LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Conceived a year before his tragic death as “an atlas of the world through his eyes”, Anthony’s Bourdain’s World Travel is a glorious testament to the unique wit and worldview of a chef, food writer and travel documentarian who was, above all else, a brilliant storyteller. Put together by his long-time assistant Laurie Woolever, with contributions from friends, family and colleagues in place of Tony being around to write some of the planned pieces himself, this is a travel guide like no other - unsurprising given that Bourdain was a character like no other.
From Argentina to Vietnam, Australia to Uruguay, this A-Z travelogue includes information you’d expect to find in a conventional guidebook (how to get there, where to eat, where to stay) but beyond these basics, it dishes up Bourdain’s distinctly personal take on the many places he’s explored. His words are always incisive; always a brutal blend of raw candour and decadent description. There are thoughts on food, history and culture, sometimes contextualised by Tony’s companions, while at other times all it takes is a straight-talking, straight-from-the-horse’s-mouth quote from the man himself, like these words of caution for first-time tasters of Brazil’s potent dendê oil: “You know, it takes some getting used to. The first time I was here, you eat it, you shit like a mink for hours afterwards. But now, no problems! Lovin’ it.” There’s passionate political commentary too, notably when he talks about Cambodia (“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands”) and Mozambique, a beautiful nation that has, to Tony’s anger, been “relentlessly screwed by history”.
Honest, insightful and salty, this is a delicious antidote to formulaic travel writing; a rejuvenating blast of anti-blandness that stirs an urge to explore the world with even a soupçon of Bourdain’s fearless, flamboyant spirit.
Joanne Owen
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About
World Travel Synopsis
A celebration of the life and legacy of one of the most important food writers of all time - the inimitable Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to the stunning desert solitude of Oman's Empty Quarter - and many places beyond.
In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places - in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid.
Supplementing Bourdain's words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Chris; a guide to Chicago's best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more.
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Press Reviews
Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever Press Reviews
This is the stuff of real writing ... Bourdain is a great original - Mail on Sunday
One of the world's first and most influential celebrity chefs - Guardian
Thrillingly profane, aggressively truthful voice ... He would eat anything, go anywhere and say anything - New York Times
Bourdain is a very funny writer; sharp, honest and with a beguiling mix of belligerence and sensitivity - Sunday Telegraph
Brilliantly written in a raw, stylist gonzo prose, with pitch-black humour and a devilish turn of phrase - Evening Standard
Christ, could Bourdain weave words ... Imagery like crime-scene photos, the flayed raw humour of a morgue attendant, the sort of one-liners a hitman drips as he pulls the trigger, and similes that would make Raymond Chandler eat his own pencils. For all the rock'n'roll, the easy, sleazy charm, the guy wrote like a poet - Guardian
Terrific ... His love for his subjects - both the food and the cook - sings - Daily Telegraph
Thrillingly profane, aggressively truthful ... He would eat anything, go anywhere and say anything - New York Times
Bourdain is a vivid, bawdy and often foul-mouthed writer. He thrills in the attack, but he is also an enthusiast who writes well about things he holds dear - Wall Street Journal
Author
About Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever
Anthony Bourdain was the New York Times-bestselling author of Kitchen Confidential, which sold over a million copies, Medium Raw, A Cook's Tour and The Nasty Bits, the cookbooks Appetites and Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, and the novels Bone in the Throat and Gone Bamboo. His work appeared in the New York Times and The New Yorker. He was the host of the popular television shows No Reservations and Parts Unknown. Bourdain died in June 2018. Laurie Woolever is a writer and editor, and spent nearly a decade assisting Anthony Bourdain, with whom she coauthored the cookbook Appetites in 2016. She's written about food and travel for the New York Times, GQ, Food & Wine, Lucky Peach, Saveur, Dissent, Roads & Kingdoms, and others, and has worked as an editor at Art Culinaire and Wine Spectator.
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