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Today, our ability to travel the world is severely limited due to the coronavirus pandemic. But we can be inspired by how others have done it. We offer you to go to distant lands in the company of great travelers and bright literary heroes. With our selection of books, even on the sofa, you can feel free and enjoy exciting adventures, discover new horizons and dream of further trips.
Book of Wonders of the World by Marco Polo
About what: about the travels of a Venetian merchant in Asia and Africa between 1276 and 1291, who lived in China at the court of the Khan for about 15 years. The publication of his book at the beginning of the XNUMXth century was a real discovery of the East for Europeans.
Worth reading: for those who are interested in history and overseas exotics; dreams of learning about the countries of the East of that time, their natural resources and technical achievements; wants to read a book that has become a reference book for many outstanding travelers of the Age of Discovery.
“Wanderings” by Fernand Mendes Pinto
About what: about the travels of the Portuguese Mendes Pinto in the middle of the 21th century to Southeast Asia, China and Japan. His wanderings lasted 13 years, during which he repeatedly found himself on the verge of life and death: Pinto was captured 17 times and enslaved XNUMX times. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, he enjoyed the reputation of Baron Munchausen, until later it turned out that everything in his notes was true.
Worth reading: for those who are interested in history and love adventure novels.
About what: this is a detailed account of the first voyage around the world (1768-1771) of the most famous British navigator, who in just 10 and a half years circumnavigated the globe three times, discovered hundreds of islands, explored Oceania, New Zealand and Australia and crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time.
Worth reading: for those who love fascinating reading and are interested in the annals of great discoveries.
Journey through Africa by Alfred Brehm
About what: about the 17-year journey through Northeast Africa of the great German naturalist of the XNUMXth century A.E. Brema, which tells about all the diversity of the nature of Africa, the hard life of the tribes inhabiting it and the vicissitudes of the expedition itself.
Worth reading: anyone who is impressed by the descriptions of nature and the history of geographical discoveries.
The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl
About what: about the historical experiment of the anthropologist and archaeologist from Oslo Thor Heyerdahl, when he and his team of six people in 1947 crossed the Pacific Ocean on a raft of 9 logs, moving from Peru to Polynesia. The book has been translated into 70 languages.
Worth reading: this is one of the most fascinating travel stories, which is written in a lively and colorful language.
Editor’s Choice
“Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
About what: this is an adventurous confession of a former drug addict who spent time in prison in Australia and fled to India, where he literally has to survive.
Worth reading: for those who want to learn a lot about foreign lands and about the human soul. Those who dream not only to enjoy the descriptions of an exotic country, but also to follow the experiences of the main character, his philosophical reflections on life, values, the meaning of existence.
“Middle way. Caribbean Journey” Vidiadhara Naipola
About what: about immersion in the life of the Caribbean. The author, a native of one of the islands of the West Indies, with humor and a touch of sadness tells about the wrong side of the daily existence of local residents.
Worth reading: to understand how colonialism affected the history of small states, which today seem to tourists a real tropical paradise. And discover that Suriname is the next point on the map of your dreams.