Literary works about travel. Books that inspire you to discover new countries

There is an incredible variety of books about travel and travelers; each of us read it as a child. amazing adventures V different corners globe. Someone grew up and put aside the dream of distant lands somewhere in the corner of their heart for later. And for some, the book they read became a discovery, a key to a new exciting life, called them on the road... Perhaps reading literature about different countries and you will be so captivated that you will decide to change your route or even your life in order to see one of the places from the book you just read.

It is simply unrealistic to mention absolutely all works about travel; let’s dwell only on some books and people who left a significant mark on the souls of road romantics.

A Thousand Leagues by Jules Verne

Of course, talking about fiction, glorifying travel, one cannot help but recall Jules Verne in the forefront of authors. Do you know that his books are ranked second in terms of translation in the world?! Everything is explained simply: the French classic of adventure literature was himself an avid traveler, having traveled halfway around the world: the USA, Italy, Algeria, the Netherlands, Malta, Scotland... Many of his trips subsequently formed the basis of the most beloved books all over the world, and became the basis for the scripts of incredible films about travels, real and imagined.

A crater on the Moon and the first automatic cargo spacecraft are also named after the writer: after all, it was Jules Verne who foresaw the rapid development of space tourism in his works. However, so did the advent of helicopters, video communications, television and scuba gear.

If you are not familiar with the work of the French genius and one of the founders science fiction, we definitely recommend reading his creations, breaking away from the series of novels “ Extraordinary travels"It's simply impossible:

• "Five weeks in a hot air balloon"
• "Around the world in 80 Days",
• "20 thousand leagues under the sea"
• "The Children of Captain Grant",
• "From the Earth to the Moon"
• "The Extraordinary Adventures of the Barsak Expedition"
• "Journey to the Center of the Earth"…

The Silent Spaces of Jack London

This American writer And public figure truly loved by readers all over the world for their unusually piercing adventure works, mainly praising the dazzling beauty of the North and the characters of its inhabitants, as if chiseled from stone: both people and animals, their heroic destinies. For example, it was after the works of Jack London that the whole world learned about sled dog racing. However, among his stories and novels there are no less exciting ones, dedicated to various periods of history and other regions of North America.

Jack London was not a homebody either. He served as a sailor on a fishing patrol in the Bering Sea, hunted as an “oyster pirate” off the coast of San Francisco, participated in the “gold rush” in Alaska and in the march of the unemployed on Washington, traveled to Europe, worked as a correspondent for Russian-Japanese war and in Mexico... The writer’s incredibly busy life gave him many fateful meetings with the future heroes of his books and served as the basis for world-famous works.

• "Call of the Wild"
• "White Fang",
• "Travel on the Dazzling"
• "Sea Wolf"
• "Daughter of the Snows"
• "Jerry the Islander"...

Snow and Water by Ernest Hemingway

Name this American adventurer and Nobel laureate solely a “geographical” writer would, of course, be an understatement. The main thing in his works is complex human relationships, adventures, philosophical reflections, moral values, just life as it is. But all this unfolds in such diverse corners of the Earth, so dazzlingly vivid, carefully and lovingly depicted by Hemingway, who knows about them first-hand, that it is with great pleasure that we confidently add his name to the list of authors of the best travel books, many of which are autobiographical.

Wherever the writer visited during his life, whatever he did: worked as a correspondent in Canada, France and Great Britain, participated in combat bomber flights over Germany, went on safari in Africa, hunted for German submarines in the Caribbean, was fond of bullfighting in Spain, partisan in Belgium, wrote in Cuba...

Such bright man and like this incredible life, undoubtedly, could not leave indifferent millions of readers around the world.

This is interesting:

• "Islands in the Ocean"
• "A holiday that is always with you",
• "The Old Man and the Sea",
• "Green Hills of Africa"
• "Hemingway Fishing"
• "Death in the Afternoon"

The Endless Prairie of Mine Reed

Irishman Mine Reid left for adventure in the USA at the age of 22. It must be said that he had plenty of adventures, as a result of which he became a popular writer. At one time he participated as a journalist in the Mexican War, was seriously wounded, after which he lived and worked in London, New York, Herefordshire.

During his lifetime, his works for youth (mainly about adventures on the American prairies or about military life) were not very popular among his compatriots, but in pre-revolutionary Russia, and later in the Soviet Union, there would hardly have been a boy from 10 to 20 who did not know who he was "Headless horseman".

Buy some wonderful adventure books for your children:

• "In Search of the White Buffalo"
• "Sea Wolf Cub"
• "Adventures in the Far West"
• "In the wilds of Borneo"
• "Lost in the Ocean"
• "Osceola, Chief of the Seminoles"
• Plant Hunters...

Of course, each of the people who read a lot has their own most cherished thing about travel - funny or serious, children's or adults, fiction or journalistic, adventure or documentary... For some it is “One-Storey America” by Ilf and Petrov, for for some - “The Alhambra” by Irving, “Sannikov Land” by Obruchev, or even “A Voyage Around the World” by Darwin.

Whatever you are looking for in such books - stories about distant countries and peoples, detailed descriptions routes and prices, fantastic adventures, secrets of the continents, travel diaries - we wish you to definitely find it, because there is plenty to look for! Have a fun time with a book or on the road...

Through travel, geography sees and describes itself. Travel is writing in motion, generating images of countries, cities, localities that penetrate literature, changing it. Literature, in turn, creates genres and canons - frameworks for understanding travel images.

