I've been reading the suggestions for good books to read on the Europe Forum, and as I'm going to China and Tibet in a few weeks, was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions for the looooooong plane ride to Beijing. <BR>Thanks a lot. <BR>

Whenever I travel, I always take a Charles Dickens novel in paperback. Now THERE'S an author that knows how to give value for money! Once you get into one of his books, you can remain submerged for days. "Bleak House" is particularly good for long flights.

Somerset Maugham's Collected Short Stories (4 vols.)are set mostly in Asia and are just long enough to reward the reader on flights where concentration is difficult or at bedtime. As I recall, volumes 2 and 3 are particularly worthwhile. All are available in paperback. Another fascinating book is Kenneth Wimmel's The Alluring Target, In Search of the Secrets of Central Asia, which is about different explorers to China, Tibet, and elsewhere in the region. Finally, you might consider a book edited by James L. Watson: Golden Arches East, McDonald's in East Asia. Both of these are paperback, too.

Wild Swan by Jung Chang if you haven't read it already.

If you are looking for travel literature there is no question: Bill Bryson ! Hillariously funny + many facts about the countries he has travelled. But I don't think he has anything out about asia. I recommend 'The lost continent' (travelling in the USA)

My husband and I just finished Tom Wolfe's A Man In Full - we both loved it and it's about 800+ pages. Wish I could find something comperable for our trip to China in October.

We took Pearl Buck's Good Earth trilogy for the flight to Hong Kong - just to get us in the Chinese mood.

Hi Geri: <BR> <BR>Try some of the following which will undoubtedly enhance your travel experience: <BR> <BR>-Iron & Silk, Mark Salzman, Random House <BR>-China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power, Nicholas Kristoff & Sherry Wudunn <BR>-Video Night in Kathmandu and other Reports from the Not-So-Far-East, Pico Iyer <BR> <BR>Have a great vacation! <BR>

I just finished Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton. I knew nothing about him until I picked up this book. He was born in 1900 and after graduating from Princton went on to be a world adventure traveler and writer. Apparently, he was very famous in his day. Kind of an Amelia Aerhart (spelling?)hero-type. People were desperate for his serialized stores of travel. He died in 1939 while attempting to sail on a Chinese Junk from Hong Kong to San Francisco. It was a real page turner for me. His descriptions of travel in Asia in the 20's are great. Although, his comparison of Angor Wat and Borabadora dismayed me. (Given the fact that I've been to Borabadora and passed on a trip to Angor Wat). Try it, you might like it, and not feel like you've wasted time reading junk. Have fun.