Discover Popular Titles Full Audiobooks in Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

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Title: Die Trying

Subtitle: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits

Author: Bo Parfet

Narrator: Eric Michael Summerer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-29-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

In early 2003, a young Wall Street investment banker named Bo Parfet set out to accomplish something very few had done before - climbing the highest mountain on every continent. He was not a professional climber, but what began as a casual interest would soon become a lifelong passion and in just over four years, Bo would overcome the odds and conquer all of the mountains - Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali, Vinson Massif, Elbrus, Carstenz Pyramid, Kosciusko, and Everest - with courage, unbridled passion, and determination.

Combining the gripping narrative of Into Thin Air with the adrenaline-fueled drama of Vertical Limit, Die Trying is the incredible story of one man's battle against his own limitations. From dodging avalanches to crossing a ladder over a seemingly bottomless crevasse, to making his way through the Khumbu Icefall and burying a dead teammate at 27,000 feet, we experience all of the author's exhilarating, often terrifying climbs first-hand. We travel with him during his near-death experiences when falling into a crevasse in New Zealand and nearly-drowning in crocodile-infested rapids during a canoe race in Belize. And we share the terror of his confrontations with corrupt army officials, cannibalistic tribesmen, and local militia groups. Harrowing and uplifting, Die Trying is a riveting memoir that will inspire all of us to defy the odds and fulfill our dreams.

Members Reviews:

Ok but lacking

Story lacks real emotions. Such an epic story deserves revealing deeper meaning. Being a climber and guide, there is so much deep meaning and discovery in challenges such as this.

More humorous than other mountain books

Where does Die Trying rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

It's one of the ones I can listen to over and over

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that it's more humorous than other mountain books. I know one reviewer mentioned that it lacked deeper meaning, and I suppose it does. Then again, most other mountain books are rather serious, and this is refreshing. It's slightly more along the lines of a travel book than pure mountaineering book, and I really enjoyed it. The narrator is good, too.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The Indonesian bit, when he struggles to even get to the mountain he's trying to climb.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many moments that made me laugh.

Really enjoyed it - what an inspiring guy!

Any additional comments?

This is a really interesting, engaging book. We listened to it on a long journey and were totally inspired by Bo's attitude and achievements. The stories are interesting and written in a frank and funny way. The narration is good and well-paced. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody with a love of the mountains, travel-writing and stories of an ordinary guy going on an extraordinary adventure!

Interesting but not gripping

I found this book fairly interesting but wouldn't put it in the greats of mountaineering literature.

gripping tale

started off slow ish but picked up speed very quick and had me hooked. great story. great tales of adventure. well recommended

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Title: 36 Views of Mount Fuji

Subtitle: On Finding Myself in Japan

Author: Cathy Davidson

Narrator: Alexandra Bailey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 75 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

In 1980 Cathy N. Davidson traveled to Japan to teach English at a leading all-womens university. It was the first of many journeys and the beginning of a deep and abiding fascination. In this extraordinary book, Davidson depicts a series of intimate moments and small epiphanies that together make up a panoramic view of Japan. With wit, candor, and a lovers keen eye, she tells captivating stories - from that of a Buddhist funeral laden with ritual to an exhilarating evening spent touring the Floating World, the sensual demimonde in which salaryman meets geisha and the normal rules are suspended. On a remote island inhabited by one of the last matriarchal societies in the world, a disconcertingly down-to-earth priestess leads her to the heart of a sacred grove. And she spends a few unforgettable weeks in a quasi-Victorian residence called the Practice House, where, until recently, Japanese women were taught American customs so that they would make proper wives for husbands who might be stationed abroad. In an afterword new to this edition, Davidson tells of a poignant trip back to Japan in 2005 to visit friends who had remade their lives after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which had devastated the city of Kobe, as well as the small town where Davidson had lived and the university where she taught.

36 Views of Mount Fuji not only transforms our image of Japan, it offers a stirring look at the very nature of culture and identity. Often funny, sometimes liltingly sad, it is as intimate and irresistible as a long-awaited letter from a good friend.

Members Reviews:

Loved everything about this book!

This was a wonderfully written story that kept my interest from the first page to the last. It gives a good insight into a foreigners experience in Japan and good information for people who go to Japan. Great reader! Thank you for this book!

Fun book, insightful and informative

The book makes me want to visit Japan.

The book discusses the author's 10 visits to Japan and how her view of the country changes over time. Because of this book, I bought another one about Japanese culture.

