The Road To Oxiana

Begin a voyage through Persia and Afghanistan with renowned explorer Robert Byron in 'The Road to Oxiana'.This travelog recounts Byron's ten-month adventure, immersing readers in the rich tapestry of the Middle East, from Venice to Peshawar. As Byron travels through vibrant landscapes and encounters diverse cultures, he showcases his extensive knowledge of the region's architectural wonders. From the awe-inspiring Mosque of Sheikh Lutfullah to the majestic ruins of Persepolis, his vivid descriptions transport readers to these timeless sites.

Beginning in 1611 with the King James Bible and ending in 2014 with Elizabeth Kolbert's 'The Sixth Extinction', this extraordinary voyage through the written treasures of our culture examines universally-acclaimed classics such as Pepys' 'Diaries', Charles Darwin's 'The Origin of Species', Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' and a whole host of additional works --

Award-winning foreign correspondent’s cerebral spy novel-cum-love story exposes humanity’s tenuous hold on a vast and relentless world.

A book about the meaning of travel, about how important the topic has been for writers for two and a half centuries, and about how excellent the literature of travel happened to be in England and America in the 1920s and 30s.

A fascinating journey through the cultural and artistic landscape of Iran, both past and present, by the New York Times bestselling author of An Unexpected Light In our current climate of war and suspicion, Iran is depicted as the "next" rogue nation that America and the world must "deal with." But the rhetoric about nuclear weapons and jihad obscures the real Iran: an ancient nation and culture, both sophisticated and isolated, which still exists clandestinely in major cities as well as the country's remote mountains and deserts. Jason Elliot has spent the last four years traveling in Iran, and in this remarkable book he reveals the many sides of the culture, art, architecture, and people that Westerners cannot see or conveniently ignore. Part close reading of symbols and images, part history, and part intimate interviews with Iranians of many different kinds—from wealthy aristocrats at forbidden parties to tribal horsemen in the most remote mountain villages, who have never seen a Westerner—Mirrors of the Unseen is a beautiful and thought-provoking book by one of the world's most acclaimed adventurers and authors.

Editor Michael Montlack has assembled an anthology of a hundred gay poets--award winners and fresh voices--in thrall with female icons throughout the ages ranging from Gloria Swanson to Mary J, Blige, from Edith Piaf to Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler to Lady Gaga. These are not merely appreciations of the gorgeous and daring but poems that are confessional to bittersweet to witty.

Robert Byron, who died young in World War II, was the foremost travel writer of his age, acclaimed especially for The Road to Oxiana. He was also a pioneer of Byzantine history, fought to save Georgian London and was one of the first voices raised against fascism. Patrick Leigh Fermor readily admitted to being under his spell and to Nancy Mitford he was the funnies man alive. This biography draws on a range of personal sources and throws light on the gilded circle of which he was a part.

Soviet troops had "officially" withdrawn, but the country was still in the ravages of war when Louis Palmer ventured into Afghanistan, pursuing legends of a secret knowledge. His story is a fascinating interweave of political and spiritual intrigue. Not unlike Journeys with a Sufi Master, this enthralling book falls into the category described by Shah in The Commanding Self as "designed to produce a certain preparatory climate in the mind of the reader or to inform those who are not able to understand the total implications of a person's function. These books have a value which is not immediately obvious, but which is useful in many ways.... Those who are prepared to see the 'wave as an aspect of the sea' can learn that the book, a part of its content, is a stepping-stone to something else."