Taken from the introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of William Dalrymple’s first book In Xanadu: A Quest, and first published in The Spectator on 24 June 2015 At the end of the windy, rainy April of 1986, towards the end of my second year at university, I was on my way back to my […]
It is always good to read stuff by William Dalrymple. He is one of the writers whom I enjoy whatever he happens ot write, and I like listening to him too. In this New Statesman review he compares Abducting a General with Kidnap in Crete by Rick Stroud. by William Dalrymple First published in the […]
Justin Webb introduces this package on BBC Radio Four’s Today programme on Thursday 9 October 2014. Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor was one of the world’s great travel writers. In the grand old tradition he was a scholar and a war hero and a general all-round high achiever. Top of his achievements was the capture of […]
The author of “Nine Lives” discusses his friendship with Paddy Leigh Fermor, and the boom-and-bust cycle of travel literature. Related article: Patrick Leigh Fermor: The man who walked
A thoughtful little piece published recently in The Irish Catholic about the benefits of walking and how medieval friars got around. By Fr Conor McDonough The New Year brings with it a barrage of holiday offers. Travel agents and airlines know that the depths of winter create in us a desire for the delights of […]
Robert Macfarlane has done a lot to keep Paddy’s name and writing style alive and current. His new book, Underland: A Deep Time Journey, is one that offers a new perspective on the human impact on our planet, is receiving rave reviews. By William Dalrymple First published in The Guardian. Stories of human journeys into […]
A thought provoking piece for the Easter holidays from Barnaby Rogerson, founder of the wonderful Eland books. May I wish you all, wherever you are, a very happy and peaceful Easter (remember Paddy had arrived for the great Easter celebrations at Esztergom on the Danube). By Barnaby Rogerson First published in Errant Magazine 18 September 2015 […]
The most recent of quite a number of articles about visiting the Mani that I have seen of late. This being the best, written by William Dalrymple. First published in the Financial Times, 28 August 2015. I first came to the Mani through the pages of my literary hero and travel writing guru, Patrick Leigh […]
William Dalrymple introduces Artemis Cooper discussing Paddy’s writing including his first major work, The Traveller’s Tree, at the Jaipur Literature Festival
The author of The Old Ways discusses some of the problems for any walker-writer such as how to spring surprises along the way, and how not to give your reader blisters. by Robert Macfarlane First published in the Guardian Book Club, 1 August 2014 “All I know is that at the very early stage of […]
BBC Radio Four rarely disappoints. At least not over the course of a few hours where there will be enough variety and quality for everyone. On Good Friday the Point of View programme was given over to William Dalrymple William who celebrated the writing of Peter Matthiessen who died this month. Dalrymple compares him with […]
In the winter of 1933, eighteen-year-old Patrick (“Paddy”) Leigh Fermor set out to walk across Europe, starting in Holland and ending in Constantinople, a trip that took him almost a year. Decades later, Leigh Fermor told the story of that life-changing journey in A Time of Gifts and Between the Woods and the Water, two […]
Part 3 of Ben Downing’s meeting with Paddy in 2001 at Kardamyli. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. by Ben Downing. This text originally appeared in issue 165 of The Paris Review, Spring 2003. There was an incident dating from this vagabond period—from 1956, to be exact—that I was keen to ask Paddy […]
Ryan Eyre lives in Seattle, and took a journey to Kardamyli to meet Paddy in 2009. He has written this article for the Journal of the Book Club of Washington, and has asked to publish it here as well. Ryan tells us, as many others have done, about Paddy’s remarkable memory, which he utilised to […]
Whilst digging around I came across this charming obituary to Paddy by Justin Marozzi who is famous for his book The Man Who Invented History: Travels with Herodotus, in which Justin describes an account of a lengthy retsina fuelled lunch with Paddy when he visited Kardamyli in 2007. By Justin Marozzi. First published in StandPoint […]
A review of Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by William Dalrymple which is a must read. He knew Paddy and wrote one of the best profiles of Paddy for the Daily Telegraph in 2008 which you can read here. by William Dalrymple First published in the Financial Times, 2 November 2012. Patrick Leigh Fermor, who […]
Paul Theroux, William Dalrymple, Kari Herbert, Colin Thubron and many more writers tell us about the travel book that most influenced their own life and work. Others that one could say are slightly less well-known, and very pleased to be placed into the pantheon of “world’s greatest travel writers” – Mr Jasper Winn 🙂 – […]
Few authors have been able to equal Patrick Leigh Fermor’s ability to dissolve into the places described in his books. Editorial, first published in The Guardian 18 June 2011 “I hate the French cookery, and abominate garlick,” Tobias Smollett told his readers 245 years ago, with a snooty disregard for foreigners that runs through too […]
Read some great travel stories by some of the best travel writers, including Paddy’s account of the Black Sea cave, and help Oxfam projects at the same time. Introduction by Michael Palin. As the Oxfam website says …. “OxTravels is our fantastic new compilation of short travel stories, produced in collaboration with Profile Books and […]
A comprehensive profile of Patrick Leigh Fermor. By James Campbell. First published in The Guardian 9 April 2005 As a teenager, Patrick Leigh Fermor walked through Europe to Turkey, sleeping in hayricks and castles. Forty years later he wrote two pioneering books about it; a third is still in progress. He lived in Romania, met […]
William Dalrymple recalls an encounter with Paddy in the Mani in 2008, discusses the impact of Bruce Chatwin, and asks where next for travel writing. First published in The Guardian, 19 Sep 2009 What is to become of travel writing now that the world is smaller? Who are the successors to Chatwin, Lewis and Thesiger? […]
At some point, when I get truly organised, it is my intention to create a section on the blog for all the book reviews I can find that relate to Paddy’s work. Until that time I beg your indulgence for yet another review of Words of Mercury. However, this has two strong claims to your […]
This profile by William Dalrymple is perhaps the most well known of all the on-line pieces about Paddy. I have so far been reluctant to add it to the blog, but as my blog is meant to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for all things Leigh Fermor I have decided its time has come. […]
Well done William! The Hay Q&A We asked some of the leading authors at this year’s Guardian Hay festival a series of questions. Here are their answers Q4: Who are the three greatest living writers? William Dalrymple: “Among novelists, Cormac McCarthy; among travel writers, Patrick Leigh Fermor; among short story writers, Jhumpa Lahiri.” From the […]
A Review of Artemis Cooper’s “Words of Mercury” by William Dalrymple published in the Guardian. First published in the Guardian 13 December 2003 William Dalrymple relishes Words of Mercury, a selection from the work of Patrick Leigh Fermor, Britain’s greatest living travel writer. Skill with the sword usually precludes much competence with the pen. For […]
Patrick Leigh Fermor 