Countries Visited: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Mongolia, China

Riding the Iron Rooster is a travelogue written by American author Paul Theroux. The book was published in 1988 and recounts Theroux’s yearlong tour of China during an important period in the country’s history. Unlike most of Theroux’s work, the book primarily focuses on one country as opposed to multiple countries across several continents.

Consistent with Theroux’s train-only travel style, this journey also begins by train from London as he joins a group of tourists on guided tour. The journey takes Theroux and the group through Paris, Berlin, Moscow and Mongolia before reaching China giving the author plenty of time to get to know his fellow travellers. The author’s encounters are told in great detail, humorous as always and written in his signature novel like fashion.

Most of the time spent in China, Theroux is accompanied by a state sponsored chaperone. China at the time of Theroux’s visit had only just opened up again to foreigners and was in the midst of significant political change. As always, the author isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions, questioning anything and everything and seeking out the opinions of the variety of different people he meets along the way.

Riding the Iron Rooster is definitely not a travel guide. Theroux makes a point of seeking out the road less travelled visiting some of the more out of the way locations across the vast expanses of China. Main cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are covered, as are some of the country’s more historic locations, but the writer seems to relish the moment’s when he finds himself amongst the obscure. All of these observations are presented in Theroux’s signature tell-it-how-it-is writing style providing readers with vivid and insightful accounts.

As is the case with all of the Theroux’s travel books, Riding the Roster is easy to read, entertaining and informative. All of the author’s signature writing techniques are present here and applied masterfully to his account of his time in China during a significant time in its history. The book serves to provide readers with a snapshot in time of a country that would change drastically in years following the book’s publication.