The enduring appeal of the desert is strikingly portrayed in this poetic study, which has become a classic of the American Southwest. First published in 1903, it is the work of Mary Austin (1868–1934), a prolific novelist, poet, critic, and playwright, who was also an ardent early feminist and champion of Indians and Spanish-Americans. She is best known today for this enchanting paean to the vast, arid, yet remarkably beautiful lands that lie east...

A collection of essays by television reporter Charles Kuralt that profile the people, places, and ideas that define the national spirit.

In 1271 Marco Polo set out on a journey to China to meet the Mongol Emperor Kublaï Khan. He returned with stories that would take a lifetime to tell. Featuring exotic creatures, strange customs, extraordinary legends, and political intrigues, The Travels of Marco Polo reveals the fantastical treasures of the East in the words of the legendary medieval explorer. Conjuring up a forgotten world filled with mystery where wonder lurks around every...

This book is about Alaska and Alaskans - contemporary, with occasional expeditions into Alaska's past.

Thru-hiker of 1980 weaves history, maintainers' perspectives, accounts of several dozen thru-hikers (well-known and obscure), and the how's of walking the A.T. into a thorough but entertaining history of an increasingly popular sport.

Out of the East came wonderful tales by a Westerner who loved the old Japan-devotion, ancestor worship, courtesy, and kindness-and record his feelings for the rest of the world to read. This collection of "reveries and studies," as author and legendary Japanologist Lafcadio Hearn subtitled Out of the East, contains unforgettable tales like "The Red Bridal," in which the conflict between duty and human feelings leads to tragedy in classically Japanese...

Arising out of Naipaul's lifelong obsession and passion for a country that is at once his and totally alien, India: A Million Mutinies Now relates the stories of many of the people he met traveling there more than fifty years ago. He explores how they have been steered by the innumerable frictions present in Indian society - the contradictions and compromises of religious faith, the whim and chaos of random political forces. This book represents Naipaul's...

"Notes on the State of Virginia" is the only full-length book by Thomas Jefferson published during his lifetime. Jefferson first published the book anonymously in a private and limited-edition printing in Paris in 1785 while he was serving as a trade representative for the new American government. "Notes on the State of Virginia" was later made available to the general public in a 1787 printing in London by John Stockdale. Jefferson's detailed description...

Lonely Planet's Belize is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Dive the Blue Hole, explore Maya villages, and discover Garifuna culture; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Belize and begin your journey now!

The author recounts his experiences while traveling throughout Communist China by train, offering observations on the scenery and recalling conversations with Chinese citizens and other fellow travelers.