Top 10 travel books of the last century

In 1999 at Salon magazine, Don George named a top ten list of travel books of the 20th century.

One book on the list:

"A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush," by Eric Newby.

In this tale of a hastily assembled, hilariously -- and dangerously -- unprepared expedition into a remote region of Afghanistan, Newby personifies a particularly British kind of curiosity, pluck and good humor. And he describes the people and places he encounters with gusto and grace.

Read about another book on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue