Mark Abley Libri

Half the world's languages are threatened with extinction over the next century, as English and the rest of the world's top twenty languages drive all before them.

Mark Abley embarks on a global journey to document endangered languages, highlighting the urgency of preserving linguistic diversity as only a fraction may survive into the next century. He visits remote locations from the Arctic to Australia, creating vivid portraits of the last speakers of these languages. The narrative emphasizes the parallels between the threats to biological species and those facing human languages, underscoring the cultural loss that accompanies this decline. This travelogue combines adventure with a poignant reflection on language and identity.

In 1978, a young poet and journalist embarked on a transformative journey along the Hippie Trail, capturing the vibrant culture and unrest of the region. His three-month trek from Turkey to Nepal reveals a world on the brink of change, with vivid experiences such as dancing in Turkish discos and navigating the complexities of Afghan life. Drawing from his youthful journals, he juxtaposes the immediacy of his adventures with the insights of his later reflections, offering a rich historical perspective on a time when many places became inaccessible to travelers.

Mark Abley takes the reader on a world-wide trip like no other - from Singapore to Japan, Oxford to Los Angeles, through the web and even back in time. As much a travel book as a linguistic study, this book goes beyond grammar and vocabulary;