Great Journeys of the World

It’s hard to find much better writing or photography than in a National Geographic magazine. So when I found a book of theirs at a liquidation sale, I made no hesitation in snatching it right up. Great Journeys of the World, the hardcover version, was beautifully bound with great pictures and intriguing story titles, so I knew it was something I had to have – especially at a discounted price. Why the deep discount of only a couple of bucks? Because it was published in 1996, thus making at least one of the stories – Cruising Up the Mighty Yangtze River – now obsolete, since it is no longer possible to do because of the Three Gorges Dam.

Other than the story from China, National Geographic’s Great Journeys of the World also tells stories of Crossing Europe on the Orient Express, going On a Safari in East Africa, taking A Royal Train Through Rajasthan, and Traveling Canada’s Transcontinental Railroad. They each tell the tale of a specific voyage, one of the greatest in the world. These are all bucket list trips, so to speak, or, as National Geographic says, Great Journeys of the World, of which, I would have to agree.

As I suspected, National Geographic does not disappoint. Great Journeys of the World has amazing photography and beautiful storytelling. It is a fantastic little book, running only 200 pages, to read in an afternoon, which is easily done since many full-page photographs make the book shorter than it would initially seem. It is also a fantastic compilation, something which I have become more and more fond of; if you don’t have the time to read it in an afternoon, there’s nothing which to worry about – pick it up and set it down just as you would a magazine, since there’s no fear of losing where you are in the story.

My one complaint about National Geographic’s Great Journeys of the World is that there are not more of them. I can hardly believe there are only five great journeys in the world. And if there were only five, I’d most certainly argue over the editorial process of choosing these; what about Antarctica, Machu Picchu, the Trans Siberian Railway, or any other number of journeys? Sure, I understand there are limitations and the book can only be so long. But I regret National Geographic’s decision to cut it so short. I really think they could have added a few more stories to the book – or magazine, depending on which you’ve purchased – and made it that much better.

On the whole, National Geographic’s Great Journeys of the World is an outstanding compilation. The writing is outstanding, the photography second-to-none, and the overall look of the book excellent. It could certainly be better, as I said, yes, but it is a good start, which I’ll happily recommend to anyone thinking on taking one of those once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trips, despite the Yangtze cruise story. It is well worth the time, and quite inspiring when it comes to deciding which adventure to choose next.