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World Travel: An Irreverent Guide
A guide to some of the world’s most fascinating places, as seen and experienced by writer, television host, and relentlessly curious traveler Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.
In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.
Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.
For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.
Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter—and many places beyond.
In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places—in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.
Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.
For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published April 20, 2021
About the author
Anthony Bourdain
66 books4,840 followersAnthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. He starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition.
Bourdain was a 1978 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of many professional kitchens during his career, which included several years spent as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, in Manhattan. He first became known for his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000).
Bourdain's first food and world-travel television show A Cook's Tour ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure programs Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012) and The Layover (2011–2013). In 2013, he began a three-season run as a judge on The Taste and consequently switched his travelogue programming to CNN to host Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Although best known for his culinary writings and television presentations, along with several books on food and cooking and travel adventures, Bourdain also wrote both fiction and historical nonfiction.
On June 8, 2018, Bourdain died while on location in France, filming for Parts Unknown, of an apparent suicide by hanging.
Bourdain was a 1978 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of many professional kitchens during his career, which included several years spent as an executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles, in Manhattan. He first became known for his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000).
Bourdain's first food and world-travel television show A Cook's Tour ran for 35 episodes on the Food Network in 2002 and 2003. In 2005, he began hosting the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure programs Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012) and The Layover (2011–2013). In 2013, he began a three-season run as a judge on The Taste and consequently switched his travelogue programming to CNN to host Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Although best known for his culinary writings and television presentations, along with several books on food and cooking and travel adventures, Bourdain also wrote both fiction and historical nonfiction.
On June 8, 2018, Bourdain died while on location in France, filming for Parts Unknown, of an apparent suicide by hanging.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,143 reviews
July 21, 2024
I’ve long been a fan of Anthony Bourdain: ten years ago or more I read, and loved, Kitchen Confidential and A Cook’s Tour and ever since I’ve voraciously chased down episodes of his television shows No Reservations and Parts Unknown. In these shows he travels the world, meets people, explores the area and eats and drinks his way through just about anything you can think of. I was so obsessed with these programmes that I even tracked down a food shack he visited in one of his episodes. After watching it on a flight from the UK to Australia I tracked down Harry’s Café de Wheels, in Sydney, which is known for its meat pies and mash – and I have to say the food really was very good!
Like so many people, I was devastated when AB took his own life in 2018. What a tragic loss. And I was surprised when I spotted this book, due for release in April 2021 – is it a book that had been written before his death and was just now being released? Unfortunately, not, in fact it’s something that grew out of the recording of a one hour meeting between Bourdain and his assistant, a few months before he died. The net result is, I think, something of a mishmash. In close to five hundred pages we are treated to brief overviews of quite a few of the places Bourdain visited, with each section comprising a collection of quotes from the man himself, details of restaurants he visited (address, average cost of a meal etc.) and some travel information such as where the airports are situated and how much it might cost you to get from there into the nearest centre.
To be fair, the lines from Bourdain are often priceless, reminding me just what a clever and amusing writer and raconteur he was. But why mix it up with the sort of information you’d get from a travel guide or online? In addition, in the e-copy I read the text was broken up by a series of drawings - what a missed opportunity, I’d happily have dispensed with the travel information and swapped the drawings for some photographs. In this format, the book just didn’t work for me. So, where is the audience for it? I suppose the best fit might be fans of the man who decide they want to track down some of the places featured in his shows, or perhaps just have a record of these places accompanied by some of Bourdain's memorable lines.
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Like so many people, I was devastated when AB took his own life in 2018. What a tragic loss. And I was surprised when I spotted this book, due for release in April 2021 – is it a book that had been written before his death and was just now being released? Unfortunately, not, in fact it’s something that grew out of the recording of a one hour meeting between Bourdain and his assistant, a few months before he died. The net result is, I think, something of a mishmash. In close to five hundred pages we are treated to brief overviews of quite a few of the places Bourdain visited, with each section comprising a collection of quotes from the man himself, details of restaurants he visited (address, average cost of a meal etc.) and some travel information such as where the airports are situated and how much it might cost you to get from there into the nearest centre.
To be fair, the lines from Bourdain are often priceless, reminding me just what a clever and amusing writer and raconteur he was. But why mix it up with the sort of information you’d get from a travel guide or online? In addition, in the e-copy I read the text was broken up by a series of drawings - what a missed opportunity, I’d happily have dispensed with the travel information and swapped the drawings for some photographs. In this format, the book just didn’t work for me. So, where is the audience for it? I suppose the best fit might be fans of the man who decide they want to track down some of the places featured in his shows, or perhaps just have a record of these places accompanied by some of Bourdain's memorable lines.
My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2021
This is not written by Anthony Bourdain but by his assistant Laurie Woolever. It mainly consists of Anthony's quotes about particular places and information about restaurants, hotels he visited in that place joined together by information on how to get there. Occasionally there are short essays from Bourdain's family, friends and collaborators.
Is this the book for me? Well no, it is not. I do not read travel guides. Why did I choose to read it, well because I love Bourdain's shows and wanted some more of that. I only got a bit, because I got a chock full of quotes from him, which are as usual very good but I had hoped for more. I sort of imagined that this was going to be his world view, a recap after all that travel. It wasn't. I think my sadness at his loss and my wish for more misled me in this case.
An ARC gently provided by author/publishers via Netgalley.
Is this the book for me? Well no, it is not. I do not read travel guides. Why did I choose to read it, well because I love Bourdain's shows and wanted some more of that. I only got a bit, because I got a chock full of quotes from him, which are as usual very good but I had hoped for more. I sort of imagined that this was going to be his world view, a recap after all that travel. It wasn't. I think my sadness at his loss and my wish for more misled me in this case.
An ARC gently provided by author/publishers via Netgalley.
March 24, 2024
3 ☆
World Travel was exactly as the GR summary had described. In accordance with the title, 43 nations had been selected from all corners of the globe, with the exception of Antarctica whose residents do not in any way cater to the tourist trade. But Bourdain had indeed made a memorable show there featuring the scientists, and I recommend looking up that episode.
Bourdain had ended his world perambulations with his suicide in 2018. Nonetheless, this book sounded like him because his main insights or impressions of a country had been extracted from his televised shows - "No Reservations," "Parts Unknown" and "The Layover."
Each nation had been presented in a similar format. After Bourdain's general and brief observation, the sections were then delineated by key cities. While most countries had two or three cities featured, the US section highlighted 17 cities. Logistical information reminiscent of "The Layover" was included - ie. how to get from the airport to the key area of interest. Finally, Bourdain's relevant memorable food experience was described, usually in drool-inducing terms, and with the name and address of the specific eatery. (The 2020 pandemic, of course, has threatened the livelihood of many restauranteurs so this may no longer be useful information.)
A few additional essays from Bourdain's brother or another work colleague on their previous joint travel and food experiences were included.
