Synopses & Reviews
A. A. Gill is one of the most feared writers in London, noted--according to the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt;--for his "rapier wit." Some even consider the mere assignment of a subject to Gill a hostile act. But when the notice "AA GILL IS AWAY" runs in the andlt;Iandgt;Sunday Timesandlt;/Iandgt; of London, the city can rest peacefully in the knowledge that the writer is off traveling. andlt;BRandgt; "My editor asked me what I wanted from journalism and I said the first thing that came into my head--I'd like to interview places. To treat a place as if it were a person, to go and listen to it, ask it questions, observe it the way you would interview a politician or a pop star," Gill writes. andlt;BRandgt; Upon his return, readers are treated to an account of his vacations to places like famine-stricken Sudan, the pornography studios of California's San Fernando Valley, the dying Aral Sea or the seedy parts of Kaliningrad. andlt;BRandgt; The result is one of the most fascinating, stylish and irreverent collections of travel writing.
Review
"A. A. Gill gives us a highly personalized and thrilling romp through the world's wild side." andlt;BRandgt; --Christiane Amanpour, CNN
Review
"This is passionate, funny, heartfelt, superbly crafted writing on places and things he clearly feels strongly about...I'm always happy when A. A. Gill is 'away.'" andlt;BRandgt; --Anthony Bourdain, author of andlt;Iandgt;Kitchen Confidentialandlt;/Iandgt;
About the Author
A.A. Gill was born in Edinburgh, but has lived in London for most of his life. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, a critic and features writer for the Sunday Times (London), and the author of several books, including, most recently, Previous Convictions. He lives in London and spends much of his year traveling.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS Foreword
How it works
South
The end of the road
Sudan, May 1998
Out of their element
The Kalahari, January 1998
Game boy
Tanzania, January 1998
I don¹t know what makes you angry...
Uganda, October 2000
Selassie come home
Ethiopia, December 2000
East
Awayday in a manger
Bethlehem, December 1999
The fatal shore
The Aral Sea, July 2000
The city that Russia forgot
Kaliningrad, June 2001
A short walk in the Hindu crush
India, January 1999
Mad in Japan
Tokyo, September 2001
West
Born to be riled
California, October 1999
When DD met AA
U.S. Pornography, November 1999
Sex and the city
Cuba, March 1999
Ride Œem chowboy
Argentina, January 2001
North
The thin line
Milan Fashion Week, October 1995
Hunforgiven
Germany, July 1999
Scumball rally
Monaco, October 2001
Return of the native
Scotland, May 1999
Look who¹s stalking
The British Army¹s Sniping Course, Wales,January 2000
To the manure born
The Royal Agricultural Show, September 2000
Roller derby
Owning a Rolls-Royce, October 2001