New on the Bookshelf

“At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig: Travels through Paraguay” by John Gimlette (2003, Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 1400041767 — $25 hardback, 364 pp.).

Isolated by harsh surroundings, Paraguay has rarely registered on the world’s radar screen. John Gimlette investigates this landlocked South American nation and its curious history. His Paraguay is a phantasmagoria of cannibalistic tribes, kleptocratic rulers and Nazi war criminals. And Gimlette’s encounters with locals sound like outtakes from “The Twilight Zone.” The book may not be “wildly humorous” (as its publishers hail it), but it is wry and well executed.

“Eagle Dreams: Searching for Legends in Wild Mongolia” by Stephen J. Bodio (2003, The Lyons Press. ISBN 1592282075 — $22.95 hardback, 216 pp.).

Some writers are content to show up in a faraway place and just let things happen. Author Stephen Bodio, by contrast, is a man on a mission. As a boy, he saw a photo of a falconer in a magazine, and the image never left him. He took up the sport of hunting with eagles, and he made a trek to barren western Mongolia to find the traditional falconers in the photo. The resulting book chronicles a remarkable interaction between man and bird, a vanishing way of life, and the quirks of a long-inaccessible country now opening to the world.

"Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and Street Scams while Travelling” by Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno (2003, Bonus Books. ISBN 1566251982 — $22.95 hardback, 254 pp.).

The subject matter sounds as entertaining a read as the fine print on your travel-insurance contract. But, in fact, Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno have penned a fascinating page-turner. They have spent decades studying pickpockets and scammers. Their ingenious approach is to photograph the criminals in action and interview them to learn their techniques. In the process, they have cataloged an astonishing range of bilking and thievery. Each chapter is chock-full of vivid anecdotes, followed by practical advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.

“The World: Travels 1950-2000” by Jan Morris (2003, W.W. Norton. ISBN 0393052087 — $27.95 hardback, 458 pp.).

Few travel writers could sum up their careers with such an all-encompassing title. But Jan Morris has the been-there, done-that credentials to justify it. This collection of travel essays and excerpts is a medley of Morris’ greatest hits. She takes us from the fun-loving Beirut of the 1950s through the dignified Addis Ababa of the 1960s to the unassuming Ottawa of the 1980s. Like all the best travel writing, Morris’ pieces capture not only a place but a moment in time. And her prose is elegant yet accessible. Frustratingly, though, some excerpts are cut short just as she sets a compelling scene.