What they say about the books:

Shanghai. . . Chou en-lai's car:  Who knew he was a Buick man?

Matthew Stevenson

Writer and Author

"Matthew Stevenson is a fine essayist and his writing is a joy to read." --  Lewis H. Lapham, Harper’s

"Matthew Stevenson is a world explorer of the highest order. An expert in history, politics and literature, he makes for a judicious and perceptive guide." --  Maine Times

"Matthew Stevenson is humane, percipient, witty and well-informed about a bewildering number of subjects. He also writes like a dream." -- Simon Hoggart, Guardian

"Concise, insightful portraits of many political hot spots." -- Publishers Weekly

"I would rather wander the world with Matthew Stevenson than with anyone else I know: the breadth of his interests, his knowledge of history and the sheer quality of his mind make him the ideal traveling companion. This collection of essays is a worthy substitute for the man himself: if you cannot go with him, take his Letters of Transit, and they will see you through." -- Simon Winchester

"Matthew Stevenson is an uncommonly fine essayist – fluent, stylish, enormously well informed and curious about the world we live in, and a very considerable all rounder. But what puts him head and shoulders above the other gifted writers today is his massive and transparent integrity. Read him and be thankful for his quizzical gaze, his marvelous balance, and his tremendous feeling for all humanity." -- Geoffrey Moorhouse

"A stunning book, the best travel writing I have seen in years." Robert Watson

"Matthew Stevenson is a writer with a splendidly oblique angle on life; whether he is writing about travel, family or himself, he is able to make me smile and often laugh out loud. His prose unfailingly gives me pleasure." -- Joseph Epstein

"Thoughtful, literate, and occasionally humorous. His knowledge of world events, often viewed from an economic perspective, is impressive." Library Journal