TravelBraille - Grade 2. Compiled: June 2007.

The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Service braille collection.

Books are lent for up to 3 months, but you can renew your books by telephone, letter or email, unless another reader requires them.

If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services team:

Call: 0303 123 9999Email: library@rnib.org.uk

If you would like further information, or help in selecting titles to read, please visit our website at www . rnib . org . uk / reading or contact the Reader Services team:

Call: +44 (0)161 406 2524Email: reader . advice @ rnib . org . uk Write to us at: RNIB National Library Service, Far Cromwell Rd, Bredbury, Stockport, SK6 2SG, United Kingdom.

Common ground: around Britain in 30 writers. 2006. Writers define places and places inspire writers. What would Dorset be without Thomas Hardy? Imagine the Scottish Highlands without Robert Louis Stevenson. And what was the effect of Hackney on Pinter, Kent on Dickens, or Laugharne on Dylan Thomas. Which writer captures the spirit of a place close to your heart? How have the local landscape, people and stories influenced them? Thirty of Britain's liveliest writers were asked to consider these questions and write about the common ground they share with another writer thus providing a unique, informative and thoroughly entertaining tour of literary Britain.

Not so funny when it happened: the best of travel humour and misadventure. 2000. 1v. American Braille. UK Loan only.This anthology of humorous travel stories include incidents occurring in such faraway places as Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Mexico, China, Morocco, Australia, India and America.

The Englishman abroad. 1962. 5v.A portrait of the Englishman overseas, as seen through the eyes of one hundred and eight authors. The subject is explored through all times and many lands, beginning with "Opening Steps" and "The Grand Tour", continuing with "The Middle Distance" and concluding with "Wide Horizons" such as may be found in America, Tibet, Australia or the Middle East.

Abel, Allen J.Abel's outback: explorations and misadventures on six continents, 1990-2000. 2001. 4v.For many years, as a news correspondent, television host, and journalist, Allen Abel has travelled to some of the world's most fascinating, remote, or newsworthy spots to bring back his stories. This is a collection of travel pieces about his adventures on all six continents over a ten-year period.

Allen, TomRolling home: a cross-Canada railroad memoir. 2001. 3v.Tom Allen travels with his family and alone, through Canada, riding everything from a two-car day liner held together with duct tape to a luxury rail cruiser through the Rockies that is packed with wealthy tourists.

Armitage, SimonAll points North. 1998. 6v.A book about the North - Simon Armitage's North. His subjects include a typical Saturday night out in West Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge - the hippy capital of the universe, watching Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon, and the electrified East coast line. In a series of funny and perceptive pieces, the author reports on Yorkshire and its people. It's an area of extraordinary landscapes - fizzing pylons and swaying television masts on the skyline, moor land like a soggy version of the moon - and vibrant cities where Harvey Nichols looks sideways at Saturday night clubbers, drinkers, dossers and druggies. He mentions the village pantomime on tour in Bridlington, tyre trading around local farms and 'watching' cricket on Ceefax. This is Yorkshire - that bit on the map 'where England tucks its shirt into its underpants'.

Banks, IainRaw spirit. 2003. 5v.In a bid to uncover the unique spirit of the single malt whisky, author Iain Banks has decided to undertake a tour of the distilleries of his homeland. His tour of Scotland combines history, literature and landscape in an entertaining and informative account.

Bedford, SybilleSudden view: a Mexican journey. 1953. 6v.Begins on Grand Central Station, continues with a nightmarish train journey, and then reveals the landscapes and peoples of Mexico. The highlight of this book is the author's stay with Don Otavio, a bankrupt squire still inhabiting his lakeside house, with 17 servants to wait on him.

Botton, Alain deThe art of travel. 2003. 2v.The author journeys through the satisfactions and disappointments of travelling. Dealing with airports, exotic carpets, holiday romance and hotel mini-bars. Accompanying the author are writers, artists and thinkers; such as Gustave Flaubert, Edward Hopper, Baudelaire, Wordsworth, Van Gogh and Ruskin, who provide insights on the curious business of travelling.

Bryson, BillDown under. 2001. 7v. Australia has more things that can kill you than anywhere else. Nevertheless, Bill Bryson journeyed to the country and promptly fell in love with it. The people are cheerful, their cities are clean, the beer is cold and the sun nearly always shines.

Bryson, Bill

Bill Bryson's African diary: 7 days in Kenya. 2002. 1v. Bill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. Travelling around the country, Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and the resultant diary, though short in length, contains the trademark Bryson stamp of wry observation and curious insight.

