I love travel as much as I love books and so when I was offered the chance to review Dave Tomlinson’s Around The World in 80 Tales how could I refuse? Around The World in 80 Tales was published on 16th August 2016 and is available for purchase in e-book from your local Amazon site.

Around The World in 80 Tales

TRAVEL TURNED ME INTO A STORYTELLER
Travel is an amazing experience and I’ve spent years of my life living out of my backpack. I’ve explored well-beaten tourist trails and to far corners beyond them. Each journey is an adventure and each adventure gives with a story to tell. So one day I decided that yes, I would write 80 of my best Travel Stories.

After leaving me speechless, travel then turned me into a storyteller!

I’ve found that travel is a kaleidoscope of people, places, events, history, culture, food and fun. Through the pages of my book, I’ll bring it all to life for you. The stories are fascinating, inspiring, amusing and amazing. Some even get a little crazy but collectively they are an insight into the wonderful highs and gritty realities of travelling the world on a budget.

My review of Around The World in 80 Tales

Dave Tomlinson has taken his travels and turned them into a travelogue with first person accounts of his adventures written in around 500 words per location and with photographs mostly taken by the author to illustrate.

I have to confess I didn’t read Around The World in 80 Tales all in one go or in the fairly random order it is presented, but kept dipping in to the contents beginning with the places I’ve been to myself like Laos, Australia, Ecuador, Japan and Taiwan. I think this is a book that rewards such an approach as the reader can travel where they fancy with Dave Tomlinson as the mood takes them.

I was entertained too, by finding out about the places I have yet to visit and having my preconceived expectations confirmed or undermined by Dave’s experience. I think his trip on an Indian train isn’t one I want to repeat when I eventually go to India, but he has confirmed that I really need to see the terracotta army in China!

What I liked most about Around The World in 80 Tales is the personal style that captures a local flavour so that I got a real feel for the less touristy areas of the countries visited. Occasionally the vocabulary lacked some of the romance I associate with travel writing, but I think that also made the vignettes more accessible too. Around The World in 80 Tales reminded me of the photobooks my husband makes after our travels and for some readers it may be too personal an approach, but I would still recommend reading it as a means to get a flavour for a country before you visit.

There are some lovely photographs that accompany the writing, mostly taken by the author himself, that bring to life the places being described.

Around The World in 80 Tales is an interesting travelogue for those who want to visit countries vicariously.

About Dave Tomlinson

Dave is a travel blogger who has spent over ten years travelling many countries and continents, cheaply and safely and he delights in sharing his passion for travel with others.

You can find out more about Dave and his travels by visiting his website, finding him on Facebook and following him on Twitter.