Thus, after noting the Estonian language's "primitive cast, " Mr. Theroux turns his attention to Lord Monboddo, an 18th-century sage who believed that apes were essentially humans without the power of speech, enjoyably esoteric information that tells us little about Estonia but a lot about Mr. Theroux's magpie mind.

WSJ: Book Review: Estonia

Paul Theroux may be America's most critically acclaimed travel writer, having published more than a dozen travel books since his genre-defining 1975 book The Great Railway Bazaar.

BBC: In brief: Ash cloud threatens UK flights

This morning, there's a live Web chat with the Theroux at 8am ET via The Telegraph.

BBC: In brief: Ash cloud threatens UK flights