Butcher, TimBlood river: a journey to Africa's broken heart. 2007.Ever since Stanley first charted its mighty river in the 1870s, the Congo has epitomised the dark and turbulent history of a failed continent. However, its troubles only served to increase the interest of "Daily Telegraph" correspondent Tim Butcher, who was sent to cover Africa in 2000. Butcher retraced Stanley's steps and this is what he found.

Byron, RobertThe road to Oxiana. 1992. 7v.This travel book was written in 1933-4 when the author travelled to Persia and Afghanistan. It is a record of his journeys, full of observation of people and places, and funny dialogue.

Cameron, James.An Indian summer.1974. 3v.In 1971 the author returned to India, which he had always loved. His new Indian wife and her family cast a fresh light on the country and people he felt he had known.

Chatto, James.The Greek for love: a memoir of Corfu. 2005. 3v.They arrived as tourists in Corfu, Wendy from Canada and James from England. They enjoyed the sun, an idyllic beach, olives, fresh apricots and marinated lamb, and long evenings of storytelling at the local tavern. But what captivated James and Wendy was the way the islanders embraced them, and how their deep connection to Corfu and its people sustained them through tragedy just as it had carried them into love. Contains swear words

Chatwin, Bruce.What am I doing here? 1989. 7v.A collection, selected by the author, of his own stories, profiles of fascinating people, and travelogues covering his visits to Russia, China and Afghanistan, amongst other places. A wide variety of pieces, all written with great depth and the author's unique and penetrating perception of the world around him.

Cohan, Tony.On Mexican time: a new life in San Miguel. 2000. 2v.This work provides the evocative story of an American writer and his wife who found a new home and a new lease of life in the 16th-century hill town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They become entwined in the endless drama of Mexican life, a world of indelible characters and little tragedies.

Connelly, Charlie.Attention all shipping: a journey round the shipping forecast. 2000. 2v.This solemn, rhythmic intonation of the shipping forecast on BBC radio is as familiar as the sound of Big Ben chiming the hour. Since its first broadcast in the 1920s it has inspired poems, songs and novels in addition to its intended objective of warning generations of seafarers of impending storms and gales. Yet familiar though the sea areas are by name, few people give much thought to where they are or what they contain. In Attention all shipping Charlie Connelly wittily explores the places behind the voice, those mysterious regions whose names seem often to bear no relation to conventional geography. Armchair travel will never be the same again.

Cook, Kenneth.Wombat revenge. 1987. 3v.Marauding wombats, exploding koalas, vicious quokkas - the animals of Australia's outback are not dear to the heart of Kenneth Cook. He distrusts all native creatures that interfere with his love of comfort and safety - including human beings - who endanger his life with hand grenades, crocodiles and snakes. "Wombat revenge" is a collection of very funny stories about Kenneth Cook's experiences in the bush over many years.

Crewe, Quentin.In the realms of gold: travels through South America. 1989. 6v.Quentin Crewe's 24,000 mile journey started in Venezuela and ended in Colombia. With wit and insight he writes about the situations he found himself in and the people he met, the foibles of bureaucrats and the chance encounters that enriched his travels. He reveals South America as a place of many paradoxes, a continent of high hopes and grand beginnings, which gradually turn to bitter dust and ashes. .

Cruickshank, Dan.Around the world in 80 treasures. 2005.Dan Cruickshank's quest is to tell the story of civilisation through the greatest of man's achievements. It will also be the story of his travels, and who and what he meets along the way. Whether standing before the solemn heads of Easter Island, investigating the mysterious Nazca lines in Peru or the magnificent temple of Borobodur in Java, Dan is never less than fascinating about the origins, construction, mysteries and vicissitudes of each of these monuments to the great civilisations of the world. Do they live up to expectation? Have they been left in ruin, or over-restored? Dan's diary, written at the end of each day, records his most intimate thoughts and feelings, the people he has met, the ups and downs of the journey, perils, joys, and the ongoing relationships formed on the road.

Dalrymple, WilliamFrom the holy mountain: a journey in the shadow of Byzantium. 1998.In the spring of 587 AD, two monks set off on an extraordinary journey that would take them in an arc across the entire Byzantine world, from the shores of the Bosphorus to the sand dunes of Egypt. More than a thousand years later, using Moschos's writings as his guide, William Dalrymple set off to retrace their footsteps. Despite centuries of isolation, a surprising number of the monasteries and churches visited by the two monks still survive today, surrounded by often hostile populations. Dalrymple's pilgrimage took him through a bloody civil war in eastern Turkey, the ruins of Beirut, the vicious tensions of the West Bank and a fundamentalist uprising in southern Egypt. His book is an elegy to the slowly dying civilization of Eastern Christianity and the peoples that have kept its flame alive.

