The Grand Tour - by Agatha Christie (Paperback)

About the Book

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Now, in this fascinating travelogue of the prolific author's yearlong trip around the British Empire in 1922, Christie provides the clues to the origins of the plots and locales of some of her bestselling mystery novels.

Book Synopsis

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. In this fascinating travelogue of the prolific author's yearlong trip around the British Empire in 1922, Christie provides the clues to the origins of the plots and locales of some of her bestselling mystery novels. Containing never-before-published letters and photos from her travels, and filled with intriguing details about the exotic locations she visited, The Grand Tour is a must-have for Agatha Christie fans, revealing an unexpected side to the world's most renowned mystery writer.

In 1922 Agatha Christie set sail on a ten-month voyage around the world. Her husband, Archibald Christie, had been invited to join a trade mission to promote the British Empire Exhibition, and Christie was determined to go with him. It was a life-changing decision for the young novelist, a true voyage of discovery that would inspire her future writing for years to come.

Placing her two-year-old daughter in the care of her sister, Christie set sail at the end of January and did not return home until December. Throughout her journey, she kept up a detailed weekly correspondence with her mother, describing the exotic places and the remarkable people she encountered as the mission traveled through South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada. Reproduced here for the first time, the letters are full of tales of seasickness and sunburn, motor trips and surfboarding, glamor and misery. The Grand Tour also brings to life the places and people Christie encountered through the photos she took on her portable camera, as well as some of the original postcards, newspaper cuttings, and memorabilia she collected on her trip.

Edited and introduced by Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, and accompanied by reminiscences from her own autobiography, this unique travelogue reveals a new adventurous side to Agatha Christie, one that would ultimately influence the stories that made her a household name.

From the Back Cover

In 1922 Agatha Christie set sail on a ten-month voyage around the world. Her husband, Archibald Christie, had been invited to join a trade mission to promote the British Empire Exhibition, and Christie was determined to go with him. It was a life-changing decision for the young novelist, a true voyage of discovery that would inspire her future writing for years to come.

Placing her two-year-old daughter in the care of her sister, Christie set sail at the end of January and did not return home until December. Throughout her journey, she kept up a detailed weekly correspondence with her mother, describing the exotic places and the remarkable people she encountered as the mission traveled through South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Canada. Reproduced here for the first time, the letters are full of tales of seasickness and sunburn, motor trips and surfboarding, glamor and misery. The Grand Tour also brings to life the places and people Christie encountered through the photos she took on her portable camera, as well as some of the original postcards, newspaper cuttings, and memorabilia she collected on her trip.

Edited and introduced by Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, and accompanied by reminiscences from her own autobiography, this unique travelogue reveals a new adventurous side to Agatha Christie, one that would ultimately influence the stories that made her a household name.

Review Quotes

"Agatha Christie is no longer merely one of my favorite writers. She is now one of my favorite people." - Chicago Tribune
"A delightful autobiography....Warm, witty and discerning." - Los Angeles Times
"Joyful adventure....She brings the sense of wonder...to her extraordinary career." - New York Times Book Review
These letters are not humdrum. Rather, they demonstrate a disarming simplicity and honesty about Christie's fellow travelers. - San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review
"Packed with "places and incidents that enchanted" her, this travelogue is a lively collection of letters, postcards, photographs and clippings gathered by a young woman free of coming storms." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"A delightful addition to the author's oeuvre. . .. A magical tour back to a time before telephone and instant forms of communication. Narrated by a woman who went on to become the most widely published author of all time, this volume should delight both Christie fans and history buffs." - Kirkus Reviews
"[A] marvelous compendium...not only illuminating but genuinely entertaining... "The Grand Tour" is a revelation" - Washington Post
"A revealing glimpse" - The Examiner
"Fantasy travel thrives in the newly released The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie edited by Matthew Prichard, her grandson (Harper). . . .Through the photos and letters, The Grand Tour shows a side of Christie most of us readers are just learning about. After all, according to An Autobiography, Christie was one of Britain's first standup surfers. - Mystery Scene
"Here's a wonderful treat for mystery lovers: Agatha Christie's collected letters home from a year-long journey around the British Empire with her husband, Archie. Edited by the beloved author's grandson, it's a pure delight for fans, a sort of memoir-travelogue in the delightful voice of a favorite writer, and chock-full of photos, postcards and reproductions of the letters." - Charlotte Observer
"This scrapbook provides an intermittently fascinating look at the British Empire in its twilight, and Christie's characterizations of her companions often sparkle with humor." - New York Times Book Review
"Back in the days of written correspondence, letter writing was a craft. And now a collection of missives clearly written to amuse showcases the British Empire of 1922 as well as the lighthearted - and light-minded - approach of an author soon to be known for darker writing. . . . . the Christie in these pages is still very much the carefree, young wife, enjoying the attention of her husband - and others - and the excitement of the 10-month adventure. . . . the reader has been invited to pull up a deck chair and have a good gossip with a carefree young woman enjoying the "delicious sunshine" of a fading world." - Boston Globe
"This new hardcover volume, edited by Christie's only grandchild, Mathew Prichard, presents a visual and literary feast for fans of the legendary novelist. It contains never-before-published letters and photographs related to Christie's travels around the world - or, at least the British Empire - in 1922." - Buffalo News