The book is quite short, just 171 pages and a lot of those have half and half text and photographs of the trip, I therefore read it in about two and a half hours. ISIS remain a big threat (Palin likens sandbagged roadblocks to the North in the 80s), many of the ancient ruins are really modern versions rebuilt by Hussain, corruption is rife, increasing global temperatures will impact places like Iraq more than most, and people want to leave, which just holds the place back. But there are patches of light amid the dark: boisterous New Year celebrations in Akre, the friendliness of generals and colonels at 'Checkpoint Cheerful', and public poetry readings in Baghdad.

Die Abenteuer aus 1001 und einer Nacht faszinieren nicht nur den kleinen Michael und auch der erwachsene Mann denkt noch oft an die Sehnsucht nach diesem magischen Land zurück, das er zwischen den Zeilen entdeckt hat. Waar de gelegenheid zich aandient gaat Michael Palin op zoek naar geschiedenis, maar hij heeft tegelijkertijd veel aandacht voor het roerige nabije verleden en de toestand vandaag. Palin follows the Tigris from source to mouth; beginning in Turkey and ending in the tiny strip of Iraqi coastline sandwiched between Kuwait and Iran.

He contemplates the graffiti-strewn ruins of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces, and he notes the constant presence of armed guards.

There is surprisingly only one reference to Lawrence of Arabia (I am also reading a 100-year old book ‘Lawrence and the Arabs’), and then only about his friend Gertrude Bell, one of the founders of the modern Iraq. Palin heeft nog steeds een heerlijke manier van vertellen en ik had veel plezier hem te volgen door Irak. His journeys have taken him across the world, the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and most recently, Eastern Europe.Als Michael ihm sagt, dass er an seinem Geburtstag nicht dabei sein kann, meint er nur, dass der Opa eben dafür sorgen soll, das er im nächsten Jahr wieder dabei ist. Palin, an ever reliable travel companion, shares the wonder and frustrations as beautifully as he always does.

By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Ik vind reisboeken veel leuker als ze foto's hebben door het boek heen, en dus niet ergens in het midden een velletje of zo, of helemaal niks. It seems like a huge logistical challenge; Palin relies a lot on his team and local guides, mentions his age and energy levels a few times, but maintains an enthusiasm for travel, meeting new people, and having new experiences. In March 2022, Michael Palin travelled the length of the River Tigris through Iraq to get a sense of what life is like in a region of the world that once formed the cradle of civilisation, but that in recent times has witnessed turmoil and appalling bloodshed.Hij volgde de loop van de Tigris van aan de grens met Turkije naar Basra, bijna aan de Perzische Golf. I haven’t seen that so not sure if there’s stuff here he couldn’t say on camera but was fun reading for an insight into Iraq today. These are shorter trips - a fortnight each - and the accompanying book does read a little bit like a travel blog (short, with maybe half the space taken up with photos), it's recognisably Michael Palin for all that. Having said that I really enjoyed the book and when I started it was difficult to put down, the urge to just read another chapter was always there and as each chapter was a days journey it felt even more like a diary and you felt you were progressing down Iraq along with the small team making the films.