Darlington, TerryNarrow dog to Carcassonne. 2005. 5v.Terry and Monica Darlington are intrepid pensioners who made the surprising decision to sail their canal narrow boat Phillis May, sixteen hundred miles across France and down to the Mediterranean, accompanied only by their whippet Jim. They took advice from nautical experts, who told them they would lose their boat and their lives (and, indeed, Jim). It is a true story of high adventure in France, England, Belgium and out at sea, as experienced by two innocents and a reluctant dog. Contains swear words

Davies, TomThrough fields of gold: a pilgrimage from Berlin to Rome. 2000.Tom Davies sets out on a pilgrimage from Berlin to Rome. In Wittenberg he meets the fiery spirit of Martin Luthor, and in Assisi, St Francis seems present. Along the way he also visits Dachau, Venice and Florence, before finally arriving in the eternal city, Rome.

Dibnah, Fred.Fred Dibnah's industrial age: a guide to Britain's industrial heritage: where to go, what to see. 1999. 4v.In this guide to Britain's industrial-heritage sites, readers are taken on a journey encompassing the length and breadth of the country to see the evidence of industrial life in the 18th and 19th centuries. The story is told from both a mechanistic and a socio-historical perspective. Fred Dibnah recounts the history of Britain's industrial past and its mechanical relics, bringing to life landmark events from the eighteenth century up to the early twentieth century in his typically anecdotal manner. He introduces the great inventors from the age of steam, describes the day-to-day operation of different mills and paints a vivid picture of what life was like for all mill-hands and colliers who laboured in industrial Britain.

Eames, Andrew.The 8.55 to Baghdad. 2004. 5v.Andrew Eames is an adventurous, insightful observer who sets out to travel from London to Baghdad by train, following the route of the old Orient Express. Interwoven through his own experience, with the colourful cast of characters he encounters, is an identical journey made by Agatha Christie in 1928, a journey which led to her spending 30 seasons on archaeological digs in the deserts of Syria and Iraq. Merges literary biography with an intensely personal travel adventure, and ancient history with contemporary events.

Fermor, Patrick Leigh.Between the woods and the water: on foot to Constantinople from the Hook of Holland: the middle Danube to the Iron Gates. 1986. 6vWith a borrowed rucksack, Patrick Leigh Fermor set off in 1933 from the Hook of Holland to walk to Constantinople. This sequel continues the journey down the Danube from Budapest; on horseback across the Great Hungarian Plain, and over the Rumanian border into Transylvania. The author continues on his journey down the Danube from Budapest; on horseback across the Great Hungarian Plain, and over the Rumanian border into Transylvania, a wild beautiful region of forests and mountains secluded from Western eyes during centuries of religious and national complexity. He planned to live "like a tramp, a pilgrim or a wandering scholar" but found instead leisurely sojourns in castles.

Fogle, BruceA dog abroad: one man and his dog journey into the heart of Europe. 2007.Macy, an endearing and vivacious golden retriever, and her master, the bestselling vet Bruce Fogle, journey into the very heart of Europe in search of the Fogle ancestors.

Frayne, Jill.Starting out in the afternoon: a mid-life journey into wild land. 2002. 2v.After Jill Frayne's long-term relationship with her lover ended and her daughter left home, she packed up her life and headed for the Yukon. Sleeping in her car or pitching a tent by the road, she became a solitary traveller and lived close to the natural world. What started out as a three-month trip became a personal journey that lasted several years.

Golding, William.An Egyptian journal. 1985. 4v.William Golding's interest in ancient Egypt has previously been expressed in two essays, and in the novella "The Scorpion God". This account covers his journey down the Nile in today's Egypt. He recalls his trip honestly and humorously, and shares his feelings about Egypt past and present.

Harrer, Heinrich.Seven years in Tibet. 1953. 6v.The author escaped from internment in India in 1943, and found shelter and work in the sacred city of Lhasa, to which few Europeans have penetrated. He stayed there for seven years, learned the language and acquired a greater understanding of Tibet and the Tibetans. He became friend and tutor to the young Dalai Lama and finally accompanied him into India when he was put to flight by the Red Chinese invasion.

Hawks, Tony.Playing the Moldovans at tennis. 2000. 4v.Tony Hawks placed a bet with his friend that he can beat all eleven members of the Moldovan football team at tennis. Thus Tony found himself embarking on an extraordinary quest which would see him travel to Moldova, Transnistria, Northern Ireland and Israel, in an attempt to get Moldovan football players on to the tennis court.

Hillaby, John.Journey to the gods. 1991. 7v.From Athens, the capital of Greece, to Mount Olympos, the home of the ancient gods in Macedonia, the country echoes with place names which date back to Homer and Hesiod. Here John Hillaby, writer and walker extraordinary, staged his latest marathon, when he and his wife Katie backpacked through the bare Pindos mountains. His assured descriptive writing, with occasional back glances to other and more exotic travel and the learning he wears so lightly, make this a fitting climax to his journeys.

