TRACKING MARCO POLO

by Tim Severin

After the best-selling The Brendan Voyage and The Sinbad Voyage, Tim Severin took up the challenge from antiquity offered by Marco Polo. Using the great explorer's journals as a guide, Severin followed him all the way from Venice to the Hindu Kush on motorcycle. This is his enthralling account of the latter-day caravan through Armenia and Persia, across deserts and mountains, as Severin and his two companions overcome crashes, floods, sandstorms, and linguistic muddles with zest and ingenuity.

Ancient and modern jostle for attention in the bustling towns and panoramic landscapes of Turkey and Afghanistan. Seeking out 13th century Asia, they pass through the Valley of the Assassins to find the village of the Magi. And even with his foot in a cast, Severin rides a camel high into the Deh Bakri pass in search of the famed 'apples of paradise.' The excitement, the historical background, and the sheer magic of this epic journey are brought vividly to life by one of the finest travel writers.

Peter Bedrick Books (1964)