A collection of Bouvier's best travel stories, covering: the Aran Isles, lowland Scotland, Islay, Xian in China, Korea and Bouvier's childhood What makes Nicolas Bouvier such a well-loved travel writer is his exquisite sensitivity to the beauties of life, and his ability to capture those elusive moments in a style that is light, yet pregnant with wonder. Whether he's delirious in the wintery Aran Isles, where the air 'unites the virtues of champagne, cocaine, caffeine, and the ecstasy of love' or singing the praises of his Chinese tour guide, this collection of his shorter travel pieces brims with his particular joie de vivre. 'Nicolas Bouvier was a writer of rare grace and subtlety. Every essay here shimmers with imaginative insight and wry humour. He has long been known to cognoscenti. Now, perhaps, his stature will be more widely recognised: one of the most brilliant, penetrating and individual travel writers of his time.' — Colin Thubron