Horwitz, Tony.Into the blue: boldly going where Captain Cook has gone before. 2003. 10v.Captain James Cook's three epic journeys between 1768 and 1779 were the last great voyages of discovery. Cook explored more of the earth's surface than anyone in history, and introduced the West to an unknown world of taboo and tattoo, of cannibalism and ritual sex. The author recounts Cook's adventures, and experiences some of them firsthand. He works as a sailor aboard a replica of Cook's ship meets Miss Tahiti and the King of Tonga, and explores the captain's legacy across today's globe.

Howard, Geoffrey.Wheelbarrow across the Sahara. 1990. 4v.It was Christmas Eve when Geoffrey Howard, a parish priest from Manchester, left Algeria for Kano in Nigeria. With only the clothes he stood in and a Chinese sailing wheelbarrow to carry his belongings, he aimed to be the first man to cross the Sahara on foot.

Hyland, Paul.Wight: biography of an island. 1997. 7v.One of the most acclaimed books on the Isle of Wight to be published, and already regarded as a modern classic. This book is recommended by the Isle of Wight Tourist Board.

Jones, TobiasUtopian dreams: a search for a better life. 2007.Utopian Dreams offers one writer's attempt to retreat from the 'real world' in order to understand better the available alternatives to our modern manners and morality. Tobias Jones undertakes a pilgrimage to spiritualists and temponauts, a journey to unusual orphanages, retirement homes, detox communities and old fashioned farmyards. It is an exploration of the meanings of community and solitude, a voyage to places where the soul, the spirit and the sacred are central concerns.

Kincaid, Jamaica.Among flowers: a walk in the Himalaya. 2005. 3v.Novelist Jamaica Kincaid chronicles her three-week trek through Nepal, the spectacular and exotic Himalayan land where she and her companions seek to gather seeds for planting at home. She summons up a realm dominated by magnificent mountains and teeming with colourful life, spinning a tale that includes everything from edging by a herd of ungainly yaks on a perilous path to confronting unpredictable Maoist guerrillas who could erupt into violence at any time.

Kurtz, Irma.Then again: travels in search of my younger self. 2004. 5v.Back in 1954, American student Irma Kurtz, aged 18, travelled to Europe. Almost 50 years later, she found her journal of the trip stashed away. Stirred by the memories it evoked, she decided to repeat the journey. This book is an account of a journey back and forth in time.

Lee, LaurieAs I walked out one midsummer morning. 1969. 3v.One morning in June, Laurie Lee, then aged 19, set out to walk to London. Here he recounts his carefree journey that ended in Spain on the brink of civil war.

Levin, Bernard.Hannibal's footsteps. 1985. 5v.It was with great reluctance that he abandoned the idea of taking elephants. In order to follow the path of his hero, Bernard Levin settled on his own two feet. His reasons for making such a journey are revealed in this amusing and fascinating account.

Lewis, Richard S.Challenger: the final voyage. 1988. 3v.From the prelaunch banter among the crew to the explosion over the Atlantic, events in the launching of the space shuttle "Challenger" are chronicled by the author. He also discusses the salvage efforts, the investigation and findings of the Rogers Commission and the reorganisation of NASA and the shuttle programme.

Lloyd, Sarah.An Indian attachment. 1984. 4v.The author, from a privileged, sophisticated English background, recounts her love affair with a young Indian Sikh and their two years together in India's rural backwaters.

Maconie, StuartPies and prejudice: in search of the North. 2007.As a Northerner in exile, stateless and confused, hearing rumours of Harvey Nichols in Leeds and Maseratis in Wilmslow, Stuart Maconie goes in search of The North. Delving into his own past, it is a riotously funny journey in search of where the clichés end and the truth begins. He travels from Wigan Pier to Blackpool Tower, the Bigg Market in Newcastle to the daffodil-laden Lake District in search of his own Northern Soul, encountering along the way an exotic cast of Scousers, Scallies, pie-eating

Woolly-backs, topless Geordies, mad-for-it Mancs, Yorkshire nationalists and brothers in southern exile.

McCarthy, PeteMcCarthy's Bar: a journey of discovery in Ireland. 2001. 7v.This is a tale of Pete McCarthy's trip around Ireland. He discovers that it has changed in many ways. Obeying the rule to "never pass a pub with your name on it", McCarthy encounters English hippies, German musicians, married priests and many other oddities journeying up and down the land.

