Route 66 AD: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists [Paperback]

"Perrottet is an energetic joker and a wry tale-teller, but there's a lot of learning as well...a sparkling adventure"

"An appealing...mix of the zany and the arcane, juggling an energetic account of ancient Roman travel habits with a witty record of his own modern journey"

1st century tourist traps rise from the page in scenes so familiar and vibrant it becomes difficult to discern whether the past is present or the present,past

"an appealing mix of the zany and the arcane, juggling an energetic account of ancient Roman travel with a witty record of his own journey" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

"Wunderbar! A deliciously juicy, and at the same time wonderfully academic book" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Brilliant Australian travel writer Tony Perrottet traces the Mediterranean itinerary of the world's first tourists - the ancient Romans - with the help of an archaic guidebook from the era written by one Pausanias. Tony's entertaining narrative is combined with a witty, intelligent discussion of ancient history and culture compared with our own lives today. There are more similarities that you might imagine. Tony and his three months pregnant girlfriend make their journey from Rome, through Greece, Turkey and finally to Aswan, Egypt. Along the way they scuba dive among the ancient ruins of Naples, and become bewildered guests of honour at a Nubian wedding. Route 66AD is informative, irreverent, fun and the perfect holiday read.

The need for perpetual motion has always been Tony Perrottet's most obvious personality disorder. Studying History at Sydney he regularly disappeared hitch-hiking through the Outback, or traveling through rural India (enjoying a brief, inglorious career as a film extra in Rajasthan). On graduation, he moved to South America as a roving correspondent where he covered the Shining Path war in Peru, drug running in the Colombian Amazon and several rebellions in Argentina. Now living in Manhattan he continues to commute to Iceland, Tierra del Fuego and Zanzibar, while contributing to Esquire, Outside, the New York Times and the Sunday Times. Route 66 AD will appear in translation in Germany, Japan, Holland and Brazil.