tackle several in the course of a quiet evening.
I picked this one up because Tim Cahill, the editor, is one of my favorite travel writers. Previous installme More...
I picked this one up because Tim Cahill, the editor, is one of my favorite travel writers. Previous installme More...
Apr 14, 2008
Brian
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This book is a collection of essays and articles previously published in magazines such as Outside, GQ, the New Yorker, Nat. Geo. Adventure, etc. It has a good blend of stories one might expect with the midset of a magazine writer. The book therefore is well written and approaches travel and culture with erudition and insight. Some articles cover international sea travel, traveling in hostile or primative countries and regions, or lampooning decadent or silly displays of tourism in Hawaii, Du
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Apr 18, 2011
Marie
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A good mix of articles, especially enjoyed the one about the oldest Turkish bath house, Costa Rica (who knew that it was a prostitute paradise vacation? Now I will have these images every time a man says he's taking a buddy trip there.), and Calvin Trillin's search for a good bowl of stew.
Sep 26, 2010
Stacy
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I love travel writing. I love short stories. It's a perfect combo. A variety of writing styles and places visited means you can skip anything that doesn't suit your fancy. There were some pretty fantastic and very funny chapters.
Dec 27, 2009
Laura
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So far this is the best of the "best american travel" anthologies i read. i love the personal look at the founder of "lonely planet" and the stories on dubai and libya and sailing across the atlantic were also great.
Feb 02, 2010
Agustinus
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My favorite is the New Mecca by George Sanders. Really a good insight and fresh travel writing style.
Oct 18, 2007
Sam
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Seriously,
the title really is true. This was amazing. I loved it to pieces. My parents gave it to me for chirstmas and I was mightly confused. After reading it once through, i started over again just so i could remember all the places that I'd been in the book.
The different writing styles, the love\hate\fear of the places discribed, and amazing.
two favorites include, mountaineering in Afghanistan, and a drunken christmas/new years in st. petersburg (there is a great quote More...
the title really is true. This was amazing. I loved it to pieces. My parents gave it to me for chirstmas and I was mightly confused. After reading it once through, i started over again just so i could remember all the places that I'd been in the book.
The different writing styles, the love\hate\fear of the places discribed, and amazing.
two favorites include, mountaineering in Afghanistan, and a drunken christmas/new years in st. petersburg (there is a great quote More...
Jul 20, 2010
Melissa
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Perhaps a handful of the stories I started and did not choose to spend my time finishing, but most were at least moderately captivating. Favorite was Michael Paterniti's XXXXL, written for GQ.
Jul 07, 2009
Harley
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I picked this up on an exchange shelf while on Bequia this winter -- seemed appropriate. I've been picking it up and reading the essays one or two at a time every since, and so many of them have been enjoyable that I'm giving this the full five stars. Oddities like skiing in South Korea and experiencing Dubai, and creepy things like a trip into the interior of New Guinea, and just a whole variety. I guess I'm going to have to start picking up this Best series along with the short stories.
Feb 05, 2011
kenneth
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A collection of short stories with travel as the focus. I have read all the editions of the series since 98 and this one has me waiting for 07. I love the subject matter and seeing what counts as a travel story...the Sedaris story is excellent, as is the one on Afghanastan (sp?), but if you are just getting into travel writting I have to say the 98 edition edited by Bill Bryson has some of the best short stories I have ever encountered.
Word.
Word.
Oct 12, 2008
Caleb
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This is the second in this annual series which I have read. They have a wonderful collection of stories which are loosely clumped as travelogues, but really span an incredibly wide range of well-written nonfiction about different places. It is quite fun to read of all these places I would love to go if I had the time and money!
Dec 17, 2009
Jenny
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This book incompased stories from all over the World. Stories of travel harships, challenges, and even love abroad. I would suggest this book to everyone. Its stories range from 2 pages to 30.
Every story is different from the next, and the information that I have learned from each essay will keep my travel bug itching!
Every story is different from the next, and the information that I have learned from each essay will keep my travel bug itching!
Jun 07, 2008
Natasha
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with gas prices at an all-time high, airports overcrowded, and the dollar in the toilet, looks like i'll be staying home this summer! luckily, this collection of short-stories makes me live vicariously through the authors, and even at times makes me happy to be at home!
Jan 08, 2008
Anjali
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These are great and a new one is published every year! They are the best travel essays from the year previous and give a story about the place that was experienced as opposed to a 'eat here! sleep here!' It gives a good perspective on what a place is really like.
Oct 30, 2007
Melissa
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Kind of a mixed bag, but some of these are truly excellent. The PJ O'Rourke piece stands out - who knew a tour of an Airbus factory could be funny? Heidi Julavits's exploration of nudity as a destination is thought-provoking too.
Dec 17, 2009
Ilana
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this is my favorite series of books. they are about places all over the world and you can learn a lot about cuulture, history and politics from them. i try not to read this too fast b/c you have to wait a whole year for the next one...
Jul 19, 2007
Jrobertus
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26 travel essays by a range of writers. i liked most of them but the "walk in wakhan", a story about fishing in mongolia, and calvin trillin's exposition on bean soup were among my favorites.
Oct 24, 2007
Eli
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There are some really incredible pieces in there, as well as some that frustrate, irritate, and fail to get a rise at all. But the fantastic ones predominate. Chillin.
Nov 24, 2007
Jen
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Read this collection of short articles at your leisure. I highly recommend the story of the Ukranian giant and the one David Sedaris contributed.
May 10, 2009
Joan
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lots of really good short stories. perfect for bus rides!!! i dont know much about the series but everyone ive talked to has enjoyed the older books.
Jun 24, 2008
Nina
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This was part of Pete's christmas present to me last year, and I'm _still_ reading it. 1st year of Grad school has been rough on my nonscience reading.
Jun 19, 2008
Stacey
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I enjoy this series quite a bit. A lot of the essays are about places I'll never visit so it's a great way to get a view of them.
Jan 07, 2008
Michael
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Good selection of travel writing. The short story/essay format makes this one easy to read a little at a time.
Jul 27, 2007
Nadine
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I was introduced to this series in a grad school travel writing class. The selected stories do not disappoint.