McGregor, Ewan, Long way round: chasing shadows across the world. 2004. 4v.Fellow film actors and bike enthusiasts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman travel 20,000 miles around the world by motorbike. They encounter many troublesome situations on the way, ranging from extreme and threatening weather to impenetrable terrain, and face challenges such as caviar fishing in the Caspian sea, and riding with the Canadian Mounties. Whilst throwing themselves enthusiastically into the culture of each new country - the two friends also have to rely on each other's good humour, as the journey tests their relationship and their stamina to the limits. Contains swear words

Mikes, GeorgeBoomerang: Australia rediscovered. 1968. 4v.Unlike the conventional boomerang, George Mikes did not go straight there and back, but deviated from the course and travelled all over Australia getting to know and love the country, the people, and their traditions.

Molavi, AfshinPersian pilgrimages: journeys through Iran. 2002. 8v.Afshin Molavi, a rising young journalist born in Iran and fluent in Farsi, travelled his homeland for one year. Along the way he met a wide variety of people from a wide variety of backgrounds - students, bazaar merchants, Islamic clerics, homeless children, pro-democracy writers, Islamic hardliners, feminists, and kids hooked on anything western. They all discussed matters which were important to them: unemployment, freedom, religion, poetry, history, love and green cards. This journey documents the real feeling of a nation, not the ones seen on camera.

Moore, PeterThe full Montezuma. 2001.This story chronicles the highs and lows of one couple's journey into the unknown - through South America and the Caribbean area. Written with the author's wicked

sense of humour and his eye for the bizarre, and punctuated by a roll call of annoying habits - map hogging, over-packing, bite scratching and over zealous haggling - the story is hilarious, incisive and acutely observed, a cautionary tale for anyone planning to cross a continent with their significant other.

Moore, TimFrench revolutions: cycling the Tour de France. 2002. 6v.Comic writer Tim Morre trades his ailing Rolls Royce for a bicycle, a map and a water bottle in a quest to pedal the route of the Tour de France, no mean feat for the fit, let alone a self-described suburban slouch. The resulting 2,256-haphazard-mile journey transforms Moore into an incredibly fit and passionately proud cyclist.

Moore, TimSpanish steps: one man and his ass on the pilgrim way to Santiago. 2004. 6v.Intrigued by epic accounts of a pilgrimage undertaken by one in three medieval Europeans, and strangely committed to historical authenticity, the author finds himself leading a Pyrenean ass named Shinto into Spain, headed for Santiago de Compostela.

Moorhouse, GeoffreyThe fearful void. 1974. 4v.The author set out in 1972 to cross the Sahara by camel and by himself. This story of his journey, fraught with disaster from the outset, is a moving account of his battle with fear and loneliness, and conquest of the many hazards of the desert.

Moorhouse, GeoffreyTo the frontier. 1984. 5v.The author travelled up through Sind, Baluchistan and the Punjab to the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, finally coming to the high Hindu Kush mountains in the North. He crossed the Baluchistan desert, lingered in Lahore and was one of the few foreigners to penetrate the Khyber Pass as far as the border of Afghanistan.

Morton, H.V.A traveller in Italy. 1964. 11v.The author shares his enjoyment of a journey through Lombardy, Emilia, Venezia and Tuscany, recapturing history from stones and relics in innumerable anecdotes.

Naipaul, V.S. Beyond belief: Islamic excursions among the converted peoples. 1999. 10v.Revisiting Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan and Malaysia - the countries he visited in "Among the believers" (1981), Naipaul reviews his impressions of the Islamic world. He

explores the life and culture, and the current ferment which exists inside the nations of Islam. Revisiting Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan and Malaysia - the countries he visited for "Among the believers"(1981), Naipaul reviews his impressions of the Islamic world. He explores the life and culture, and the current ferment which exists inside the nations of Islam.

O'Hanlon, Redmond.In trouble again: a journey between the Orinoco and the Amazon. 1988. 6v.After spending two months in the rain forests of Borneo, the author thought a four-month trip up the Orinoco River and across the Amazon Basin would pose no particular problem. He was wrong. The natural hazards were almost reassuringly familiar, it is his photographer and his Spanish and Indian crew who are the most volatile elements - even more so than the Yanomami tribesmen they come across, reputedly the "most violent people on earth".

O'Hanlon, Redmond.Trawler: a journey through the North Atlantic. 2004. 7vThe author has visited the world's most dangerous places, but nothing prepares him for two weeks aboard a deep-sea-fishing trawler in the North Atlantic. Setting out in a hurricane and immediately sick as a dog, finding his sea legs and discovering exactly what kind of disgusting creatures come up from the deep, O'Hanlon tries to become one of the crew. But sleep deprivation, the surreal sea monsters caught in the nets and the increasingly bizarre banter mean that this journey soon becomes a dark but hilarious night of the soul...