I had listened to the audiobook as well as borrowed the ebook. The 43 countries had been presented in alphabetical order, which made for a disconnected listening experience, as the selections seemed to hopscotch erratically around the world. But what made the experience less pleasing to me, which wasn't necessarily fair, was that the audiobook had been narrated by Bourdain's brother. While I may have mistakenly identified siblings over the phone before, I had no chance of doing so here. I had cognitive dissonance as the words were very much Anthony Bourdain, but the sound and usually the cadence of the narration were not. So if you want to read this because you're a Bourdain fan, go for the printed book, which also had whimsical illustrations.
But honestly, I confess to having expected more. I love to travel but despite this book making me feel hungry, it didn't deliver a huge "wow" factor. It's an offbeat hybrid - a sampler anthology highlighting Bourdain's television shows; and like any travel "guide book," it became dated as soon as it was published. If you're a fan of Bourdain, it's kind of good to have everything so-to-speak compiled in one place. But for me, I'd rather just watch his shows for an injection of his spiky wit and adventurous curiosity.
World Travel was exactly as the GR summary had described. In accordance with the title, 43 nations had been selected from all corners of the globe, with the exception of Antarctica whose residents do not in any way cater to the tourist trade. But Bourdain had indeed made a memorable show there featuring the scientists, and I recommend looking up that episode.
Bourdain had ended his world perambulations with his suicide in 2018. Nonetheless, this book sounded like him because his main insights or impressions of a country had been extracted from his televised shows - "No Reservations," "Parts Unknown" and "The Layover."
All of us, when we travel, look at the places we go, the things we see, through different eyes. And how we see them is shaped by our previous lives, the books we've read, the films we've seen, the baggage we carry.
Each nation had been presented in a similar format. After Bourdain's general and brief observation, the sections were then delineated by key cities. While most countries had two or three cities featured, the US section highlighted 17 cities. Logistical information reminiscent of "The Layover" was included - ie. how to get from the airport to the key area of interest. Finally, Bourdain's relevant memorable food experience was described, usually in drool-inducing terms, and with the name and address of the specific eatery. (The 2020 pandemic, of course, has threatened the livelihood of many restauranteurs so this may no longer be useful information.)
A few additional essays from Bourdain's brother or another work colleague on their previous joint travel and food experiences were included.
I had listened to the audiobook as well as borrowed the ebook. The 43 countries had been presented in alphabetical order, which made for a disconnected listening experience, as the selections seemed to hopscotch erratically around the world. But what made the experience less pleasing to me, which wasn't necessarily fair, was that the audiobook had been narrated by Bourdain's brother. While I may have mistakenly identified siblings over the phone before, I had no chance of doing so here. I had cognitive dissonance as the words were very much Anthony Bourdain, but the sound and usually the cadence of the narration were not. So if you want to read this because you're a Bourdain fan, go for the printed book, which also had whimsical illustrations.
But honestly, I confess to having expected more. I love to travel but despite this book making me feel hungry, it didn't deliver a huge "wow" factor. It's an offbeat hybrid - a sampler anthology highlighting Bourdain's television shows; and like any travel "guide book," it became dated as soon as it was published. If you're a fan of Bourdain, it's kind of good to have everything so-to-speak compiled in one place. But for me, I'd rather just watch his shows for an injection of his spiky wit and adventurous curiosity.
April 20, 2021
As a fan of Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and a lover of travel, I was excited and a bit confused to see a new Anthony Bourdain book set to come out three years after his untimely death. My assumption was this was a project he'd had half done - maybe a first draft submitted or something like that - and subsequently some clean-up work was required prior to turning it into a posthumously released book. Sadly, this was not the case.
As Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolover explains in the introduction, this book was basically born from a recording of a one hour brainstorming session that the two of them had a few months before he passed away. That's it. World Travel doesn't read like a Bourdain book... at all. Because it's not. I personally do not believe this book should be published.
Basically, this book is an unhelpful travel guide to places around the entire world. It's broken down into short chapters devoted to Bourdain's travels in 43 (!!) different countries, most of which are subsequently broken down into several different cities Bourdain traveled to within them. It is highly formulaic in that each chapter starts with a brief overview of the city followed by (I kid you not) the 3-letter airport code and cost/timing of getting from the airport to the actual city. Next comes a description of some $600+/night hotel that Bourdain tended to stay at, then maybe one tourist attraction he liked, and finally 2 or 3 bars/restaurants he loved. Pepper in some Bourdain quotes, short stories told by people who knew him in said city, and random drawings and repeat this formula. Over and over. For 43 (!!) countries.
If I want travel tips for a particular locale, I'll buy a travel guide devoted to said spot. If I want to read stories from Anthony Bourdain, I'd reread Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly or check out A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines. This book attempted to do both of those things together and it failed miserably.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolover explains in the introduction, this book was basically born from a recording of a one hour brainstorming session that the two of them had a few months before he passed away. That's it. World Travel doesn't read like a Bourdain book... at all. Because it's not. I personally do not believe this book should be published.
Basically, this book is an unhelpful travel guide to places around the entire world. It's broken down into short chapters devoted to Bourdain's travels in 43 (!!) different countries, most of which are subsequently broken down into several different cities Bourdain traveled to within them. It is highly formulaic in that each chapter starts with a brief overview of the city followed by (I kid you not) the 3-letter airport code and cost/timing of getting from the airport to the actual city. Next comes a description of some $600+/night hotel that Bourdain tended to stay at, then maybe one tourist attraction he liked, and finally 2 or 3 bars/restaurants he loved. Pepper in some Bourdain quotes, short stories told by people who knew him in said city, and random drawings and repeat this formula. Over and over. For 43 (!!) countries.
If I want travel tips for a particular locale, I'll buy a travel guide devoted to said spot. If I want to read stories from Anthony Bourdain, I'd reread Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly or check out A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines. This book attempted to do both of those things together and it failed miserably.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
February 7, 2023
"So many of the good times traveling this world relate directly to finding a human face to associate with your destination, the food you eat, and the memories you'll keep with you forever. The best times are when it's impossible to be cynical about anything. When you find yourself letting go of the past, and your preconceptions, and feel yourself and your basic nature, the snarkiness and suspicion, the irony and doubt disappear, at least for a time. When, for a few moments or a few hours, you change."---ANTHONY BOURDAIN
And that beautiful quote captured the essence of Anthony Bourdain as we traveled the world many times over exploring as we watched his television shows, No Reservations and Parts Unknown. This beautiful book was delightful as well as bittersweet one embarks on a whirlwind tour around the world with Bourdain's insightful observations coupled with his snarky wit about his favorite places. His reflections at the end of each travel segment was always my favorite part of Parts Unknown, often because of its sheer beauty of its prose.