She described how women and men are treated differently in Japan and how an added complication arises when the woman is an American and a professional. I felt sad for the salarymen and the endless studying for students. Her description of the island of Oki sounds wonderful - swimming around collecting glass balls used in fishing. This is in contrast with the Practice House - a house associated with a women's college where women students are taught how to behave in America. The only problem is that the Practice House is stuck in the 1960's, which matches the assumption that women's role in America is to cook, clean and make crafts.

I understand that an experience in a different country is individualistic. It is not fair to criticize the book because it doesn't match another person's experience. Just appreciate it for what it is - a retelling of events that happened to that person, at that time, in the place.

I enjoyed learning about the author's experience in Japan.

Keen observation by the author

As a fellow English teacher in China I could identify with the author's struggle to learn Japanese and understand the culture. I listened to this while traveling around Japan this past summer. Her description of Osaka as being quite bland is true. Mrs.

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Title: The Light in High Places

Author: Joe Hutto

Narrator: Fred Sanders

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

A Naturalist Looks at Wyoming Wilderness - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Cowboys, and Other Rare Species

Naturalist Joe Huttos latest adventures in wildlife observation take him to Wyomings Wind River Mountains. Hutto is living in a tent at 12,000 feet, where blizzards occur in July and where human wants become irrelevantand human needs can become a matter of life and deathto study the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. The population of these rare alpine sheep is in decline. The lambs are dying in unprecedented numbers. Huttos job is to find out why.

For months at a time, he follows the bighorn herds, meets mountain lions and bears, weathers injury and storms, and beautifully observes the incredible splendor of the Rocky Mountains. Hutto has a deep connection to Wyoming, having managed a large cattle ranch in his past. He weaves Wyomings history of the cowboy, mountain ecology, and the lives of the bighorn sheep into a beautiful flowing narrative.

Ultimately, he discovers that the lambs are dying of a form of nutritional muscular dystrophy due to selenium deficiency, which is caused by acid raina grim ecological disaster caused by human pollution. Here is a new twist on a cautionary tale, and a new voice, eloquently ex-pressing the urgency of mending our ways.

Editorial Reviews:

In the big-hearted tradition of great naturalists such as John Muir and Edward Abbey, "romantic scientist" Joe Hutto hikes alone deep into the glacial Wyoming wilderness to study why bighorn sheep are dying of a neuromuscular disorder. His findings are grim: Acid rain is poisoning the wild herd.

As warmly performed by Fred Sanders, the listener is plunged into another corner of ecological damage wrought by human consumption. But the listener is in for much more than a scourging diatribe. Huttos knowledge of the land is deep, and his joy amidst his sorrow is profound. In this two-part elegy and celebration, Hutto introduces the listener to much splendor - from vanished Indian tribes to cowboy history to high-country blizzards in June.

Members Reviews:

Joe Hutto's genius

Joe Hutto is an exceptionally good writer. He makes his vocation as a Naturalist come alive with his energy, enthusiasm and love of the animals he chooses to get to know intimately. The reader is introduced to a whole new world through is eyes and ears via his writing.

A Must-Read Book!

This is just a terrific book! So well written, so descriptive, and with marvelous pictures. Joe Hutto's love of the land and the animals that populate it shines out of every word.

A Spiritual Experience With Nature

Very well written book of the Wyoming outback. Easy to read connotation of the mountains, wild life, and the individuality of these rugged people.

Five Stars

Beautiful read!

Five Stars

I like anything Joe Hutto writes; he's amazing.

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Title: Route 66 Still Kicks

Subtitle: Driving America's Main Street

Author: Rick Antonson

Narrator: Brian Troxell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-21-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

A wild ride through Americas heartlands.Youll never understand America until youve driven Route 66thats old Route 66all the way, a truck driver in California once said to author Rick Antonson. Its the most famous highway in the world. With some determination, grit, and a good sense of direction, one can still find and drive on 90 percent of the original Route 66 today.

This travelogue follows Rick and his travel companion Peter along 2,400 miles through eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles as they discover the old Route 66. With surprising and obscure stories about Route 66 personalities like Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, Al Capone, Salvador Dali, Dorothea Lange, Cyrus Avery (the Father of Route 66), the Harvey Girls, Mickey Mantle, and Bobby Troup (songwriter of (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66), Antonsons fresh perspective reads like an easy drive down a forgotten road: winding, stopping now and then to mingle with the locals and reminisce about times gone by, and then getting stuck in the mud, sucked into its charms. Rick mixes hilarious anecdotes of happenstance travel with the routes difficult history, its rise and fall in popularity, and above all, its place in legend. The author has committed part of his books proceeds to the preservation work of the National Route 66 Federation.

