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North Korea Journal
- Author
- Michael Palin
- Narrator
- Michael Palin
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 19 September 2019
- Run Time
- 2 hours 54 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
THE BOOK BEHIND THE HIT CHANNEL 5 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.
Critics Review
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Palin expands on his Channel 5 documentary with this absorbing and beautifully illustrated day-by-day account.
Daily Mirror
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A fascinating proposition . . . [a] winning mix of genuine interest, good-humoured charm and that deceptively steely nose for humbug.
Wanderlust
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An eye-opening look at a place that doesn’t figure on most travellers' bucket lists
Kirkus
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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
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[Lifts] the veil on one of the last blind spots on the globe
Irish Independent
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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
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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
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A fascinating and humorous document
Choice Magazine
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Gem of a book
Daily Express
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It’s a typically entertaining guide, combining travelogue tips with his own interesting observations
RTE Guide
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Michael Palin
- Narrator
- Michael Palin
- Duration
- 2 hours 54 minutes
- Release Date
- 19 September 2019
- ISBN
- 9781473571945
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Travel writing, Autobiography: general, Memoirs
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. THE BOOK BEHIND THE HIT CHANNEL 5 DOCUMENTARYA 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.
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