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, is a lifetime of experiences collected into a book of Bourdain's favorite places including regional cuisine and boutique hotels. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's assistant from 2009 until his untimely death in June 2018, did a beautiful job in pulling it all together with his impressions as well as essays by family, friends, and colleagues. Some of my favorite essays were by his brother Christopher, relating a lot of their childhood history growing up in New Jersey. This will be an invaluable resource that I will read parts again and again, particularly before traveling to a certain region of the world.
I will end with a poignant part of the essay by Christopher Bourdain as he recounts their family history in Uruguay:
"Uruguay is delightful because it is not pretentious. No palace or pyramids or naval museums there. What it offers is a lot of space, a beautiful coastline and an unstressed lifestyle. Good food and drink are abundant and affordable. And people there seem to take pleasure in the small enjoyments of life, including the unique habit of carrying around and constantly sipping from a decorative thermos of mate. It's sort of 'teatime all day.' I'm hoping to make it back some day, to meet up with some of the people I met while filming the 2008 show, and raise a glass to Tony."
November 13, 2020
Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" and his other shows featured his irreverent humor and his biting observations. Though Bourdain has taken another path in his journey, many of us can still hear his voice. This book, which was in progress before his untimely demise, attempts to harness that voice to a sort of rambling travel guide. At best, this book offers us readers quotes from Bourdain's voice overs. Itlso offers a kind of travelogue and sometimes interviews with fortunate or unfortunate proprietors of restaurants whose lives were changed by Bourdain's show featuring their restaurants.
May 30, 2021
This is a collection of quotes from Bourdain's shows supplemented with airport information, what hotels he stayed in and a smattering of original writings from some of the people he worked with on his shows. It's a very disappointing book. I can't believe how brazen the co-author Laurie Woolever is - the Bourdain text is taken straight from his shows and not from her interviews as she claims in the Introduction! There is more value to be gained from just watching reruns of Parts Unknown or No Reservations.
May 16, 2021
Look, I know everyone misses the great Anthony Bourdain, his death was a shock to us all, and he’s influenced an untold number of people in how and why they travel…all good things…
…and I really, really wanted to like this book, and looked forward to having it motivate me to plan a post-COVID trip, but I was sorely disappointed.
From the intro, we learn that it was conceived while Bourdain was still alive back in March 2017, and it’s admirable that his “lieutenant” Laurie Woolever wanted to complete the book, but overall I found it to be all over the place and could have benefitted from a tightened format and far less filler. For example, each country/city profiled contains a section entitled “Arrival and Getting Around” which gives details about airports/train stations and for getting around the city in question once you arrive. Is this really necessary for this book? It’s likely that any details on the cost of a taxi will be out-of-date within a year or two. It’s something you’d find in a typical travel guide book, a la Lonely Planet, which IS updated every few years to include updated prices, etc., but I was surprised such info was even included. Also, there’s this thing called the “internet” which would have the most up to date prices on taxis, metros, etc. that is easily accessible to most people planning a trip…
The book also lists Bourdain’s go to hotels at each of the places profiled, and we discover that while Bourdain was a huge fan of dive bars and low-key restaurants, when it came to lodging, he enjoyed the lavish. For someone who is basically a professional traveler, who likely gets networks to pick up the tab for such lodging, I get it, but similar to my point above, I’m not reading this book to find that the average cost per night at the &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge where Bourdain stayed in Tanzania is $1,100 per person per night (pg. 309), or that he stayed at the Amankora hotel in Bhutan, where the average price of a suite per night is $1,250 in the high season (pgs. 31-32). Not surprisingly, his TV shows never showcase where Bourdain stayed, because it’s a bit inconsistent with the image he portrays.
The book could have been tightened, chapters better organized other than in alphabetical order by country, and perhaps just a bit more of an homage to the man (it hardly addresses his untimely death, or even how at the time it was published, many folks are waiting for the world to re-open to travel due to COVID – though I believe COVID is mentioned briefly in the chapters, but not in the intro). His words are highlighted in blue font, which is helpful, but it’s still haphazard and all over the place. Some locations get little more than a hotel or restaurant mentioned – for example, Jerusalem in Israel gets no more than 3 pages devoted to it (pgs. 141-143), and in addition to the “Arrival and Getting Around” section, it discusses the American Colony Hotel and Majda restaurant, as well as some of Bourdain’s thoughts about “easily the most contentious piece of real estate in the world” (pg. 141). There’s nothing more to say about his experience there? Really?
The final country profiled is Vietnam, which I know was near and dear to Bourdain’s heart after reading a profile on him in “The New Yorker” magazine years ago. Bourdain famously sat down with President Obama over noodles in Hanoi, and the profile delves into Bourdain’s love of traveling through the country by motor scooter, and how he has considered buying property there. Most of this is absent from this section, and it made me want to go back and revisit that profile in “The New Yorker.”
As this book left me wanting more, it made want to revisit his shows, or even re-read his breakthrough book, “Kitchen Confidential.” Yes, this book is an instant best seller, as will any future books with his name attached to it. But as I found from my experience with this book, just because his name is on the cover doesn’t mean it’s worth reading (and I'm glad I took it out from the library instead of paying for it).
…and I really, really wanted to like this book, and looked forward to having it motivate me to plan a post-COVID trip, but I was sorely disappointed.
From the intro, we learn that it was conceived while Bourdain was still alive back in March 2017, and it’s admirable that his “lieutenant” Laurie Woolever wanted to complete the book, but overall I found it to be all over the place and could have benefitted from a tightened format and far less filler. For example, each country/city profiled contains a section entitled “Arrival and Getting Around” which gives details about airports/train stations and for getting around the city in question once you arrive. Is this really necessary for this book? It’s likely that any details on the cost of a taxi will be out-of-date within a year or two. It’s something you’d find in a typical travel guide book, a la Lonely Planet, which IS updated every few years to include updated prices, etc., but I was surprised such info was even included. Also, there’s this thing called the “internet” which would have the most up to date prices on taxis, metros, etc. that is easily accessible to most people planning a trip…
The book also lists Bourdain’s go to hotels at each of the places profiled, and we discover that while Bourdain was a huge fan of dive bars and low-key restaurants, when it came to lodging, he enjoyed the lavish. For someone who is basically a professional traveler, who likely gets networks to pick up the tab for such lodging, I get it, but similar to my point above, I’m not reading this book to find that the average cost per night at the &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge where Bourdain stayed in Tanzania is $1,100 per person per night (pg. 309), or that he stayed at the Amankora hotel in Bhutan, where the average price of a suite per night is $1,250 in the high season (pgs. 31-32). Not surprisingly, his TV shows never showcase where Bourdain stayed, because it’s a bit inconsistent with the image he portrays.
