- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Profile Books; First Edition edition (21 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1846680697
- ISBN-13: 978-1846680694
- Product Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
142,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #36 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Australia & New Zealand > New Zealand
- #67 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Australia & New Zealand > Australia
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"'Mordant, energetic and outrageous.' Camille Paglia 'Glitzy, louche and funny...with a wild vivid energy tapping the Zeitgeist' - Cathy Porter, Independent on Sunday, writing about Duncan Fallowell's book One Hot Summer in St Petersburg."
Nicholas Coleridge, Managing Director, Condé Nast UK
'...the most engaging, enjoyable book, full of cleverness on every page...very, very funny. Really love it...'
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
It's black outside, as black and solid as coal, but inside all is white and clean, although the glass of white wine I had with my dinner was a mistake, one measly glass and a headache for the rest of the journey. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
It's black outside, as black and solid as coal, but inside all is white and clean, although the glass of white wine I had with my dinner was a mistake, one measly glass and a headache for the rest of the journey. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Readers who have enjoyed his books on St Petersburg and Sicily will know that
Duncan Fallowell's travel writing is in a class of its own.His trip to New
Zealand in search of memories of the Old Vic Tour of 1948 led by the Oliviers
was certain to surprise the natives and any readers who expected a smooth
travelogue in the style of Newby or Leigh Fermor. What you get is a double
journey. The first is by plane,bus,car and foot through the towns, cities and
mountains of New Zealand. Occasionally he stumbles into Paradise but all too
often he finds a landscape ravaged by greedy developers and city planners
indifferent to the qualities of the environments they have destroyed.
The second, parallel journey is through the extraordinary contents of Fallowell's mind as he jump-cuts from food to sex, religion to history,
bars to backrooms, and dialogue to description.
As any traveller is entitled to do, he jabs occasionally at the soft and
sensitive parts of New Zealands self-image. Maybe this is why the book
has ruffled national feathers. But since Fallowell is so bracingly
honest about his own desires and behaviour readers should not expect
him to be any less so in his reactions to their country.
Highly recommended; but I wish the publishers could have given us a map.
Duncan Fallowell's travel writing is in a class of its own.His trip to New
Zealand in search of memories of the Old Vic Tour of 1948 led by the Oliviers
was certain to surprise the natives and any readers who expected a smooth
travelogue in the style of Newby or Leigh Fermor. What you get is a double
journey. The first is by plane,bus,car and foot through the towns, cities and
mountains of New Zealand. Occasionally he stumbles into Paradise but all too
often he finds a landscape ravaged by greedy developers and city planners
indifferent to the qualities of the environments they have destroyed.
The second, parallel journey is through the extraordinary contents of Fallowell's mind as he jump-cuts from food to sex, religion to history,
bars to backrooms, and dialogue to description.
As any traveller is entitled to do, he jabs occasionally at the soft and
sensitive parts of New Zealands self-image. Maybe this is why the book
has ruffled national feathers. But since Fallowell is so bracingly
honest about his own desires and behaviour readers should not expect
him to be any less so in his reactions to their country.
Highly recommended; but I wish the publishers could have given us a map.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Whatever idea you have about a travel book, be ready to change it after you start reading this unusual travel book.
By Mr. Fallowel ability to observe interesting details about people and places in a very witty way, New Zeland becames a place where condradictory aspects of our western culture becames very vivid.
I really think Mr. Fallowell has the courage to expose his feeling in telling you everything about it.
By Mr. Fallowel ability to observe interesting details about people and places in a very witty way, New Zeland becames a place where condradictory aspects of our western culture becames very vivid.
I really think Mr. Fallowell has the courage to expose his feeling in telling you everything about it.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Nowadays most of us seem to wander around in a shame-faced state of fear, embarrassment and political correctness. There aren't many who wear their heart and soul on their sleeve, tell it like it is. John Lennon was one. Duncan Fallowell is another. This third travel book is not only a great piece of globetrotting; it's also a no-holds-barred circumnavigation of his head, exploring some of the knottiest problems preoccupying us these days - global warming, immigration, wondering what on earth we're doing here. It's brave, poignant and uncompromising. New Zealanders weren't too pleased by his revealing how they've wantonly destroyed much of their imperial and architectural heritage - but I think they should decorate Mr Fallowell for ripping down the net curtains on what had lately become, in the world's eyes, the new Middle Earth. Ten out of ten.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting for wartime Popper
Fallowell investigates Popper's time at Canterbury University College and seems astounded that Popper was not appointed professor of philosophy. The person who was, Arthur N. Read more
Published on 15 July 2009 by Dr. T. Sinclair
All about Duncan
If you want to learn more about New Zealand do not get this book. The travel writing is focussed on the author - his interests (the Oliviers, Rose Wine, etc), moods, philosophies,... Read more
Published on 10 May 2008 by D. Hyde
Paradise retold
Milton wrote at the beginning of Paradise lost 'in his slender book a vast design unfold'. To travel is to learn about oneself and the place where one came from. Read more
Published on 9 April 2008 by T. Fleming
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