wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 167THEBIGREAD DISCOVER
Book
of the
month
This month’s Hid en coners
bookshelf
is looking
for secret
places...NorthKoreaJournal
MichaelPalin
Hutchinson,£15
So, how does the nicest man in travel cope
with a problem like NorthKorea?Putting
Michael Palin into the centre of the ‘axis of evil’isafascinating
proposition, as those who caught last year’s
TV series will agree. For those who felt that
Michael Palin in North Korea was too short,
this day-by-day account provides more
detail and context to his two-week journey,
as well as the constant behind-the-camera
diplomacy that trailed them.
What makes his trip unusual is that Palin’s
usual winning mix of genuine interest,
good-humoured charm and that deceptively
steely nose for humbug gets slightly
handicapped by the regime’s potent mi
fear and propaganda and control. But h
much can he risk by probing, not only f
himself and his crew, but also for his
handlers on the other side?
But amid the frustration, Palin perseve
Recognising the humanity from behind
indoctrination, he then gently draws it o
further, making small connections with
enforced entourage. Interestingly, as th
former Python gains an understanding
this alien, secretive country, the since-
stalled peace breakthrough by Preside
Trump is reverberating around it. After
reading this, you’ll wander if maybe
another ambassador – maybe one mor
familiar with dead parrots – would
achieve better results. Tom HawkerWe take freedom of
expression to be one of
our most basic rights.
In the DPRK it’s one of
their greatest fears.
MichaelPalin192
Land of the
Dawn-lit Mountains
Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent
Simon & Schuster, £10
Rocking up to Arunachal Pradesh –
one of India’s most tightly controlled places – by
motorbike isn’t the norm. Antonia, however, does
exactly that, revving through remote valleys as she
seeks the wilderness of the title. What she
inds is
a mythical land, where
lying shamans, opium
farmersanddemonsarerightathome.(2017)193
Revolutionary Ride:
On the Road in
Search of the Real Iran
Lois Pryce
Nicholas Brealey Publishing, £11
Rather than ignore a note strapped on to her
motorcycle, Lois rides 3,000 miles from Tabriz to
Shiraz – all against the advice of her family. On
her way, she meets war veterans, drug addicts
and housewives alike, chronicling the warmth at
theheartofthisstrictlygovernedstate.(2017)194
Border
Kapka Kassabova
Granta Books, £10
As adults, we often revisit the places of
our youth, looking for new truths. Kapka
takes us to the edge of Europe, to see the sylvan
fringes of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece, to a sleepy
seaside town she once visited during the Cold War.
In doing so, she reveals how people de
ine borders- and how they de
ine us in turn. In the current
climate,it’sastartlinglyrelevantread.(2017)
195
The Places
in Between
Rory Stewart
Picador, £11
Afghanistan has long been a no-go
zone. But this is one trip more fraught than most,
as Rory tests treacherous mountain routes by foot.
An adventure unlike most, he shares his story – and
asoftersidetotheembattledcountry,too.(2004)196
The Land Beyond
Leon McCarron
I.B.Tauris, £17.99
Not many people would trek 1,000
miles on foot through the Middle East.
Leon does it, though, hiking on ancient trails from
Jerusalem up to Wadi Rum and the vast deserts
of Sinai, all with the kind of prose where you can
feel the heat blistering your skin – and feet! (2017)191