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Last Train to Zona Verde : My Ultimate African Safari by Paul Theroux (2013, Hardcover)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherHoughton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
ISBN-10061883933X
ISBN-139780618839339
eBay Product ID (ePID)17038707888
Product Key Features
Book TitleLast Train to Zona Verde : My Ultimate African Safari
Number of Pages368 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicAfrica / General, Essays & Travelogues
Publication Year2013
IllustratorYes
GenreTravel
AuthorPaul Theroux
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.2 in
Item Weight19.7 Oz
Item Length9 in
Item Width6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2013-000388
Reviews"Thoroughly engrossing--from Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly ( Best Book of the Year) "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself--and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book--not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters...Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." -- New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." -- Charleston Post-Courier "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" --Everett Potter"His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist ( starred review)"Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus (starred review), "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred, "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred, "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred, "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." New York Journal of Books, "Thoroughly engrossing--From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself--and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book--not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters...Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." -- New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." -- Charleston Post-Courier "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" --Everett Potter"His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist ( starred review)"Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus (starred review), "Thoroughly engrossing-from Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self…At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." - Washington Post "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." - Entertainment Weekly ( Best Book of the Year) "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself-and thus, to challenge us." - Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements…Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." - San Francisco Chronicle "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book-not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes…His readers can only be grateful." - Seattle Times "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." - New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post-Courier "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -Everett Potter"His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." - Booklist ( starred review)"Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)"In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." - Kirkus (starred review), "Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book - not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself - and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements…Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." - San Francisco Chronicle, Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book - not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself - and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements…Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." - San Francisco Chronicle, "Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters...Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." - New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book -- not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself -- and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." -- San Francisco Chronicle, "Thoroughly engrossing-From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self…At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." - Washington Post "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." - Entertainment Weekly "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself-and thus, to challenge us." - Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements…Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." - San Francisco Chronicle "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book-not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes…His readers can only be grateful." - Seattle Times "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." - New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post-Courier "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -Everett Potter"His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." - Booklist ( starred review)"Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)"In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." - Kirkus (starred review), "Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book - not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters…Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself - and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements…Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." - San Francisco Chronicle, "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred, "Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters...Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." - New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book -- not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself -- and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." -- San Francisco Chronicle, 'Thoroughly engrossing -- From Cape Town to Namibia to the Okavango Delta, Theroux is his inimitable, delightfully grouchy and incisive self...If you're thinking 'The Last Train to Zona Verde' is a journey from bliss to sorrow, you wouldn't be wrong. But it's a journey worth taking. At times tragic, often comical and always gorgeously written, this is a paean to a continent, by a writer unafraid to give it some tough love." -- Washington Post "His ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished." -- Booklist , starred "Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings." -- Publishers Weekly , starred "In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations...Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general." -- Kirkus , starred "A rich story often laced with irony, the work of a keen observer, full of colorful encounters'_¦Ever the astute questioner, ever the curious reporter, ever a forthright witness to history and the dilemma of the oppressed, alert to political thuggery, he chronicles the crises facing the sub-Sahara." ' New York Journal of Books "Theroux takes you on a rocky safari across infringed wilds, disenfranchised poverty and coven luxury. He introduces you to a boil of angry indigenous peoples and unsettled migrants you won't meet on an itinerary tour....Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down." - Charleston Post -Courier "Everything is under scrutiny in Paul Theroux's latest travel book ' not just the people, landscapes and sociopolitical realities of the countries he visits, but his own motivations for going where he goes...His readers can only be grateful." -- Seattle Times "He has no illusions about the fact that he is just a passing visitor (a privileged one at that), but that doesn't make his observations, or exquisite writing, any less engaging." -- Entertainment Weekly" "As in the best of his many books, Theroux convincingly takes you along for every manic bus ride. His wonderment is yours, whether he's contemplating eating a flyblown leg of chicken, dealing with a ferocious Angolan border guard, or deciding that this time, he's had quite enough. It's a remarkable, teeth-gritting tale" -- Everett Potter "Theroux is at his best when he tells their stories, happy and sad...Theroux's great mission had always been to transport us beyond that reading chair, to challenge himself ' and thus, to challenge us." -- Boston Globe "If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements'_¦Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history." ' San Francisco Chronicle
TitleLeadingThe
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal916.88104331
Table Of ContentContents 1. Among the Unreal People1 2. The Train from Khayelitsha14 3. Cape Town: The Spirit of the Cape40 4. The Night Bus to Windhoek59 5. Night Train from Swakopmund79 6. The Bush Track to Tsumkwe102 7. Ceremony at the Crossroads118 8. Among the Real People134 9. Riding an Elephant: The Ultimate Safari160 10. The Hungry Herds at Etosha180 11. The Frontier of Bad Karma200 12. Three Pieces of Chicken222 13. Volunteering in Lubango242 14. The Slave Yards of Benguela268 15. Luanda: The Improvised City297 16. "This Is What the World Will Look Like When It Ends"320 17. What Am I Doing Here?333
SynopsisThe world's most acclaimed travel writer journeys through western Africa from Cape Town to the Congo., Following the success of the acclaimed Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and The Great Railway Bazaar , The Last Train to Zona Verde is an ode to the last African journey of the world's most celebrated travel writer. "Happy again, back in the kingdom of light," writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on a new journey through the continent he knows and loves best. Theroux first came to Africa as a twenty-two-year-old Peace Corps volunteer, and the pull of the vast land never left him. Now he returns, after fifty years on the road, to explore the little-traveled territory of western Africa and to take stock both of the place and of himself. His odyssey takes him northward from Cape Town, through South Africa and Namibia, then on into Angola, wishing to head farther still until he reaches the end of the line. Journeying alone through the greenest continent, Theroux encounters a world increasingly removed from both the itineraries of tourists and the hopes of postcolonial independence movements. Leaving the Cape Town townships, traversing the Namibian bush, passing the browsing cattle of the great sunbaked heartland of the savanna, Theroux crosses "the Red Line" into a different Africa: "the improvised, slapped-together Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fires, of mud and thatch," of heat and poverty, and of roadblocks, mobs, and anarchy. After 2,500 arduous miles, he comes to the end of his journey in more ways than one, a decision he chronicles with typically unsparing honesty in a chapter called "What Am I Doing Here?" Vivid, witty, and beautifully evocative, The Last Train to Zona Verde is a fitting final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers.
LC Classification NumberDT1536.T54 2013
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- Jan 11, 2022
Great travel read
Once again, Paul Theroux, engages the reader who would love to travel and see different parts of the world in a fashion that doesn’t focus on tourist sites from the playbook. You’ll get a kick out of this mature, thoroughly thought out, and well written book.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
