In Xanadu cover art

In Xanadu

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

In Xanadu

By: William Dalrymple
Narrated by: Michael Maloney
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £9.98

Buy Now for £9.98

About this listen

 Here is William Dalrymple's highly praised and greatly entertaining account of his 1986 trip made while a student at Cambridge, which retraced Marco Polo's route across land from Jerusalem to Xanadu. With him, he took a phial of Holy Oil, 600 pounds and Laura until Lahore, and Louisa from there to Xanadu.©1995 CSA Word (P)1995 CSA Word Adventure Travel Asia Travel Writing & Commentary Middle East Middle Ages Iran
All stars
Most relevant
I enjoy back packing around the world. As with The Great Railway Bazaar, this is written early in the travel writers career. The experience is much easier to relate to. Later works by both authors tend to focus more on issues or subjects rather than the experiences and encounters. Any that do occur feel more forced than in the initial journeys that made their names. Yes, they are very privileged and tends to open doors by alluding to the diplomatic incidents and behaving like an obnoxious relic of the Empire but that’s how some people behaved. It definitely wouldn’t wash now, it is surprising and interesting that it did then.

Fab!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved every minute of it. Shred the pain, tasted the food, shared the companionship and felt the frustration. A great piece of writing that allows you to share in the "spirit" of the journey. Read with infectious enthusiasm. Hope to find more from this writer this narrator.

Join the pilgrimage without leaving home!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
fabulous historical storytelling. unfortunately the narrator spoke super quickly! however the performance was otherwise enthralling

wonderful book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love the turn of phrase the author uses and the whole premise for the quest is riveting. I actually really liked the quick step employed to move the journey on, it felt like a nice balance of interactions to get the flavour of the location along with an entertaining dose of introspection and revealed charisma from the protagonist.
Looking forward to reading of listening to more from the author, and I can see myself searching out this narrators other work too because it came across as ingenious at times and added an unexpected dimension.

Awesome writing, exquisite narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
i did enjoy this…. Michael Maloney’s reading superbe.. he seemed to be speaking in some places a little too fast.. would greatly appreciate a lap of the journey..
well done, gently pointing out some unsavoury facts.. child slave labour. people civilised on one level and then not.. much sublime references..i will buy the book too.🙏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

great story, great narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews