swap_horiz Calcutta Alternatives

1

Desert Solitaire

Edward Abbey’s *Desert Solitaire* recounts his experiences as a seasonal park ranger in Arches National Park during 1968...

Nature Desert 20TH Century Americas

9.5 Brilliant

2

Arabian Sands

Arabian Sands documents Wilfred Thesiger’s remarkable journeys through the vast and unforgiving Rub' al Khali (the Empty...

Exploration Desert 20TH Century Middle East

9.4 Excellent

3

The Snow Leopard

Peter Matthiessen’s *The Snow Leopard* chronicles his arduous 1978 expedition into the remote Nepalese Himalayas alongsi...

Asia 20TH Century Spiritual Himalaya

9.4 Excellent

4

From the Holy Mountain

William Dalrymple’s *From the Holy Mountain* chronicles a 17th-century journey undertaken by two Byzantine monks through...

Cultural 20TH Century Middle East Christianity

9.0 Excellent

5

The Marsh Arabs

The Marsh Arabs, documented primarily through Wilfred Thesiger’s experiences, represent a unique Mesopotamian culture de...

Cultural 20TH Century Middle East Iraq

8.9 Great

6

Mani

This 1958 travelogue by Patrick Leigh Fermor is notable for its deep historical and cultural exploration of the remote M...

Europe Cultural 20TH Century Greece

8.8 Great

7

City of Djinns

Published in 1993, this travelogue by William Dalrymple explores the layered historical, architectural, and cultural evo...

India Cultural 20TH Century Delhi

8.8 Great

8

The Age of Kali

Published in 1998, this travel book by William Dalrymple presents a collection of essays detailing the intense political...

India 20TH Century Political Essays

8.7 Great

9

An African in Greenland

This 1981 travelogue by Tété-Michel Kpomassie recounts his extraordinary journey leaving his native Togo in West Africa...

Cultural 20TH Century Polar Arctic

8.6 Great

10

Roumeli

Published in 1966, this travel book by Patrick Leigh Fermor explores the traditional cultures, diverse landscapes, and d...

Europe Cultural 20TH Century Greece

8.5 Great

11

An Area of Darkness

This 1964 travelogue by V.S. Naipaul details his first return visit to India, presenting his complex, highly critical, a...

India Cultural 20TH Century Literary

8.5 Great

12

The American Scene

*The American Scene* is a 1907 travelogue by Henry James documenting his return to the United States after living abroad...

Cultural 20TH Century Literary Americas

8.5 Great

13

Slowly Down the Ganges

Eric Newby's 1966 account of traveling the full length of the Ganges River through India by boat, on foot, and by other...

India Cultural 20TH Century River

8.4 Great

14

India: A Wounded Civilization

V. S. Naipaul's 1977 travelogue examines the social and political complexities of India following the Emergency, explori...

India Cultural 20TH Century Political

8.4 Great

15

Italian Days

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's 1989 travelogue explores the cultural heritage, regional diversity, and everyday life of Ita...

Europe Italy Cultural 20TH Century

8.3 Great

16

On the Shores of the Mediterranean

Eric Newby's 1984 travel book exploring the landscapes, cultures, and history of countries bordering the Mediterranean,...

Europe Coastal Cultural 20TH Century

8.1 Great

17

The Fearful Void

This 1974 travel book by Geoffrey Moorhouse details his physically grueling and ultimately incomplete attempt to cross t...

Solo 20TH Century Africa Geoffrey Moorhouse

8.0 Great

18

A Turn in the South

Published in 1989, this travel book by V.S. Naipaul explores the distinct culture, economic changes, and lingering racia...

Cultural 20TH Century Literary Americas

7.8 Good

19

To the Frontier

Published in 1979, this travelogue by Geoffrey Moorhouse describes his immersive journey through India and Pakistan to t...

Asia Cultural 20TH Century Pakistan

7.7 Good

20

London Films

*London Films* is a 1905 travel book by William Dean Howells offering an American perspective on Edwardian London, Engla...

Europe Cultural 20TH Century Britain

7.6 Good