Lonely Planet, Epic Runs of the World
Review by Liz Dexter
Here we have an attractive and informative book which is an ideal gift for the runner in your life. A set of running writers describe fifty big, amazing runs and races from around the world, categorised by their difficulty (defined as being a combination of distance and elevation), and each run then has three runs which might be considered similar (three other bucket-list marathons to go with the Boston Marathon, for example), so the reader gets information about 200 runs in total.
The runs range from paved and high-participation road races to more obscure surfaces and smaller fields. For each there’s a first-hand description of the writer’s experience with the run, an outline map of the country with the race location marked, a course map, top tips and orientation, which covers how to get there, the date and start/finish locations, a website and extra tips, as well, as you’d expect of a Lonely Planet coffee-table / gift book, as a couple of excellent photographs. The author of the introduction points out that some of the runs are very technically difficult and might serve as an inspiration rather than something everyone can achieve, but that the extra shorter features give often more accessible or less testing options.
The coverage extends across all seven continents. Looking at the contents page initially, I was a bit concerned that the Africa section was pretty short, but there are plenty more runs from that continent included in the shorter write-ups, too, for example a multi-stage race in Namibia and a run in Rwanda. These additional runs have lovely themes, like wildlife, history, capital cities, beach runs, ancient wonders, winter runs in Canada, etc. There’s everything from ultramarathons and several-day races to sightseeing tours, beach runs and fun funs, giving options and inspiration for any runner – even if you don’t wish to do the actual races, it’s great to see the places where they’re located and gain an idea of what the terrain and scenery are like.
The twenty or so writers include people from a range of fields and places, including Richard Askwith and Mark Remy. I’d heard of some but not all of them, which will be the case for any keen running reader; this also gives us more avenues to explore with their own books and other writing, of course! There’s a little bit of information about each of them in the back of the book, along with a useful index that covers all the runs featured, not just the main fifty. Where the photographs and drawn illustrations include actual runners, they feature a range of ethnicities, and men and women fairly equally, although usually they look like they’re at the front of the pack – these are probably what is offered by the featured runs. However, having worked through the course descriptions there are certainly a lot of runs that the less practised / back of the pack runner can enjoy, so I’d confidently recommend it for all.
Liz Dexter is a runner and has done some runs that have been epic as far as she’s concerned, but
none of these. She blogs about reading, running and working from home at
https://www.librofulltime.wordpress.com.
Lonely Planet Epic Runs of the World (Lonely Planet, 2025) 978-1837587599, 327pp., hardback. BUY at Blackwell’s via our affiliate link.
Lonely Planet, Epic Train Trips of the World
Review by Karen Langley
There’s a magic about train travel which still persists in the modern world, despite our fast, sophisticated new ways of moving around the globe. Although jet flights mean that we can travel from country to country in no time at all, there’s a joy in moving slowly through the landscape, taking in the scenery around us, which can’t be beaten. A new book from Lonely Planet, Epic Train Trips of the World, celebrates the great railway journeys of the world and makes for marvellous reading.
Epic Train Trips is a large format hardback and the tagline ‘Explore the world’s most thrilling train rides and adventures’ indicates what the reader will find inside. The book is subdivided into five sections which cover the geographical areas of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania; and within each part, a range of travel writers explores the most exciting and adventurous train journeys you can take. So for example, Africa contains amongst others the Blue Train in South Africa, and the Tangier-Marrakesh train in Morocco (not the famous Marrakesh Express which featured in the Crosby, Stills and Nash song, but that also gets a mention!)
Asia has some amazing routes, from the Deccan Queen in India to the Tohuko Shinkansen in Japan; and Europe train travel is particularly wide-ranging, including such memorable routes as the Caledonian Sleeper in the UK, the Glacier Express in Switzerland and the Bohinj Railway in Slovenia. Many of the routes in the Americas feature breathtaking scenery, and the Canadian journeys look stunning. Australia and New Zealand also feature routes which are, well, epic, and reading through this book definitely brings on an attack of itchy feet for anyone who loves train travel.