The book could have been tightened, chapters better organized other than in alphabetical order by country, and perhaps just a bit more of an homage to the man (it hardly addresses his untimely death, or even how at the time it was published, many folks are waiting for the world to re-open to travel due to COVID – though I believe COVID is mentioned briefly in the chapters, but not in the intro). His words are highlighted in blue font, which is helpful, but it’s still haphazard and all over the place. Some locations get little more than a hotel or restaurant mentioned – for example, Jerusalem in Israel gets no more than 3 pages devoted to it (pgs. 141-143), and in addition to the “Arrival and Getting Around” section, it discusses the American Colony Hotel and Majda restaurant, as well as some of Bourdain’s thoughts about “easily the most contentious piece of real estate in the world” (pg. 141). There’s nothing more to say about his experience there? Really?
The final country profiled is Vietnam, which I know was near and dear to Bourdain’s heart after reading a profile on him in “The New Yorker” magazine years ago. Bourdain famously sat down with President Obama over noodles in Hanoi, and the profile delves into Bourdain’s love of traveling through the country by motor scooter, and how he has considered buying property there. Most of this is absent from this section, and it made me want to go back and revisit that profile in “The New Yorker.”
As this book left me wanting more, it made want to revisit his shows, or even re-read his breakthrough book, “Kitchen Confidential.” Yes, this book is an instant best seller, as will any future books with his name attached to it. But as I found from my experience with this book, just because his name is on the cover doesn’t mean it’s worth reading (and I'm glad I took it out from the library instead of paying for it).
April 21, 2021
World Travel
By Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was an icon who saw different cultures and parts of the world through the food that binds us together as humanity. His voice and style with the auspiciousness of understanding the world in which we live, is written so beautifully in this book.
This travel guide is a collection of his favorite places that he has visited and is a wonderful read especially now that an escape read is part of what keeps our sanity intact. I enjoy the deep dive into these places and what makes these special and memorable. This would make an amazing gift for foodies, travel junkies and anyone that loved Anthony Bourdains' show and books.
I highly recommend this book!
By Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was an icon who saw different cultures and parts of the world through the food that binds us together as humanity. His voice and style with the auspiciousness of understanding the world in which we live, is written so beautifully in this book.
This travel guide is a collection of his favorite places that he has visited and is a wonderful read especially now that an escape read is part of what keeps our sanity intact. I enjoy the deep dive into these places and what makes these special and memorable. This would make an amazing gift for foodies, travel junkies and anyone that loved Anthony Bourdains' show and books.
I highly recommend this book!
June 1, 2021
Reviews for this book have been polarizing. Bourdain was a memoirist and storyteller, so people expected (understandably) that this would be another memoir style book, full of stories and compelling prose, about Tony's travels. It very much is not that, and many people are disappointed. Apparently Tony was supposed to supplement the book with essays, but he died before he wrote them. There are lots of personal reflections, and some fantastic quotes, but still nothing resembling storytelling.
So what is it? It's a travel guide. That's really it. Like a Lonely Planet travel guide, but far less helpful because it has no pictures and much less practical information. And yet, it's far more compelling because it still contains Tony's thoughts and quips about various places, and the book is far more artful than a typical travel guide. This is especially true of the American edition, whose cover captures Tony's essence perfectly and is much better than the boring cover on the European English edition.
I will say, like many, I was hoping for a very different book. At the same time, I do not want to rate the book based upon my own hopes for what it would be, but rather on what it is, and what it is is a very stylish and artfully rendered compendium of Tony's favorite places to visit in Tony's favorite cities, and I think there is real value there. It also should be recognized that Woolever did a fantastic job organizing the material. This is not the book most people wanted it to be, but when we think about what it is, we should be glad that it exists. I'll use it fruitfully.
So what is it? It's a travel guide. That's really it. Like a Lonely Planet travel guide, but far less helpful because it has no pictures and much less practical information. And yet, it's far more compelling because it still contains Tony's thoughts and quips about various places, and the book is far more artful than a typical travel guide. This is especially true of the American edition, whose cover captures Tony's essence perfectly and is much better than the boring cover on the European English edition.
I will say, like many, I was hoping for a very different book. At the same time, I do not want to rate the book based upon my own hopes for what it would be, but rather on what it is, and what it is is a very stylish and artfully rendered compendium of Tony's favorite places to visit in Tony's favorite cities, and I think there is real value there. It also should be recognized that Woolever did a fantastic job organizing the material. This is not the book most people wanted it to be, but when we think about what it is, we should be glad that it exists. I'll use it fruitfully.
May 30, 2021
Just skimmed this. Quite a disappointment in that just a few sentences per page are truly the words of Anthony Bourdain. It is such a shallow take on many countries of the world. It’s a terrible travel guide unless you’re going to skip around the world spending a few days in each country. It doesn’t draw you a rich enough picture of any country to make you want to go. The highlight was the essay by the woman who was the guide around South Korea. Her story was all I will remember about this cash grab of a book.
May 28, 2020
As a big fan of the late and great Anthony Bourdain, this book was a great way to reminisce about his favorite locations and plan new travels. Sadly, it was not the book it was initially intended to be due to his death. Most of his words are from other sources. But it's great to see them compiled and his recommendations all in one spot. The added bonus of essays by people who knew him well is a great tribute to him and shares stories of his travels behind-the-scenes. I recommend this book to anyone who loved Anthony Bourdain or enjoys travel writing.
March 19, 2022
A mishmash of quotes from his shows, and dry facts compiled by his assistant. Reads like a random travel guide complete with how much a taxi to the airport costs.
Best consumed in small doses as it is not cohesive at all. My expectations were way too high.
Best consumed in small doses as it is not cohesive at all. My expectations were way too high.
May 6, 2021
Well, what a piece of crap! Not by Bourdain but kinda stitched together from tv programs, hearsay and post-it notes and narrated by his assistant who in each city takes a break to let his brother or someone narrate with a lot of "F*ck this!, F*ck that! and other oh so with it curse words to (I guess) make us think he's channeling AB and trying to justify the "Irreverent" in the title. I agonized through Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Sydney, and Vienna and found out how much a cab ride from the airport into each city costs or used to cost. I also got a brief overview of his favorite restaurant in each city, that's assuming they haven't moved/sold the restaurant/raised the prices. I decided to forego learning cab fares in other world cities and DNF'd at that point. Got to be the worst ripoff of 2021 and I didn't pay for it!
May 19, 2021
I did not finish this book. The advertising for the book was completely misleading and I regret having purchased it. Anthony Bourdain had nothing to do with the writing of this book. There had been a one hour discussion prior to his death of the possibility of creating a travel guide based on his favorite places. It never got beyond that one hour conversation . Instead, this is a compilation of quotes from Bourdain‘s shows. You would be far better off catching those reruns and hear Bourdain’s voice rather than reading this book. In addition, a travel guide like this serves no purpose if there is never going to be any follow up with updated editions. It’s hard to know whether any of these restaurants or shops or hotels remain in existence. Again, this book should never have been published.
