Terry's Travels

Orcland to the Ottomans

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Pub Date Jan 20 2015 | Archive Date Jul 07 2023

Description

‘Orcland to the Ottomans’ takes the reader on a riveting journey from New Zealand to Turkey.

From the Southern Alps to the Red Centre of Australia, through Laos, the Philippines, then the Hermit Kingdom and along the Silk Road to the home of the Ottomans, this journey retraces the steps of traders, conquerors, adventurers and tourists alike and the soldiers of empires that are no more.

There is a powerful and entertaining narrative that doesn’t pull any punches, and gets to the heart of the countries and cultures visited. Life and existence is witnessed for what it is; hard-hitting and heart-wrenching, dramatic and damning.

Terry’s story is a tantalising and evocative experience of discovery and understanding. The book concludes with the horrors of Gallipoli and the War to end all Wars, the nature of war, of human struggle and remembrance. It is the first volume of the series ‘Terry’s Travels’.

‘Orcland to the Ottomans’ takes the reader on a riveting journey from New Zealand to Turkey.

From the Southern Alps to the Red Centre of Australia, through Laos, the Philippines, then the Hermit...


Advance Praise

Amazon.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining reading.
By White Tara on 1 Feb. 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a great travel book, and a truly global one, from Orcland to the Ottomans indeed, taking in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines to North Korea, the silk road to Turkey. Fascinating reading, and well illustrated.
The author's dry humour makes the whole experience very real, and the insights into environmental concerns are highlighted.
Would recommend this for any travellers or would-be armchair ones too.
In Turkey "The major source of enjoyment was undoubtedly same sex relationships, and it was noted by one Venetian visitor that unsliced cucumbers were banned."
On North Korea " Andy Kershaw, the radio 1 DJ, said 'After visiting North Korea everywhere else seems like Luton'".
The Epitaph is particularly conclusive, considering the current global situation "War will not end until the human race itself ends.And no-one will be remembered"
Look forward to volume two of Terry's Travels.

5.0 out of 5 stars A facinating/enjoyable read..
By Amazon Customer on 13 Feb. 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
For someone who hasn’t travelled extensively in the last decade, certainly abroad, I enjoyed reading this book immensely.
The Author manages to bring alive the places he visits, with interesting factual narrative and his own blend of humor! This combined, with the aid of photos and quotations, have transported me to places I may never visit, but oddly, now feel I know!
“Traveller halt! The soil you tread once witnessed the end of an era” Necmettin Halil Onan
I very much look forward to reading Terry Griggs further travels, in Volume 2 !


Amazon.com
5.0 out of 5 stars Great travel read!
ByBookLover on July 6, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
As a lover of books and travel myself, I appreciate a well-written travel book. Terry Grigg offers enough description to paint a picture without dragging on. His observations are eye opening and reflective. You may not agree with all of his insight, but you will look at the world differently having read them. His outlook aside, Terry gives a brief history on each location to help shape the reader’s understanding of a place and its people. This is a great book to pick up and read a chapter at a time. I look forward to reading more from this author.


Amazon.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining reading.
By White Tara on 1 Feb. 2017
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is a great travel book, and a truly global one, from Orcland to the...


Available Editions

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ISBN 9781523678297
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Featured Reviews

A really well traveled memoir filled with humor and some history lessons about some of the places he visited along the way. It's definitely not from a rather ridged, stuffy old professor, who'd bore you to death with his tales. It has interesting facts, and interesting tidbits, you might never have heard about. So if you want to take a journey and learn an interesting fact or two, pick up a copy and enjoy.
You won 't be disappointed.

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As I was reading I kept thinking that Terry's writing style reminded me of Bill Bryson. The same humour as well as sometimes scathing commentary, he writes very engagingly about all the places he visits. I liked that he gave a bit of history about every place visited. Fascinating stuff, so many things that were previously unknown.

I recommend this book to all armchair travellers, you will love every minute!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

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This travel book is packed with interesting tidbits and refreshing honesty about the good and bad in the places visited. Information about things like ugly architecture, wrecked native flora and fauna, and Anne Perry's murderous background is sprinkled in among historical and biological facts, current observations, and opinions on sheep, whaling, and sandflies. And that is just for part of New Zealand! It is sort of a "tell-all" type book for travel, with a few salacious background facts included (I can't recommend it to my students for that reason). The author has traveled to many places that I am unlikely to visit, and I think that he would be a fascinating person to talk with, based on his writing style and many travels!

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I love that Terry is generally respectful of the environment and the various local cultures that he encounters. He chronicles his travels and even visits extremely off the beaten path locations. There are also plenty random facts, gossip, or infamous asides about the various locations.
This book documents his travel through Australia / New Zealand, various South Asian countries, North Korea, and the Silk Road. I would totally visit the various places he mentioned based on his descriptions.

I liked Terry’s humorous, snarky writing style. The only thing I missed in the book is hotel reviews. Terry mostly stayed in hostels so there wasn’t much commentary on hotels in the various areas. I would totally read one of his other books about his many travels.

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