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The extraordinary popularity of books and magazines dedicated to travel comes as no surprise, given that more and more Americans are traveling each year for business, pleasure, and especially adventure. Our fascination with travel has never been so well represented as in this new addition to the Best American series: a wide-ranging compendium of the best travel writing published in 1999, culled from more than three hundred magazines, newspapers, and Web sites.
This first collection of THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING reads like a good novel. Best-selling author Bill Bryson and series editor Jason Wilson have put together a book that will surprise knowledgeable travelers and entrance newcomers with the glories of new worlds. Articles by such well-loved writers as Bill Buford and Ryszard Kapuscinski are included, as are those by exciting new voices. Ranging across myriad landscapes, from Central Park in New York City to the Ouadane oasis in Saharan Mauritania, THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2000 showcases the diversity and creative power of travel writing today.
List of contents
Foreword xi Introduction by Bill Bryson xix William Booth. Boat Camp 1 from The Washington Post Magazine Bill Buford. Lions and Tigers and Bears 9 from The New Yorker Tim Cahill. This Teeming Ark 19 from Outside Tom Clynes. The Toughest Trucker in the World 27 from National Geographic Adventure Dave Eggers. Hitchhiker’s Cuba 37 from Time David Halberstam. Nantucket on My Mind 50 from Town &Country Mark Hertsgaard. The Nile at Mile One 59 from Outside Isabel Hilton. Spies in the House of Faith 72 from The New Yorker Clive Irving. The First Drink of the Day 100 from Condé Nast Traveler Alden Jones. Lard Is Good for You 107 from Coffee Journal Ryszard Kapuscinski. The Truck 120 from The New Yorker David Lansing. Confessions of Cheese Smuggler 128 from National Geographic Traveler Jessica Maxwell. Inside the Hidden Kingdom 134 from Audubon P. J . O’Rourke. Weird Karma 145 from Men’s Journal Tony Perrottet. Zoned on Zanzibar 158 from Escape Rolf Potts. Storming The Beach 171 from Salon Travel Mark Ross. The Last Safari 189 from Talk Steve Rushin. Winter Rules 205 from Sports Illustrated Patrick Symmes. From the Wonderful People Who Brought You the Killing Fields 216 from Outside Jeffrey Tayler. China’s Wild West 229 from The Atlantic Monthly Jeffrey Tayler. Exiled Beyond Kilometer 101 241 from The Atlantic Monthly Jonathan Tourtellot. The Two Faces of Tourism 251 from National Geographic Traveler William T. Vollmann. The Very Short History of Nunavut 260 from Outside David Wallis. One Man and His Donkey 277 from The St. Petersburg Times Amy Wilentz. Marseille’s Moment 283 from Condé Nast Traveler Contributors’ Notes 299 Notable Travel Writing of 1999 304
About the author
JASON WILSON, series editor, is the author of Godforsaken Grapes, Boozehound, and The Cider Revival. He is the creator of the newsletter and podcast Everyday Drinking. Wilson has been the series editor of The Best American Travel Writing since its inception in 2000. His work can be found at jasonwilson.com.
Summary
The extraordinary popularity of books and magazines dedicated to travel comes as no surprise, given that more and more Americans are traveling each year for business, pleasure, and especially adventure. Our fascination with travel has never been so well represented as in this new addition to the Best American series: a wide-ranging compendium of the best travel writing published in 1999, culled from more than three hundred magazines, newspapers, and Web sites.
This first collection of THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING reads like a good novel. Best-selling author Bill Bryson and series editor Jason Wilson have put together a book that will surprise knowledgeable travelers and entrance newcomers with the glories of new worlds. Articles by such well-loved writers as Bill Buford and Ryszard Kapuscinski are included, as are those by exciting new voices. Ranging across myriad landscapes, from Central Park in New York City to the Ouadane oasis in Saharan Mauritania, THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2000 showcases the diversity and creative power of travel writing today.
Additional text
"[Best American Travel Writing] touches all the bases, and does it with panache." The San Francisco Chronicle
