Some more suggestions for holiday reading
Patagonia: A Cultural History
By Chris Moss
Signal Books, £12
Patagonia is as much a metaphor as a place. Myths and legends have turned it into a region that encapsulates what we think of as distant: when describing an environment that is utterly foreign, people think of the Sahara, Siberia and Patagonia.
This book is part of a series, Landscapes of the Imagination, that explores regions through their history, art and culture. It is a somewhat scholarly work, with exhaustive detail on the region's history. Its pace increases considerably as the narrative draws into the 20th century, and it turns its attention to the cultural history of Patagonia, whose barren steppes, harsh peaks and rippling climate have fired the imaginations of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Paul Theroux and, perhaps most famously, Bruce Chatwin. This is a fiercely intelligent book that is at its frequent best when it dips into the writings of others to reinforce its points and provides a comprehensive history of one of the world's most tenaciously remote areas.
Peru
DK Eyewitness Travel, £15.99
Much closer to the typical tourist trail than the wilds of Patagonia is Peru. Roughly half its territory is in the grip of the Amazon, and it contains a sixth of the world's plant life on less than 1 per cent of its land. With its sophisticated Inca culture, this makes it a fascinating destination. Flicking through the chapters, the colour and diversity of the country crackle - from the dusty plains and cold deserts to verdant mountain-top fortresses and elegant cities. There is a good section on exploring the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, whose photographs alone will make you want to jump on a flight to Lima.