This was admittedly not what I was expecting, but what could be a better thing to say about the late, great Anthony Bourdain's last book. What I imagined before opening to be something akin to a collection of essays or the like is, instead, a curated tour around the world by Bourdain and a few friends.
The chapters are short and to the point, Hemingway-like in their spartan prose. Utilizing such conciseness to its fullest, readers are taken to some of Bourdain's favorite locales, introduced to the food he ate and the places he visited while there. The urge to start booking flights was hard to fight.
The overwhelming feeling I had while reading World Travel was the sense that I was experiencing my own personal episode of No Reservations or Parts Unknown, and I had Anthony Bourdain leading the way. You wish it wasn't like this, that the man was still with us, still showing us all the cool shit he found — but if this is what we have instead, I say we're fortunate because World Travel is an excellent capstone to an already impressive body of work.

Beautifully written, poignant, alive with words and feeling, its a beautiful look at Bourdain's life and legacy

Let’s begin with a very important caveat: Published posthumously, this book is not actually authored by Anthony Bourdain. Rather, it’s a pretty standard travel guide peppered with Bourdain quotes.

If you’re just looking for quickie recommendations for a trip that are endorsed by Bourdain‘s opinions, this will serve your purpose just fine. But if, like me, you were hoping for the last written words by a personal hero, you won’t find it here.

This felt a bit cobbled together and disjointed, and doesn’t properly serve Bourdain’s memory. While I’ll certainly keep it on hand as a useful reference guide for when travel is a possibility again, it didn’t feel like the best way to honor a man so many of us miss so desperately after his untimely death.

I understand the pressure to “get something out there quickly” after an icon passes, and I sincerely hope his loved ones both find some comfort in having one final homage to Bourdain and also make a fortune from its publication. That said, many of Bourdain’s earlier books provide a much greater sense of the wonderful man and cultural icon that he was.

REVIEW: “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

Thank you to @eccobooks @netgalley and the authors for giving me this eARC copy of “World Travel” in exchange for an honest review.

WORLD TRAVEL is part travel guide, part history, and part a monument to the late travel and food writer/tv persona Anthony Bourdain. It takes you through countries that Bourdain traveled to during his life and includes quotes from his various tv shows intermingled with a brief history of the areas, descriptions of how to get to the areas mentioned, and restaurants that were featured in the show (both vivid and drool-worthy descriptions of the food, as well as a “where are they now”).

I grew up watching NO RESERVATIONS and I’ve read some of Bourdain’s books. As a teen, he was definitely one of the figures that gave me a travel bug. It was really great to see one last book from him, finished by Laurie Woolever. I loved when I could recognize quotes from the show in the book, and it was cool to see what restaurants were still around in 2021, and more specifically, how we could get to the areas. Tips about hotels and transportation were included, and are super helpful especially for international travel. During a time when travel isn’t exactly happening for a lot of us, it was nice to cozy up with this book and imagine that I was going to the restaurants and hotels that were described.

I think that this would be a great gift for a friend, or yourself, if they/you are experiencing some wanderlust and need something to look forward to for the future!

WORLD TRAVEL comes out April 20th, 2021!

This book captured the essence of Bordain's TV series for me. I could dip and dive around the chapters/episodes and explore areas that captured my interest or review places I've been fortunate enough to visit. Each chapter left me hungry for more, just like the series. I found myself going online or to the library to research interesting locations after reading the stories within the book. It serves as a delightful springboard of discovery and a reminder that travel is about people and experiences.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

3.5/5

This book was a delightful sampling of the world's cultures and cuisines, told by Laurie Woolever through Bourdain's quotes and insights. The text is full of detail and information - not only about the best and most iconic dishes around the globe, but also about their history and the history of the people who make them. I especially appreciated the political and historic context of each section, which introduced not only the flavor of a given country's kitchen, but also the "flavor" of the country itself.

I enjoyed the regions selected, which presented a diverse range of cultures. I also felt that I learned a lot about these nations through their food, including information I never learned before. For example, I've never thought of U.S. Southern food as being heavily influenced by West African flavors due to the slave trade. This book really highlights how history, politics, and food are all part of an ever-evolving tapestry shaped by the local community.

There are several reasons my review is not higher:

- There were errors within the book which made me doubt the facts in other chapters. Most egregious among these was the claim that Croatia is not part of the EU - it is and has been since 2013. It is not a member of the Schengen zone.
- Most hotels recommended were at a price range which is obscene for the average reader. I found these recommendations for luxurious hotels somewhat annoying - I get it, Bourdain could afford to stay at very pricey hotels, but the constant references to $400 per night rooms got old fast.
- A large portion of the book was dedicated to getting to and from the airport. This information is easily google-able and really not very relevant, as it's subject to frequent change.

That being said, I would certainly recommend this book as it's a worthwhile read.

Bourdain is sorely missed, especially in this era where many of us are experiencing wanderlust. This edition is beautiful and transportative, and I’d imagine even moreso in hard copy. I can’t wait to add it to my physical collection upon publication.

"A guide to some of the world’s most fascinating places, as seen and experienced by writer, television host, and relentlessly curious traveler Anthony Bourdain.

Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone. His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzania’s utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Oman’s Empty Quarter - and many places beyond.

In World Travel, a life of experience is collected into an entertaining, practical, fun and frank travel guide that gives readers an introduction to some of his favorite places - in his own words. Featuring essential advice on how to get there, what to eat, where to stay and, in some cases, what to avoid, World Travel provides essential context that will help readers further appreciate the reasons why Bourdain found a place enchanting and memorable.

Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family that tell even deeper stories about a place, including sardonic accounts of traveling with Bourdain by his brother, Christopher; a guide to Chicago’s best cheap eats by legendary music producer Steve Albini, and more. Additionally, each chapter includes illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook.

For veteran travelers, armchair enthusiasts, and those in between, World Travel offers a chance to experience the world like Anthony Bourdain."

He may be gone but his writing lives on.

While Anthony Bourdain's voice comes through in this work, after reading the forward you will know that before his death, he was only involved in the rough outline. The majority of the text is drawn from his previous television episodes going back years, and by family and friends. That said, it's a great book, but hard to place as to its audience. The locations covered are far flung and esoteric. It's not a book one reads cover to cover, but rather consults about places where you wish to travel and visit.

Anthony Bourdain is an iconic figure, and his fans will appreciate the quotes and anecdotes about his favorite places around the world, however the book feels incomplete. Unfortunately the book relies heavily on quotes from his shows and brief information about the various restaurants and cities. Still, the deep dives into restaurants, information about getting to and from the airport, and other tidbits make the book an enjoyable read and a useful tool when we finally get to travel again.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I loved this book. I loved everything about Anthony Bourdain, and this piece partially written by the late author did not disappoint!

Quintessentially Anthony Bourdain! For anyone who enjoyed watching Bourdain's television show, this book will be nearly enjoyable. It's a book that can be read straight through OR skipping around to places that interest you. There are SO many places that Bourdain visited and the book highlights his unique perspective on each of these places. Sometimes it's a political thought, sometimes directly food related, sometimes a personal anecdote of when he visited. It's never quite the same. What's it's not--a travel guide. And this is clearly stated from the outset of the book, although it does include commentary about various places Bourdain stayed, restaurants where he ate a meal, etc.

This book was a great condensed version of all the places that Anthony Bourdain loved to travel, eat and drink. It was great to hear his voice again in the pages of this book with only the humor he possessed. . It is keeper, in case you find yourself anywhere in the world, you will find a GREAT place, from A to Z, to eat and drink and be amazed by the local cultures.

I really wanted to love this book, but I didn't. This is more of a where did Tony stay, eat, how to get around, and what to do in each country. I'm really not sure who the target audience is. It may be a nice book to give someone who loved Anthony Bourdain's series, but it doesn't have his normal tone.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

World Travel
By Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain was an icon who saw different cultures and parts of the world through the food that binds us together as humanity. His voice and style with the auspiciousness of understanding the world in which we live.

This travel guide is a collection of his favorite places that he has visited and is a wonderful read especially now that an escape read is part of what keeps our sanity intact. I enjoy the deep dive into these places and what makes these special and memorable. This would make an amazing git for foodies, travel junkies and anyone that loved Anthony Bourdains' show and books.

I highly recommend this book!

World Travel
An Irreverent Guide
by Anthony Bourdain; Laurie Woolever
Ecco
You Are Auto-Approved
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult) | Travel
Pub Date 20 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 15 Jun 2021

I wanted to like this book. It was a labor of love for Laurie Woolever. I would much rather watch Anthony Bourdain than read this book. Thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for the ARC. I will not recommend it to our readers.


3 star

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for the ARC to read and review.

World Travel by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever.

I feel this book was a great labor of love for Laurie Woolever. Mr Bourdain passed away before he and Ms. Woolever were able to collaborate fully on the content. What she has done is carefully documented his opinions and voice regarding the many places he visited on his world travels.

The snippets on each country are brief, but there is enough information to use successfully in planning a food journey.

While none of the words of Anthony Bourdain in these pages will be new to much of his audience, it's always a pleasure to read them again and bask in the light of his unique personality. It pains me deeply to know we shall not see his like again.

Laurie Woolever does a fantastic job of constructing miniature travel guides in each segment around Bourdain's words, with a mix of historical and contemporary background information and practical advice on lodging, transit and dining. Wesley Allbrook's illustration adds another critical dimension.

Ugh. I really really wanted to absolutely this book. I have always been a huge Anthony Bourdain fan. I used to watch his show growing up with my parents and was extremely sad to hear of his death. That’s why I am annoyed about this book.

It was fine, hence the 3 star rating but it was just a regurgitation of things Bourdain said in his many TV shows and comments from Woolever after every quote. It was just a weird format. I felt like it was missing the main things I loved about Bourdain; the side stories, the crass humor and the relatability.

I will say, it is a good guide for anyone who isn’t super familiar with Anthony Bourdain. This guide is basically the anti- Rick Steves, which I did enjoy! Most travel guides can be super bland but this had spice, which is what you want.

In the end, I didn’t hate the book. I just don’t know if it was necessary. I would rather watch the many Anthony Bourdain TV shows.

Thank you to Ecco and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

There are some tasty bits in World Travel, assorted recollections and excerpts from Anthony Boudain’s multiple TV series. The best that can be said about this book is some Tony is better than no Tony.
Among the more enjoyable pieces are revisiting local farmers markets and night markets in Vienna, Phnom Penh, Hong Kong, Accra and Oaxaca as well as the fish markets in Singapore and Seoul. Brother Chris Bourdain adds a few fond recollections of times growing up with Tony in Paris and New Jersey. And then there is the unique aftertaste of Tony’s fond feasts of featuring pig skull meals.
The book doesn’t work as a true travel guide despite the information on taxi fares from airports. The excerpts and quotes on countries arranged in alphabetical order are too brief to be satisfying.
A much better trip with Bourdain is A Cooks Tour, a grand entertainment of culinary travel. Bourdain's stories are filled with color, flavor, wit and a genuine respect for local food and people.