O'Rourke, P. J.Peace kills. 2004. 3v.The author first travels to Kosovo, where he meets KLA veterans, Albanian refugees and peacekeepers. He then tackles the Middle East, a region he finds as confusing as the algebra they invented. He visits Egypt, where he witnesses citizens enjoying their newfound freedoms - namely, to shop, to eat and to sit around a lot. Following 11 September, the author examines the far reaching changes in the US, from the absurd hassles of airport security; to the dangers of anthrax. The book also examines the fighting in Afghanistan, and the beginning and the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Packer, Joy.The world is a proud place. 1966. 4v.A world tour with a difference. Miss Packer is more interested in the people she meets than in the sights of the guide books.

Palin, Michael.

Himalaya. 2004. 5v.Michael travels through all the countries and civilizations bordering the Himalayan mountains, by boat, bus, train, camel, yak and foot.

Pamuk, OrhanIstanbul: memories of a city. 2005. 4v.Turkey's greatest living novelist guides us through the monuments and lost paradises, dilapidated Ottoman villas, back streets and waterways of Istanbul - the city of his birth and the home of his imagination. This is a supremely moving account of one man's love affair with the city that has been his home since his birth.

Patterson, Kevin.The water in between: a journey at sea. 1999. 3v.Canadian ex-army doctor Patterson recalls a sailing adventure from Vancouver Island to Tahiti with a friend in 1994 and 1995. Describes the four-day gale encountered on his solo return voyage and his fear that a journey, meant to distract him from a broken heart, might actually end in death.

Pirsig, Robert M.Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance: an inquiry into values. 1999. 9v.The narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son becomes a text which speaks directly to the confusions and agonies of existence, detailing a personal, philosophical odyssey.

Prechtel, Martín.Secrets of the talking jaguar: unmasking the mysterious world of the living Maya. 1998. 6v.A shaman and leader of the so-called men's movement offers a rare glimpse into the complex, joyful culture of contemporary Mayan village life and spirituality, expounding it's teaching that all humans possess an innate spirit of generosity and community.

Preston, John.Touching the moon. 1990. 4v.When John Preston was a child he dreamed of going to the Mountains of the Moon. Years later he discovered that they actually existed - straddling the border between Uganda and Zaire in East Africa. Bent low beneath chronic hypochondria and the weight of expectation, Preston set forth in pursuit of the impossible - to square his dreams with reality. The result is a wonderfully touching and evocative account.

Ralston, Aron.Between a rock and a hard place: my survival in Blue John Canyon. 2004. 6v.A mountaineer who survived a near-fatal accident by amputating his arm when it became trapped behind a boulder in Utah describes how he endured five days of hypothermia, dehydration, and hallucinations before managing his own rescue.

Randall, WillBotswana time. 2005. 4v.In Botswana Will Randall was employed to teach a class of six year olds at The River of Life school. They are football crazy and one of Will's jobs is to take them to play neighbouring (sometimes as much as 100 miles away) schools. Camping enroute or staying in farms and rural villages, often travelling by foot or dug-out punts, thousands of antelope, elephant, buffalo and zebra follow their progress. Against all the odds they find themselves preparing for the Grand Final of the season - the titanic clash with arch rivals, Victoria Falls Primary school.

Randall, WillIndian summer. 2004. 5v.Will Randall thought teaching in an inner London comprehensive was a difficult enough job, but this was nothing compared to saving a slum school in the Indian city of Poona. The author finds his life transformed by his remarkable class of orphans: Such as Prakash, who learnt self-sufficiency the hard way by scavenging in skips; the nutty yet charming Tanushri, fan of the singer 'Maradona'. When the slum barons threaten to level the school, Will hits upon the idea of a fund-raising play to save it: the 24,000 verse Indian epic the Ramayana, ever so slightly condensed.

Ross, Alan.Coastwise lights. 1988. 5v.The most indelible impressions in this second book of autobiography are of people and places over a lifetime of writing and travelling: Agatha Christie, Gavin Maxwell and Wilfred Thesiger in Iraq, John Minton in Corsica, Terence Rattigan in Ischia, Tunis during the Algerian emergency. It is also the portrait of an English life in letters and journalism; and of the charmed and never predictable company of Cyril Connolly, William Sansom, Henry Green, John Lehmann, William Plomer and Cuthbert Worsley.

Sager, PeterThe West Country: Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. 2000. 6v.Peter Sager, widely acclaimed for his guidebooks to Wales and East Anglia, has turned his attention to the West Country. From the mysteries of Stonehenge, behind barbed wire, to the sub oceanic tin mines of Cornwall, from Hardy's Cottage to the Tintagel of Tennyson and Swinburne, from the Marquess of Bath's Kama Sutra paintings at Longleat to the light-basking work of the St Ives School, passing by sculptors, poets, furniture makers and eccentrics of all kinds, this is comprehensive and mercurial guide.

