A gloriously entertaining travelogue spanning the concourse at Kings Cross to the sky-scraping peaks of Tibet’s Qinghai railway, Around the World in 80 Trains is a warm and witty hymn to locomotive travel.
Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month for May 2020
'Prepare for a very fine ride' - Michael Palin
From the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet's Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Around the World in 80 Trains is a celebration of the glory of train travel and a witty and irreverent look at the world.
Packing up her rucksack - and her fiance, Jem - Monisha Rajesh embarks on an unforgettable adventure that takes her from London's St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, and beyond.
The journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strike up friendships and swap stories with the hilarious, irksome and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, all while taking in some of the earth's most breathtaking views.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781408869772
Number of pages: 336
Weight: 292 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
What makes the book is [Rajesh's] wit, astute observations and willingness to try everything ... She arrived at St Pancras, on time, tired and triumphant. Her riveting account of the odyssey leaves us feeling the same - The Times
As Monisha Rajesh triumphantly demonstrates in Around the World in 80 Trains, there’s life yet in both the trip and the telling - Daily Telegraph
Delightful ... Rajesh is not only blessed with an elegant style, but is witty and ever ready for a bit of self-deprecation - Spectator
Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride - Michael Palin
Rajesh [is] a rare rising star of the genre … She has a simple and easy style, she sees everything and listens to everyone, she’s funny when she wants to be and serious when she needs to be, and she keeps the whole thing barrelling along like a wonderful dinner party conversation - Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail
A relentlessly curious and wonderfully descriptive writer … [Rajesh] offers us a never-ending series of Theroux-esque, quirky anecdotes … Remarkably engaging … If you fancy learning about global travel in the relative slow lane, try boarding this carriage and staring out the window – here you can view the world through Rajesh’s eyes, as she takes us on a lazy, time-bending meander in search of authenticity and humanity - Geographical
An epic journey … When I say that I felt almost physically tired at the end of this book, I mean it as a compliment, a testament to its vivid evocations - Country Life
A triumph: a rollicking account, full of memorable encounters and laced with wit … Rajesh is an elegant stylist with a winning line in self-depreciation; hers is a delightful book - The Week
This is travel-writing entirely at home in the 21st century, penned by a travel writer entirely comfortable in her own skin, and unashamedly enthused by the thrill of setting out to meet new people and to see new places - Asian Review of Books
A wonderfully wry and witty debut. Crackles and sparks with life like an exploding box of Diwali fireworks - Praise for Around India in 80 Trains, William Dalrymple
Rajesh's quick-fire writing is unflinchingly frank, with details packed in as tightly as passengers on Mumbai's commuter trains. A lively read - Praise for Around India in 80 Trains, Lonely Planet Magazine
A great big lovely shambling train ride of a book, offering wonderful views, hilarious interludes, all sorts of dodgy characters and some very peculiar smells, all for the one ticket - Praise for Around India in 80 Trains, Giles Coren, The Times
An ode to locomotive travel, it is bound with heart-warming human encounters, chaos, and awe-inspiring views - The i
Seven months and having travelled 45,000 miles by trains all over the world, Monisha Rajesh and her fiancé were almost home enjoying the luxury of the Orient Express. Jem was flicking through her notebook looking at... More
I am 71, and have travelled with my wife for around 40 years. But this journey has us beat, so informative.I would just like yo say a BIG thank you.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Accompanying Monisha Rajesh on her epic journey took me through both new and familiar places, with a sense of fun and curiosity at every step. It's the perfect escapist read.
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