{"product_id":"a-time-of-gifts-patrick-leigh-fermor-travel-memoir-paperback","title":"A Time of Gifts: A John Murray Journey by Patrick Leigh Fermor - Non Fiction - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDetails:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nCondition: BRAND NEW\u003cbr\u003e\nFormat: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\nISBN: 9781529369526\u003cbr\u003e\nPublisher: John Murray Press\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverview:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nA Time of Gifts is Patrick Leigh Fermor's celebrated travel memoir recounting his 1933 walk from the Hook of Holland toward Constantinople, aged just eighteen. Told decades later with dazzling recall, it captures a Europe on the brink of catastrophe, seen through the eyes of a penniless, curious young wanderer. Rich in landscape, language and encounter, it remains one of the twentieth century's most admired works of travel writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Book:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nSetting out with little more than a rucksack and a few pounds, Fermor traces a route through Holland, up the Rhine, across Germany, down the Danube and on through Austria and Czechoslovakia towards Hungary. Sleeping in barns one night and in the castles of impoverished Central European aristocracy the next, the young traveller records with equal delight the kindness of peasants and the fading grandeur of a vanishing world. His journey becomes a portrait of Europe's deep cultural roots just as they were about to be shattered by war, threaded through with digressions on art, architecture, history and language that reveal an extraordinary breadth of learning. First published in 1977, decades after the walk took place, the book benefits from a lifetime's reflection, giving it a layered, elegiac quality alongside its youthful exuberance. It is widely regarded as the first volume of a trilogy continuing the story of Fermor's great walk, and is frequently cited among the finest travel books ever written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Benefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA widely acclaimed classic of travel writing, praised for its lyrical, richly detailed prose.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVividly evokes pre-war Europe, offering genuine historical and cultural insight alongside adventure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerfect for readers who enjoy memoir, history and immersive real-life journeys.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrand-new paperback edition, ideal for gifting to travel and history enthusiasts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first instalment of Fermor's celebrated walking trilogy, rewarding on its own or as part of the set.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nSir Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915–2011) was an English travel writer and soldier renowned for both his adventurous life and his acclaimed prose. During the Second World War he played a leading role in the Cretan resistance, an exploit later dramatised in film and print. A gifted linguist and scholar, Fermor drew on decades of travel and reflection to craft his celebrated accounts of pre-war Europe. Widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest travel writers, his style continues to inspire the genre today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy You'll Love This Travel Memoir:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nBeautifully written and endlessly evocative, A Time of Gifts transports readers to a lost Europe with warmth, wit and remarkable erudition — an essential read for anyone who loves travel, history or great prose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePlease Note: Cover may vary slightly from image shown; this listing is for the UK edition with ISBN 9781529369526 as stated.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Patrick Leigh Fermor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57241352438142,"sku":"SNG22638","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/4549\/8093\/files\/a-time-of-gifts-patrick-leigh-fermor-paperback.jpg?v=1784439932","url":"https:\/\/www.letsbuybooks.com\/products\/a-time-of-gifts-patrick-leigh-fermor-travel-memoir-paperback","provider":"Lets Buy Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}