Lonely Planet The Lonely Planet Travel Anthology: True stories from the world's best writers

by Lonely Planet, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Torre DeRoche

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

A collection of great travel writing by authors from around the globe, including original stories set in Scotland, Thailand, Malaysia, Moldova, Tanzania, Austria and beyond, edited by long-term Lonely Planet collaborator Don George.

The 35 impassioned stories included in this collection - of fortune tellers, tribal baboon hunters, a friendly Japanese family, and other notable characters - span a worldwide spectrum of themes, styles and settings, but all show how travel in its unexpected turns tests and teaches us, making us aware that we are resilient, that we are not alone, and that there is so much love and connection to be had if we open ourselves up. This collection affirms that if we follow the compass of the heart, we will always find our way. Whether you read the book on the road or in an armchair at home, these tales are sure to entertain, amuse and inform you, and resonate long after the book is finished.

'As you travel through these pages, may your mind be widened, your spirit enlivened, and your own path illuminated by these worldly word-journeys.' ---Don George

With sparkling contributions from some of the most acclaimed names in contemporary fiction and travel writing plus some new voices from around the world, including:

Ann Patchett, Francine Prose, TC Boyle, Karen Joy Fowler, Pico Iyer, Torre DeRoche, Blane Bachelor, Rebecca Dinerstein, Jan Morris, Elizabeth George, Jane Hamilton, Alexander McCall Smith, Keija Parssinen, Mridu Khullar Relph, Yulia Denisyuk, Emily Koch, Carissa Kasper, Jessica Silber, Candace Rose Rardon, Marilyn Abildskov, Shannon Leone Fowler, Robin Cherry, Robert Twigger, Porochista Khakpour, Natalie Baszile, Suzy Joinson, Anthony Sattin, LH McMillin, Bridget Crocker, Maggie Downs, Bishwanath Ghosh, Jeff Greenwald, James Dorsey and Tahir Shah.

About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, gift and lifestyle books and stationery, as well as an award-winning website, magazines, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places they find themselves in.

TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category

'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times

'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2016

About the author

OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.

Reviews

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories were kind of all over the place. Some were really good (the ones written by diverse authors and about less-frequented places in particular), and others were very meh.

The layout also made me a bit bored. For example, all of the essays about the UK and Ireland were back to back. The second half of the book focuses more on Southeast Asia and Africa, which was honestly far more interesting. Maybe I just don't get excited about the UK the way some people do.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't expecting myself to actually enjoy this.

[Yanisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly selected this book while I was waiting for my flight to take off from America. All I thought was that I must get one book before I leave, any book, and this book just like came up to me. Whether or not the coincidence, I didn't regret choosing it. It changed my view towards traveling and towards the world. It changed me and inspired me in a lot of ways. I wish, someday, I could travel the world and wander through countries and leave the pieces of me in every place I go.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these anthologies that have a variety of authors, countries and experiences.

[Rachel Pudsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories are strong and written well. Others are nothing that new or different. Some stories deserve 5☆ some not so much (sorry authors)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best anthologies I've read. Not only is there variety in the destinations and journeys described but the writing styles are also very different. This really is a book to dip into and escape for a while. Wherever you want to go, this book will take you on a journey that you won't forget. Some of the stories are amusing, some poignant but they will stay with you. Can thoroughly recommend.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's more to travel writing than I thought, and this book has a great variety that demonstrates this fact. Travel writing that lifts you into a place and immerses you in it is good writing. When it carries deeper truths too, it is excellent. Not every one of these pieces was so excellent, but there were some real gems. A great collection of writing in a genre that I have too rarely ventured into.

[Jessica Maybury · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were a bit hit and miss but the anthology was a good insight into the concepts and strategies around travel writing.

[Jinny Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is listed as essential reading as part of the creative writing MA I'm doing.
It's certainly spurned debate

If you like your travel writing served up as egotistical American-centric white-privilege with colonial undertones, go ahead and read it.

That aside, many of the stories are not particularly riveting, nor particularly brilliantly written.

The book itself is badly printed, with one story having appeared to miss the editing process and not only have a generous helping of typos but also have its ending cut off.

Maybe better to read writing by the people who actually live in the locations described, rather than by those whose smug superiority occasionally stretches to giving the odd monetary tip, or perhaps a smile, to those 'subservient natives'* they meet there.