Sawyer, Miranda.Park and ride: adventures in suburbia. 1999. 5v.In the journey described in this book, Miranda Sawyer drives from Croydon to Swindon via Stevenage, Harrogate and Cadbury World in Birmingham, on "a nice day out" around suburban Britain. This is the Britain of motorways and heritage centres, of campaigning housewives and executive housing estates, of boy racers and Essex girls, of Cheshire wives and Scottish golfers.

Seierstad, Åsne, The bookseller of Kabul. 2003. 3v.Two weeks after September 11th, award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad went to Afghanistan to report on the conflict there. In the following spring she returned to live with an Afghan family for several months. For more than 20 years Sultan Khan defied the authorities - be they Communist or Taliban - in order to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned by the Communists, and watched illiterate Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. But while Khan is passionate in his love of books and hatred of censorship, he is also a committed Muslim with strict views on family life.

Severin, TimothyCrusader: by horse to Jerusalem. 1989. 9v.Tim Severin's aim was to bring to life eleventh century history by following in the footsteps of Duke Godfrey de Bouillon and the earliest Crusader knights. He assesses how far Duke Godfrey might have expected his heavy cavalry to travel each day, and which of the alternative routes would have been the most likely path. "Crusader" is a pioneer's journey of living heritage-in-the-making, from one of our most respected and popular travel writers.

Simon, Kate.Italy: the places in between. 1984. 4v.Kate Simon describes all the wonderful smaller towns and villages around and between the major urban centres of Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. You are given the mixed delights of Bergamo, the Etruscan tomb paintings of Tarquinia, Todi and Gubbio for the special charm of the quiet Umbrian hill towns, Spoleto with its chic music festival, and the region north and east of Venice.

Snow, Sebastian.The rucksack man. 1976. 3v.The author is a determined, if somewhat unorthodox walker. This journey took him from Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world, right through South America to Panama City.

Stewart, ChrisDriving over lemons: an optimist in Andalucia. 1999. 5v.At 17, Chris Stewart retired from his schoolboy band, Genesis, and became a sheep shearer and travel writer. He moved with his wife to a remote mountain farm in the Alpujarras, south of Granada, and writes about his life on a mountain with no access road, water supply or electricity. At 17 Chris Stewart retired from his schoolboy band, Genesis, and became a sheep shearer and travel writer. He moved with his wife to a remote mountain farm in the Alpujarras, south of Granada, and writes about his life on a mountain with no access road, water supply or electricity.

Storace, Patricia.Dinner with Persphone: travels in Greece. 1997. 9v.Patricia Storace reveals how the dreams of modern Greece are the woven product of classical culture. Through a series of encounters with people, with Greek feast days and national dramas and wide registration of places and what happens in them, she leads her readers away from the dead language of the travel book and into a form of writing which allows critical affection and unpredictable understanding to be shared. .

Theroux, PaulThe Pillars of Hercules: a grand tour of the Mediterranean. 1995. 13v.On this journey, the author remains earthbound, using trains, gerries and cruise ships to discover a coastline as wild in places as anything he discovered in China or Peru. Along the way he discovers another Mediterranean, that of low-season depression, of urban sprawl, of seldom-visited places such as the antique villages in Southern Italy.

Theroux, Paul.Riding the iron rooster: by train through China. 1988. 11v.The popular travel-writer's itinerary calls for departure by rail from London and a series of hook-ups that lead him to China. To do this, he becomes a temporary member of a tour party that elicits his customary witty observations. Once in China, he strikes out on his own, and provides a portrait of China after the Cultural Revolution. Unsuitable for family reading

Theroux, Paul.The great railway bazaar: by train through Asia. 1975. 6v.The author set out to board every train that chugged into view between London and Tokyo, and eventually made his way back on the Trans-Siberian Express.

Theroux, Paul.The happy isles of Oceania: paddling the Pacific. 1992. 14v.Unconvinced that the Pacific Islands are a paradise of deserted beaches and exotic natives untouched by the twentieth century, Paul Theroux set out to discover the truth. He lived for a while among the Trobriand islanders of New Guinea, from there, via the grass huts of the Solomon Islands, he proceeded to Polynesian Tonga, where he was finally granted an audience with the King.

Theroux, Paul.The old Patagonian express. 1986. 12v.The way from Boston to Patagonia, Paul Theroux discovered, was one of great contrasts - contrasts in people, in temperature, in scenery, in altitude, in attitude. Some of the trans were superb, most were deplorable. Parochialism and xenophobia were coupled with some of the most staggeringly beautiful sights in the world, and some of the most squalid. Throughout, he observed and experienced with a sharp eye, an unbiased mind, and ultimately, a vivid pen.

