Books That Inspire Travel
On Day Three of Media Week, we are joining the ranks.
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Here it comes, the post that almost every travel blog has tacked in the past. But it is media week after all and how can one talk about all the different mediums that inspire travel and not talk about our favorite travel books?
The books that we have come up with on our list are simply the books that we like. The books about a specific country or a journey that have either inspired us to visit them, make a difference or try something new.
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Books that Inspire Travel
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Neil Pearts Masked Rider
West Africa
Arguably the best drummer of all time, Neil Peart is a part of the iconic Canadian rock band Rush. Many people know him as a massively talented musician, but many people do not realize that Neil Peart is an Avid Cyclist. Masked Rider is an honest and undisguised account of his time cycling in West Africa. It is not your average Rock Legends journey. He suffers from the usual problems that poor backpackers face. Disgusting accommodations, heat, exhaustion, personality clashes and don’t forget the inevitable dysentery. Neil Peart lets us see the man behind the rock star and he makes us realize that superstars are people too.
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[amazonify]0465044131:left:product:thpld-20:[/amazonify]
The Bang Bang Club by Greg Marinovich and Jaoa Silva
South Africa
Set in Apartheid Era South Africa, the Bang Bang Club is a true account telling the tale of the 4 photojournalists that dared to enter the townships and document history as it was happening. Heartbreaking and shocking, the Bang Bang Club doesn’t hold back when telling of the brutality of that time. The photographers had to come to terms with their own demons and what they witnessed day in day out as war correspondence reporters. They were the top of their profession with their photographs in demand around the world. Their photos made history and set new standards achieving two Pulitzer Prizes between them. But it took it’s toll on each and every one of them and only 2 men managed to survive this tumultuous time in history.
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[amazonify]1416562605:left:product:thpld-20:[/amazonify]
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
India
If you are looking for the perfect little picture of India and a beautiful homage to its temples and culture, or paying tribute to its burgeoning place as a powerhouse on the world market, this is not the book for you. White Tiger tells of a dirty and unforgiving India. An India that doesn’t let people claw their way out of their caste and an India that doesn’t have sympathy for the poor or helpless. This is a book that neither of us could put down and a book that we feel needs to be read by everyone traveling to India. The people that have spent their time in an Ashram or driving around the country in an air conditioned car hire or in their sanitized tour group isolated from the people of India won’t like it, but like one review said “This is the book that India Tourism doesn’t want you to read.
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[amazonify]0374531269:left:product:thpld-20:[/amazonify]
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Sierra Leone
This no hold’s bar autobiography of Child Soldier Ishmael Beah is gripping. A Long Way Gone tells how an innocent child can be forced into savage warfare. Having lost everything including his family, his home and his soul, Ishmael tells of his journey to evade the military for three years by hiding in the jungle and half starving to death. Recounting the fear and despair he felt each day until he was finally captured by the government army. Hopped up on drugs, forced to commit unthinkable acts and eventually accepting the life of revenge and violence, this is a story of going to hell and back. It was after a long and painful rehabilitation once rescued by UNICEF that he began to heal and rebuild his lost childhood.
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[amazonify]B003L1ZWZS:left:product:thpld-20:[/amazonify]
Travels by Michael Crichton
Around the World
Who would have thought that the author of such best sellers as Jurassic Park, Rising Sun and Disclosure could also be an extraordinary travel writer. Travels is one of the best travel books we have ever read. A collection of memoirs dating back to his medical school days, Crichton weaves a story through time blending his life with his travels. It was his retelling of his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro that inspired me to always be truthful when writing about travel. People always forget the bad and only tell the good when they get home from a trip. Travel is tough and it is not always fun, but travel will always be an extraordinary experience. Do yourself a favour and get a copy of Travels, he was doing it all before it was easy.
Photo courtesy of llaurenb
17 Responses to Books That Inspire Travel
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Shantaram is also a very inspiring picture of India. Bittersweet, laugh out loud, exciting book. I’d never wanted to visit before reading this, now it’s definitely on my list.
Laura, I will definitely have to check out Shantaram thanks for the recommendation.
Oops, I replied to Trisha on the wrong post, that is supposed to be on Celebrities that inspire travel post. Taking it off now, but didn’t want you to think that I was a crazy person and going off on a tangent regarding celebrities:) Sorry Laura.
