Daren

In the first chapter of this book Peissel is in India, preparing to visit Bhutan - under invitation, to carry out an anthological survey. It is 1959, and in the week before his entry to Bhutan China invade Tibet and all hell breaks loose, ensuring that his connections are not made and his trip to Bhutan is off. Unsure of what to do, he is advised (by more than one person) to head to Nepal - to Kathmandu and to see Boris. Boris will help you, Boris will arrange everything...

And so off to Kathmandu heads Peissel, and meets the larger-than-life Boris Lisanevich - Ukrainian refugee, Restauranteur, hotelier, former ballet dancer, world traveller, friend to all the rich and famous, host of royalty and mountaineering royalty (Sir Ed Hillary), and much more...

Within a few days Peissel is sorted and heads off to carry out his survey (or which we hear nothing). At the end of chapter one, Peissel has determined he would like to spend more time with Boris, and obtains his assent to return with his wife Marie-Claire to spend six months in Boris enormous hotel.

And so that leads to the filling out of the biography of Boris, interspersed with the current events of the moment - the coming and going of guests; Boris's whims and chaotic plans; the day to day struggle for consistency in a country (as Boris puts it) with the operational ability of the 17th Century having only move on from medieval life with his arrival!

There is so much to this book that the brief outline only touches on it. Peissel makes the point that there is so much more he couldn't include due to “politics, diplomacy or simply kindness”!

Published in 1966, Boris was still going strong. He passed away in 1985 at the age of 80, a life more filled with adventures than most can even imagine. The book outlines his generosity, his view of the happiness of others being more important the accruing wealth, and always providing assistance to others.

Highly recommended. Although as is often the case with books of this era, the views on hunting of wild and often endangered or at risk animals are inevitably contrary to todays view. The ridiculous numbers of tigers, the few rhino and other animals killed in hunts may well be disturbing to readers not happy to separate the past with the present.

5 stars. I hope the other books by this author are half as good as this one.

This fits into Idriess's autobiographical travels book topic (as opposed to a biography about a historical figure, a collection of historic stories around a theme, or a straight out book on mining or precious stones). I have liked his previous autobiographical tales best of all, but this was a little flat.

Idriess was recovering from a bout of malaria, and so was a little low-energy, and that seemed to come through in the writing of this. He joins friends on a driving trip from Sydney to Perth and back (with some side diversions in south-west WA and through Adelaide , Geelong and Canberra on the return): the leader on this journey The Super - L. Colin Smith, who is in the bookselling industry and for work travels across part of Australia visiting bookshops - while the detail is never shared, presumably to make sales to them. The other, co-driver etc is Quiz Kid - CW Priestly, of Canberra - a civil servant.

The three are jokingly argumentative the entire time, each pair ganging up on the third at ay given time to gently mock. Idriess is referred to as Inkpot and is treated as incapable of anything - he is not permitted to drive, has no tasks to perform, he doesn't even carry his own suitcase (an oversized thing his wife insisted on packing). Whether this is due to his recovery from malaria, or whether his friends really judge his as incapable is not really spelled out. Certainly Idriess is singled out for the most mocking.

So primarily a book of their journey of some 10 weeks, 9000 miles across the Nullarbor, but The Super and Quiz Kid throw in lots of random facts, and Idriess fills out local history.

Its a fairly gentle read, telling positive stories at a local level through the four states they travel (New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia on the east to west , with ACT added in on the return journey).

3.5 stars, for its unusual low energy.

This book starts out with the author hanging out with and discussing trainspotters. I persisted just long enough for him to move on and away from that topic and onto his journeys. Chesshyre explains that he sets out to understand why people love trains so much - I suppose it needed to cover trainspotters to achieve this goal, but it was a bit too much at first, and then became just scattered observation of them.

Ostensibly Chesshyre took 49 train journeys - it says so on the cover, although it's more like nine actual journeys, some of which are made up of multiple legs, sometimes running together, sometimes with other travel or flights between. There are another couple of chapters which are mashups of multiple journeys, which I guess then adds up to his 49. The also visits 22 countries although I only found 21.

Chesshyre writes well enough in capturing his journey. The narrative is a mix up of his actual experiences on the train (and getting to it etc); conversations with his fellow travellers (sometimes amusing, often dull or tedious); history about the country/area being passed through; history pertaining to trains in the country/area being passed through; details about the train. The details about the train are technical specifications, numbers, where it was manufactured etc - loads of things most people have no interest in - trainspotter stuff again).

Some chapters I found more interesting that others. Most likely this is the travel reader in me - a biased interest in places I have either been or want to go... so the Indian Pacific in Australia, the Trans-Siberian Thru Russian and on through China, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Iran were all good in places. I found the USA and Europe sections less interesting.