May 31, 2021
Well, I didn't really read it; I just skimmed parts.
But it isn't really a book, it's a collection of restaurant reviews linked by airport info.
It's the bare bones info for a future book, thrown together after his death.
My only pleasure was the fact that this was a library copy and I hadn't wasted my money.
But it isn't really a book, it's a collection of restaurant reviews linked by airport info.
It's the bare bones info for a future book, thrown together after his death.
My only pleasure was the fact that this was a library copy and I hadn't wasted my money.
June 23, 2021
I found this a particularly uninspired book.
Yes, some of the selections were good, but the way it was put together and written was a take out meal when you were expecting a 3 course.
2.0 rating. 2.1 with rice.
2.1/5
Yes, some of the selections were good, but the way it was put together and written was a take out meal when you were expecting a 3 course.
2.0 rating. 2.1 with rice.
2.1/5
June 14, 2021
"World Travel" is sort of an atlas to the world through Anthony's eyes and encapsulates his experiences over the twenty years he traveled for the television show. This book is a fun and frank travel guide to various places like From Spain, Argentina, and Tanzania, including some of his favorite places to go, giving us advice on what to eat, where to stay, and what to avoid.
There are also essays written by friends, colleagues, and family that give us insight into some of the beautiful work in the restaurant, food, and travel industry. It also includes some of his own words, including some hilarious and off-the-cuff things he'd say. His visits made permanent marks on restaurants and eateries worldwide, some for better, some for worse.
To listen to my interview with the coauthor, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/ant...
There are also essays written by friends, colleagues, and family that give us insight into some of the beautiful work in the restaurant, food, and travel industry. It also includes some of his own words, including some hilarious and off-the-cuff things he'd say. His visits made permanent marks on restaurants and eateries worldwide, some for better, some for worse.
To listen to my interview with the coauthor, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/ant...
July 17, 2022
Not really a travel book. Not really a gastronomical read either.
Did you know, in Melbourne Australia, you can hail a taxi at the airport and go straight to your hotel? Yes, and you can do this in cities around the world?
The title should be "World Travel: An Irrelevant Guide."
I have a hunch there was a book remaining on Bourdain's contract with his publisher.
DNF.
Did you know, in Melbourne Australia, you can hail a taxi at the airport and go straight to your hotel? Yes, and you can do this in cities around the world?
The title should be "World Travel: An Irrelevant Guide."
I have a hunch there was a book remaining on Bourdain's contract with his publisher.
DNF.
May 5, 2021
In 2018, Anthony Bourdain’s long time assistant Laurie Woolever sat down with him to chat about a new project – a book that will document all of his favourite places across the world, written, in fact narrated, in Bourdain's characteristic style, curating all of his favourite places to eat, drink and explore.
Anthony Bourdain never lived to complete the project and after much deliberation Laurie decided to go ahead and publish the book just as it is, with personal essays from some of Bourdain’s favourite people on their precious memories of Tony.
And I am so grateful that World Travel saw the light of the day.
My thoughts
This book made me hungry at all odd hours and more importantly made me crave traveling in this age of pandemic when traveling is a pleasure rarely found. Most importantly though, the book made me realise just how much Anthony Bourdain is missed.
I especially loved Christopher Bourdain's memoir about their time in Paris as kids when he was 7 and Anthony was 10.
Personally, I kind of skipped the 'How to Get there' and 'Where to stay' parts and went straight for Tony's thoughts on each place. That and the memoirs.
Final Thoughts:
A true tribute to Anthony Bourdains’ legacy. Read it if you're a fan of Bourdain, especially if you loved No Reservations and Parts Unknown. However, read it also if you've never seen any of his shows, as it'll help you seen the world from Tony's unique perspective - I am a storyteller. I go places, I come back. I tell you how the places made me feel.
P.S. Many thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an advanced readers copy.
Anthony Bourdain never lived to complete the project and after much deliberation Laurie decided to go ahead and publish the book just as it is, with personal essays from some of Bourdain’s favourite people on their precious memories of Tony.
And I am so grateful that World Travel saw the light of the day.
My thoughts
This book made me hungry at all odd hours and more importantly made me crave traveling in this age of pandemic when traveling is a pleasure rarely found. Most importantly though, the book made me realise just how much Anthony Bourdain is missed.
I especially loved Christopher Bourdain's memoir about their time in Paris as kids when he was 7 and Anthony was 10.
Personally, I kind of skipped the 'How to Get there' and 'Where to stay' parts and went straight for Tony's thoughts on each place. That and the memoirs.
Final Thoughts:
A true tribute to Anthony Bourdains’ legacy. Read it if you're a fan of Bourdain, especially if you loved No Reservations and Parts Unknown. However, read it also if you've never seen any of his shows, as it'll help you seen the world from Tony's unique perspective - I am a storyteller. I go places, I come back. I tell you how the places made me feel.
P.S. Many thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an advanced readers copy.
June 16, 2021
Gave it a 3, and it’s a 3 at best. Disappointed with the book mainly because it’s not what I expected. It’s basically a Lonely Planet Guidebook for places Bourdain went. I would have rather read more about experiences he had in these places, with people he worked with, friends, people he met along the way. There was some, in the essays scattered in the book, but I could have done with a lot more. That’s what I expected the book to be.
As for the recommendations, the food ones were good. I could have done without the hotels, way to affluent and luxurious for me, someone doesn’t have an expense account! And the travel/airport information? Just plain filler, anyone who reads this book or has read or seen any of Bourdain’s other works already knows there’s two main airports in London.
All in all, disappointing. I’d rather read the old books or watch reruns of old TV episodes. Always was and still am a fan of Bourdain’s work, but I feel this book, as it’s written, was completely unnecessary.
As for the recommendations, the food ones were good. I could have done without the hotels, way to affluent and luxurious for me, someone doesn’t have an expense account! And the travel/airport information? Just plain filler, anyone who reads this book or has read or seen any of Bourdain’s other works already knows there’s two main airports in London.
All in all, disappointing. I’d rather read the old books or watch reruns of old TV episodes. Always was and still am a fan of Bourdain’s work, but I feel this book, as it’s written, was completely unnecessary.
Read
April 30, 2021I want to give a warning to people that want to buy this book. My mother got scammed on Amazon for this book. Some people are using the cover and filling up a small booklet that it's filled with travel revenues from China.
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PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHORS PROFILE ON AMAZON OR AT A LOCAL BOOK STOR TO NOT GET SCAMMED.
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PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHORS PROFILE ON AMAZON OR AT A LOCAL BOOK STOR TO NOT GET SCAMMED.
June 12, 2020
This is a puzzle book of sorts. It’s mainly built on an idea that Bourdain and Woolever—the latter of who is a writer and editor who’s written Appetites with Bourdain and spent a decade assisting him—had where they would collate Bourdain’s experiences as a travelling eater in his TV shows into book form.