Each route is written about by one of a stable of travel writers who are credited at the back of the book, and indicated in the text by initials. The illustrations are colourful and evocative, really capturing the magnificent landscapes through which each train passes. I have to admit I would have liked clearer photo credits as these tend to be in very small lettering hidden near the spine of the book, but that’s a minor quibble. The spectacular country on show in each of these train journeys is obviously stunning, and this really demonstrates one of the benefits of travelling by rail as opposed to plane.
The book also excels in featuring all types of different train journey, from luxury, Orient Express-style travel to the more basic route on a local kind of train. Usefully, for each journey, the writers give alternatives to the main route, which could be cheaper, or perhaps more reliable, and so there are plenty of options. The writers are also realistic about the kind of experience the traveller should expect, writing about their own journey on each route, and revealing where the train is likely to be subject to delays or other issues which might arise; they even point out where a particular company or route has a dubious history. Whether that’s because a company continued to run its trains through a period of apartheid, or was built on the labour of POWs like Thailand’s Death Railway, this is important to know and so kudos to the writers for including this kind of material.
All in all, Epic Train Trips is a lovely book, ideal for dipping into for useful information, but also for browsing through when you want to do a little armchair travel. As well as the beautiful colour photography throughout, the book also features striking illustrations on the cover and dividing up the sections, all of which add to the reading experience. This would be the perfect gift for any train lover, adventurous traveller or someone who wants to do a little vicarious wandering around the planet!
Karen Langley blogs at kaggsysbookishramblings and loves the idea of travelling the world by train! (www.kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com)
Epic Train Trips of the World (Lonely Planet, 2025). 978-1837586141, 320pp., hardback. BUY at Blackwell’s via our affiliate link.
Lonely Planet Journey, Route 66
Review by Annabel
I’ll admit, these days I’m an armchair traveller, but this new Lonely Planet guide to Route 66 has been an irresistible browse. Written and compiled by a team of experts, it combines all you expect from a travel guide with mile by mile coverage together with many articles expanding further on topics of interest along the way.
After a lovely fold-out graphic map (see pic below), the book begins with the writing team’s favourite Route 66 moments, introducing us to them and whetting appetites. These are followed by a series of articles about the route’s history, its authenticity, the allure of wide open spaces, road food and some of the more eccentric sights, before exploring different ways to do the road-trip of a lifetime – be it just a section, or the full 2400 miles in a week or two or more, and deciding which way to go – traditionally it’s ‘Go West’. All the sights and sounds of the full route from Chicago to Santa Monica are shown in clear maps, along with recommendations of where to stay, where and what to eat, and what to do, plus many diversions off the route to unmissable sights nearby.
All the way through this book I was enjoying exploring small town America, giggling at the pics of the ‘Muffler Men’ advertising statues that pepper the route, wishing I could eat at all the iconic diners and call in at the vintage gas stations. The topics of the more cultural articles follow the locations on the route, so in the south Nneka M Okona tells us about the ‘Green Book’ which helped Black Americans to travel safely pre-Jim Crow legislation; at around Santa Fe, we have ‘A Navajo Perspective’, two insightful additions to the book.
Of course there is homage paid to literature and Hollywood’s long love of road-trip movies from The Grapes of Wrath to Disney/Pixar Cars. And everything is accompanied by glorious photography full of blue skies, dusty plains and the primary colours of roadside diners and adverts.
The road journey in the book ended, things are completed with the vital ‘Toolkit’ you might need, from notes on driving in the USA, renting vehicles including motorhomes/RVs, help for first time visitors on visas and money, types of hotel, and important information on access, inclusivity and, first time I’ve seen it, a thought-provoking section on ‘Responsible Travel’ from climate change to respect for the inidigenous nations whose lands line the route. It also urges you to ‘Go local, Stay local, Eat local.’ This all sounds a no-brainer to me.
For anyone wanting to travel Route 66, I’d suggest that this book is a superb starting point for planning a trip. It’s compact, too, with an awful lot of information fitted into its pages, so a must for the handbag or glovebox. I just wish my ageing knees would let me embark on such a journey.
Annabel is a co-founder of Shiny and one of its editors.
Lonely Planet Journey Route 66 (Lonely Planet, 2025). 978-1837586653, 258 pp., flapped paperback. BUY at Blackwell’s via our affiliate link.
