Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Flamingo
Pages: 320
Price: INR 295
In Xanadu is William Dalrymple’s first book that marked a glorious beginning of his career in travel writing. The book follows William’s attempt to cover the route Marco Polo took. As a final year Cambridge student, William backpacks his way through Turkey and into Iran finally reaching China to end the journey in the Inner Mongols in Xanadu where Marco Polo ended his historic voyage. William dutifully wants to stick to the route Marco Polo took during his voyage; however, the prevailing volatile political conditions in Iran prove otherwise. Sometimes as nomads and sometimes as illegal occupants William and his travel companion Laura (and Louise who joins in the latter leg of the journey from Lahore after Laura leaves to India) explores the passage.
William’s writing is a blend of history with present day events and his insight on every place he visits makes the book effortlessly interesting. Besides, his honest impression of places – often strewn with cynical undertones – makes the reading experience a pleasure.
The bumpy trial that proves nothing lesser than an ordeal does not end with William merely following the track. He explores the sights Marco Polo mentions in his ‘Travels’ and quite often has only the 13th century book as his travel guide. And when William succeeds in finding the monuments mentioned in the book, it substantiates his conviction and the whole meaning of the travel.
The book showcases William’s outstanding style of writing that is equally amusing and hard-hitting.
William often takes pride in boasting to be the first European to visit the unexplored places only after Alexander and Marco polo. The book is no less of a treat and William makes sure that the sense of fulfillment when he completes his travel in Xanadu is equally shared by the reader.
Bottom Line: You will love it if you enjoy the travel-writing genre
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