Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands

by Tony Wheeler

Published 1 September 2010

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher*

A tourist on the Axis of Evil.

'You guys really are the axis of evil', our guide splutters over his stein of beer in the Pyongyang duck restaurant. 'You're always leaning out of the windows and taking photographs when I tell you not to.'

In an age of plastic knives on planes, Tony Wheeler can make the extraordinary claim of having visited all the rogue countries currently on newsreaders' lips. Bad Lands is a witty first-hand account of his travels through places often perceived as having some of the most repressive and dangerous regimes in the world: Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Taking into account each country's attitude to human rights, terrorism and foreign policy, he asks 'what makes a country truly evil?' and 'how bad is really bad?' - all the while engaging with a colourful cast of locals and hapless tour guides, ruminating on history and debunking popular myths.

Written by the founder of Lonely Planet, this fascinating account of life in these closed-off countries will appeal to anyone with an interest in the state of the world today.

With additional excursions to places that are slightly misguided, mildly malevole(more...)


Tony Wheeler's Dark Lands1

by Tony Wheeler

Published 1 September 2013

Tony Wheeler's Dark Lands

by Tony Wheeler

Published 1 August 2013

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Greedy Lords, dubious heroes, wicked relations and innocents in peril - today's world sounds like a grim fairytale!

Travelling along the infamous 'Axis of Evil' led to Tony Wheeler's Bad Lands - now he's going deeper into the world's darkest corners to explore a rogue's gallery of troubled nations.

Every country has its problems, but some problems seem so vexed, so intractable, so absurd, you can only shake your head. Tony Wheeler trains his well-travelled eyes on some of these places and attempts to understand how things got so messed up. Along the way he gets stoned (with the thrown variety) in Palestine, scores a speeding ticket in Zimbabwe, gets arrested for photographing a bar in the Congo, and visits Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad in Pakistan. Join Tony and find out if there's a happily-ever-after in these tales from the dark side.

Author: Tony Wheeler

About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel.

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Bad Lands

by Tony Wheeler

Published 20 April 2007
"Badlands" is Tony Wheeler's personal account of his experiences in some of the most repressed and dangerous regimes in the world. He selected these 'Bad Lands' based on a simple criteria - how each country treats its own citizens, if it is involved in terrorism and if it is a threat to other countries. He examines nine countries - Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Saudi Arabia - in an incisive political and social commentary that asks 'what makes a country truly evil?' 'How bad is really bad?' "Badlands" is a witty and personal travel account by the founder of Lonely Planet, a fascinating account of life in these closed off countries that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the state of the world today. A list of extra "Badlands" that didn't quite make the list Tony Wheeler's "Evil Meter[trademark]" - How does a country achieve Bad Land status? What makes a country truly evil? And what country heads the list?