Bourdain was highly passionate about food. He also loved people, music, some culture, an old-world view of rock ‘n’ roll, and seemed to try to be a better person; upon revisiting foods, peoples, and cities, he reevaluated his old self and tried to come to grips with things. Where he’d been a full-blown drug addict who, after having attended rehab, wrote funny and glammy stuff about drugs and the cool life of a ‘rock chef’, he later wrote truly introspective and contemplative stuff.
This book consists of soundbites from different episodes of Bourdain’s TV series, paired with geographical info á la Lonely Planet guides; the book is updated with current information on all of the restaurants, hotels, and weirder places that Bourdain talked about, containing tidbits down to how much you pay for a night at any hotel.
The book also contains at-times fascinating parts about the series from others than Woolever and Bourdain, for example, Jen Agg speaks of what her restaurant became famous for, post-TV:
I mention it because fabrication is part of so many series. Bourdain never knew about that, it seems, and it doesn’t really matter.
One of the lovely things about this book is how it serves as a perfect reminder of how things were, historically speaking. Woolever writes of how Bourdain took time to prepare before visiting a place—be it in the USA or another country—and read a lot about it beforehand.
After a Finnish fan created a Facebook page that garnered 100,000 votes for Tony’s coming to Finland, he went:
One thing that strikes me about Bourdain’s style of writing is that it somewhat matches that of the makers of The Wire; it’s not completely strange, then, that Bourdain was invited to write part of Treme, the TV series by the gang behind The Wire.
Their style of writing spills back and forth over Bourdain’s lingo; it’s not surprising to know Hunter S. Thompson was a major literary figure in Bourdain’s life, as was Charles Bukowski. It works most of the time and provides Bourdain with the style for which he was known, slightly derivative, as it were.
I think Bourdain became a better writer with time; the older he became, the more he cut to the chase and didn’t dance around. He embraced the world more and more. An example of this:
It’s fun to read about places where both he and I have eaten, as with Quimet y Quimet, in Barcelona:
All in all, this book is quite interesting even though, at its worst, it’s fragmented. But if you’re looking for a rocky version of a Lonely Planet guide, this is it.
It was never my intention to be a reporter, a critic, an advocate. It was also never my intention to provide audiences with “everything” they needed to know about a place—or even a balanced or comprehensive overview. I am a storyteller. I go places, I come back. I tell you how the places made me feel. Through the use of powerful tools like great photography, skillful editing, sound mixing, color correction, music (which is often composed specifically for the purpose) and brilliant producers, I can—in the very best cases—make you feel a little bit like I did at the time. At least I hope so. It’s a manipulative process. It’s also a deeply satisfying one.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN, 2012
Bourdain was highly passionate about food. He also loved people, music, some culture, an old-world view of rock ‘n’ roll, and seemed to try to be a better person; upon revisiting foods, peoples, and cities, he reevaluated his old self and tried to come to grips with things. Where he’d been a full-blown drug addict who, after having attended rehab, wrote funny and glammy stuff about drugs and the cool life of a ‘rock chef’, he later wrote truly introspective and contemplative stuff.
This book consists of soundbites from different episodes of Bourdain’s TV series, paired with geographical info á la Lonely Planet guides; the book is updated with current information on all of the restaurants, hotels, and weirder places that Bourdain talked about, containing tidbits down to how much you pay for a night at any hotel.
The book also contains at-times fascinating parts about the series from others than Woolever and Bourdain, for example, Jen Agg speaks of what her restaurant became famous for, post-TV:
The camera operators planned their angles and shots for the next day, while Tom and I made small talk, into which he slipped, oh-so-casually, “I heard you guys do bone luges here.” I had no idea what that was, so he clarified: After scraping and sopping up the last of the glistening marrow out of halved and roasted veal bones, you pick something like sherry or bourbon, and hold the narrow end of the bone to your mouth, as you would with a beer funnel, while a game pal pours the shot down through the wider end, and into your mouth.
I was skeptical, very skeptical. I feared appearing on a show I loved as, essentially, a shooter girl—a fear that turned out to be entirely warranted. I also worried that if we did this whole bone luge thing on the show, we’d be doing it for guests, forever and ever, in an Edge of Tomorrow–style loop. I wasn’t wrong about that, either. So I expressed a fair and reasonable amount of doubt. We’d never served anyone a bone luge before, I said. It wasn’t, like, our thing. At all. But Tom was adamant, and so, on shoot day, I played along, if a bit unhappily, pouring bourbon down a still-warm marrow bone into Anthony Bourdain’s mouth. I was incredibly uncomfortable, which is very rare for me. But I did it.
I watched the episode once, when it originally aired in 2012, and only recently watched it again. I was happy to be reminded that the only thing I said on camera was, “I feel like a shooter girl, and it’s actually just a little humiliating.” With the perspective of time, though, I have to agree with Tom’s instinct to insert this bit of bone luge weirdness. It crystalized the segment, was such a huge hit, and, to be completely honest, we made a lot of money off supplemental bone luges. Tony never knew that it was a manufactured bit, and, frankly, it became such a part of Hoof lore that it doesn’t matter. Time really is a flat circle.
I mention it because fabrication is part of so many series. Bourdain never knew about that, it seems, and it doesn’t really matter.
One of the lovely things about this book is how it serves as a perfect reminder of how things were, historically speaking. Woolever writes of how Bourdain took time to prepare before visiting a place—be it in the USA or another country—and read a lot about it beforehand.
After a Finnish fan created a Facebook page that garnered 100,000 votes for Tony’s coming to Finland, he went:
Helsinki, Finland. What I knew about the place wasn’t, shall we say, encouraging. I knew the Finns were tough people, tough enough to fight off Nazis and Russians. Tough enough to handle the cold, harsh climate, the long, depressing winters, the short, binge-drinking summers. I knew it was a place not long on easy smiles, or even eye contact, for that matter.
One thing that strikes me about Bourdain’s style of writing is that it somewhat matches that of the makers of The Wire; it’s not completely strange, then, that Bourdain was invited to write part of Treme, the TV series by the gang behind The Wire.
Their style of writing spills back and forth over Bourdain’s lingo; it’s not surprising to know Hunter S. Thompson was a major literary figure in Bourdain’s life, as was Charles Bukowski. It works most of the time and provides Bourdain with the style for which he was known, slightly derivative, as it were.
I think Bourdain became a better writer with time; the older he became, the more he cut to the chase and didn’t dance around. He embraced the world more and more. An example of this:
In 1975, the newly independent Mozambique looked forward to a brighter future. But this was not to be. Yet rather than giving up after enduring a sixteen-year civil war—one of Africa’s most brutal and senseless—the country picked itself up and began the enormous, daunting task of rebuilding, well, everything, from the ground up.