Overall I am not sure there is a specific target audience for this. For train enthusiasts, probably not enough train detail; for travel readers - probably too much peripheral information. It was an easy enough read, but filled with lots of trivial information about encounters with random people.

Lightly amusing enough that I read it all I suppose!

3 stars

Fascinating book, but then I have a (non-technical) fascination with archaeology, especially when it is presented with an expeditionary view - such as this one.

Phillips was the expedition leader and organiser of the American Foundation for the Study of Man: Southern Arabian Expedition of 1950 & 1951. His book explains all the events of the expedition, which is broken into four parts - I & II to Behian, in the Aden Protectorate, III in Saba (Sheba) in Yemen, IV in Dhofar in Oman. Now days Yemen has taken over all of the Aden Protectorate area.

For parts I & II of the expedition, which represent two archaeological seasons in Behian, in the historical Kingdom of Qataban, everything goes well - good cooperation from the authorities and local Sheiks etc, and the archeological findings are incredible, filling in huge amounts of knowledge for the area. Phillips does a great job getting the most from his team, his local workers (who provide most of the non-technical labour) and builds a trust with the local dignitaries. Towards the end of the season, he receives and invitation from the King of Yemen to come and meet with his to discuss excavating at Marib, thought to be the legendary city of the Kingdom of Saba (Sheba) - a goal Phillips never thought would be possible, as few Europeans, if any had been allowed access before.

An agreement was made with the Yemeni King, Imam Ahmad bin Yahya, who, while King was clutching onto his position which was coveted by his brother. As Wikipedia says Ahmad's ruthless, arbitrary and inconsistent rule made him the subject of a coup attempt, frequent assassination attempts and eventually lead to the downfall of the kingdom shortly after his death.
The agreement was a contract carefully spelling out the conditions and which party had obligations to the other - eg the Yemeni's were to construct and road, airfield and buildings to accommodate the expedition, the archaeological findings were split 50/50. From the very start, the contract was under pressure and not adhered to (by the Yemenis). The expedition constructed a road, the airfield and their own buildings, and were harassed by officials installed by the Kings brother, who constantly made up new rules and baited the men with outrageous requirements.

It was some time before Phillips was physically on the dig, as he had been in the USA rounding up more funding and taking care of Foundation business. Once he returned from the States to Taiz in Yemen he found the situation volatile, and was denied any access to the King, and was told the contract was being cancelled. He also found out that none of the cables sent by the team at Marib ever left the country. When he reached the site, he found the full extent of the danger the team were under, with three or four Yemeni officials all undermining the contract agreement and soldiers becoming more and more threatening. Various members of the team were placed in house arrest, and work was at risk of stopping. Phillips recognised that an evacuation was necessary, and made an elaborate plan for the team to escape. Miraculously this worked out, at great risk, although this meant abandoning all of the equipment and archaeological finds and losing a great deal of money.

Not happy with the expedition ending in this way, Phillips made contact with the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, who had offered previously to have the expedition explore the Dhofar area of Oman. Phillips had previously turned them down for the offer in Yemen, but the Sultan was diplomatic enough, knowing how Yemen had ended for Phillips. So right at the end of the book, the team begin part IV of the expedition, excavating in Dhofar. The books ends with them taking up work here.

Throughout the book there are excellent (black and white) photographs of the archaeology, the people and the finds. There are many photos, one photo page for every 4 to 6 pages of text! There are good coloured maps on the end-pages of the book, and some more detailed archaeological maps scattered throughout - overall a very well presented book.

A somewhat obscure book I was pleased to find.
5 stars

PS I have not tried to summarise of explain their findings - it was a complex web of histories which overlap in these ancient Kingdoms.
There is one brief summary adjacent to a map which states:
Range of Inscriptions now know which mention the statesMa'in 4th BC - 1st BCSaba (Sheba) 8th BC - 6th ADQataban 7th(?) BC - 1st ADTimna destroyed between 25BC - 1BCHadhramuat 5th (?) BC - 4th ADAusan 5th BC - 1st AD

The second volume from Stephens explorations in the Yucatan, accompanied by Catherwood with his excellent engravings. This is a continuation of the same form provided in Volume 1, but covers many more Mayan ruin sites which are discovered, explored, excavated and mapped.

As with volume 1, I read the Project Gutenberg version (it doesn't have the excellent cover the GR listing does, more is the pity), which contained seventy engravings. It remains fairly workman like in its descriptions - the travel, the people they meet, the obtaining of food and water, the excavations, the findings, etc. It seemed to me in this volume that they were more focussed on the culture and people, I suppose there is only so much can be written about the many, many ruins they visit, unearth and record.

I expected, at the end we get the description of the fire which destroyed the warehouse of artifacts that Stephens had collected from the ruins (as mentioned in Vol 1), but there was no mention (unless I missed it!). How devastating, and such a pity so much of what he saved was lost.

