What Are The Best Travel Books Out There Today?

By Oishimaya Sen Nag on April 25 2017 in Travel







With the help of a little bit of imagination, a good book can lay exotic worlds right into your lap.

10. The Road To Little Dribbling (Bill Bryson)

Around 20 years ago, Bill Bryson, a best-selling Anglo-American author of humorous books on travel, science, and English wrote the book "Notes From a Small Island”. Therein, Bryson described his travels through the verdurous and pleasant British lands in a non-conventional, hilarious style. This book was warmly greeted by the British, and went on to be voted as the best book about Britain as per a BBC poll. Now, Bryson’s “The Road To Little Dribbling” also follows the same formula, and sees the author again travel through the picturesque British country roads, visit Stonehenge, and tread the offbeat path which no normal tourist would ever think of taking, all the while making an account of his travels using his quirky, humorous style and unerring habit of describing the eccentric, endearing, and scandalous details of his experiences. “The Road To Little Dribbling” thus presents a perfect and accurate blend of what represents both the best, and 'not-so-best', sides of travel through Britain today.

9. Lonely Planet, Iceland (Alexis Averbuck)

A globe trotter and adventurer, Alexis Averbuck writes an extensive account of Iceland in her Lonely Planet travel guide, describing various aspects of life and travel in this snow laden wonderland. Averbuck, an avid traveler since childhood, has resided in many countries across the world, including Hong Kong, India, and Sri Lanka, has experienced exciting stays in the frozen continent of Antarctica, and even journeyed on the high seas as a cook! Her accounts of her travels and her paintings of these picturesque destinations have earned her accolades from fellow travelers around the world. The Lonely Planet Iceland Guide represents a detailed account of the place by Averbuck. Here, she mentions the most up-to-date details about Iceland, what to see and what to avoid there, and the travel secrets of the place. She describes where one can best see the amazing phenomenon of the Northern Lights, or splash around in the warm waters of Iceland’s geothermal springs. The book is thus a 'must read' for all enthusiastic travelers who have seated Iceland in a priority position on their bucket list of places to visit overseas.

8. Free Country (George Mahood)

Free Country: “A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain”, is a hilarious and absorbing account of travelling penniless in Britain. It describes the adventures of two friends, George and Ben, who have decided to cycle 1,000 miles all the way from the bottom of England to the top of Scotland, relying completely on the charity and generosity of the British public to donate them bicycles, clothes, food, accommodations, and all other types of support required to complete their long journey. The ridiculous situations faced by George and Ben, and the their accounts of the extraordinary and eccentric men and women they meet on their journey, guarantees to make readers laugh. Throughout the book, author George Mahood, himself educated in Communication Studies and English Literature at Leeds University, attempts to not only bring a warm smile to the face of his readers, but also restore people’s faith in humanity at large.

7. Walt Disney World, 2016 (Birnbaum Guides)

For fans of Disneyland, the knowledge of what to find there, and where and when to do so, is a matter of vital importance. For newcomers, the sprawling Disneyland becomes a maze of activities, and if one has limited time, one might miss out on the most exciting tours of the place. To solve this crisis for prospective Disneyland visitors, Disneyland endorses the publication of Disneyland guides that mention every detail about this amazing and unique land. The first Birnbaum Guides were written by Steve Birnbaum, a travel guide writer and an editor of Fodor’s Travel Guides. Ten years after Birnbaum’s death from leukemia in 1991, Disney bought the brand and begun publishing the Birnbaum Guides every year, tweaking the details of the guide to include the most recent changes to Disneyland. The Walt Disney World, 2016 thus brings the most current, accurate information on Disneyland, its prices, and its attractions.

6. Italy, 2016 (Rick Steves)

Italy, 2016, is a comprehensive guidebook by a popular travel author. It describes the most accurate and latest details about traveling Italy within limited time. It describes the “must-see” sights and “must-have” experiences in the country. The readers can blindly trust the details of the book since it has been written by the experienced American author and television personality Rick Steves. Steves hosts both a public radio travel show and the American Public Television series “Rick Steves' Europe”. The guide on Italy written by him thus displays his thorough knowledge and perfect understanding of the place, and will definitely ensure that travelers to Italy have an absolutely gorgeous time following the details mentioned in the guide on their next jaunts to the Mediterranean nation.

