This travel classic recounts the 18-month journey from Yugoslavia to Pakistan, taken by two young Frenchmen just over a half-century ago. Travelling in an unreliable little Fiat, Bouvier and Thierry Vernet made their way across the Balkans, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, ending their journey at the Khyber Pass. The author's account avoids the clichš of travel writing, giving readers an insightful and fascinating look into a part of the world where Western travelers were not yet common. The text is enlivened by Vernet's pen-and-ink drawings. Annotation 2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)