Volume 2 has various appendices - a manuscript in the Maya language with side-by-side translation - it discusses the Mayan ancient history, but I didn't find it very readable. Second up is an explanation of the ornithology of Yucatan, with an observation list. The third is a letter related to the red hand as a symbol comparing Mayan with North American Indian usage.

I read this over along period of time as it was on my phone and was read 'while waiting' for whatever, when I didn't have a book to hand.

I gave volume one 4 stars, for me this was still interesting, but did become a little repetitive. It is still worthy of 4 stars.

The second volume from Stephens explorations in the Yucatan, accompanied by Catherwood with his excellent engravings. This is a continuation of the same form provided in Volume 1, but covers many more Mayan ruin sites which are discovered, explored, excavated and mapped.

As with volume 1, I read the Project Gutenberg version (it doesn't have the excellent cover the GR listing does, more is the pity), which contained seventy engravings. It remains fairly workman like in its descriptions - the travel, the people they meet, the obtaining of food and water, the excavations, the findings, etc. It seemed to me in this volume that they were more focussed on the culture and people, I suppose there is only so much can be written about the many, many ruins they visit, unearth and record.

I expected, at the end we get the description of the fire which destroyed the warehouse of artifacts that Stephens had collected from the ruins (as mentioned in Vol 1), but there was no mention (unless I missed it!). How devastating, and such a pity so much of what he saved was lost.

Volume 2 has various appendices - a manuscript in the Maya language with side-by-side translation - it discusses the Mayan ancient history, but I didn't find it very readable. Second up is an explanation of the ornithology of Yucatan, with an observation list. The third is a letter related to the red hand as a symbol comparing Mayan with North American Indian usage.

I read this over along period of time as it was on my phone and was read 'while waiting' for whatever, when I didn't have a book to hand.

I gave volume one 4 stars, for me this was still interesting, but did become a little repetitive. It is still worthy of 4 stars.

The second volume from Stephens explorations in the Yucatan, accompanied by Catherwood with his excellent engravings. This is a continuation of the same form provided in Volume 1, but covers many more Mayan ruin sites which are discovered, explored, excavated and mapped.

As with volume 1, I read the Project Gutenberg version (it doesn't have the excellent cover the GR listing does, more is the pity), which contained seventy engravings. It remains fairly workman like in its descriptions - the travel, the people they meet, the obtaining of food and water, the excavations, the findings, etc. It seemed to me in this volume that they were more focussed on the culture and people, I suppose there is only so much can be written about the many, many ruins they visit, unearth and record.

I expected, at the end we get the description of the fire which destroyed the warehouse of artifacts that Stephens had collected from the ruins (as mentioned in Vol 1), but there was no mention (unless I missed it!). How devastating, and such a pity so much of what he saved was lost.

Volume 2 has various appendices - a manuscript in the Maya language with side-by-side translation - it discusses the Mayan ancient history, but I didn't find it very readable. Second up is an explanation of the ornithology of Yucatan, with an observation list. The third is a letter related to the red hand as a symbol comparing Mayan with North American Indian usage.

I read this over along period of time as it was on my phone and was read 'while waiting' for whatever, when I didn't have a book to hand.

I gave volume one 4 stars, for me this was still interesting, but did become a little repetitive. It is still worthy of 4 stars.

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars

John Lloyd Stephens, an American explorer and writer is credited with a lot of discovery related to the Maya in Mexico. This book, in two volumes, describes his second expedition to Mexico in October 1841 and concentrates his efforts in Yucatan, where his previous expedition was cut short due to the illness of one of his companions.

I read the Project Gutenberg version which still contains the many engravings and map of the original publication. I enjoyed the engravings, because as well as Stephens explains what he finds the engravings make it all the clearer. The map wasn't present (maybe in Volume 2), which was annoying.

It is a pretty straight forward explanation Stephens gives. He describes preparations, accommodations and how they live, what they eat. He explains the issues with mosquito's and bedbugs and the like, as well with those people who assist and those who don't, or are untrusting of the foreigners. But most of all he describes the ruins. He explains how the trees and scrub grows very quickly and that a large part of the labour is clearing the trees and scrub even before any excavation can be made.

Mexico is a place I have not visited, so I have only limited knowledge of the Mayan culture. Not dissimilar to the Inca's of Peru though, where I spent some time as a tourist.

Step pyramids were common and large rectangular buildings with highly decorative facades and a massively thick but blank back wall, made up of many small rooms and a flat roofs. While there were plenty of buildings to expose and excavate, relics were fairly scarce. Pottery and sculptures were found, but rarely fully intact.

Appendices to this volume include temperature observations on the trip, statistics of Yucatan, an explanation of the triangular Mayan arch in construction, and a long explanation of Mayan time.

4 stars