The No1 Ethical retailer for Books, CD’s, DVD’s & Games
30 Day Refund Guarantee

The Last Train to Zona Verde: Overland from Cape Town to Angola

The Last Train to Zona Verde: Overland from Cape Town to Angola

by PaulTheroux (Author)

  • Used

    Hardcover 2013

    $4.57
Synopsis

Following the success of the acclaimed Ghost Train to the Eastern Star and The Great Railway Bazaar, The Last Train to Zona Verde is an ode to the last African journey of the world's most celebrated travel writer, Paul Theroux. 'Happy again, back in the kingdom of light,' writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on a new journey though the continent he knows and loves best. Having travelled down the right-hand side of Africa in Dark Star Safari, he sets out this time from Cape Town, heading northwards in a new direction, up the left-hand side, through South Africa and Namibia, to Botswana, then on into Angola, heading for the Congo, in search of the end of the line. Journeying alone through the greenest continent in what he feels will be his last African journey, Theroux encounters a world increasingly removed from both the itineraries of tourists and the hopes of post-colonial independence movements. Leaving the Cape Town townships, traversing the Namibian bush, passing the browsing cattle of the great sunbaked heartland of the savannah, Theroux crosses "the Red Line" into a different Africa: "the improvised, slapped-together Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fires, of mud and thatch", of heat and poverty, and of roadblocks, mobs and anarchy. A final African adventure from the writer whose gimlet eye and effortless prose have brought the world to generations of readers, The Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux's ultimate safari. Praise for Paul Theroux: "Always a terrific teller of tales and conjurer of exotic locales, he writes lean prose that lopes along at a compelling pace". (Sunday Times). "One needs energy to keep up with the extraordinary, productive restlessness of Paul Theroux...[He is] the most gifted, most prodigal writer of his generation". (Jonathan Raban). "His ability to sum up a city or a people in a few lines is undiminished". (Daily Telegraph). Paul Theroux's books include Dark Star Safari, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Elephanta Suite, A Dead Hand, The Tao of Travel and The Lower River. The Mosquito Coast and Dr Slaughter have both been made into successful films. Paul Theroux divides his time between Cape Cod and the Hawaiian islands.

$4.57

Save:$20.49 (82%)

Quantity

4 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
 Pages: 368
 Edition: First Edition
 Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Published: 30 May 2013
ISBN 10: 0241143675
ISBN 13: 9780241143674

Media Reviews
Emotionally and intellectually honest. . . . Theroux reveals himself as a superior journalist and engaged observer. --Montreal Gazette A rich story . . . the work of a keen observer. -- New York Journal of Books [Theroux's] finest work. -- The Boston Globe Always a terrific teller of tales and conjurer of exotic locales, [Theroux] writes lean prose that lopes along at a compelling pace. --The Sunday Times The Last Train to Zona Verde is a riveting, chilling read, one that outlines a reality that sometimes seems more like the apocalyptic fiction of writers such as Cormac McCarthy. -- The Observer If this book is proof, age has not slowed Theroux or encouraged him to rest on his achievements...Gutsy, alert to Africa's struggles, its injustices and history. -- San Francisco Chronicle [Theroux's] ability to map new terrain, both interior and exterior, and to report from places that seldom make the news, remains undiminished. -- Booklist , starred Theroux's prose is as vividly descriptive and atmospheric as ever and, though a bit curmudgeonly, he's still wide open to raw, painful interactions between his psyche and his surroundings. -- Publishers Weekly , starred In this intensely personal book, Theroux honestly confronts racism, stigma, privilege and expectations . . . Reading this enlightening book won't only open a window into Theroux's mind, it will also impart a deeper understanding of Africa and travel in general. -- Kirkus , starred Theroux is a real-world traveler: He drops you smack into the dirt and desires of a land and its people. . . . Go on, turn the first few pages. Then I dare you to put it down. --Charleston Post and Courier
Author Bio
Paul Theroux's books include Dark Star Safari, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, Riding the Iron Rooster, The Great Railway Bazaar, The Elephanta Suite, A Dead Hand, The Tao of Travel and The Lower River. The Mosquito Coast and Dr Slaughter have both been made into successful films. Paul Theroux divides his time between Cape Cod and the Hawaiian islands.