The role of travel in Russian literature cannot be overestimated. Through literary works (and texts that became such), Russia realized and comprehended vast, poorly developed spaces. Russian literature developed, shaking in a carriage, in a tarantass, on a cart along dusty country roads and highways. Hence the importance for her understanding of travel notes, letters, essays, and diaries. Travel has transformed the classical forms of the novel, novel and short story: plots are often “strung” onto entirely (partially) fictional journeys. A brilliant collection of such Russian classics is formed by Gogol’s “Dead Souls” with the epigone “Tarantas” by V. Sollogub, “Chevengur” by Platonov, “Lolita” by Nabokov, “Moscow-Petushki” by Venedikt Erofeev. Travel gave birth to works that were more powerful than travel diaries and letters. Karamzin’s “Letters of a Russian Traveler” still belongs to the era of sentimentalism and owes a lot to Stern (as do subsequent imitations). Radishchev with “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow”, Goncharov with “Frigate “Pallada”” and Chekhov with “Sakhalin Island” turned travel into a special genre and a way of self-knowledge for writers. Radishchev's route became sacred.

There are two types of travel that are important for Russian literature: 1) the plot type, which changes the structure of literary forms, 2) the genre (setting) type, which changes the ideological structure of literature. The purity of typology is violated by the works of travelers and geographers (most often in Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East): Przhevalsky, Grumm-Grzhimailo, Potanin, Pevtsov, Kozlov, etc. The influence of their descriptions is rather stylistic. Nabokov did not hide it in his novel “The Gift,” and the novel lives with the sense of path inherent in the great Russian travelers.

How did images of travel penetrate into the depths of Russian literature, changing its image? Let me first note that this penetration led, as a rule, to an increase in the power of literary works. There are three main eras: before the beginning of the 19th century. (relatively pre-Pushkin), from the beginning of the 19th century. before the 1910s, from the 1910s to the present. In the pre-Pushkin era, travel is a dry inventory of waypoints, dishes on the tables and exotics of near and far countries. Afanasy Nikitin is a rare exception. The journey takes place with half-closed eyes; the letter itself still does not know how to move well.

The golden age of travel in Russian literature is divided into two parts. The years 1800-1830 are characterized by the growth of travel descriptions performed by journalistic and literary means. This is the era of expansion. Previously tongue-tied, Russian literature has found language, voice, color. Simultaneously with the expansion of the territory of the empire, works of literature appeared, exploring new regions and countries. Pushkin set the tone with “Journey to Arzrum”. The conquest of the Caucasus gave rise to a genre of novels and short stories, especially the Caucasian stories of Bestuzhev-Marlinsky. Foreign campaigns of the Russian army 1813-1815. revived the interest of the noble elite in the politics and culture of European countries. She becomes an object literary descriptions. Later, novels by Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Goncharov were written (at the same time they described the images of their host countries). A genre of descriptions of travel to the Holy Land (Palestine) arose, which did not become literary events.

The second part of the golden age of travel - 1840-1910s. In the 1840s, Russian literature began to master the richness of travel. The basis was the genre of “physiological” essays on the morals, life of cities and localities in Russia (here Lermontov managed to make his mark with the essay “Caucasian”). Professional essayists and writers appeared who devoted themselves to travel, its “physiology,” the smells of space, etc. One of the pioneers of this genre was the poet, translator and publicist Alexander Rotchev. Classics of the genre - works by V. Botkin (“Letters from Spain”), S. Maksimov, Vlad. Nemirovich-Danchenko, E. Markova. He achieved his greatest success by the beginning of the 20th century. Vasily Rozanov, whose essays about the Volga (“Russian Nile”), about travels to Italy, Germany, and the Caucasus are still read in one breath. His student at the Yelets Gymnasium, M. Prishvin, was not inferior to him with essays about the Russian North. The genre survived until the 20th century, although it lost its former positions. In Soviet times, K.G. managed to preserve the romance of the genre. Paustovsky.

The golden time of travel in Russian literature is adventure, exoticism, and romance. A number of descriptions were born as a result of dizzying journeys, sometimes unintentional. These are the descriptions of Alexander Rotchev. In the pre-Pushkin era, the merchant Efremov, who was captured in the Kyrgyz-Kaisak steppes, distinguished himself. The “Arabesque”, adventurous style of writing was preserved by Osip Senkovsky in the 1840s, and by the end of the era - by N. Gumilyov, who traveled in Africa and wrote a number of poetic and geographical cycles. Forced travel (link) became the source of descriptions of the snow-covered spaces of Northern Asia. Trips to Siberia, started by Radishchev and the Decembrists, became iconic for writers and essayists.

Around the 1910s, a new era in the relationship between Russian literature and travel began. Now travel means an inner search, an experiment with literary writing, sometimes with own life. Images of travel move into literature: A. Bely, V. Khlebnikov, O. Mandelstam, A. Platonov and B. Pasternak subordinate the literary rhythm to the rhythm of travel. Bely and Mandelstam happily coincided in their descriptions of Armenia. In the notes “Reading Pallas” Mandelstam grasped the structures and foundations of travel writing. Khlebnikov literally put his life on the geographical map - a case of geoliterature. Pasternak's early prose and poetry breathe images of the path. In the novel “Doctor Zhivago,” the poet connected the fate of the heroes with a trip to the Urals. Tradition in the second half of the 20th century. Joseph Brodsky continued. A number of his poems and essays are flowing images of St. Petersburg, Venice, Crimea, England, and America.