5. The Midnight Assassin (Skip Hollandsworth)

The Midnight Assassin transports its readers to the perilous streets of Austin, Texas in the late 19th Century, when America’s first, and one of the most dreaded, serial killers set out on a one-year-long killing spree in the streets of the city. It was a time when Austin, a former western outpost, was emerging as a truly cosmopolitan city. Starting in December of 1884, the killer would haunt the moonlit streets armed with knives, axes, and steel rods, all weapons used to brutally murder innocent women of every race and class. Even though many suspects were arrested over time, no one was convicted. Hence, when Jack the Ripper struck terror in the streets of London in 1888, killing numerous women there, many wondered if the Austin killer was behind such heinous crimes after crossing the Atlantic. Through his novel, the writer Skip Hollandsworth, a revered American journalist, author, and screenwriter and the executive editor of Texas Monthly, vividly captures the pictures of Austin life and its panicking citizens during this crisis period, and mentions the killer’s every move with historical accuracy. For those who wish to travel back in time to experience life in a city where fear of death and the unknown prevailed in the hearts of its people, the Midnight Assassin is a ‘must read’.

4. Library of Souls (Ransom Riggs)

The Library of Souls is the third book in the adventure series of books by Ransom Riggs, which began with “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”, and continued with “Hollow City”, and finally concluded with this one, “Library of Souls”. The story revolves around a fantasy world where a sixteen-year-old named Jacob with extraordinary powers, accompanied by a girl with fire at her fingertips and a dog that can smell out lost children, dives into history to rescue peculiar friends who are locked away in a fortress. The story is all about the travels of the youngsters from modern day London to the most wretched slums of Victorian England, where the fate of peculiar children appears to be doomed until they are rescued. The book, with it’s thrilling narratives and vintage photography, is sure to stir the minds and hearts of its readers, offering a unique reading experience.

3. Wild: From Lost To Found (Cheryl Strayed)

Cheryl Strayed, a famous American novelist, essayist, and memoirist, and the author of the highly appreciated novel “Torch”, has authored the 2012-published book “Wild: From Lost to Found”. This non-fiction book describes Cheryl’s own experiences of life and travel. At the age of twenty-two, Cheryl felt broke: she had lost her mother, her family had broken down, and she suffered a failed marriage. Under such circumstances, a sudden idea crept into her mind, the execution of which changed her future completely. She decided to hike, all alone, along the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert to Washington. The book describes her pleasures and fears as she undertook this daunting challenge, and how she emerged a winner at the end of it all. The inspiring book, translated into more than 40 different languages, has already been a New York Times Bestseller, and has also won several accolades from popular magazines, newspapers, and other media channels across the world.

2. My Paris Kitchen (David Lebovitz)

Cheryl Strayed, a famous American novelist, essayist, and memoirist, and the author of the highly appreciated novel “Torch”, has authored the 2012-published book “Wild: From Lost to Found”. This non-fiction book describes Cheryl’s own experiences of life and travel. At the age of twenty-two, Cheryl felt broke: she had lost her mother, her family had broken down, and she suffered a failed marriage. Under such circumstances, a sudden idea crept into her mind, the execution of which changed her future completely. She decided to hike, all alone, along the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert to Washington. The book describes her pleasures and fears as she undertook this daunting challenge, and how she emerged a winner at the end of it all. The inspiring book, translated into more than 40 different languages, has already been a New York Times Bestseller, and has also won several accolades from popular magazines, newspapers, and other media channels across the world.

1. Vagabonding (Rolf Potts)

The ultimate guide book for those travel-crazy people, Vagabonding, written by the veteran American travel writer, Rolf Potts, promises to deliver inspiring advice to those with an independent spirit and a lust to travel overseas. Potts, whose writings have been published in The Guardian, The New Yorker, The Believer, The Nation, and The Atlantic, now brings a one-of-a-kind handbook in the form of “Vagabonding”, which includes sensible suggestions regarding various aspects of vagabonding like setting the goals and budget, handling travel stress and adversities, and adjusting to a life on the roads. The books has been critically acclaimed by popular media, and is worth the read for those seeking an adventurous life outdoors.