North Korea Journal

Michael Palin author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cornerstone

Published:19th Sep '19

£16.99

Available for immediate dispatch.

North Korea Journal cover

A glimpse of life inside the world's most secretive country, as told by Britain's best-loved travel writer.

THE BOOK BEHIND THE HIT DOCUMENTARY

A glimpse of life inside the world’s most secretive country, as told by Britain’s best-loved travel writer.

In May 2018, former Monty Python stalwart and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin spent two weeks in the notoriously secretive Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a cut-off land without internet or phone signal, where the countryside has barely moved beyond a centuries-old peasant economy but where the cities have gleaming skyscrapers and luxurious underground train stations. His resulting documentary for Channel 5 was widely acclaimed.

Now he shares his day-by-day diary of his visit, in which he describes not only what he saw – and his fleeting views of what the authorities didn’t want him to see – but recounts the conversations he had with the country’s inhabitants, talks candidly about his encounters with officialdom, and records his musings about a land wholly unlike any other he has ever visited – one that inspires fascination and fear in equal measure.

Written with Palin’s trademark warmth and wit, and illustrated with beautiful colour photographs throughout, the journal offers a rare insight into the North Korea behind the headlines.

Palin expands on his Channel 5 documentary with this absorbing and beautifully illustrated day-by-day account. * Daily Mirror *
A fascinating proposition . . . [a] winning mix of genuine interest, good-humoured charm and that deceptively steely nose for humbug. * Wanderlust *
An eye-opening look at a place that doesn’t figure on most travellers' bucket lists * Kirkus *
The Python’s most dangerous journey yet. Palin journeyed into the heart of Kim Jong-un’s repressive and secretive regime. * The Times, 50 Best Book for Autumn *
[Lifts] the veil on one of the last blind spots on the globe * Irish Independent *
The most recent – and the most extraordinary – trip was his exploration of North Korea… in his North Korea Journal… he offers fresh insight into the secretive country, which he approached with his signature openness and curiosity. * Radio Times *
Reading his account . . . one is reminded afresh of Palin’s great qualities as a traveller – his curiosity, good humour, and willingness to see the best in everyone he encounters. * Telegraph *
A fascinating and humorous document * Choice Magazine *
Gem of a book * Daily Express *
It’s a typically entertaining guide, combining travelogue tips with his own interesting observations * RTE Guide *
TV adventurer and Monty Python legend Michael Palin recounts his most recent travel escapades . . . the book details a world of gleaming skyscrapers, an airport with no passengers and a countryside where centuries-old traditions dominate * Best Travel Books, ShortList *
The book is full of stunning photography which shows the natural splendour and beauty of Korea. And it also affords a rare glimpse of a non-communist who is really attempting to get to the pulse of everyday life in the country. Palin has a refreshing honesty about people who we almost never get to see. * Morning Star *
His careful probing and gentle observations of a country that is at once suffocated by suppression and highly-functioning make for an eye-opening account with a level of humanity that often gets lost in the headlines. -- 8 Great books for Escapism * Luxury London *
A typically cracking Palin read with loads of lovely photos. -- Best Christmas travel reads * Daily Express *

ISBN: 9781786331908

Dimensions: 220mm x 164mm x 22mm

Weight: 580g

176 pages