*my summary of the opinions portrayed in the book, NOT my opinion of the people I meet.

On the plus side, it's got us talking about it.

[Laura Y · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not waste your time with this book, when it is clear no one from lonely planet even read it before they hit print. There is one story in particular that ends mid sentence... they accidentally printed the book without a proper ending/ the full story.

There are lots of other typos in the book and for some reason they made the printed font much smaller than necessary. The stories themselves (the ones that are actually complete) are a little interesting but not many of them are worth your time.

Skip this book, lonely planet didn't even bother to read it, and neither should you.

[Kim Lanza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Experiencing as much of the world as possible is my passion. You would think that then I would devour travel literature. Not so much. I enjoyed some though. I skipped around a bit and read what kept my interest. I feel like my rating is more tied to my desire to be the one writing rather than reading.

[Gülçin Güleç · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in the book made my days like a roller coster trip. Each story was in a differenr place of the world and I loved reading about new cultures and places. Its one of the best books in my entire life!

[Hollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some stories that I really liked in here and some that made me question the publishing process.

Either way, this is fun to pick up if you like travel and want to hear about places through a more personal lens.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love any and all books on travel!

[sp · Rating 1 out of 5]

very boring. 2 great travel stories in the entire book. Not a fan

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like any collection of stories, the tales are uneven in quality and content. The stories are also a bit dated as they were written more than 40 years ago. It's a good book to read on a flight.

[Glen U · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Lonely Planet anthology contains stories from some of the brightest contemporary writers of our time. Included are Francine Prose, T C Boyle, Ann Padgett and Elizabeth George. Heavy on the self realization side, these stories explore the life changing happenings that occurred to these illustrious authors as they traveled the world. Usually it involved the realization that the rest of the world is not wealthy, it does not bend to the will of first world denizens, and outside of the Western industrialized nations, life is a struggle but humans are amazingly resilient. Thoroughly enjoyable, these travelogues showcase both the rest of the planet Earth and shows the reader, great writing is inherent to great writers. A very good read.

[Loulose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novellene var mer orientert rundt hovedpersonene enn selve reisen, det syntes jeg var ganske nice. Lite promotering og benevning av Lonely Planet, som var sponsor, som også var digg. Likte også at nesten alle forfatterene var kvinner uten at de gjorde noen stor greie ut av det.

[Chantal Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it is something of a shame that many of the stories in this collection are so short, I am very, very glad that I read the book.

Some of the stories will fade from my memory, but a few I will keep like pearls. My heart was filled with joy, and my heart was broken. I smiled, I laughed a few times, and some sentences demanded to be whispered as they were read.

The book takes you to so many places, though at some points I could feel a melody to the ordering of the stories. This was most obvious with the last story, and also the back-to-back ones on Syria - these two were particularly sobering, and brought the fallout of the Syrian war home to me in a way that various newspaper articles never did.

Unlike Lonely Planet's usual titles, this is not mean to be a "practical" book. But it can be. One female author (interestingly, almost all the stories are written by women - I am ambivalent but curious about this) advises near the end of her chapter not to automatically distrust every man you meet while travelling alone, because it gives off an air of defensiveness that conversely makes you appear more vulnerable. And time and time again, the authors show us that saying "yes", trusting someone, and/or making a different kind of leap of faith, are gates to profound and life-changing experiences. Plus a few handy tips for places to visit and things to do if you're ever lucky enough to follow in the authors' footsteps.

Recommended. Absolutely recommended.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short reflective stories

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of travel memoirs that had a profound effect on the authors. Many of the stories are set in the 60’s and 70’s when these writers were developing stages. Still, these travel narratives are well-written therefore relevant to a modern reader. I identified strongly with Elizabeth George’s story about how her visit to London had influenced her life. My summer session at the University of London was a turning point in my own life. It opened the door to endless possibilities and gave me the confidence to explore more. T.C. Boyles Land of the Green Sheen struck close to home because we are both from smog-choked L.A. and yearn for the simple country life. This nostalgic romp from some of our best travel writers provides insights into why they continue to travel and write about their journey. Surely, one of these tales will hit home.

[Martha Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set text. Some of these essays are wonderfully and beautifully written. It taught me that travel writing isn’t always about men reeling off about their gap year trip to Aussie. But there can be a much deeper narrative.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the chapters was cut off in mid-sentence.