Into Iraq: Michael Palin

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It's not the most detailed at around 160 pages, but it does paint a vivid picture of a country struggling with identity and recovery. Iraq seems as though it was once a very beautiful country and while that beauty is still there, it's been marked with years of hostility and war. His ability to bring his travels to life with a casual observation, of curious conversation, have not dimmed during COVID. Reading this book and watching the accompanying TV series has stirred lovely memories of watching 80 Days Around The World, Full Circle, and other Palin TV series that I loved as a child.

Genial and comforting whilst containing his signature wit and necessary depth and critique when needed.

This meant no long recovery to get the sands of Iraq out of my hair but it also meant that I could start while the memories were fresh. Palin, an ever reliable travel companion, shares the wonder and frustrations as beautifully as he always does. now an older, and somewhat jaded, Palin and team travel along the length of the Tigris (mostly in Iraq). It leaves something behind in the places one visits and one’s heart finds an affinity and true empathy for those who persevere and have an enduring place in their country.

From the descriptions in this book it looks like it may be becoming possible to be a relatively safe tourist in Iraq again, however he explains that major destinations such as Ur’s ziggurat and the site of Babylon were largely reconstructed over their original ruins during the time of Saddam Hussain. A lovely book, that brought back terrific memories of earlier Michael Palin journeys in my childhood. It’s plain to see that although there are elements of his journey that still capture his interest, the main takeaway this time is of a country whose prosperity has been squandered and its recent history scarred. Nach einigen Etappen haben sich diese Reisende und auch die Leserin dann im unterwegs sein eingerichtet. Gegen Ende findet er noch einmal deutliche Worte, denn die Reise entlang des Tigris zeigt deutlich, wie sich der Lauf des Flusses und damit auch die Lebensumstände für seine Bewohner durch unser Zutun verändert haben.Het wordt een 18 dagen lange en niet ongevaarlijke tocht doorheen het historische, maar vooral ook het hedendaagse Irak. Die Abenteuer aus 1001 und einer Nacht faszinieren nicht nur den kleinen Michael und auch der erwachsene Mann denkt noch oft an die Sehnsucht nach diesem magischen Land zurück, das er zwischen den Zeilen entdeckt hat.

Hij begon in 1980 met een aandeel in “Great railway journeys of the world”, een programma van de BBC waarin hij Groot-Brittannië per trein doorkruiste. For someone who is literally Iraqi and knows most of the stuff in this book – it was nothing new except for a few things I'll probably ask my dad about. As noted by previous reviews, the book goes along well with the tv series, but the chapters always end with you wanting to know more about the people and places he encounters on his journey. Now he shares the journal he meticulously kept during his trip, in which he describes the very varied places he visited, the people he met and the impressions he formed of a country that few outsiders now venture to see.Having said that I really enjoyed the book and when I started it was difficult to put down, the urge to just read another chapter was always there and as each chapter was a days journey it felt even more like a diary and you felt you were progressing down Iraq along with the small team making the films. This is another great journey through a curious and largely unknown (to the west) culture seen though his humorous eyes - but the apparently lighthearted approach ensures he gets to meet some extraordinary people, and see far beyond the bounds of a normal traveler. His words in books, supplemented with vivid and informative photographs and pieces to camera in TV programmes always engage me and fostered a desire to explore beyond my limited travel horizons. I wonder if the next attempt will be more successful, with any combination of the bullet, ballot box, ‘big oil’ boardroom, or pulpit … I don’t think I will live to see the day, or ever be able to safely follow Palin’s footsteps.