How did Russian literature perceive geographical images of travel? In the golden age of travel, she loved them “like a child”: the brightness of landscapes, landscapes, sketches of everyday scenes and customs - this is rather naturalistic painting, ethnographic cinema. They enlivened the picture of comparing the politics and culture of Russia with other countries - especially if the traveler was a Westernizer or a Slavophile (description of London by A.S. Khomyakov). The writer's interest in traveling as an opportunity to comprehend his life and his own country arises. If the writer emigrated, a transformation of interest became simply necessary. Pecherin’s “Grave Notes”, Herzen’s memoirs and letters confirm that their travels in Russia are reflected in their travels in Europe.

By the end of the 19th century. The “childhood love” of Russian literature for travel is passing. Images of travel go back to childhood and youth in memoirs, novels, and stories of Russian writers. While preserving some of the exoticism, the wanderings of childhood and youth evaluate the hero’s life path as if through a magnifying glass. Hence the diversity, “subjectivity,” and post-factum cruelty of travel descriptions. The “photoflash” effect is triggered. Geographical images personify the twists of fate in Gorky’s early stories, Korolenko’s memoirs, Bunin’s “The Life of Arsenyev,” and Paustovsky’s “The Tale of Life.”

Having embraced the images of travel, Russian literature could not help but change. After Khlebnikov, Mandelstam, Platonov, geographical images became a natural literary means of expressing attitudes towards the world. Travel has become a convenient literary device and a powerful literary metaphor. Books by P. Weil and A. Genis, V. Aksenov, A. Bitov and V. Pelevin confirm this. Real areas and countries can be mixed with fictional ones, space and path are often independent heroes and determine plots. Travel itself, as an archetype image, entered literature, becoming the basis of almost all literary genres.

Cecil Forester: Midshipman Hornblower

Young Horatio Hornblower was very unlucky. A midshipman with no experience ended up in salty society sea ​​wolves. At seventeen, the young officer was too serious, but timid by nature and did not easily get along with people. A monstrous despotism reigned on the ship, which immediately reminded Hornblower of classic looks degenerate Roman emperors. More and more often the young man began to think about death, and even more often about escape. He had no idea what an extraordinary fate the ocean was preparing for him.

Bogdan Sushinsky: Captain Scott's Pole

Action novel famous writer Bohdan Sushinsky is dedicated to the majestic and tragic event in the history of civilization - the campaign in 1911-1912. English polar explorer Captain Robert Scott South Pole Earth. The ascent to the polar summit of the planet turned not only into a disastrous struggle with the natural conditions of Antarctica, but also into an equally disastrous competition for the laurels of the discoverer.

Henry Haggard: King Solomon's Mines. The Adventures of Allan Quartermain. Benita

The mysterious treasures of King Solomon... They say these diamonds are cursed and bring only misfortune. Many searched for them, but no one came back - like Sir Henry's brother, who disappeared without a trace in an unknown direction. In search of him and in the hope of getting rich, three desperate daredevils set off to the Kukuana Country, lost in the heart of Africa...

Oleg Ryaskov: Notes of the forwarder of the Secret Chancellery. Adventures of a Russian princess in the New World

Events take place after the death of Peter the Great. Naval officer Semyon Plakhov, accused of murdering a fiscal official, unexpectedly gets a chance to escape if he fulfills one mysterious order. Together with the forwarder of the secret chancellery Ivan Samoilov, the magician Van Hoover, the young poisoner Fekla and the pupil Liza, Plakhov goes to London and the New World.

Curwood, Kipling, Rousselet: Grizzly

In the north of Canada, in a harsh and deserted region, the orphaned bear cub Muskwa meets the huge wounded bear Tyra. Incredible adventures and discoveries await them, but touching friendship will help them overcome all dangers! And the collection also included adventure stories and stories by various authors: “Wolf Hunters” (J. Curwood), “The Adventures of the Young Rajah” (W. Kingston), “The Snake Charmer” (Rousselet), “Coral Island” (Ballantyne), “ Little Toomai” (Kipling).

James Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans, or a Narrative of 1757

The novel tells the story of the struggle and death of the Indians North America under pressure modern civilization. The main character of the novel is the hunter and tracker Natty Bumppo. Stern and fair, brave and noble, Bumpo is one of Cooper's most beloved heroes.

Robert Stilmark: Heir from Calcutta

The events of the novel develop rapidly. Courageous and noble heroes enter into a daring battle with vile villains, seductive women, thrown by fate into a stormy whirlpool of events, overcome tragic circumstances. Readers can expect earthquakes and storms, fights with predators and deadly poisons...

Wilbur Smith: Those in Danger

Oil. They kill and die for it. The daughter of Hazel Bannock, a woman who runs a giant oil corporation, has been kidnapped. The criminals demand that a controlling stake be transferred to them as a ransom. Is there any confidence that, having received what they want, the bandits will release the girl? The police are unable to help. Intelligence services too. And then Hazel decides to turn to very dangerous people for help. Officially, they are employees of a security company, but in reality they are real “soldiers of fortune.”

Reed Mine: White Chief

Myne Reid's books attracted and continue to attract people with their romance. This is the romance of the struggle for a just cause, the romance of feat in the name of a high idea, the romance of courageously overcoming the obstacles that people and nature put in the path of a brave hero. The style of narration is also romantic, rich in colorful descriptions, intense dialogues...

Bogdan Sushinsky: Rommel's Gold

By order of Field Marshal Rommel, in 1943, the Nazis removed treasures from Africa, but they failed to deliver them to their intended destination, and the convoy was forced to scuttle them off the coast of Corsica. The novel takes place in post-war years, when a real “gold rush” began around the disappeared treasures. Saboteurs are taking part in the search operation - a former “Fuhrer agent for special assignments“Otto Skorzeny and the leader of the Italian combat swimmers Valerio Borghese.

Mikhail Churkin: Through the taiga to the ocean

On April 4, 1918, two Japanese employees of a commercial company were killed in Vladivostok. The next day, without waiting for the case to be investigated, the Japanese landed troops in the city under the pretext of protecting Japanese citizens. Many years of foreign intervention in the Far East began. Japan cherished the hope of capturing all of Primorye and Eastern Siberia all the way to Lake Baikal. But the Far Eastern Republic and its People's Revolutionary Army stood in the way of the interventionists.

James Curwood: Ramblers of the North

The best adventure novels of the famous American naturalist writer and traveler James Oliver Curwood are dedicated to animals and harsh nature Northern Canada and Alaska, which the author loved very much. Under the cover of thisbookscollected five amazing stories about incredible friendship, loyalty and courage: “Ramblers of the North“, “Kazan”, “Son of Kazan”, “Golden Loop”, “Valley of Silent Ghosts”.

Emilio Salgari: Black Corsair. Treasure of the Blue Mountains

The vile Spaniards killed the brave brothers of the Black Corsair, and now only revenge will bring him peace. To defeat a powerful enemy, he must team up with legendary pirates Caribbean Sea– François Olonnet and Henry Morgan himself.. The shipwrecked captain Fernando de Belgrano miraculously survived. Once captured, he managed to win their trust and become the leader of the tribe. Years later, he sent his children a letter in which he pointed out the path to the treasure...

Paul Sussman: The Vanished Oasis

The sister of the famous mountaineer Freya Hannen, the famous Egyptologist and former intelligence agent Alex, is dead. The police have no reason to consider the incident a murder. But the Bedouin, who gives Freya a bag with mysterious maps and films to Egypt when she arrives, clearly hints: her sister was killed. And danger threatens anyone who takes possession of these materials. At first, Freya simply brushes off his words, but soon realizes: he was not lying.

Robert Stevenson: Kidnapped. Catriona

The “Kidnapped” and “Catriona” duology tells the story of the extraordinary adventures of the young Scottish nobleman David Balfour. Battles on land and sea, bloody battles and chases, conspiracies and rebellions, love adventures, described consummate master intrigues by Robert Louis Stevenson will not leave the reader indifferent... The publication reproduces a complete set of 80 illustrations by Louis Reed and William Hole.

Henri Charrière: The Moth

AuthorIn this story, Henri Charrière, nicknamed the Moth (Papillon), at twenty-five years old, was accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. But then the most fantastic of his adventures began. At hard labor in French Guiana, he went through incredible trials, more than once coming close to death. The survival instinct and an indomitable desire for freedom helped him eventually be released.

Arthur Doyle: The exploits of Brigadier Gerard. The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard

The cavalry officer Gerard is an adventurer and adventurer, of which there were indeed many in the army of Emperor Napoleon, which marched victoriously across Europe. He is frivolous, but noble, loves women, and is equally ready to risk his life for the sake of France, for the sake of the next lady of his heart - or just for the sake of thrills. Together with this charming Frenchman, the reader will experience many dizzying adventures - sometimes funny, and sometimes deadly...

Gilles Weber: Fanfan-Tulip

The novel introduces fascinating world love affairs and military adventures of the protagonist during the time of Louis XV. Fanfan-Tulip is a brave and resourceful Frenchman, defeats the enemies of France, saves his beloved girl and finds his brother.

Henry Haggard: Sacred Flower. Court of the Pharaohs

Together with his partner, the famous adventurer Allan Quartersine goes to the heart of Africa in search of a unique orchid. But the hunt for an orchid is full of dangers - in the native tribe it is considered a Sacred Flower. To get it, you will have to face a fierce faith that only a white man can defeat. One day, in a museum, John Smith saw a statue of the ancient Egyptian queen Ma-Mi. Captivated by her image, he vowed to find the tomb of the one he loved...

Vakhtang Ananyan: Prisoners of the Barsov Gorge

The story tells about schoolchildren who got into trouble in the Caucasus mountains. Finding themselves captive to the elements, they bravely endure the trials. Friendship, mutual support and fortitude help them overcome difficulties, and sometimes even mortal danger.

Robert Stevenson: The Adventures of Prince Florizel

Stevenson can be called one of outstanding masters adventure and genres. His works are full of all kinds of conspiracies, duels, kidnappings, murders, sensational revelations, secrets and other adventurous events. These are the two famous novelistic cycles of the classic of English prose Stevenson - “The Suicide Club” and “Raja's Diamond”, united by the eccentric figure of Prince Florizel of Bohemia.

Wilbur Smith: Blue Horizon

Young Courtney sets out to conquer a rebellious continent. But, at first sight, falling in love with a captive of Dutch sailors, he risks his life for the sake of the girl’s freedom. Now Jim is alone against the whole continent, which is fraught with a lot of dangers. Now he and his beloved face seemingly inevitable death. But Jim Courtney is not afraid of danger. He is ready for a lot, and if he has to, he will risk his own life!

Albert Piñol: Pandora in the Congo

London, 1914. Marcus Harvey is accused of murdering two English aristocrats, with whom he went in search of gold and diamonds in the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa, in the Congo. Aspiring writer Thomas Thomson, commissioned by Harvey's lawyer, is working on a book designed to restore the truth and save the alleged murderer from the gallows. But the book tells not only the story of an expedition that cost the lives of many people, but also an absolutely incredible love story.

Olga Kryuchkova: Captain of the Marauders

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pursig

“ Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” is a unique book, a modern philosophical travel novel. Authorshares his impressions of a motorcycle trip with his son, from Minneapolis to San Francisco. During this trip, he will plunge into the exciting world of various teachings, religions, directions of philosophical thought, he will look for answersto the main questions. “The only motorcycle worth fixing is you,” says Robert Persig.

Cussler, Du: Silent Waters

After a NASA satellite launches unsuccessfully, its debris falls somewhere in the jungles of Argentina. Juan Cabrillo, a former CIA officer and now a fearless secret service agent, and his Oregon team are hired to search for them. This is how it begins, which could cost everyone their lives...

Vermael, Ruben: A flower for Her Majesty

End of the 18th century. Captain Cook's ship sets off on a long voyage... On board is gardener Francis Masson. His goal is to find a previously unknown beautiful flower worthy of a queen... Lions and hyenas prowl on the wild shores of Africa, but this is not the onlythe danger that awaits him! There is a real hunt for the rare flower, and insidious rivals will stop at nothing to get it. But an unexpected helper saves Francis when his life hangs in the balance.

Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Having deciphered an ancient note, Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel become the owners of a secret that can shake humanity. It turns out that our planet– hollow from the inside, and in the center of the Earth is located mysterious world, about which people know nothing. Who knows what awaits the researchers who dare to go down there through the crater of an extinct volcano? The professor decides to organize an expedition - and find out as soon as possible!

Jules Verne: Zhangada. Michael Strogoff

This edition includes two fascinating novels by Jules Verne - classics of the fantasy and adventure genre. The heroes of the novel “Jangada” go on an exciting journey through the Amazonon a raft - jangade. The hero of the novel “Mikhail Strogoff” is a royal courier, a loyal soldier, a man fanatically devoted to his duty, sent with a message to the Governor-General of Irkutsk. Strogoff's path lies through the east of Russia, which is engulfed in a massive uprising of Turkestan tribes...

Bruce Chatwin: Paths of Songs

Previously famous for his essayistic travelogue “In Patagonia,” in “Paths of Songs,” Bruce Chatwintakes a journey into another mystery, but on the other side of the earth - in the inland Australia of the aborigines.

Mortenson, Relin: Three Cups of Tea

This is the story of how an ordinary person, with nothing but determination, can single-handedly change the world. Greg worked part-time as a nurse, and kept his property in a storage room. In memory of his deceased sister, he decided to conquer the difficult mountain K2. This attempt almost cost him his life, if not for help local residents. Several days spent in a Pakistani village shocked Greg so much that he decided to raise money and return to Pakistan to build a school for the village children..

Bolushevsky, Andrushkevich: Travel calendar: best vacation spots for each month

The book is divided into twelve chapters, according to the number of months in the year. In each chapter you can find a special recommendation for visiting a particular place, as well as find out what exactly you can see and how much time to allocate for it. Each month has its own ideal destinations, each direction an ideal route. But is it worth checking from your own experience where and when is the best time to relax?

Sergei Bolushevsky: 100 wonders of the world. Great masterpieces of the planet

An illustrated book-album will introduce you to the most famous and interesting monuments architecture and natural wonders from around the world. For the first time in one publication, only illustrations and descriptions of attractions are presented, but also options for traveling to them are considered, right down to calculating the travel budget. The book will offer you both a trip around the world “on the couch” and a real adventure.

Fedor Konyukhov: My travels

On his travels, Fyodor Konyukhov always takes a notebook, a pen for diary entries and a pencil to draw pictures. Detailed notes contain the history of his travels and thoughts. They often resemble a gripping novel.

Hermann Hesse: Siddhartha. Journey to the land of the East

Siddhartha - a pearl of proseHermann Hesse, on whose pages the writer’s travels around India, as well as his interest in eastern religions. The setting is India during the time of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of one of the most profound and wise religions of mankind - Buddhism. In this bookHesse managed to explain its essence to the Europeans, create a certain set of rules - how to live, how to correct your mistakes, how to find your true self.

Cheryl Strayed: Wild. Dangerous journey

When life becomes black and white, when there is nothing to lose, no goal, no future, no desire to live, people sometimes decide to do desperate things. Having lost her mother, destroyed her marriage and gotten involved with a drug addict, Cheryl reached the point beyond which the abyss yawned. She needed a good reason to start a new life, stop being self-destructive and try to save herself. And she set off alone on a 1,770 km journey on foot. Cheryl's hike was not only difficult, but also dangerous.

Carlos Castaneda: Journey to Ixtlan

Anyone who has set foot on the Path of the Warrior, the path with a heart, will never become a simple man in the street. Don Juan reveals to Carlos aspects of this Path - the art of being unattainable, erasure personal history, the concept of “death as an advisor”, taking responsibility for one’s actions. In Journey to Ixtlan we first meet allies - terrifying inorganic creatures that a magician with enough personal power can turn into indispensable helpers.

Kespert, Arakelov: Pioneers. The most dangerous journeys of all time

You dream about extraordinary travels and unprecedented countries, you see in your dreams huge seas and raging oceans, mountain peaks and endless deserts? Then this bookexactly for you! Together with the heroes of the encyclopedia “Pioneers. The most dangerous journeys of all time “, you will commit trip around the world, immerse yourself in the past, learn about the present, and perhaps the future...

Jon Krakauer: Into the Wild

The real story of Chris McCandless became famous throughout the world thanks to the skill of the famous writer Jon Krakauer and the brilliant film adaptation by Sean Penn. An abandoned bus in the middle of Alaska has become a real mecca for travelers, and Chris himself has become an idol among young opponents of drab office life.and material assets.

Gregory Roberts: Shantaram

The hero of the novel hid from the law for many years. Deprived of parental rights after his divorce from his wife, he became addicted to drugs, committed a number of robberies and was sentenced by the court to nineteen years in prison. Having escaped from a maximum security prison for the second year, he reached Bombay, where he was a counterfeiter and smuggler, sold weapons and participated in showdowns with the Indian mafia, and also found his true love to lose her again, to find her again...

Buffet, Meyer: 8 poles of Fredrik Paulsen. Journey into the world of cold

It would seem a strange hobby to travel to the poles of the planet. However, for Swedish entrepreneur Frederik Paulsen, it became a passion. It took him thirteen years to visit all eight of the Earth's poles, becoming the first—and so far only—person in history to do so. Why are there eight poles? The fact is that in each hemisphere, in addition to the geographic and magnetic poles, there is also a geomagnetic pole, as well as a pole of relative inaccessibility.

Mikhail Lazarev: Three trips around the world

Famous travelerand naval commander Mikhail Lazarev committed three circumnavigation of the world. During these voyages, the sixth continent of the Earth - Antarctica, hundreds of islands, bays and other objects were discovered and mapped. Presented in this bookdocuments, testimonies of Lazarev himself and expedition participants, give the reader the opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the past, during the times of great geographical discoveries.

The most interesting travels. When and where

This book offers almost endless possibilities for planning an unforgettable vacation. The book “The Most Interesting Travels” will tell not only about popular places holidays in different time year, but will also introduce readers to the culture and history of many countries, features national cuisine, unique nature, unforgettable holidays.

The most interesting travels around Russia. Where and when

This booka unique, beautifully illustrated guide to the entire vast territory of Russia - from the Baltics to Far East. It represents the most famous and most visited places in our country, famous cultural and historical monuments, architectural masterpieces, natural beauty and other attractions.

Vladimir Pozner: Their Italy. Journey-reflection “by boot”

To understand the people, culture, traditions and cuisine of one of the most attractive countries in the world V. Posnertalked to 15 famous Italians, asked everyone 2 questions: “Imagine that I can only go to one and only place in Italy - where should I go?” and “If I could only eat one dish, what would it be and where is it best prepared?” These answers will allow you to learn more about Italy than all the guidebookstaken together!

Especially for travel lovers, we offer a selection of artistic or non-fiction about travels and life in other countries, people and customs, discoverers and adventurers.
The Read.ru store has collected a unique selection of culinary travels, travel notes, historical opuses, modern stories and much more. For convenience, the books are sorted by continent.
Read, get inspired and plan your trips!

Asia

Road to Auroville.
...a story told in first person former musician, who did not find a place in modern life and disillusioned with the ideals of the “consumer society”. Interested in information about the “city of the future” Auroville, he goes to India to, after living there for several months, get an impression of the life and structure of this unique settlement from his own experience. Numerous meetings with people, both in Auroville itself and on the way to it; communication with Aurovilians and tourists - especially our compatriots; various funny and unusual situations; description of the life of the city and its surrounding nature; road impressions and Indian realities turn out to be a good reason for thinking about the fate of our civilization and the place in it of a person looking for ways spiritual development.

Paradise on someone else's passport. Author: Linda Lynn
Linda Lynn is a mathematician by training, a translator and traveler by vocation, and a wild yogi by heart. From Sakhalin to El Salvador, from Karelia to Calabria, she is a frequent guest at all airports in the world. Her book is woven from a life full of interesting events and encounters and exciting personal history. Some will find an exciting story in it and believe in love at first sight, others will be captivated by sketches of the tourist routes of Thailand...

Silk. Author: Baricco Alessandro
Graceful eroticism, aching melancholy and sweet tenderness, long journeys, the search for true happiness, which flickers in the distance and beckons (but in fact it is very close, only the hero does not see it in pursuit of a dream!) - all this is in the novel “ Silk", a tender and exciting book about love...

The muddy waters of the Mekong.
A very young, very self-confident, but at the same time truly brave American woman sets off on an extreme trip to Vietnam.
In seven months, she will cross the country four times, from the Mekong Delta to the Chinese border, walking, driving and swimming 6,400 miles by bicycle, motorcycle, train, bus, truck, buffalo, horse, motorboat, plane, bamboo canoe and... their two. And also learn 1800 Vietnamese words, wait 42 hours waiting for a ride, fix a motorcycle 52 times...

China. Shark fin soup.
This book is a story about an English girl who went to China to learn the language. However, the power of love for food changed the fate of the foreigner, who over the years became a real connoisseur of Eastern culinary traditions and examined the Celestial Empire in all its diversity. Winner of a number of prestigious literary prizes Fuchsia Dunlop discovered China in 1994. Since then, she has mastered the secrets of creating the most incredible miracles of Chinese cuisine. And he happily shares them with other people. Captivated by the story, you are transported from the bustling markets of Sichuan province to the plains of northern Gansu, from the oases of Xinjiang to the enchanting Old city Yangzhou...

A year in search of "Va". The story of one failed attempt to become a real Japanese woman.
One morning, Karin Müller realized that at the age of 34, having tried dozens of professions, traveled to many countries, studied six languages ​​and completely forgotten three of them, went through all existing hobbies, she had lost interest in life and again found herself at a crossroads.
And then, because of her passion for judo, she had the idea to go to Japan, full of secrets, for a year in order to find that state that the Japanese call “Wa”. With this hieroglyph they denote the process of achieving harmony with the world and others.

Sakura and oak. Sakura branch. Oak roots Author: Vsevolod Ovchinnikov
Vsevolod Vladimirovich Ovchinnikov is an international journalist and writer who worked for many years in China, Japan, and England. “Sakura Branch” and “Oak Roots” were and remain truly masterpieces of Russian journalism. Amazing brightness and imagery of the language, amazing depth of penetration into the original world of English and Japanese national culture captivate the reader and serve as the key to understanding foreign reality.

Mishima's sword. In the footsteps of the legendary writer and samurai.
It happened on November 25, 1970: after a failed coup attempt, Japanese writer, playwright, director and actor Yukio Mishima plunged a knife into his muscular stomach and was then beheaded by his own ancient sword.
Thirty years later, Christopher Ross came to Tokyo in search of Mishima's sword, trying to unravel the meaning of the life and untimely death of this unique and difficult person.
This book, like the life and death of Mishima itself, is an unclassifiable mixture of travelogues, biographical materials and philosophical research, a fascinating story about modern Japan, seen by the author from the inside, about the meaning of life and the mysterious death of one of the most unusual people of the twentieth century.

Himalayas. Roof of the world .
For the first time in Russian, books by the famous British traveler, president of the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain, writer, actor, participant in the Monty Python show and TV presenter Michael Palin.
An exciting journey to the Himalayas - the highest mountain system on Earth, with a length of almost five thousand kilometers.
Incredible adventures and amazing stories about mysterious countries Asia.

Africa

Travel in Africa.
"A Journey Through Africa" ​​by the great German naturalist of the 19th century, author of the famous "The Lives of Animals" Alfred Edmund Brehm was first published in 1855 - and since then has been included in the list for 150 years best stories about travel of all times and peoples.
From the pages of this superbly written documentary story, we see in all its beauty and diversity the virgin nature of Africa, the mysterious and difficult life of the tribes inhabiting it, the vicissitudes of the expedition itself, and the figure of the author - a seventeen-year-old youth, a noble romantic and an unsurpassed storyteller, scientist and humanist , connoisseur and conservationist.
Love and carrots in African style. Author: Makarevich Valeria
"Love and Carrots the African Way" is lively, full of useful and delicious recipes, as well as adventure and romantic stories book. The author of the book, Valeria Makarevich, has been living in Africa, more precisely in the Republic of South Africa for the last five years. During this time, she not only got used to the exotic climate and adapted to the peculiarities of local life, but also mastered the preparation of amazing dishes of unusual African cuisine. In this book you will find recipes that are easy to follow and incredibly tasty, and, according to the author, you won’t need any freshly picked coconuts - you can easily find all the ingredients in a store near your home! However, the book “Love and Carrots in African Style” would become a banal collection of recipes if it did not contain the most interesting stories about the customs, culture, nature of Africa, and the people who live there.

America

Under the canopy of a drunken forest. Author: Darrell Gerald
Gerald Durrell is an excellent naturalist writer, famous traveler, owner of a unique gift of storytelling and subtle humor. "Under the Canopy of the Drunken Forest" is a lively, exciting story about how Gerald and Jackie Durrell traveled for six months through South America in search of new specimens for a unique zoo collection.

Stephen Fry in America.
Stephen Fry appears in a new role. Now he is also a traveler. Famous actor and the writer travels around America and describes it from his own, Fray’s, point of view. Unexpected, bright and incredibly interesting.
The book is full of amazing facts, sharp observations, irony and sympathy. Fry talks not about ceremonial America, but about real America, without embellishment. He drives along the endless roads of the American states, sitting behind the wheel of his favorite car - a black London cab taxi. He visited every state and talked about the most interesting things he saw there.

God save America! Watching the Americans.
Get lost on the highway, be attacked by a gangster in Miami, fall into the clutches of the cops, dress up in a kilt and become famous, kiss the wax figure of the queen - all this in the spirit of Paul West, the tireless British traveler. This time he and his next French girlfriend must go to America to earn money, because in France Paul found himself in a real financial merde.

Foreigner.
"Foreign Woman" is an ironic story about the life of our compatriots in America, a gallery of involuntary caricatures of Russian emigrants.

Steady Hand. Filibusters.
Action-packed adventure novels French writer Gustav Emar takes place in Texas, Canada, Mexico, Tierra del Fuego, the heroes are Indians, pirates, European travelers, adventurers. Many novels were written “from life” - Emar sailed as a cabin boy on a fishing boat, participated in military campaigns, was captured by the Indians and even stood at the torture stake. For lovers of unpredictable stories and travel to distant lands.

Keep your legs crossed, or Russian tales of an English obstetrician.
The hero of the novel works in London as a gynecologist-oncologist and specializes in pathological pregnancies and complicated childbirth. "This book is a kind of logbook that records the events that happened over the twenty years of my journey through life. A journey that led me from a small Georgian provincial town Travel to the heart of London. A journey that taught me to love life and hate death in all its forms. A journey that taught my eyes to fear and my hands to do. A journey that taught me to laugh even when no one is laughing, and cry when no one sees"

According to good old England. From London to Newcastle. Author: Morton Henry Wollam
Henry Wallam Morton traveled half the world, but his native country always remained in his heart - good old England. And one day he took a trip around England to see with his own eyes all those places that are commonly called the English countryside and which, repeating R. Kipling, “are the honor and glory of England.” Surprisingly, little has changed in this area, from London to Newcastle, and to this day life here remains much the same as Henry Morton saw it. We are waiting... waiting for industrial Manchester, business Liverpool, York frozen in time, resort Blackpool... Welcome to the real England!

The word is on the way.
The collection “The Word on the Road” includes travel stories and essays published in different years in periodicals, as well as excerpts from interviews also devoted to the topic of travel. This book can be read in different ways: as a guide, and as a collection of art and literary essays, and as autobiographical prose. The collection also includes three chapters from the unfinished book “Pictures of Italy”, the heroes of which were the artists Giotto, Simone Martini and Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti.

Golden sun of Liguria.
American family(husband, wife and two children) is teetering on the brink of divorce. To avoid this, they make a very non-trivial decision. The family intends to unite in order to face difficulties together. And since in our beloved homeland there are real difficulties big problems, then as a country famous for its extreme living conditions, they choose the Ligurian coast of Italy.

France. In the footsteps of Cezanne.
Peter Mail treats his readers to another bestseller - a real delicacy in which equal proportions love and glamor mixed high art And haute cuisine, crime and farce, the south of France and other wonderful places. Main components of the dish: a tyrannical New York editor, famous for that who reserves two tables at once for business lunches; main villain and a fraudster from art; a reckless young photographer who accidentally witnesses a priceless Cezanne painting being loaded into a plumber's van; a charming heroine who looks amazing in a beret.

Venice. Under the skin of the city of love.
The city seems to be constantly choking on an incoming wave. A city turned into a myth. The city that we see through the eyes of enthusiastic tourists - from the front facade. London born, young English writer with Indian roots named Bidisha, whose diary will become a kind of guide for you, had a chance to encounter the real Venice.

Sicily. Sweet honey, bitter lemons.
Some people like to travel with a camera in hand and prefer well-trodden tourist routes. There are also desperate daredevils who climb into unknown distances. This is how they discover something completely new in the familiar. Matthew Fort traveled around Sicily, hungry and eager to understand the secrets of the island. What he saw and heard developed into a travel novel, a gastronomic diary novel, a reflection novel - notes from an ordinary person in an unusually beautiful, contradictory and intriguing place.

Around the world

Around the world in 80 Days .
For the first time in Russian, a book by the famous British traveler, president of the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain, writer, actor, participant in the Monty Python show and TV presenter Michael Palin.
A fascinating story about a journey along the route that was once laid by the legendary Phileas Fogg of Jules Verne: from London to New York through Paris, Venice, Athens, Cairo, Qatar, Mumbai, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, etc. - and yet no Swindle!

Around the world with Clarkson. Features of national riding. Posted by Jeremy Clarkson
The famous British journalist, cynic and wit Jeremy Clarkson (host of the TopGear program on the BBC TV channel) traveled around the world and in his unique manner told how things are with cars (and at the same time with many other things) in eleven countries of the world . The book will be a fascinating read for both those interested in cars and those who simply prefer a common-sense outlook on life.

Around the world by car with Yuri Geiko.
A fascinating book about the journey of Yuri Geiko, a popular and beloved presenter of Avtoradio, around the world by car. With signature humor and love for everything automobile Yuri talks about roads, traffic inspectors, people and morals in many countries. Most of his travels took him to the territory of Russia - and here it turned out to be no less funny and incredible than those of such mysterious neighbors on the planet.
Laugh and sympathize, worry and rejoice as you travel through the pages of this book around the world with Yuri Geiko - the trip is described day after day, as if in the pages of a diary.

Notes from a cyclist.
Cult musician and the Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer, founder of the great Talking Heads, appears in this book from a new side - as a traveler and storyteller. However talented person talented in everything, and read travel notes David Byrne is extraordinarily fascinating. Having traveled, without exaggeration, all over the world, the musician was convinced that it is best to observe the life of different cities from the saddle of a “two-wheeled horse”...

Far, far...
Mesmerizing sunsets of Easter Island, monumental buildings of North Korea, leisurely and dangerous icebergs of Antarctica, amazing lunar landscapes Iceland, the Martian rocks of the USA and the man-made beauties of Dubai and the rural landscapes of Burma - all this was seen through the lens of his camera and shown to us by one of the most popular bloggers on the Runet - Sergey Dolya. Sergey not only publishes magnificent photographs, he also tells us that strange, interesting and fascinating things can be found in those places.
This book is not a guidebook or a photo album, although you can look at the photographs in it for hours.
This is the world through the eyes of a smart and interesting person. Here are collected only some of the reports on Sergei’s travels to the amazing corners of our planet.

Mysterious islands you need to visit before you die. , Shlosman Mark
English traveler and journalist Steve Davey and photographer Mark Shlosman talk in this book about the 40 most amazing islands peace. Among them are the well-known Hong Kong in China and Cité in Paris, and the harsh deserted Spitsbergen, and the legendary Easter Island, and tropical Palawan in the Philippines. The authors accompany their narrative with magnificent photographs, as well as useful information for those who decide to see these mysterious corners of the planet with their own eyes.