Author(s): Norman Lewis

Non-Fiction

This sparkling collection of essays is the result of a lifetime - over sixty years - spent travelling. From the Russian Steppes, via the Yemen, to Naples, Paraguay and beyond, Norman Lewis has yet to find a place not worth visiting.

Whether describing dancing executioners, burial rites in Western Mexico, or the eponymous voyage by dhow, Lewis's writing brings the world, in all its complexity, vividly to life. His words combine the poetic with the more prosaic, blending first-hand experience with snatches of conversation, and enriching colourful description with historical information. Moreover, Lewis is never afraid to tackle the controversial issues other - lesser - writers might shy away from: politics, economics, the problems of tourism. In his hands (and words), the world is at once rendered small enough that we can gain insights into lives, people and places that we could previously only have imagined, and at the same time, made much, much larger.