Thomas, William JNever hitchhike on the road less travelled (bad, bad, bad idea!) 2002. 2v.William Thomas's adventures - and misadventures - while travelling various parts of the globe. Including travel tips and true travel disasters.

Thubron, ColinShadow of the Silk Road. 2006.Shadow of the Silk Road records a journey along the greatest land route on earth. Out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran and into Kurdish Turkey, Colin Thubron travels from the Tomb of the Yellow Emperor to the ancient Mediterranean port of Antioch, going by local bus, truck, car, donley-cart or camel.

Timpson, John.Timpson's England: a look beyond the obvious at the unusual, the eccentric, and the definitely odd. 1987. 5v.John Timpson has the knack of finding those little-known, amusing, strange and bizarre stories of people, buildings, places and events. Over the years he has accumulated hundreds of such stories, which he now relates in this book. In his own words it is about "creepy castles and curious churches, stones with a story and roadside surprises, trees full of history and pubs full of spirits, and gibbets whereby hang a tale or two".

Van der Post, Laurens

A portrait of Japan. 1968. 2v.The author has based this book mainly on his visit to Japan in 1960, when he sought to reconcile his two earlier conflicting visits. The first as a young man in 1926, and the second as a prisoner of the Japanese.

Veryard, Ken.Kamel of Gafsa: a Tunisian friendship. 1998. 3v.The text describes a unique friendship that developed between an English traveller and the Tunisian family who welcomed him into their midst. At the centre of the story is Kamel, the family's son, with whom the author embarked upon a series of Tunisian tours in which they both learned a lot about both Western and North African culture.

Waite, TerryTravels with a primate. 2000. 4v. In contrast to his earlier work "Taken on Trust", this book shows another side to the man who was a hostage in Beirut for five years. Terry Waite's humour is revealed in this entertaining collection of true life travels with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.

Wallis, Michael.Route 66: the Mother Road. 1990. 2v.Route 66 stretches from Chicago, through eight states and three time zones, to end more than 2,400 miles away in Santa Monica. The author looks back on his travels along the Mother Road and conjures up images of Steinbeck, Will Rogers, Woody Guthrie, Mickey Mantle and Jack Kerouac, as well as thousands of waitresses, state cops, truckers and station wagons full of kids.

Watkins, Steve.Unforgettable journeys to take before you die. 2006.International travel writers and photographers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones draw on their years of experience in selecting thirty of their favourite trips of a lifetime. Steve and Clare's diverse adventures range from cruising through Patagonian fjords to taking a slow barge down the Canal du Midi; from following in the footsteps of Shackleton in Antarctica to tracking gorillas through the Rwandan rainforest. This book isn't a travel guide, nor is it definitive, but it will introduce you to a host of unusual and amazing journeys from around the world. This book is aimed at anyone looking for ideas for an inspirational experience of a lifetime.

Waugh, Louisa.Hearing birds fly: a nomadic year in Mongolia. 2003. 5v.This book is about the year the author spent living and working in a remote village called Tsengel, which lies in the extreme west of Mongolia. She describes how she slowly learns to fend for herself in a world where life is dominated by the seasons. From the long hard winter, through a drought-stricken spring, into a lush summer spent in the mountains beyond Tsengel with a family of nomads, and the return to the village for the 'short golden season', Mongolia's autumn. Contains swear words

Whybrow, Peter J.Travels with the fossil hunters. 2000. 2v.Twelve palaeontologists recount their fieldwork in remote parts of the world - including a pony trek in the Tibetan highlands, a quest for fossils in the Sahara and an expedition in search of mammal remains in Antarctica.

Williams, NiallThe pipes are calling: our jaunts through Ireland. 1990. 2v.Niall and Christine, and their adopted daughter Deirdre, set out on a journey along the back roads of Ireland to discover more about the homeland to which they have returned. By car and bicycle, they visit an Ireland that is unfailingly charming in a pre-industrial way.

Williams, Nigel.2 1/2 [three crossed out] men in a boat. 1993. 4v.Nigel Williams's first work of non-fiction retells one of the most famous journeys of English literature - how Jerome K. Jerome rowed up the Thames from Kingston to Oxford - which Jerome transformed into the 1889 classic of English comedy "Three men in a boat". Williams's odyssey of the 1990s shows what has changed and what remains the same.

Wright, Ronald.On Fiji islands. 1986. 6v."On Fiji islands" tells how descendants of zealous cannibals have survived colonization with their land, language and culture largely intact. That culture has changed dramatically during the last century. The Fijians who achieved independence from Britain are not the same as those who ate Reverend Thomas Baker, in 1867. They have managed to adapt their way of life and to enter the modern world without losing their identity.