In Xanadu

This is William Dalrymple's first book. It’s an account of a journey in which he retraced, as near as possible, the path that was taken by Marco Polo from Jerusalem to Shangdu in China, the legendary summer home of Kubla Khan which, thanks to Coleridge, we all know as Xanadu. This journey took him across the Middle East and Central Asia, through Turkey, Syria, Iran (which was mid-revolution at the time), Pakistan, India and through the silk road, to China.

This is a travelogue suffused with history. It’s an account of a physical journey, that the author layers with historical events and personal reflections. He's not simply traveling, he's actively engaging with the past, seeking out echoes of Marco Polo's observations in the modern landscape, and juxtaposing the romanticized notions of the East with its often-harsh realities.

In Xanadu is a meditation on the nature of history, memory, and the allure of the unknown. Dalrymple grapples with the elusive nature of Xanadu which is as much an idea as it is a place. It exists more potently in literature and legend than in any physical location.

This book was published in 1989. William Dalrymple was twenty-two years old at the time. He was fresh out of college when wrote this book which has all the hallmarks of his later works…the adventurous spirit, the intellectual curiosity, the keen eye for detail, the meticulous research, the love of history, an openness to the world, and a wry sense of humour.

This is a remarkable book - one of the best travelogues that we have ever read.