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In Xanadu: A Quest (Flamingo) (Paperback)

by William Dalrymple (Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Flamingo; New edition edition (27 Sep 1990)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0006544150
ISBN-13: 978-0006544159
Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.2 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 28,151 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#2 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Mongolia
#35 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Middle East

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Product Description

Review

'Brilliant' Spectator 'Glorious' Patrick Leigh Fermor 'Dalrymple is probably the best travel writer of his generation' Daily Mail 'The future of travel writing lies in the hands of gifted authors like Dalrymple' Sara Wheeler, Independent

Product Description

One of the most successful, influential and acclaimed travel books of recent years. At the age of twenty-two, William Dalrymple left his college in Cambridge to travel to the ruins of Kublai Khan's stately pleasure dome in Xanadu. This is an account of a quest which took him and his companions across the width of Asia, along dusty, forgotten roads, through villages and cities full of unexpected hospitality and wildly improbable escapades, to Coleridge's Xanadu itself. At once funny and knowledgeable, In Xanadu is in the finest tradition of British travel writing. Told with an exhilarating blend of eloquence, wit, poetry and delight, it is already established as a classic of its kind.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anachronistic fun, 22 April 2002

By A Customer

This is without doubt an enormously enjoyable, witty and informative book. It is also curiously dated - William Dalrymple reads here more like a young Evelyn Waugh, or possibly Graham Greene in Travels With My Aunt, than a 19 year old at the end of the 20th century. However, each to his own: personally I still enjoyed the account, despite occasionally feeling a slight desire to shake some of the pompous Empire-builder out of him (his later books have lost some of this tendency, apart from the 'amusing native' sketches which I found rather overdone in City of Djinns). One of the features of In Xanadu that I found most endearing was the fact that Dalrymple seemed, for much of the trip, to be having a thoroughly nasty time, and wasn't afraid to lose face by telling us so ('Latakia is a hole.') - as my experience is that much travel consists of being smelly, tired and miserable it was reassuring to find that someone else shared this viewpoint too. However, Dalrymple's overwhelming talent is definitely to convey a vivid sense of the places he's been, and In Xanadu displays that in spades. Really astonishly good for a first book.

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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intelligent Fun, 1 Dec 2002

By	"katyrouth" - See all my reviews

I first discovered William Dalrymple when my aunt gave me a copy of "From The Holy Mountain" when I went to Israel, which I greatly enjoyed. So, when I spotted "In Xanadu" in a bookstore, I decided I had to read it.

In Xanadu is WD's first book, and, I think, also his best. The style is slightly fresher than in his later works. The jokes seem to be more natural, and there are more of them too...a good thing, as Dalrymple has a wonderuful sense of humor, especially in the little ridiculous details of life. The book is also amazingly well researched, and I learnt an enormous amount from it.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Xanadu by William Dalrymple, 23 Oct 2006

By	Jm Norton "Jennie" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was encouraged to read this book by a friend - Travel is not really my bag BUT I LOVED IT!!! Once started I couldn't put it down. The dry humour greatly amused me. I loved the mix of interesting historical asides to a modern travelogue. I was intrigued by the descriptions of the people William Dalrymple met on his travels. Whether this is your first travel book or simply the most recent I don't see how you can fail to enjoy it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but could have been better
In the mid 1980s, William Dalrymple (then in his early 20s) made a journey retracing the steps of Marco Polo's famous journey during the 1200s, from the church of the Holy... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Andres C. Salama

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and fun
In this book William Dalrymple sets out to follow in the steps of Marco Polo to the Palace of Kubla Khan with a vial of "holy oil" from Jerusalem. Read more

Published on 21 Aug 2007 by Wendy Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasure Dome
A joy to read. There are few writers who can invoke an atmosphere, a setting, a genius locii with such taut writing and so little persiflage. Read more

Published on 24 Oct 2006 by Hans Norton

4.0 out of 5 stars first sign of a great writer to be
This is Dalrymple's first book, of a trip he undertook when he was still at university. His idea was to follow in Marco Polo's tracks, as far as the political situation of the... Read more

Published on 1 May 2006 by Pukka Sahib

5.0 out of 5 stars A spanking good read
WD's first travel book is a real triumph. Written with humility and humour as he and one of two female companions trek across asia to the fabled city of Xanadu. Read more

Published on 9 May 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable journey by a gifted writer
'In Xanadu' is both highly entertaining and impeccably researched. The success of a travelogue often hinges on the likeableness of the author, and William Dalrymple is affable,... Read more

Published on 9 Aug 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most enjoyable books I've ever read.
I was completely enchanted by this book. William Dalrymple is a wonderful writer, especially when relating everyday incidents and encounters. Read more

Published on 30 Jun 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, with a very innovative style
I enjoy travel books, and this one is excellent. I like the way the author shares with us his really impressive knowledge of the past of the places he visits. Read more

Published on 10 Oct 1999

› See all 11 customer reviews...

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