John Keay is an English journalist and author renowned for his meticulously researched and engagingly written popular histories, particularly focusing on India, the Far East, and Scotland. With approximately 20 published works to his name, his books have earned acclaim for their blend of rigorous scholarship, narrative flair, and irreverent wit. Many of his titles, including his debut work, have remained in print for decades, with several regarded as classics in their field.
Specializing in themes of colonization, exploration, and historical narratives, Keay's writing career spans over five decades, beginning in 1973. Beyond his written work, he contributed to BBC Radio as a documentary writer and presenter, producing over 100 programs between 1975 and 1995. His expertise has also led him to lecture for tour groups and engage in related public speaking. Based in the UK, Keay continues to travel extensively, further enriching his historical perspectives.
The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
North America
2012
2
Central and South Asia
2012
3
Arabia
2012
4
Australia
2012
5
Arctic
2012
6
Antarctic
2012
7
West Africa
2012
8
Siberia and Alaska
2012
9
East and Central Africa
2012
10
South America
2012
Non-Fiction Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Into India
1975
2
When Men and Mountains Meet
1977
3
The Gilgit Game
1979
4
Sowing the Wind
1980
5
India Discovered
1981
6
The Honourable Company
1991
7
Ladakh: Land of the Passes
1993
8
Empire's End
1997
9
The Great Arc
2000
10
Mad About The Mekong
2005
11
China: A History
2008
12
India: A History
2011
13
Midnight's Descendants
2012
14
The Tartan Turban
2017
15
Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World
2022
California Studies in Food and Culture Books
#
Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Breadlines Knee-Deep in Wheat (By: Janet Poppendieck)
1986
2
Cuisine and Empire (By: Rachel Laudan)
1996
3
Eating Right in the Renaissance (By: Ken Albala)
2002
4
Food Politics (By: Marion Nestle)
2002
5
Zinfandel (By: Charles L. Sullivan)
2003
6
Safe Food (By: Marion Nestle)
2003
7
Born Again Bodies (By: R. Marie Griffith)
2004
8
Our Overweight Children (By: Sharron Dalton)
2004
9
Tsukiji (By: Theodore C. Bestor)
2004
10
The Spice Route: A History
2005
11
The Queen of Fats (By: Susan Allport)
2006
12
Meals to Come (By: Warren Belasco)
2006
13
The Taste of Place (By: Amy Trubek)
2008
14
Encyclopedia of Pasta (By: Oretta Zanini De Vita)
2009
15
Free for All (By: Janet Poppendieck)
2009
16
The Philosophy of Food (By: David M. Kaplan)
2010
17
Eating Mud Crabs in Kandahar (By: Matt Mcallester)
2011
18
Weighing In (By: Julie Guthman)
2011
19
Curried Cultures (By: Krishnendu Ray)
2012
20
American Tuna (By: Andrew F. Smith)
2012
21
The Life of Cheese (By: Heather Paxson)
2012
22
Why Calories Count (By: Marion Nestle, Malden Nesheim)
2012
23
Coffee Life in Japan (By: Merry White)
2012
24
Beyond Hummus and Falafel (By: Liora Gvion)
2012
25
Popes, Peasants, and Shepherds (By: Oretta Zanini De Vita)
2013
26
Inside the California Food Revolution (By: Joyce Goldstein, Dore Brown)
2013
27
The Darjeeling Distinction (By: Sarah Besky)
2013
28
Balancing on a Planet (By: David A. Cleveland)
2013
29
The Untold History of Ramen (By: George Solt)
2014
30
Word of Mouth (By: Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson)
2014
31
Secrets from the Greek Kitchen (By: David E. Sutton)
2014
32
Inventing Baby Food (By: Amy Bentley)
2014
33
Tasting French Terroir (By: Thomas Parker)
2015
34
Becoming Salmon (By: Marianne Elisabeth Lien)
2015
35
Divided Spirits (By: Sarah Bowen)
2015
36
The Weight of Obesity (By: Emily Yates-Doerr)
2015
37
Dangerous Digestion (By: E. Melanie DuPuis)
2015
38
A Taste of Power (By: Katharina Vester)
2015
39
More Than Just Food (By: Garrett M. Broad)
2016
40
Hoptopia (By: Peter Adam Kopp)
2016
41
A Geography of Digestion (By: Nicholas Bauch)
2016
42
Bitter and Sweet (By: Ellen Oxfeld)
2017
43
Reinventing the Wheel (By: Bronwen Percival, Francis Percival)
2017
44
A History of Cookbooks (By: Henry Notaker)
2017
45
Making Modern Meals (By: Amy B. Trubek)
2017
46
Food and Power (By: Nir Avieli)
2017
47
Canned (By: Anna Zeide)
2018
48
Meat Planet (By: Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft)
2019
49
The Labor of Lunch (By: Jennifer E. Gaddis)
2019
50
Feeding the Crisis (By: Maggie Dickinson)
2019
51
Sameness in Diversity (By: Laresh Jayasanker)
2020
52
Let's Ask Marion (By: Marion Nestle)
2020
53
The Scarcity Slot (By: Amanda L. Logan)
2020
54
Gastropolitics and the Specter of Race (By: María Elena García)
2021
55
Slow Cooked (By: Marion Nestle)
2022
56
Yerba Mate (By: Julia J.S. Sarreal)
2023
57
Ways of Eating (By: Merry White, Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft)