In this newly designed edition, acclaimed writers who have fallen in love with France--with the food, the land, the irrepressible French people--provide a mesmerizing literary tour of this special place. maps. Illustrations.

Travelers' Tales China is a must for any traveler to China, to anyone wanting to learn more about the Middle Kingdom, offering a breadth and depth of experience from both new and well-known authors, and helps make the China experience unforgettable and transforming. These pages take you through 6,000 years of history to modern-day socialist China, from the Silk Road to the high-tech center of Beijing. Explore the old as well as the new--from the tombs of dead emperors to the world's largest dam. Roam around one of China's 700 nature preserves in a country that boasts more wildlife than any other in the world. Wander the vastness of the Gobi Desert and skirt the darkness of history while exploring the assault on Nanking, and be shaken by observations of death during the upheavals of the Red Guard. Go riding with Ghengis Khan, explore the Forbidden City, and walk along sections of the Great Wall that are seldom visited. You can taste and smell the food as it is cooked in alleys and inns, reach down and touch relics older than most of Europe, and enjoy the sights and the sounds of the Dragon Boat Festival.

From cosmopolitan Istanbul to villages where people have never heard of America or England, the writers here describe a vibrant land. Markets burst with the colors of carpets, the aroma of spices, and the sound of merchants eager to make a sale (and serve apple tea). Minarets and the call to prayer pierce the blue sky while Sufi dervishes whirl in the shadows. The seas glisten, lapping against coasts dotted with the ruins of antiquity. Tradition blends with contemporary change, as Turkey struggles to find its place in the new millennium. Travelers' Tales Turkey unveils this dramatic land through stories that range from whimsical to profound. Drink raki and smoke a water pipe with Stephen Kinzer. Explore the cave churches and fairy chimneys of Cappadocia with Mary Lee Settle. Search for evidence of Noah's Ark at Mount Ararat with Bruce Feiler. Wrestle with the legend of the Goddess Artemis with Tim Ward. Discover the exquisite pleasure of the perfect Turkish dish on the roadside with Pier Roberts and be applauded by a busload of locals for your good judgment.

These stories of travel in Central America -- Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama -- are adventurous and quirky, sobering and enlightening. Readers visit a Panamanian island known for its wildlife; glimpse the wealthy Generation X repatriates of Nicaragua; and meet a charming Guatemalan revolutionary. Authors include Paul Theroux, Jennifer Harbury, Ronald Wright, Joan Didion, Randy Wayne White, and Rigoberta Menchu. Travelers' Tales Central America provides a new window into this astonishingly beautiful and complex part of the world. "For the thoughtful traveler, these books are an invaluable resource." -- Pico Iyer

This collection of the best literature on life and travel in Italy is completely revised and updated, and features articles from authors that include Tim Parks, Patricia Hampl, Mary Taylor Simeti, and others. Illustrations. Maps.

From Romans and popes to painters and Peter Mayle, this locale has an irresistibly rich culture. This book of tales covers it all. Illustrations. Maps.