Nu heeft Channel 5 ITN Productions opdracht gegeven om een nieuwe driedelige documentaireserie te produceren met hem, terwijl hij Irak voor het eerst bezoekt. He contemplates the graffiti-strewn ruins of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, and he notes the constant presence of armed guards.

Michael Palin’s latest travel adventure took place March 2022 and consisted of a short (two week) trip to Iraq, he was after all seventy eight when he made the journey and the epic trips from the 1980’s and 90’s are probably behind him now but this was still a fascinating read. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries, his journeys taking him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. Er ist sich durchaus bewusst, dass das die letzte Reise sein könnte, die er unternimmt und dieses Gefühl konnte ich zwischen den Zeilen spüren. His books include accounts of his journeys, novels ( Hemingway’s Chair and The Truth) and several volumes of diaries.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. Into Iraq is a journey I wouldn’t make so this is a unique opportunity to see somewhere through the eyes of a trusted companion.

Als Michael ihm sagt, dass er an seinem Geburtstag nicht dabei sein kann, meint er nur, dass der Opa eben dafür sorgen soll, das er im nächsten Jahr wieder dabei ist. If you're in the UK there is a Channel 5 3-part docuseries accompanying this book so it makes it even more immersive. Please note: On occasion, due to the complexity and personal nature of some book signing requests, Michael may not dedicate and sign exactly as requested.

The second in a new series of Palin travelogues to unexpected or dangerous places, interrupted by Covid . Daarna ging hij naar de Iraakse hoofdstad Bagdad, naar de Groene Zone die na de oorlog is ontstaan en ontdekte de geneugten van het leven in de bruisende oude stad voordat hij de beroemde Ziggurat van Ur bezocht.

The juxtaposition between modern Iraq and the ruins of the ancient civilisations which stretch back to the dawn of civilisation is extreme. Iraq an endlessly fascinating nation blessed with ancient wonders and enriched with modern resources but scarred too often by conflicts. My diaries and tape recordings helped me experience again the day by day details of our thousand mile journey from Turkey through Iraq. A series of essays inspired by books that I own, talking about their history, some reviews and also how they came to be on my shelves.Waar de gelegenheid zich aandient gaat Michael Palin op zoek naar geschiedenis, maar hij heeft tegelijkertijd veel aandacht voor het roerige nabije verleden en de toestand vandaag. 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. Michael Palin is brilliant and I’m so grateful to him for giving me the chance to imagine myself on this recent journey in Iraq. Always a joy to join Palin on another travel, even when it's one that is shorter than previous epics (he is almost 80 now), and one that has a more sombre tone thanks to the war riven background to Iraq.