Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer (Travelers' Tales Guides)
Marco Polo Didn't Go There: Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer (Travelers' Tales Guides)
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Product Details:
Author:
Rolf Potts
Paperback:
344 pages
Publisher:
Travelers' Tales
Publication Date:
September 01, 2008
Language:
English
ISBN:
1932361618
Package Length:
7.8 inches
Package Width:
5.1 inches
Package Height:
0.8 inches
Package Weight:
0.75 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 7 reviews
Description:
Marco Polo Didn’t Go There is a collection of rollicking travel tales from a young writer USA Today has called “Jack Kerouac for the Internet Age.” For the past ten years, Rolf Potts has taken his keen postmodern travel sensibility into the far fringes of five continents for such prestigious publications as National Geographic Traveler, Salon.com, and The New York Times Magazine. This book documents his boldest, funniest, and most revealing journeys—from getting stranded without water in the Libyan desert, to crashing the set of a Leonardo DiCaprio movie in Thailand, to learning the secrets of Tantric sex in a dubious Indian ashram.
Marco Polo Didn’t Go There is more than just an entertaining journey into fascinating corners of the world. The book is a unique window into travel writing, with each chapter containing a “commentary track”—endnotes that reveal the ragged edges behind the experience and creation of each tale. Offbeat and insightful, this book is an engrossing read for students of travel writing as well as armchair wanderers.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Review:
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Great Writing Poor quality bookDec 07, 2008 I loved the stories but was disappointed that my book literally fell apart at the seam. Pages were falling out as I read and as I like to read books again this will be a problem. I have read Rolf's previous book Vagabonding a few times and highly recommend it. If not for the poor quality of the book binding I would give 5 stars. It is too bad because now I find myself scared to buy books from Travelers Tales Guides for fear they will fall apart at the seam.
The Restless Rolf Potts Rises AgainDec 02, 2008 Just the other week, I dropped a copy of Rolf Pott's new book, "Marco Polo Didn't Go There," into my Amazon cart, and it arrived in time to be devoured before Thanksgiving. Like any work of art, there is both dark meat and light meat; whatever your preference. It includes essays he posted on [...] like "Storming the Beach," about crashing the set of a Leonardo di Caprio movie in Thailand, and pieces from other magazines, like [...]. One of the best stories, "The Art of Writing a Story About Walking across Andorra," is both a travel essay and writing tutorial. (Rolf teaches each summer in Paris). Witty, urbane, and philosophical, Potts pops up everywhere these days and pens down elegiac pieces. No wonder he is considered the Jack Kerouac of the Internet Cafe Age.
John M. Edwards
Intelligent, Inspirational and Humorous!Nov 20, 2008 Rolf Potts has again delivered a winning book that has a little something for everyone.
His stories are intelligent without being pretentious, inspirational to both armchair travelers and seasoned travelers alike, and you'll be given good chuckles to boot.
The end notes that follow each story appeal to both those who want a peek behind the scenes and also to writers looking for tips on how to hone their craft.
Educational and entertaining--I can't wait for the next one!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding!Oct 13, 2008 Already one of my favourite books! The stories are great in and of themselves, but the unique commentary feature really makes this book standout! Well done again Rolf!!!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Highly entertainingSep 26, 2008 Rolf's other book, Vagabonding, is a must-have guide for anyone interested in travel, regardless of age, intended destination, length of trip, or particular travel philosophy. It's been like a travel bible to me, passing it on to friends and family young and old to help explain why it is I enjoy travel so much, and hoping they catch the bug too.
So it was with great interest I picked up Rolf's second book, Marco Polo Didn't Go There. First, this book is different from Vagabonding -- it's not really a practical travel guide. It's a collection of stories from Rolf's career as a travel writer. I had read many of them before, as they appeared in popular travel magazines and websites in the past, but what makes this book unique is his end notes on each story. They act as a portal into the life of a travel writer, filling in the gaps between the paragraphs, and telling the stories that didn't fit into the story.
If you have any interest in travel, becoming a travel writer yourself, or maybe even just learning how a travel writer travels and writes, pick up this book. It's funny, enlightening, and highly entertaining.
based on 7 reviews