Editorial Reviews:

Rick and Peter are just two of the innumerable travelers to venture across long stretch of asphalt famously known as Route 66. The travelogue of these two friends' journey as they drive through the multifaceted landscape of America, is like a love letter to the forgotten corners of the country - found on lonely disintegrating sections of road. Route 66 Still Kicks is stupendous fun and endlessly amusing. Brian Troxell's outstanding performance brilliantly retells stories of yesteryear and yesterday. This audiobook is a perfect companion for those long drives down long highways.

Members Reviews:

Good listen with a bit of history

Good listen with a bit of history to tie it all together. Not a traveler guide but a romance with the road trip to inspire travel.

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Title: The Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Western Box Set

Author: Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes, Lang Elliot, Kevin Colver

Narrator: Donald Stokes, Lillian Stokes, Lang Elliot, Kevin Colver

Format: Original Recording

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-09-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

An incredible 923 species from all of North America are included in this marvelous audio companion to the best-selling Stokes Field Guides.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

Useless

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The recordings in this book would be fantastic, if there were any way to find the one you're looking for! Individual tracks within the book are not labeled in any way, so it's impossible to locate and listen to the recording of a specific bird. In addition, the tracks on the Audible recording are cut differently than the tracks listed on the PDF booklet that comes with them, so you won't find any help there either. Please, Audible, if you are going to offer reference material at all, do the work to make it auseful.

NEEDS TRACK TITLES!

Would you try another book from the authors and/or the narrators?

Perhaps...

What do you think your next listen will be?

a literary novel, I hope.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

This isn't really a story- just bird songs, but if you purchased the CD set, you would get all of the same sounds and information.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Well, I did get to listen to the birds...

Any additional comments?

I would recommend that you purchase the book on the CD boxed set. That's what I will have to do. Then, once it is imported into iTunes, I'll be able to identify each bird track and play only that one. Since this comes in a different format, it does not import to iTunes as tracks, but chapters...with no track titles. So, it would be a nightmare to try to find one bird individually. I had really hoped that this would be a good deal, but for my purpose, it's useless.

Not very good.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I was hoping this would be like Peterson's Birding By Ear series, but it was nearly as detailed.

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Title: Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region

Author: Lillian Stokes, Lang Elliot, Donald Stokes

Narrator: Lang Elliot

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-12

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

The Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region offers you the very best sound recordings available for the birds of eastern North America. It includes more species, more time per species, and more sounds per species than any other audio guide to Eastern bird songs. In addition, the recordings are accompanied by an informative pdf booklet that gives precise call and song descriptions of the 372 species included.

This is a marvelous companion to the book The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America and the audiobook The Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region. Donald and Lillian Stokes are widely recongized as America's foremost authorities on birds and nature. Their newest book, The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, is the most comprehensive photographic field guide to birds ever published. They have written more than 30 other books, which have cumulatively sold more than 4.5 million copies, including the best-selling Stokes Field Guide to Birds (Eastern and Western editions), the Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds, the Stokes Nature Guides, and the Stokes Backyard Nature Books. They have hosted a popular public television series, Stokes Birds at Home, and offer current birding information on their Stokes Birding Blog, which features Lillian Stokes's stunning photography.

This is the ultimate audio field guide for today's birder - the most comprehensive, clearest, most useful audio identification guide to the birds of the Eastern region ever produced. Now updated for modern convenience in the field!

Members Reviews:

Not ready for Audible yet

What would have made Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region better?

I downloaded this and there were no identifiers for the songs. In otherwords, I couldn't look up a a specific bird song, which to me is the whole point of getting something like this. Very disappointed.

Would be SO much better if each bird song in the table of contents were listed by the birds name rather than a chapter number

All the birds you want to hear, and each recording is clear and distinct. Each chapter is a different birds song, but unfortunately is named by a chapter number rather than the birds name.

297 Untitled Chapters! 297!

Table of contents only gives chapter numbers. 3 1/2 hours of birdcalls with no way of finding the specie you are looking for without listening to 3 1/2 hours of audio and then compiling your own table of contents. How is this helpful? I feel like I have totally wasted my money and now my time. I highly recommend you do not waste your device's storage on this purchase.

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Title: Caught Inside

Subtitle: A Surfers Year on the California Coast

Author: Daniel Duane

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-19-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

A wondrous, uproarious, and surprisingly informative account of a year spend surfing, Caught Inside marks the arrival of an exuberant new voice of the outdoors. This remarkable narrative of Daniel Duanes life on the water is enhanced by good-humored explanations of the physics of wave dynamics, the intricate art of surfboard design, and lyrical, sharp-eyed descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Pacific wilderness. From Captain Cook and Mark Twain to Robinson Jeffers and Jack London, from portraits of famous (and infamous) surfers to an analysis of Gidgets perverse significance, Duane expertly uncovers the myths and symbols bound up in one of our most vibrant and recognizably American subjects.

