Recommended Reading
Since graduating from Cambridge University with a History degree, William Dalrymple has written a series of fascinating books, combining history with stories of his travels.
'In Xanadu' recounts Dalrymple's attempt to follow the journey made by Marco Polo from Jerusalem to Xanadu, carrying a vial of oil from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Whilst providing a very interesting overview of the history of the Middle East, the book is also full of entertaining anecdotes, covering Armenian night clubs, Iranian policeman and cricket-loving Pakistani border officials, and is a masterpiece of travel writing.
'From the Holy Mountain' follows Dalrymple's journey in the footsteps of a 6th-century monk, John Moschos, who wrote a book ('The Spiritual Meadow') about the monasteries of Byzantium. This book is an attempt to visit the same towns and monasteries in the late twentieth century and to discover the extent to which the world of John Moschos is still present in the modern day Middle East.
'City of Djinns' and 'The Age of Kali' focus on India, the former an account of life in Delhi, complete with much historical detail, and the latter a collection of essays covering a range of political and cultural topics, from the literary tastes of Benazir Bhutto, to militarised old women fighting for their religion.
