This article was created by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
The natural world continues to inspire travel writers. Notable books for the coming year include a collection of stories, illustrations and poems that explore our connection to nature, as well as travelogues that inspire us to discover the little green spaces on our doorstep. Walking remains popular with writers, as evidenced by her two forthcoming travelogues, one in the Spanish countryside and the other in Istanbul, and a collection of literary works that ask the question, “Why explore on foot?” This is a popular theme. And to celebrate Blood Travel Guide’s 50th anniversary this year, founder Hilary Blood will publish a memoir about her pioneering journeys to print and to lesser-known parts of the globe. It’s a schedule.
World explorer Alastair Humphrys spent a year exploring every square meter of a 12-mile radius around his home on the outskirts of England, discovering the wonders all around him. A former National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Mr Humphreys has cycled around the world, rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and circumnavigated the M25 on one of his pioneering ‘micro-adventures’. I have also walked. His latest book is a celebration of slowing things down and discovering a small wild world on our doorstep, revitalizing Britain’s depleted natural spaces and our right to roam within them. It is also a cry to do something. £12.99, i Books.
Pioneering travel publisher Hilary Blood’s eponymous guidebook company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The first Brad his travel guide was born in 1974 on his Amazon river barge. “Backpacking Peru and Bolivia Along Ancient Trails” contained the first description of the Inca Trail for travelers. Since then, Brad has published guidebooks to the most remote regions of the planet, including Eritrea, Mongolia, and Madagascar. This memoir champions slow, low-impact travel before the concept was popular, reflecting on a life of trials, triumphs, and paths less traveled. £20.00, Brad.
Delve deep into the Turkish capital, surrounded by the crumbling walls of a Byzantine fortress. Journalist Alexander Christie Miller travels on foot in and around Istanbul’s ancient city walls, assembling a jigsaw puzzle of Istanbul’s identity on the edge of Europe and Asia. Current Turkish President Erdoğan’s imperialist rhetoric still paints Istanbul in the image of Mehmet II, the Ottoman sultan who captured what was then Constantinople in 1453. But among the ancient minarets that punctuate Istanbul’s skyline, the author searches for the city’s true soul. A diverse group of people, past and present, are raising voices that are rarely heard. £25, HarperCollins.
Environmental author Laurie King and bestselling author Miriam Lancewood bring together original nonfiction stories, illustrations, and poetry written by travelers, wildlife enthusiasts, and adventurers around the world that examine the connection between nature and humans. I collected it. Walk through the desert with American explorer Angela Maxwell, learn how hermit Gregory Smith survived for 10 years in the Australian forest, and see activist David Marana advocate for people of color in California. Learn how he founded his surfing school. These bold stories aim to inspire you to discover the soul of wildlife and rethink your relationship with nature. £14.99, Watkins Publishing.
If you loved Laure Lee’s A Midsummer Morning, I Started Walking, this story of one man’s 761-mile hike across the Iberian Peninsula will appeal to you. Mark Every brings the pioneering spirit of adventure previously seen in his travel books about Southeast Asia to the back roads of Spain. The author spends five weeks walking from Gibraltar to Punta de Estaca de Valles in the country’s northernmost tip, passing planes lit by the scorching sun, gray stone villages covered in fog, and vast expanses. While looking out over the mountain range, I paid homage to the vanishing lifestyle of the vagrants. It is also a celebration of the Spanish countryside and its remote communities. £10.99, Summersdale.
Take a literary stroll from the streets of London to the pilgrim routes of Japan and the jungles of Ghana. Author Duncan Minshull brings together writings from explorers and adventurers, scientists and missionaries, leisure seekers and literary drifters in a new collection of more than 50 travelogues, “Why Explore on Foot?” It aims to answer the question. Spanning seven continents, the story stretches back to his 1500s and also features lesser-known authors such as Herman Melville, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Isabella Bird, and William Boyd. £15.99, Notting Hill Edition.
Published in National Geographic Traveler (UK) March 2024 issue.
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