Members Reviews:

Great read!

loved it. you will love the journey through the best surfing locations that California has to offer. I felt like I became part of the surfing culture while reading this book.

guy is an amateur surfer, birder, rock climber

Storyline was anecdotal, uneventful and left open ended. Not a whole lot of shop talk about surfing. no real discernible goals or driving force to the memoir....basically you could sum this entire book up in about 10 minutes.

started to find the writing overdone and bogged down with complex vocabulary and "poignant" observations.

overall kook was a better read, still looking for the great American surfing book though......maybe an Aussie will write it.

The Surfer Memoir that Changed Everything

Daniel Duane moved to Santa Cruz in the mid-90s, looking for something. He dove down a dark, watery rabbit hole, living by the tides and swells of the Pacific Ocean.

What started out as a hobby turned into an obsession and it's no lie to say Duane pulled more men in with him, than Neptune could've ever imagined. Caught Inside became the definitive surfing bible of the modern middle class surfing generation.

Duane takes his listeners into the "lineup" to experience the localism, the stink-eye, the beauty and danger of surfing.

Coming from a VERY outside place, Duane understands there's an "inside" place to be, and he gets guided in to find his own bearings a story any man, in or out of the water, will relate to.

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Title: Brazil

Author: Michael Palin

Narrator: Michael Palin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

Michael Palin journeys to a vast country of unimaginable contrasts - Brazil. An economic powerhouse, it is host to a staggering variety of peoples. He starts his journey in the north, in the remote mountains and forests on the border with Venezuela, and finishes in the south at the legendary Iguaçu Falls. He travels by river-boat, float-plane and foot to visit tribes deep in the jungle, samples life in the agricultural and mining heartland of Brazil, experiences the modernism of Brasília and the heady mix of Rio de Janeiro, and ventures into the favelas. He travels down the northeast coast with its African-inspired culture; to So Luís; Recife and Salvador, where Michael is swept up in Candomblé. He heads to So Paulo, where the super-rich commute by helicopter; tastes German beer served from a motorcycle sidecar, and tries his hand at being a cowboy before journey's end beneath one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.

Members Reviews:

travels with Michael Palin

I have listened to, read and watched all of his travel books. Always enjoy the escape.

Want a modern look at Brazil?

Perfect for someone who wants a glimpse of modern day life in Brazil! I'm an educator who can use much of the factual details to share with my students. Gave me a wonderful picture of the whole country. Thanks!

Fun and Informative

What made the experience of listening to Brazil the most enjoyable?

Michael Palin's account of his journey through Brazil will stand out among my favorite audiobooks. His descriptions are so implicit, and his narration so full of energy, that it almost felt like I was at his side on his journey from north Brazil to south Brazil. A dash of history and humor makes this a fun and informative view into a rising country that I knew little about. It was hard to hit the pause button.

Awesome overview of an incredible country

I loved the route he took, his excellent way of telling the story of the people he met, and the narration in general. Ive lived in Brazil, and am about to return to live a few more years, and this book has me even more excited.

I canot wait!

I finished this over the weekend and must say it is up there with 'Around the World' and ' Himalaya's' - Now I cant wait to see the TV version as MP struts his stuff around this vast continent. He captures just about everything, with his wonderful humour and accents, its really very, very good and I have no hesitation in recommending it to you guys! It is amazing that this country is so diverse with such a massive culture difference, but everyone rubs along together and makes it work! He covers just about everything that you want to know, from politics to football, economics and gay marches. Now the problem is, what will he will do next?...USA I suspect, now that would be fun, poking fun at them...cant wait again.

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Title: Running with the Kenyans

Author: Adharanand Finn

Narrator: Paul Tyreman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-09-12

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

After years of watching Kenyan athletes win the world's biggest races, Adharanand Finn set out to discover just what it was that made them so fast - and to see if he could keep up. Packing up his life he moved from Devon to Iten, in Kenya, to eat with, interview, sleep beside and - most importantly run with, some of the greatest runners in the world. In the distance rests his dream, to join the best of the Kenyan athletes in an epic first marathon across the Kenyan plains.

Members Reviews:

Perfect audiobook for listening while running!

Really enjoyed the book. interesting storytelling . listened it during my running sessions while training for my first marathon. love!

