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I think it is fair to say that we researched the overland route a wee bit more than the European circuit.
I don't recall reading much other than a "Fodors Guide" to the bits of Europe we visited, while I read a whole lot more on, during and about the overland countries.
Being an honorary member of the Colin Davidson Book Club, I have sought an read the two books that he wrote about. A novel about the overland, and a book set in Afghanistan called "No More Mulberries". Thanks for that Col, I enjoyed them both.
But that is recent.
On the Overland route I read a number of books, and my favourite was "Freedom at Midnight" (LaPierre and Collins) about the independance of India and the creation of the state of Pakistan. That book, which I purchased in Delhi, lead me to read everything else that those two wrote. A great book about the chemical accident in Bhopal much after I had returned to NZ.
The classic "on tour" book about Afghanistan was "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" (Newby) which is still a good read.
I used to carry a whole lot of overland reference books and novels with me. They were shared around the bus, and well thumbed and worn by the time I returned home. Today I would load them on my iPad I guess, and others would be deprived of the abiity to share them to a degree.
There must be a whole lot of interesting books out there that are still relevant today, or written today and relevant to those of us who were there.
Any others to add to the list?
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Hi Kit,
I have read lots of books since on or around the overland. Between trips I used to go to London University's SOAS, where I had a researcher's card, to learn more about things I had picked up along the way. But sticking to the general books I read at the time, I would agree about Freedom at Midnight and add Lords of the Golden by Noel Barber, which was a cracking read and I see is now available online in pdf.
On Mr Dick's bookshelf there was "Asia Gods and Cities" by George Woodcock, and I think there (but also elsewhere) I found and read books by Dame Freya Stark, whom I see died as recently as 1993 aged 100. In India we would read Kushwant Singh, and in Arabia Wilfred Thesinger - Arabian Sands and the Marsh Arabs are two I recall reading at the time. Lawrence of Arabia's Seven Pillars of Wisdom was also in the library of most Pharoah and Bedouin overlands.
A hippy based novel I much enjoyed at the time was called "Gates of Fire" by Elwyn Chamberlain, about the adventures and misadventures of some American hippies in India. I still recall the narrative pretty well. I just looked it up on Google, and there's a review there by none other than Timothy Leary that says “Gates of Fire is a magnificent epic. It’s one of the ten best books ever written by an American. Encyclopedic and monumental, it makes E.M. Forester’s Passage To India look like a travelogue. It is surely the best book ever written about India.”
Passage to India was another book we used to read. Later, they made a movie about it which starred Judy Davis. Paul Theroux's Great Railway Bazzar was also there. I could go on, as I do, but that's enough.
Mike
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Hi Kit,
Couple of interesting books on the Overland are Peter Pinney 'Dust on My Shoes'. I read this when I was at school still have the tattered copy. It was the book that inspired me to first travel the Overland route. Years ago I mentioned this to Travers Cox and he said that it was the same book that inspired him! Another book I found in a second-hand shop was Tim Slessor 'First Overland', about the Oxford-Cambridge Landrover expedition from London through to Singapore & back in the mid-1950s. Also Barbara Lamplugh 'Kathmandu by Truck' & not to forget Bill James 'Top Deck Daze' although that's more about Europe. Have just started reading a novel by Alex Rutherford, the first of a quintet about the Moghuls called 'Empire of the Moghul: Raiders of the North'. This is about Babur. Guess the others will follow the other Moghul emperors. Diana & Michael Preston have written a great book on Shah Jehan & the Taj Mahal called 'A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time.'
Cheers, Rolf
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I came across a book called "Nairn Bus to Baghdad" recently. Not sure how.
The book is about 2 kiwi brothers who didn't return home after WW1, and they stayed in the middle east where they had served as soldiers.
They set up a bus company which ran buses from Beirut/Haifa to Damascus and to Baghdad.
No roads then, but things I can remember
It's an old book, published in 1968, written by J.S. Tullett.
I only discovered while reading the book that my father was friends with another of the Nairn BRothers. Small world.
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I've been in East Timor for the last couple of months, and have just moved hotels. This one has a book exchange, and I've just rented out a book called "The Bookseller of Kabul", by a Norwegian writer, Asne Seierstad (published by Virago in 2003). In it, they mention a book that I had forgotten about: James A Michener's "Caravans". .
They made a movie of it while we were on the road. I saw it on TV much later.
Mike
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Hi Mike,
"Caravans" was a fantastic book but crap movie.
Speaking of movies I came across the trailer for this interesting Nepali movie called "Highway"recently and it certainly looks far superior to the usual Hollywood garbage. I am sure many of you would relate to the events in it. It seems to be only showing in a few selected Australian cinemas.
Has anyone seen the movie and if so I for one would be very interested if you could share your thoughts on it?
The link is: http://www.eventcinemas.com.au/Movie/Highway
Regards
Johnno
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My huge and extensive library consisted of two Penguin Condensed a History of the World (Vol 1 &2) which neatly summed up the history of each area chronologically, with diagrams etc. invaluable for the Roman Empire & the Hellenic period in Europe.
They also covered the history of Eurasia and the Indian Sub-continent etc.
Freedom at Midnight is an excellent book, but I concentrated on obtaining photo essays like Roland Michel's Afghanistan, Caravans to Tartary, India by Indira Ghandi, The North West Frontier and the like.
Mind you most punters didn't always want the level of information that was provided but thought that it should be available.
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My huge and extensive library consisted of two Penguin Condensed a History of the World (Vol 1 &2) which neatly summed up the history of each area chronologically, with diagrams etc. invaluable for the Roman Empire & the Hellenic period in Europe.
They also covered the history of Eurasia and the Indian Sub-continent etc.
Freedom at Midnight is an excellent book, but I concentrated on obtaining photo essays like Roland Michel's Afghanistan, Caravans to Tartary, India by Indira Ghandi, The North West Frontier and the like.
Mind you most punters didn't always want the level of information that was provided but thought that it should be available.
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A couple of books that I found invaluable
The Arabs:A History by Eugene Rogan
The Russians by Hedrick Smith
Rocky
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Thanks Rocky,
I had forgotten them.
Both are very good.
I am guessing you could drop Putin into The Russians with ease.
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Locked
