I just read his new book (“The Last Train To Zona Verde”). It is about his travels through Namibia and Angola.
The book is full of mistakes and wrong information-on page 323, he quotes a certain Kalunga-who talks about the 1994 siege of Cuito Carnevale-only the battle actually took place in 1988. He also mentions things that I know to be false (I am good friends with an ex-Angolan citizen), who disputes just about everything that Theroux reports.
I have read most of Theroux’s books…and he frequently reports falsities…do publishing house editors check most author’s manuscripts for such errors?
Well, when your parents name you “Man-Paul”, some stress is inevitable.
I’m not familiar with the particular piece you mention, but is Theroux quoting a book or someone he met on his travels?
Frankly, if he got the date of some particular battle totally incorrect, I don’t see that it matters that much. You don’t read Paul Theroux books to learn the finer points of history–you read them to experience one particular grouchy old man trying to get to grips with humanity. He’s a travel writer, and he’s always been open about that. In many ways, he writes about the experience of travel, more than the specific places.
I guess I expect a bit more from a writer..suppose I wrote a book about the USA-and claimed that America was discovered by an Irish monk, and the Civil War lasted 2 months..people would be a bit upset.
It hasn’t stopped Bill Bryson from being incredibly popular.
Well, one certainly hopes he was at least able to spell Cuito Cuanavale correctly.
I wouldn’t look to Theroux for fact-based travel writing, necessarily, but having read the Kingdom by the Sea about my country, he’s very good at getting the flavour of a place. I just don’t think he spoke to quite so many people on British trains.