Love running, cant finish this book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This guy cant write. Sorry. I love running, I really loved 'Born to Run' by Christopher McDougall, but the big difference is that Christopher McDougal was a journalist, his profession was to write, he knew how to spin a story. This author unfortunately had a great adventure, but cannot write and it makes for a painstaking read. As someone who also loves travel I really had high hopes for this book, the story is probably of limited appeal to someone who has never been to Africa, but I was hoping for so much more. I wanted heart to heart conversations, but it seems that either the author wasn't able to make these bonds with the athletes or those around him, or these guys just don't have much to say. I bought this to listen to on my long runs, but I cant listen to anymore of it, its so boring. An average paragraph goes something like this."I turned up at 6 oclock. Jeffery didnt turn up at 6 oclock, because hes always late, he turned up at 7 oclock" "My daughter went to school" "I could see her blond hair easily amongst all the black headed children" "She didnt want to go the next day" Africa, and Kenya especially, are mind blowing landscapes, and it feels this is lost on the author. He cannot describe what he sees around him and it felt like he was overwhelmed or his heart is closed to the whole experience. The whole writing style feels very immature, as does the nature of the interactions with those he meets. Its possible that this guy isn't very well travelled and this kind of comes across in the book. It kind of reminds me of something that the old, square bloke in the Dunlop green flash from the cricket club up the road who had only ever been on holiday to Bournemouth would write. Its got no style, no humour, no heart. And i'm going to delete it, unfinished now. I havent written this to offend anyone, Ive written it to save you all some valuable time and read something more worthy of being read. I'm going to read Scott Jureks book next, or What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Please let them be interesting !

interesting read - even for a non-runner like me!

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

Really good book - enjoyed it very much even though I have no interest in running and didn't know the author or anything about Kenya. I have since listened to it again and quite possibly enjoyed it more the second time.

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Title: News from Tartary

Author: Peter Fleming

Narrator: Richard Mitchley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Travel & Adventure, Adventure & Exploration

Publisher's Summary:

For most travellers, and all merchants, the road from China to India lies as it has lain for centuries, through Singkiang along that ancient Silk Road which is the most romantic and culturally the most important trade route in the history of the world. In 1935 Peter Fleming set out to travel that route, from Peking to Kashmir. It was a journey which swept him and his companion 3500 miles across the roof of the world. It took them seven months to complete the journey.

They travelled across deserts and mountains, through ice and sand and into some of the most beautiful, mysterious and dangerous areas in the world. His account of that journey is filled with endurance and adventure, with strange encounters in the wilderness, with tales of Chinese, Mongol tribesmem and Indians, and with a spirited sense of humour and courage.

Members Reviews:

Time travel back to 1935 and do it tough

Would you listen to News from Tartary again? Why?

What a slog... I felt each elbow in my back as we squeezed into the back of the lorry from Xian. I was thirsty from the dryness of the plateau and riding with the prince was another test of endurance, And then we got to the squalor and distress of the camels and horses from oasis to oasis on the way to Kashgar. I am still emptying the sand out of my ipod. Then the blood splattered on me as they pierced the noses of the horses on the pass over to India ... Peter Fleming's concern for the plight of the animals, his growing contempt for the dishonesty of the local "guides", and his generous praise of his traveling companion all brought to vivid life this moment in history.

What other book might you compare News from Tartary to and why?

Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road travels some of the same route in 2003 and is a fabulous listen, also full of back stories.

What does Richard Mitchley bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Accent that anchors the point of view, and great pacing that deftly moved me from event to event.

listening to a smart and witty man is a pleasure

Would you consider the audio edition of News from Tartary to be better than the print version?

I would not say so, it is more like they complement each other. I have read nearly all Peter Fleming's books (and I like him considerably more than his famous brother) but listening to those stories - especially narrated that well - is a separate and new pleasure.

What did you like best about this story?

The old-fashioned style, the wit, dry humor (which is not unkind but often is sharp as a razor). A wonderful talent for a small but precise detail. An extremely cultured voice (Fleming's texts sound exactly like their author looked )))

Which scene was your favorite?

Various succinct and funny - nearly comic opera - descriptions of small caliber Asian and Chinese officials. At times one feels like listening to a part of a Gilbert&Sullivan libretto.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Never had time for that, but it was a pleasure anyway.

Any additional comments?

Richard Mitchley did a very good job. Exactly the kind of voice and attitude Fleming's books demands. Lovely narration. Will have to hunt for more by this narrator, love the voice and manner.

A Matter of Taste Perhaps

I am an avid reader of travel books and sadly, albeit Fleming is an accomplished writer, this just didn't hit the mark for me.