Paul Bowles (1910-1999) was famous as a composer and novelist (most notably for his very successful classic The Sheltering Sky), but he was also an expatriate with a vast appreciation for other cultures, scenes and societies. His unique perspective of life, his boldly honest examination of foreign cultures and his respectable appreciation for the natural landscapes of the world are all illustrated best and beautifully through his own words. I think, in some way, he knew that words would be the most accurate instrument with which to relay his feelings for the places he visited throughout his life; and so, he wrote.

He wrote often, and he wrote in passionate detail about every aspect of the world as seen through the wide-open eyes of a dedicated wanderer. In Travels, we are given the broadest look into his world through thirty-nine collected writings - from articles to essays and even book introductions - that tell, in his own words, of the experiences he had and the ideas he gathered throughout his vibrant traveling life.