Open a book, and hit the road
Some books substitute for travel, by taking you places you'll never go. But other books inspire travel, by creating in you an urge to set sail. Does Ernest Hemingway make you long to see Spain? Does Pico Iyer make you want to visit Dharamsala?
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts," wrote Mark Twain in "The Innocents Abroad." "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."
As the summer travel season arrives, we'll ask our guests — and listeners — about which travel books they find inspirational and influential. What books make you want to hit the road and explore, and what books have saved you during some of your travel adventures?
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAVEL LITERATURE:
• The 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time
A comprehensive list, starting with "Along the Ganges" by
Ilija Trojanow and ending with "Wrong About Japan" by Peter Carey. (Conde Nast Traveler)
• #TripLit: Best New Travel Books
A survey of recent offerings, covering the Amazon, India and Churchill, Manitoba. (National Geographic)
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.