Faster, They're Gaining

Rating:
Summary: He veers from the silly to the profound
Review: Peter Biddlecombe is part of that sub-genre that might be called 'silly travel writing.' This book, one of six in a series, consists of essays about 17 cities. In one paragraph he's silly, the next paragraph has a profound insight about economic development, and then he goes on to make mother-in-law jokes or talk about how ugly the local women are -- definitely not a style that will appeal to everyone. When the author retires, I hope he'll write a tell-all story of his career; I suspect there's more depth to Peter Biddlecombe than we see in his writing.

This volume has a distinct Middle Eastern theme, with chapters on Jerusalem, Gaza (a very serious and thoughtful essay), Riyadh (some hilarious anecdotes), Kuwait, Doha, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi, and a variety of cities from other regions of the world.

Rating:
Summary: I really enjoy Peter Biddlecombe's work, but...
Review: Peter Biddlecome's style is rare among travel writers. As a "business traveler" his perspective is unique and his insights are very entertaining. The more he writes, however, the less I enjoy his writing. He complains more and more and his work takes on a whiney tone; he makes me wonder if he still enjoys travel. His escapades are still entertaining, but not worthy of his earlier books.