Behind Putin's Curtain
An unconventional travelogue of a country that inspires both fear and fascination.
“In the late summer of 2016,” writes award-winning travel writer Stephan Orth, “a journey to Russia feels like visiting enemy territory.”
In this humorous and thought-provoking book, Orth ventures through that vast and mysterious territory to uncover the real, …
Couchsurfing in Iran
Included in the 2018 summer reading list by New York Times Books
A modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran.
Iran: A destination that is seldom seen by westerners yet often misunderstood. A country that simultaneously “enchants and enrages” those who visit it. A place where leading a double life has become the norm.
In Couchs …
The Shark and the Albatross
“A must for all those who enjoy insights into the natural world.” –Alexander McCall Smith
The daring and thoughtfully-rendered adventures of a filmmaker who travels to the ends of the earth to document animal lives.
For twenty years John Aitchison has been traveling the world to film wildlife for a variety of international TV shows, taking …
Paddlenorth
Paddlenorth tells the riveting story of ’s 54 day paddling adventure on the Back River, in the northern wilderness of the subarctic, as she and her five companions battle raging winds, impenetrable sea ice, and treacherous rapids. The perils include rising tensions among the group, but these are tempered by grizzly sightings, icy swims, and the c …
Olive Odyssey
Inspired by her Syrian forebears’ intimate relationship with the olive, Julie Angus embarks on a voyage around the Mediterranean to unlock the secrets of the fruit that meant so much to them. Accompanied by her husband and their ten-month-old son, Angus collects samples from ancient trees to determine where the first olive tree originated; feasts …
Long Beach Wild
Each year, more than a million people visit the spectacular sweep of sand that stretches along Vancouver Island's west coast between Tofino and Ucluelet to watch waves crash ashore on a series of beaches-essentially one long beach separated by small rocky headlands, a shoreline steps away from howling wolves and towering red cedars.
In Long Beach Wi …
Breakfast at the Exit Cafe
What begins as a road trip through America soon becomes a journey of discovery into themselves and into the heart of the next-door neighbour they thought they knew. For Wayne Grady, the thrill of landscape and history is tempered by memories of racism and his own family roots. Merilyn Simonds, her ear tuned for the offbeat, finds curious echoes of …
Lakeland
Winner of the Governor General's award for Nonfiction
In this wry, sensual, and entertaining journey into the greatest lake country on earth, Allan Casey examines how lakes provide an open door to wilderness for average people, how our deepest relationships with nature may be forged on their shores. It is a tale of hope and threat combined, for our …
Ladies of the Field
The first women archaeologists were Victorian era adventurers who felt most at home when farthest from it. Canvas tents were their domains, hot Middle Eastern deserts their gardens of inquiry and labor. Thanks to them, prevailing ideas about feminine nature soft, nurturing, submissive were upended. Ladies of the Field tells the story of seven …
The Wisdom of Donkeys
“This is Zen and the Art of Donkey Walking. I cannot imagine a more charming, informative, or restful book.” —Jim Crace, author of Being Dead and The Pesthouse.
With a new foreword by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.
“Can a donkey be a philosopher? Merrifield believes so and, with this modest, lovely little book, makes us believe so, too.” —Boo …
A Woman in the Polar Night
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In this extraordinary adventure, a reluctant visitor to the Arctic thrives in the awesome and unforgiving landscape.
In 1933, Christiane Ritter, a painter from Austria, travelled to Spitsbergen, an Arctic island north of Norway, to be with her husband. He had been taking part in a scientific expedition and stayed on to hunt and fish. ""Leave everyt …
Incontinent on the Continent
To smooth over five decades of constant clashing, determined daughter Jane Christmas decides to take her arthritic, incontinent, and domineering mother, Valeria, to Italy. Will being at the epicenter of the Renaissance spark a renaissance in their relationship? As they drag each other from the Amalfi Coast to Tuscany walkers, shawls, and a mobil …
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim
To celebrate her 50th birthday and face the challenges of mid-life, Jane Christmas joins 14 women to hike the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Despite a psychic’s warning of catfights, death, and a sexy, fair-haired man, Christmas soldiers on. After a week of squabbles, the group splinters and the real adventure begins. In vivid, witty style, sh …
The Boy on the Back of the Turtle
In The Boy on the Back of the Turtle, Quarrington attempts to discover his own little niche in the cosmos. Cruising the volcanic Galapagos Islands on a 90-foot liner called the Corinthian in the company of his daughter, age 7, and his father, age 73, he tries to find his place as a Son, as a Father, as a Mortal frolicking beneath the heavens.
One …
The Last Great Sea
The North Pacific Ocean is the planet’s last great producer of fish, giving up about 25 million tonnes annually. Commercially, it has surpassed the Atlantic Ocean in importance, and Hong Kong has replaced Rotterdam as the world’s busiest port. Increasingly, the North Pacific is a region of key geopolitical significance.
In this compelling journ …
Abundant Beauty
"P class=""book_description"">A delightful and informative trek across the globe by a witty, intelligent, and courageous Victorian artist and adventurer.
In 1871, at age 41, Marianne North, an artist with a keen interest in botany, decided to travel the world on a quest to paint as many plants and flowers as she could find in their natural habitat. …
Boy on the Back of the Turtle
As he cruises the Galapagos Islands in the company of his daughter, aged seven, and his father, aged seventy-three, Paul Quarrington ponders questions great and small. Equal parts memoir, travel book and good old-fashioned yarn, The Boy on the Back of the Turtle is a funny, poignant look at the mysteries of our universe.