The Author, Paul Theroux

The author is married, in his early 30s and a father. He leaves his family in London for a 4-month trip by train through Europe and Asia and back on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The author uses these long train trips to talk to people and become familiar with cultures as well as places. He is a congenial character who easily gets into conversations with people. At the same time, the author realizes that in a travel book, his observations of the scenery and places are just as important as his discussions with people.

The author keenly describes the scenery from the English countryside to the endless plains of Turkey and the foothills of the Himalayas in India. He seldom seems afraid of the situations he gets put into and is willing to take a chance going to the Gokteik Viaduct, a forbidden area in Burma...