5.8
Mongolia
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Was it naive to hope for peace with the Khan?
The Story Of The Mongols Whom We Call The Tartars | 1245 | 2 years | Mongolia | caravan
5.2
Afghanistan
Philippe Valéry
Is this another author who distances himself from his story?
On The Silk Roads | 1998 | 2 years | China | walking
6.8
Mongolia
William of Rubruck
How is it possible that 750 years don’t seem to leave a trace?
Account Of The Mongols | 1253 | 2 years | China | caravan
5.2
China
Sun Shuyun
Is this book more about contemplation or more about adventure?
Ten Thousand Miles Without A Cloud | 1999 | 2 months | India | backpacking
4.2
Iraq
Jean de Mandeville
Why is it so much fun to read Medieval travel stories that are at least partly untrue?
The Travels | 1322 | 34 years | Europe, Africa, Asia | caravan, walking, ship
5
China
Sven Hedin
Are we looking at a career-obsessed explorer or at a blueprint for Indiana Jones?
In The Heart Of Asia | 1893 | 4 years | China | caravan
4
China
Stanley Stewart
Is China really that quirky, or do we sometimes just want things to be a certain way?
Frontiers of Heaven | 1994 | 1 month | China | backpacking
4.2
Saudi Arabia
Ibn Battuta
Did conservative ethics turn this great adventure story into such a slow read?
The Travels | 1325 | 29 years | Asia, Africa, Europe | ship, caravan
5
China
Mildred Cable
Is this just a book about three ladies taking it slow, or is it an epic adventure?
The Gobi Desert | 1926 | 12 years | China | caravan
4.2
China
Nikolai Przhevalsky
Is this too much racism even for an imperialist?
Mongolia And The Land Of The Tanguts | 1870 | 3 years | China | caravan
5.8
Turkey
Johann Schiltberger
Is this guy our average Joe from the Middle Ages?
The Bondage And Travels Of Johann Schiltberger, A Native Of Bavaria, In Europe, Asia, And Africa | 1394 | 33 years | Turkey | ship, caravan, walking
5.8
China
Ella Maillart
If Fleming is the more gifted writer, then why is this book better than his?
Forbidden Journey – From Peking to Cashmir | 1935 | 6 months | China | caravan
6
China
Peter Fleming
Would a little less irony have made this book even better?
News from Tartary - A Journey from Peking to Kashmir | 1935 | 6 months | China | caravan