There are very few places left in this world like Mozambique. The climate is nice. The people are really nice and the food is extraordinary.
Yet today, Mozambique is barely a pit stop on the tourist trail. It was with all this in mind that I arrived on my first visit to this East African country of twenty-three million people.
Mozambique, it should be pointed out, is a darling of the World Bank. It’s seen as an African success story, and the fact is, things are good, very good, here, compared with how things have been in the past. Five hundred years of truly appalling colonialism, eighteen years of enthusiastic but inept Communism, and a brutal and senseless sixteen-year civil war ending less than twenty years ago left Mozambique with a devastated social fabric, a shattered economy, and only the memory of an infrastructure.
Shockingly, people here, throughout the country, after being relentlessly screwed by history, are just as relentlessly nice.
It’s fun to read about places where both he and I have eaten, as with Quimet y Quimet, in Barcelona:
If I lived across the street from this place, I’d quit my job and just hang out here all day, until all the money was gone. Quimet & Quimet is a four-generations-old tapas bar in the El Poble-Sec neighborhood of Barcelona, which relies heavily on that Catalonian tapas bar staple of canned food.
There’s an extensive wine selection, along with cocktails and beer, but the real draw are the montaditos, or canape-sized open-faced sandwiches populated with the likes of cipriones (stuffed baby squid), anchovies, mussels, tuna belly, sea urchin, Spanish and French cheeses, pickled vegetables and more, all prepared to order behind the bar—there is no kitchen on site, and it’s a tight space, with room for only about 20 guests at a time.
QUIMET & QUIMET: Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25, 08004 Barcelona, Tel +34 93 442 31 42, www.quimetquimet.com (tapas 2–18 euros/US$2.25–$20)
All in all, this book is quite interesting even though, at its worst, it’s fragmented. But if you’re looking for a rocky version of a Lonely Planet guide, this is it.
Read
May 28, 2023The book is trying to do a lot, with the added pressure of being released after he died there's more weight to everything Bourdain had to say, so it's makes it harder to engage with the dryer Arrival and Getting Around facts when you just want to hear Bourdain's thoughts of the hapless hipsters, best bars or local strip joints.
Ultimately it felt like a race through the world without much of an ending. I love the essays from friends and families and would have loved easily twice as many more.
Probably one to dip in and out of, rather than read in a one-r because the countries all start to blur. But I loved reading one country and then watching a few eps and then returning to the book. Devour at your own pace!
Ultimately it felt like a race through the world without much of an ending. I love the essays from friends and families and would have loved easily twice as many more.
Probably one to dip in and out of, rather than read in a one-r because the countries all start to blur. But I loved reading one country and then watching a few eps and then returning to the book. Devour at your own pace!
July 6, 2021
Not enough Tony. What’s there is great but it only enhances the feeling of loss. The best parts of the book for me are the personal testimonies on how Tony’s visit affected the lives of those he touched.
This is probably better read in paper or digital form rather than in audio. I found the travel tips (getting there, hotel recs, etc) dry and useless for the most part and I resented the work needed to skip them.
For those interested in this book because they miss Tony Bourdain, I suggest you listen to Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw instead.
This is probably better read in paper or digital form rather than in audio. I found the travel tips (getting there, hotel recs, etc) dry and useless for the most part and I resented the work needed to skip them.
For those interested in this book because they miss Tony Bourdain, I suggest you listen to Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw instead.
May 4, 2021
I’ve long been a fan of Anthony Bourdain, having watched all episodes of No Reservations and Parts Unknown, and read his other books. Like so many fans who invited him into their homes and onto their small screens, I was devastated when he took his own life in 2018. Longing to hear his voice and witty story telling, I was so excited to see this posthumous book.
This book tracks some of the places Bourdain visited and featured on his shows. If you're looking for the charm of Bourdain's travels and his ability to connect to people in exotic locales and tell their story, well, this is not the book for you. This book was generated between discussions Bourdain had with his assistant a few months before he died. It is meant as more of a guide, with details on transportation costs, airport reviews, and highlighting some of Tony's favorite hotels. Hoping to glimmer more of Tony's wit that we have missed so much, I was disappointed that there wasn't more of Tony's own words and impressions, and saw this as a disjointed "guide" of no particular import. It could've been so much more, incorporating some of his recorded dialogue, so at the very least, we could hear him again. If you're a fan, chances are you're going to want to read this anyway.
This book tracks some of the places Bourdain visited and featured on his shows. If you're looking for the charm of Bourdain's travels and his ability to connect to people in exotic locales and tell their story, well, this is not the book for you. This book was generated between discussions Bourdain had with his assistant a few months before he died. It is meant as more of a guide, with details on transportation costs, airport reviews, and highlighting some of Tony's favorite hotels. Hoping to glimmer more of Tony's wit that we have missed so much, I was disappointed that there wasn't more of Tony's own words and impressions, and saw this as a disjointed "guide" of no particular import. It could've been so much more, incorporating some of his recorded dialogue, so at the very least, we could hear him again. If you're a fan, chances are you're going to want to read this anyway.
October 19, 2021
It's not what I hoped for--but I'm not sure it could have been. Fitting together Bourdain's commentary on dozens of world destinations with information on how to get there, where to stay, and a few places to eat means this book is neither travel memoir nor travel guide, and I think in trying to be both it disappointed in each.
I liked the format, where Bourdain's words are highlighted in blue text, and his wit and personality come through in those sections. But this is a heavy book, heavier even than its page count suggests, and I think if someone wants to use it as an actual travel guide, they really need the e-book.
It was tempting to look at this project as milking the Bourdain mystique, but it actually feels more like a work of love by people who knew and cared about him. There are a number of longer essays by friends and family, and those were amazingly good. But I can't recommend this except to completionists.
I liked the format, where Bourdain's words are highlighted in blue text, and his wit and personality come through in those sections. But this is a heavy book, heavier even than its page count suggests, and I think if someone wants to use it as an actual travel guide, they really need the e-book.
It was tempting to look at this project as milking the Bourdain mystique, but it actually feels more like a work of love by people who knew and cared about him. There are a number of longer essays by friends and family, and those were amazingly good. But I can't recommend this except to completionists.
September 16, 2021
This is a totally unoriginal cash-in of a book, which I suspect has been the result of the publishers getting something out as soon as reasonable after the great man’s death.
It simply lists perhaps a hundred of supposedly Bourdain’s favourite destinations, and in a couple of pages dedicated to each, it’s recommended restaurants, a quote or two from Bourdain’s programme, and would you believe, a section of how to get there..
I had hoped for some personal observations on Bourdain, from friends and people he worked with, and some new, or rare, anecdotes. This is absolutely not that.
It simply lists perhaps a hundred of supposedly Bourdain’s favourite destinations, and in a couple of pages dedicated to each, it’s recommended restaurants, a quote or two from Bourdain’s programme, and would you believe, a section of how to get there..
