Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of the World

A quick look over the other reviews and ratings reinforces my view that this book was very hit and miss.
Consisting of eight individual travel non-fiction short stories in different locations, it really was a mixture. All were written in the period 1987 to 1992, and the author has specifically noted that they were not updated with the power of hindsight or retrospectively edited, which means they become a snapshot in history.

They are all linked in that the author considers them Lonely Places or places that are ‘falling off the map'. I have been to five of the eight places, and while admitting that the places change over time, and experiences are different depending on how you travel and who you travel with - some were true to form, and some quite different.

Briefly, they consist of:
North Korea (1990) - a very good, overview of a tourist trip to North Korea, albeit predictably sarcastic (not a criticism, as how could any sensible person not find aspects of North Korea's rule absurd?), and an interesting read. 5/5
Argentina (1990) - seemed very dated and didn't resemble the Argentina I experienced around five years after this. Not particularly interesting. 2/5
Cuba (1987-1992) - a more in-depth analysis based on multiple visits - interesting and wider ranging. 4/5
Iceland (1991) - a somewhat negative portrait of Iceland, over the winter period, again not my experience of visiting there (albeit some ten years after). Readable at 3/5
Bhutan (1989) - More than anything, this chapter portrayed Bhutan as a frustrating place, where the author perhaps didn't achieve what he set out to. Disappointing at 2/5
Vietnam (1991) - this chapter came across as a study in opposites - comparing the former North with the former South. It was ok, but seemed dragged out. 3/5
Paraguay - This was another long read -Nazi war criminals, government corruption, military dictatorships, the rich/poor divide. All fairly negative and drawn out. 2/5
Australia - a brief overview of the character of Australia - amusing enough, but not very deep. 4/5

Which seems to add up to 25/40, or just over 3/5, which seems about right!