THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2001

The average traveler doesn't climb mountains in the Andes, hunt seal with the Inuit, set sail in a hazardous cargo vessel with Haitian illegal immigrants, or track down the lair of Charles Manson. That, as Paul Theroux explains in his introduction, is why stories of these adventures are included in this anthology of pieces culled from various travel publications. The introduction, written and read by Theroux, moves a bit slowly, but all 11 of the pieces featured are well chosen and well read, including six read by their authors. Of special note is Salman Rushdie's "A Dream of Glorious Return," read by Simon Prebble. The essay gives a personal perspective to the fatwa against Rushdie and one of its main effects, the denial of his visa to visit his native India. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]