Passenger to Teheran

By Vita Sackville-West

Book Overview

"Passenger to Teheran" is an evocative and lyrical travel memoir by the acclaimed writer V. Sackville-West. Recording her journey from England to Persia in the mid-1920s, the work offers a vivid account of a woman traveling through Egypt, Iraq, and ultimately into the heart of the Persian Empire. Sackville-West provides a keen-eyed exploration of the landscapes, cultures, and historical sites she encounters, from the bustling streets of Baghdad to the serene majesty of the Alborz Mountains.

Blending personal reflection with sharp observational detail, "Passenger to Teheran" captures a specific historical moment when the traditional East was beginning to meet the influences of the West. Sackville-West's prose is celebrated for its poetic quality and its ability to convey the sensory experiences of travel-the light, the dust, and the profound sense of place. This work remains a classic of travel literature, offering readers a window into the life of one of the 20th century's most fascinating literary figures as she navigates both the physical world and her own internal landscape. It is an essential read for those interested in the history of the Middle East, early 20th-century travel, and the development of a major literary voice.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025897110
• ISBN13: 9781025897110
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

In Love With Travel

For anyone who loves to travel to strange and distant lands - or wishes they could - this may be the quintessential travel book. Vita Sackville-West was a great friend of Virginia Woolf, and shared her gift for superb storytelling as well as her love of the language.From the opening page, where she describes and beckons to fellow travelers, through the wild ride across the Yemeni sands and the drive over the mountains of Persia, the reader is enthralled. She opens the door to travel in the 'teens, when a journey like this was truly arduous - and yet you are quite certain she always looked fabulous and was witty - at least after she'd had her tea.It is a great regret that this book is out of print, as it is such a treasure.

Travel in the Golden Age with V. Sackville-West

If you are fascinated by English travelers accounts of exotic journeys undertaken in the Golden age of Travel, then V. Sackville-West's record of her journey by rail and road from London to Iran in the 1920s will delight you. Her sensibility as a novelist and poet enrich this book of impressions and her strong personality shines through every comment on her adventures. Ms. West follows a meandering and leisurely land route to the Near East from England and, later, returns via Mother Russia, using all means available at the time: automobile, train, donkey, camel, and her own two feet. She braves bandits in the mountain passes of Iran; street beggars in Baghdad, English travelers who dismay and bore her at every turn. She conveys the pageantry of Iranian royalty during a Coronation; surveys the ancient landscape and ruins of Persian gardens on her tramps through the mountainsides of Tehran. She takes the reader on as a fellow passenger and you feel at once you are in the company of an exceptional, if eccentric, traveling companion. After reading this book, you would gladly follow her anywhere