I must say it did confuse me!
Haha, sorry about that. If you didn’t reply back, I would have never known and we would have had an odd message on our books post about celebrities.
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Hahaha, I am laughing because the two books I can’t stand about India are The White Tiger and Shantaram — and both are mentioned here, in your post and in the comments. I have read a lot of books about India and I think there are far better books, more balanced, more insightful, more honest. I find these two blow a lot of hot air.
I think there is a kind of reactionary response to the “shining” India of economists or the “magical” India of travel writers and spiritual seekers. In fact, India — like life — is all of these things. Magical, poor, spiritual, dirty, friendly, nerve-wracking. A lot depends on your perspective, attitude and perception.
I have said before that India is like the cave that Yoda sends Luke into. When Luke asks, “What will I find there?” Yoda answers, “Only what you bring in with you.”
Mariellen
.-= Mariellen Ward´s last blog ..Photo of the Week- Naga Sadhu =-.
Well, we will agree to disagree on this subject. We enjoyed many parts of India and made friends with many wonderful people, but a book that talks about the negatives of any country is important. That is how change is made. The poor need a voice and White Tiger gives them one in a very entertaining way to let people know their side of the story. I would love to know the books that are more balanced and insightful, it would be great if you could list a couple of recommendations and I will check them out.
And your Star Wars quote (while very profound) has nothing to do with the book and the point we are making. White Tiger is about the people that are living in India, not about what a tourist is supposed to get out of their spiritual journey to India.
Thanks for your comment Mariellen, I know that you love India and this recommendation isn’t meant to offend people that do, it is just a book that we felt hit the nail on the head of a lot of what we saw and read in the papers while we were there.
I’m glad you replied to this Dave, the post made me feel stupid and ignorant when I first read it, but then I thought about it more and my point still stands – I read the book and it made me want to go to India. I will stand with the agreement to disagree – Shantaram is a work of fiction, which is a story with hints of lives and attitudes in India, but through extreme views. It’s like saying you’d never go to Virginia because of Patricia Cornwell’s books. If I wanted earnest travel writing with a true anthropological view, I’d have gone to the travel writing or the history section. Perhaps it’s even more impressive that a work of fiction can open your mind to a country. I get a better view of what it’s really like from Indian friends, but I’m also a literature fan and have many influences in my travel life.
I’m currently struggling through Open Veins of Latin America, which is a socio-historic view of the region, before travelling out to Costa Rica later this year. It’s very worthy and I would really like to understand more of the politics, history and culture before I go but I’m highly unlikely to finish it as history presented in fact is rarely inspirational and certainly more difficult to absorb. My partner bought me Costa Rica: A Traveller’s Literary Companion, which is a series of local, translated short stories and folklore. I’ve whizzed through it because it was enjoyable and accessible – far more inspiring than the worthier tome that will give me a ‘better’ view.
Sorry to rant – apparently I feel quite strongly about this!
Thanks for the comment and don’t be sorry at all. That is what we love about blogging, it encourages discussion. I think that your point is bang on. Books of extremes can make me want to go the a country even more. The Bang Bang Club is very unforgiving and yet, I think that it inspires people to go to South Africa. I read it while I was there and loved it even though it didn’t portray the country is a perfect light.
I guess, a lot of the books we mentioned don’t paint a pretty picture of any country, but they all have inspired us to explore them more.
And you are right, this is a book of fiction and it is impressive that a book can open your mind to a country and evoke such strong feelings on either side of the coin. That makes for great writing I think, when people feel passionate about it either way…absolutely loving it, or genuinely hating it.
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga is really cool and also Travels by Michael Crichton…great list D&D!
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Thanks. I am glad that someone else has read travels. When we tell people that Michael Chricton had a travel book they think we are mistaken. But it is very good.
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I agree – I loved White Tiger and couldn’t put it down. I read about five or six of the “must reads” that were popular for India travelers at the time and White Tiger and Shantaram were tops!
I have to read Shantaram. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it before writing this post. That is what I love about posts like this, you can learn so much from other people.
Oh lordy my stack of books that I want to read is already sizable but I can see I’m going to add a few more to it….you have some great recommendations here.
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