The Road to Oxiana is the brilliant account of Robert Byron’s ten-month journey to Iran and Afghanistan in 1933–34. This classic travelogue is considered by many modern travel writers to be the first example of great travel writing.

First published in 1933, this text is a fascinating account of Robert Byron's travels in the Russia, India and Tibet of the time. The narrative of travels and descriptions of environment are first-rate and beautifully written. One of the great early examples of the travel-writing genre!

The Road to Oxiana is a travelogue by Robert Byron, first published in 1937. It is considered by many modern travel writers to be the first example of great travel writing. The word "Oxiana" in the title refers to the region along Afghanistan's northern border.Writer Paul Fussell wrote that The Road to Oxiana is to the travel book what "Ulysses is to the novel between the wars, and what The Waste Land is to poetry."Robert Byron (1905 – 1941) was a British travel writer, best...

A travel writing classic ready to be rediscovered, Europe in the Looking Glass describes, with a mixture of laugh-out-loud humour and perceptive commentary on art and architecture, how three rich young Englishmen cross pre-World-War-Two Europe in an old car. Best known as the author of The Road to Oxiana, published in 1937, Robert Byron developed his considerable writing skills on a travel book which has not been in print since 1926. Europe in the Looking Glass describes a journey Byron ma...

In 1933 Robert Byron began a journey through the Middle East via Beirut, Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Teheran to Oxiana--the country of the Oxus, the ancient name for the river Amu Darya which forms part of the border between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. The Road to Oxiana offers not only a wonderful record of his adventures, but also a rare account of the architectural treasures of a region now inaccessible to most Western travelers.

To mark the publication of Stop What You're Doing and Read This!, a collection of essays celebrating reading, Vintage Classics are releasing 12 limited edition themed ebook 'bundles', to tempt readers to discover and rediscover great books.THE WORST JOURNEY IN THE WORLDINTRODUCED BY SARA WHEELERA gripping account of an expedition gone disastrously wrong. One of the youngest members of Captain Scott's team, Apsley Cherry-Garrard was later part...

In 'The Station,' Robert Byron masterfully intertwines travel narrative with a philosophical exploration of culture and society. Written in the early 20th century, the book adopts a lyrical style that vividly captures the landscapes and encounters of his journeys while reflecting on the impact of modernization on traditional ways of life. Byron's keen observational skills and humor infuse the narrative with a sense of adventure and introspection, positioning his work within the context of ...

Over the course of several months during 1931 and 1932, Robert Byron journeyed to three countries teetering on the brink of change. In Russia, which was stricken by famine, Lenin had just died, Stalin's dictatorship was in its infancy and the Great Terror had yet to begin. Having taken the first commercial flight to India, which took an astounding seven days, Byron was thrown into the tumultuous last years of the British Raj. Gandhi was imprisoned, while rioting and clashes between Hindus ...

Discover the rich tapestry of Byzantium in Robert Byron's The Byzantine Achievement, a masterpiece that invites readers into the heart of one of history’s most enduring and misunderstood civilizations. Byron masterfully portrays Byzantium not as a mere relic of the past, but as a vibrant cultural nexus that shaped the foundations of modern Europe and the Near East.This engaging narrative explores the art, architecture, and intellectual vitality of the Byzantine Empire, tra...

Discover the rich tapestry of Byzantium in Robert Byron's The Byzantine Achievement, a masterpiece that invites readers into the heart of one of history’s most enduring and misunderstood civilizations. Byron masterfully portrays Byzantium not as a mere relic of the past, but as a vibrant cultural nexus that shaped the foundations of modern Europe and the Near East.This engaging narrative explores the art, architecture, and intellectual vitality of the Byzantine Empire, tra...

Venice, August 20th, 1933.—Here as a joy-hog: a pleasant change after that pension on the Giudecca two years ago. We went to the Lido this morning, and the Doge’s Palace looked more beautiful from a speed-boat than it ever did from a gondola. The bathing, on a calm day, must be the worst in Europe: water like hot saliva, cigar-ends floating into one’s mouth, and shoals of jelly-fish.Lifar came to dinner. Bertie mentioned that all whales have syphilis.Venice, August 21st.—Afte...

In 1933, Robert Byron set off from Venice with his friend Christopher Sykes to explore the architecture of the Middle East. Their long and arduous journey took them from Cyprus and Jerusalem to Syria, Iraq, Persia and Afghanistan, and finally Oxiana, a tiny country around the river Oxus, the Greek name for the river Amu Darya, which snakes down from Russia into Afghanistan. They travel by any means necessary (truck, camel, horses and foot), and encounter several setbacks, but their risks a...