The Best American Travel Writing 2014 (The Best American Series ®)

A far-ranging collection of the best travel writing pieces published in 2013, collected by guest editor Paul Theroux. The Best American Travel Writing consistently includes a wide variety of pieces, illuminating the wonder, humour, fear, and exhilaration that greets all of us when we embark on a journey to a new place. Readers know that there is simply no other option when they want great travel writing. Theroux has lamented travel literature that...glorifies spa treatments at posh resorts or the compiling of 10-best lists in lieu of some of travel's more hard-won rewards. In the end, what captures Theroux, and what fills this volume, are compelling yarns from the road—the more arduous the better...it's entries like Amanda Lindhout's harrowing, heroic account of being kidnapped in Somalia...and Michael Paterniti's transcendent recollection of finding his corner of the sky in northern Spain that give the 2014 edition of Best American Travel its meat...In essay after essay, a theme runs through this volume—people journey, sometimes great distances, often enduring great hardship, only to be redeemed by human connection.“Travel connoisseurs divide the world into those places they’ve been dying to visit or revisit and places they’d never set foot in but are glad someone else did. This year’s volume of travel writing . . . focuses mostly on the latter with derring-do dispatches.” - USA Today Poisoned land -- Elif Batuman Amigos -- Julie Cookie Life during wartime -- Janine Di Giovanni American the marvelous -- A.A. Gill Christmas in Thessaloniki -- Arnon Grunberg Fifty shades of greyhounds -- Harrison Scott Key Au train de vie: that voice you hear when traveling -- Peter LaSalle 460 days -- Amanda Lindhout with Sara Corbett Clear-eyed in Calcutta -- Andrew McCarthy This must be the place -- Michael Paterniti Love in the time of coca -- Stephanie Pearson Birthplace of the American vacation -- Tony Perrottet Excuse us while we kiss the sky -- Matthew Power Dream acres -- Steven Rinella Now we are five -- David Sedaris My New York: a romance in eight parts -- Peter Selgin Sun king -- Bob Shacochis The last of Eden -- Alex Shoumatoff Maximum Bombay -- Gary Shteyngart A moving experience -- Thomas Swick Born on the 9th of July -- Peter Symmes In the abode of the gods -- Jeffrey Tayler Loving Las Vegas -- Colson Whitehead Open water -- Sean Wilsey. "Travel connoisseurs divide the world into those places they've been dying to visit or revisit and places they'd never set foot in but are glad someone else did. This year's volume of travel writing . . . focuses mostly on the latter with derring-do dispatches." — USA Today A far-ranging collection of the best travel writing pieces published in 2013, collected by guest editor Paul Theroux. The Best American Travel Writing consistently includes a wide variety of pieces, illuminating the wonder, humor, fear, and exhilaration that greets all of us when we embark on a journey to a new place. Readers know that there is simply no other option when they want great travel writing. Presents an anthology of the best travel writing published in the past year, selected from American magazines and newspapers Presents an anthology of the best travel writing published in 2014, selected from magazines, newspapers, and web sites. Presents an anthology of the best travel writing published in 2013, selected from magazines, newspapers, and web sites