A series of inimitable journeys of the “excellent writer and tourist-on-chance”, breaking up the monotony of overcoming spaces (from London to Hanoi (“Great Railway Bazaar”), through Boston to Patagonia (“Old Patagonian Express”) and beyond) with a passion for meeting with a uniquely random one.

“Great! Theroux's ability to board the most remote corners of the Earth is nothing short of amazing. His descriptions simply make you want to take off and either go by plane to Istanbul, or by train to Phnom Penh, or on foot to Belfast... What is especially captivating is his unique ability to give his travel story some kind of dreamlike tone, to make one feel through the narrative the underlying breath of the shadows and spirits of the place .Pico Iyer