I had hoped for some personal observations on Bourdain, from friends and people he worked with, and some new, or rare, anecdotes. This is absolutely not that.
June 6, 2021
This is a difficult book for me to review, and an even more difficult book to rate.
I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Anthony Bourdain's passing. I was on a bus, riding through downtown Portland on my way to work, scrolling through social media when I was alerted by - something. It shook me to my core. Bourdain seemed forever to me, in a David Bowie sort of way, someone who would always be around. His death, and the manner of it, gutted me and has stuck with me throughout the years. I miss him still.
So I was very excited when I heard the news that a new travel guide compiled by his longtime assistant was to be published, and even more excited when I was approved for an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley. I was so excited for new Tony content; I was eager to return to his irreverent wit, his boundless depth of understanding, his caustic yet charming approach to the world. And, reading this guide, I couldn't help thinking - is that all?
Is this a book that needs to exist? Bourdain thought so, before his untimely passing; unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to create new content for it. It's comprised of quotes of Tony's from previous visits to the places listed in the guide, Woolever's research, and essays from family and friends who had worked and traveled with Tony during his long and illustrious stint as travel's enfant terrible. There isn't anything new here, although for a hardcore Bourdain devotee I suppose it would be convenient to have his recommendations conveniently assembled in one body of work. Still, the guide is light on the guidance - some countries' entries number a couple of pages, with only a place or two recommended.
One thing I found particularly jarring are the hotel recommendations. Unsurprisingly, Bourdain liked to stay in luxurious lodgings (frequently on the company's dime) so the recommendations here are mostly for locations that are quite outside of the budget of the everyday traveler, especially one that aspires to travel like Tony did, dining in tiny eateries off the beaten path and making friends with the locals. It's rather incongruous with staying at the Hotel de Russie in Rome for $500/night.
I'm not sure why the sections on airports and local transit were included at all. I suppose that every guidebook includes those details, but that's exactly the reason why I felt this information is unnecessary here. I'm not coming to Tony to tell me which airport to fly into - every other guidebook, and the internet, can tell me that. I want Tony to tell me which family-owned diner has the best offal and which underground bar has the most true spirit of its city. I don't want Tony to tell me about airport connections; I can find those myself.
Ultimately, I tried to be as objective as I can about this guide. I'm sure that Woolever felt it was her duty to see this project through; I can't fault her for that. I also can't help feeling like there wasn't enough Bourdain in this guide, which isn't something anyone could have helped. Tony was gone, and Woolever and other contributors only had existing content and their memories to call upon. It's an interesting question - is it worthwhile to wring as much content from his legacy as possible, and does seeing this guide through truly contribute to his canon? This is a difficult question to answer, and I'm not sure that there's a right answer here anyway. My thoughts are my own.
I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Anthony Bourdain's passing. I was on a bus, riding through downtown Portland on my way to work, scrolling through social media when I was alerted by - something. It shook me to my core. Bourdain seemed forever to me, in a David Bowie sort of way, someone who would always be around. His death, and the manner of it, gutted me and has stuck with me throughout the years. I miss him still.
So I was very excited when I heard the news that a new travel guide compiled by his longtime assistant was to be published, and even more excited when I was approved for an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley. I was so excited for new Tony content; I was eager to return to his irreverent wit, his boundless depth of understanding, his caustic yet charming approach to the world. And, reading this guide, I couldn't help thinking - is that all?
Is this a book that needs to exist? Bourdain thought so, before his untimely passing; unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to create new content for it. It's comprised of quotes of Tony's from previous visits to the places listed in the guide, Woolever's research, and essays from family and friends who had worked and traveled with Tony during his long and illustrious stint as travel's enfant terrible. There isn't anything new here, although for a hardcore Bourdain devotee I suppose it would be convenient to have his recommendations conveniently assembled in one body of work. Still, the guide is light on the guidance - some countries' entries number a couple of pages, with only a place or two recommended.
One thing I found particularly jarring are the hotel recommendations. Unsurprisingly, Bourdain liked to stay in luxurious lodgings (frequently on the company's dime) so the recommendations here are mostly for locations that are quite outside of the budget of the everyday traveler, especially one that aspires to travel like Tony did, dining in tiny eateries off the beaten path and making friends with the locals. It's rather incongruous with staying at the Hotel de Russie in Rome for $500/night.
I'm not sure why the sections on airports and local transit were included at all. I suppose that every guidebook includes those details, but that's exactly the reason why I felt this information is unnecessary here. I'm not coming to Tony to tell me which airport to fly into - every other guidebook, and the internet, can tell me that. I want Tony to tell me which family-owned diner has the best offal and which underground bar has the most true spirit of its city. I don't want Tony to tell me about airport connections; I can find those myself.
Ultimately, I tried to be as objective as I can about this guide. I'm sure that Woolever felt it was her duty to see this project through; I can't fault her for that. I also can't help feeling like there wasn't enough Bourdain in this guide, which isn't something anyone could have helped. Tony was gone, and Woolever and other contributors only had existing content and their memories to call upon. It's an interesting question - is it worthwhile to wring as much content from his legacy as possible, and does seeing this guide through truly contribute to his canon? This is a difficult question to answer, and I'm not sure that there's a right answer here anyway. My thoughts are my own.
July 17, 2020
Let me put it out there, “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” by Anthony Bourdain and Laura Woolever was one of my most anticipated travel guides coming out this year. I was counting down the days until its release in October, excited to read more about Anthony Bourdain’s insights on the world. So you couldn’t believe my excitement when I got my hands on an early copy of this guide for this review.
“World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” is less practical and more of an inspiration guide to some of Bourdain’s favorite places. This is a guide designed for Bourdain super fans and those inspired by his way of travels. It is full of wit, entertaining antidotes, and sprinkled with useful tips throughout. This is the type of book you keep on your bedside table. It’s the type of book you pick up from time to time to whisk you away to a new destination. It is full of inspirational tidbits that will encourage you to deep dive into the destination. This is a starting point that does not just show you the top of things to do in each destination. Rather it shows you how to experience these places a little further and a little fuller, just as Bourdain did.
Read the full review @ https://www.comejoinmyjourney.com/rev...
“World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” is less practical and more of an inspiration guide to some of Bourdain’s favorite places. This is a guide designed for Bourdain super fans and those inspired by his way of travels. It is full of wit, entertaining antidotes, and sprinkled with useful tips throughout. This is the type of book you keep on your bedside table. It’s the type of book you pick up from time to time to whisk you away to a new destination. It is full of inspirational tidbits that will encourage you to deep dive into the destination. This is a starting point that does not just show you the top of things to do in each destination. Rather it shows you how to experience these places a little further and a little fuller, just as Bourdain did.
Read the full review @ https://www.comejoinmyjourney.com/rev...
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