The Hall of a Thousand Columns - Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Marvellous sequel to Travels with a Tangerine, with Tim and artist side kick Martin Yeoman, following in Ibn Battutah's footsteps through the Sultanates and Kingdoms of 14th century India.

Spendid travellers' tales told with many a lovely turn of phrase, and plenty of context - present day, historical and geographical.

I can't believe I have let The Hall of a Thousand Columns sit unread on my bookshelf since receiving it as my leaving present from Norton Rose, way back in 2005!

...and googling for Martin Yeoman has revealed:

"The third and final part of Tim Mackintosh-Smith's trilogy on the 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battutah will be published by John Murray in July 2010. Landfalls: On the Edge of Islam with Ibn Battutah follows the Arab wanderer's eccentric route from the Maldives to Andalusia via China and Timbuktu.

As with Tim's previous books, Martin's drawings will accompany the text, and the jacket will feature one of his paintings. Martin himself will make a guest appearance in the Chinese and Spanish chapters."

I can't wait!

Amazon.co.uk link: The Hall of a Thousand Columns - Tim Mackintosh-Smith