Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey

This is a much better book than the previous review would indicate. It's an unusual approach to writing about much-written-about Oxford. It balances observant reporting, personal reflection, and dialogue with earlier writers from antiquity to the present. The books weaves thoughtful comments on a wide variety of historical, political, and economic issues into the travel narrative. The writer alternates tones skillfully, ranging from nostalgic to humorous to reportage, without losing a sense of a central voice. Recommended--I'm sending several copies to friends I lived with in Oxford years ago.