In the Footsteps of Du Fu

Michael Wood

From Shelf: Books that gave me wanderlust in 2023

A beautifully illustrated travelogue, chronicling the life and work of one of the world greatest poets.

'Superb... Beautifully written and thoroughly researched' - Guardian A beautifully illustrated travelogue, chronicling the life and work of one of the world greatest poets. Du Fu (712-70) is one of China's greatest poets. His career coincided with periods of famine, war and huge upheaval, yet his secular philosophical vision, combined with his empathy for the common folk of his nation, ensured that he soon became revered. Like Shakespeare or Dante, his poetry resonates in a timeless manner that ensures it is always relevant and offers something new to the modern generation.

Now, in this beautifully illustrated book, broadcaster and historian Michael Wood follows in his footsteps to try to understand the places that inspired Du Fu to write some of the most famous and best-loved poetry the world has known. The themes he wrote about - friendship, family, human suffering - are universal and in our troubled times are just as relevant as they were almost 1,300 years ago.