Journey

James Rumford
Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354
Houghton Mifflin, 2001

  Marco Polo is more famous to American audiences but Ibn Battuta is the earlier and more traveled explorer. Born in Morroco, his initial motivation—piety—takes him on religious pilgrimage from north Africa through Egypt and down the Arabian peninsula to Mecca. From there, he continues onward to Persia, India, Southeast Asia, and China. Almost thirty years and 75,000 miles later (no frequent flyer awards in those days), he returns home.
  In choosing to cover the geographic distance and cultural variety of Ibn Battuta's travels, James Rumford must necessarily limit other aspects, such as character development and narrative complexity. What is left, though, is nevertheless inspiring. The book reads like excerpted from an illustrated travelogue, recording momentary impressions and immediate concerns. Around the text, Rumford provides rich and appropriately impressionistic images in watercolor. And, he illuminates the text with decorative borders of abstract designs, calligraphy, and whimsical figures. A meandering line of text gives direction and movement through the kaleidoscope of written and painted messages. I also like the "sepia" postcards Rumford adds to the endpapers. A glossary and map provide additional information at the book's end.