Travelling the world

This book is a clever thing. Theroux has taken six of his excellent travel books ([b:The Great Railway Bazaar 63689 The Great Railway Bazaar Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440437557l/63689.SY75.jpg 811411](GRB), [b:The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas 130515 The Old Patagonian Express By Train Through the Americas Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356445513l/130515.SY75.jpg 1197157](OPE), [b:The Kingdom by the Sea: A Journey Around the Coast of Great Britain 20151735 The Kingdom by the Sea A Journey Around the Coast of Great Britain Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394263820l/20151735.SY75.jpg 2047474], [b:Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China 261547 Riding the Iron Rooster By Train Through China Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1315259745l/261547.SY75.jpg 2891703](RIR), [b:Down the Yangtze 1218349 Down the Yangtze Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1258046667l/1218349.SX50.jpg 125705], [b:Sunrise With Seamonsters: Travels And Discoveries 1964-1984 10890455 Sunrise With Seamonsters Travels And Discoveries 1964-1984 Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328021023l/10890455.SY75.jpg 256145]), and selected a number of excerpts from each, publishing them with quite a lot of photographs.Where it is clever is that this book of excerpts will appeal to those who don't want a whole book of Theroux, but a highlights package. In this case it isn't an inconsistency that I have rated this book higher than some of the full source books - they really are highlights.In particular, I like the excerpts that have been chosen which detail a full interaction with someone - these are fantastically amusing in Theroux's full books, but to have them in isolation is even better. These include such memorable people as Mister Duffill (early in the GRB), Mr Bhardwaj (on the way to Simla - GRB), Mr Gopal (in Jaipur - GRB), Mr Thornberry (Costa Rica - OPE), Belles Du Jour (Natasha and Olga, Moscow - RIR), Mr jiang (Endangered species banquet, somewhere in China -RIR), but perhaps my favourite, is Mr Fu driving guide extraordinaire, who drives Theroux to Tibet (well, part of the way until he crashes, when Theroux takes over the driving, except for the last 100m or so of each leg, so that Mr Fu can save face by arriving as the driver) - from Riding the Iron Rooster. If you are not familiar with these characters (well, people really) then grab a copy of this book, or the source books and track them down, highly recommended. Great photos accompany the writing.Four stars comfortably. I hesitate to add that nothing I read in [b:The Kingdom by the Sea: A Journey Around the Coast of Great Britain 20151735 The Kingdom by the Sea A Journey Around the Coast of Great Britain Paul Theroux https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394263820l/20151735.SY75.jpg 2047474] inspires me to pick up a copy. If found Theroux's excerpts from that book pretty flat.