Watch Out For Pirates by Jules Brown

This new book from Jules Brown is a great third in his series of anecdotal travel memoirs. Following the same pattern as his first two books, (Don’t Eat the Puffin, and Never Pack an Ice Axe), Watch Out for Pirates is a diverse collection of stories spanning the decades of his life as a travel writer. I love Jules’s writing, so was already predisposed to enjoy it, and this collection didn’t let me down at all. 

From the funny descriptions of his first encounters with Bangkok, to a touching tour through Scotland with his beloved, the stories sweep across the world and the decades. They even include a humorous account of his father’s and grandfather’s take on travel, which I loved. Jules writes with beautiful flexibility and is a true wordsmith whose style seems as effortless as it is fluid. He is both witty and serious; honest and real. He also manages to be sensitive, self-deprecating and sympathetic, all of which makes the reader feel personally involved with his experiences. I laughed, I gasped, and felt several tugs at my heart-strings. Lovely!

The last few chapters of the book offer some great trips to tourists and travellers. Overall, Watch Out for Pirates is a gem, and not to be missed. I received the book as an ARC copy and give it an unstinting 5 stars.

The link to the book is here on Amazon US, but it is available on all Amazon marketplaces