No comments about Lonely Planet Borneo (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Regional Guide).

3 comments about Vietnam and Angkor Wat (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. What happened to the rest of Cambodia? Last time I saw Angkor Wat it was still in Cambodia. What gives? Does Cambodia not rate reviewing? Gezzzz



2. Like all the Eyewitness Guides I've used, this is chock full of pictures and lively information. I'm sure it will be hugely useful on my trip.



3. If you want pretty pictures of a few sites in each city, buy this guidebook.
   
   If you want the in-depth logistical information you need while traveling - doctors in Saigon, how good/bad the train really is, more than a handful of hotels/restaurants in each town, names of interesting shops - buy something else.
   
   I bought this ONLY because Lonely Planet got horrible reviews and Footprint, which are my guidebooks of choice, had not been updated in a couple of years. I will never buy it again.

1 comments about The Rough Guide to Thailand's Beaches & Islands 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. Great and giving advice and suggestions for areas that are less visited by tourists!!! Perfect for an independent traveler like me.

2 comments about The Great Wall: From Beginning to End.

1. This book is as complete as anyone could want. It combines excellent photography and known history of the construction with commentary on the current area and the people of the regions it traverses. Highly recommended.



2. This book is in fact a logical and photographical study of the Great Chinese Wall (restored parts as well as all other parts). The restored parts nearby Bejing will probably be known by many tourists, but this book opens the way to all the other and lesser known parts of this world heritage monument. After reading this book I intend to pay a visity to some of these lesser known parts together with a visit to the Longmen caves.
   This book is certainly to be recommended .

2 comments about Delhi, Agra and Jaipur (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. This might be a great book if you are in the process of considering a trip to India. It is a good overview. However, if you know exactly where you will be traveling, pick up a more detailed guide for that area. I did like all the color pictures.



2. It's tough to pick the "best" guidebook for a particular destination, and the proliferation of free travel information on the web makes choosing "the one" even tougher. My wife and I always start with a copy of an EyeWitness guide for the destination: there are pictures on every page, and we find the images help us plan our trip: the guides are particularly good for architecture and art. The practical guides in the back cover currency, hotels and restaurants.
   
   This guide to Dehli, Agra and Jaipur is a particularly good example of the DK offerings: the images, paper, text, all are up to the high standards of other books in the series.
   
   Having written that, there is really only one page that matters in deciding whether to buy: the newer the better. This book appeared first in 2000 and my wife and I used that edition two years ago on our trip to North West India. It was substantially revised in 2007 so be sure you check the copyright page before buying. If you like the Eyewitness series and have any interest in the destinations, armchair or on the ground, your decision is made.
   
   Note: DK maintains an excellent website with updates on many of its guidebooks.

5 comments about The Rough Guide to Taiwan 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. The Rough Guide (RG) is divided into four main sections. The full color pages at the front of the book give a basic introduction to Taiwan followed by "30 things not to miss". The next section, "Basics", gives general information about transport, accommodation, food, festivals and outdoor activities. Next comes the main section of the guide which covers all the places in Taiwan. The final section is about history, religion, aboriginal tribes, arts and language.
   
   I like the layout and design of the book. It reads almost like a book, not just a guidebook, but it is still easy to locate specific information. I think this is typical of the style of Rough Guides which I have used in several other countries. The maps are easy to read and many of the places on the map are clearly labelled avoiding the need to constantly refer to the key.
   
   Information about accommodation is generally listed in the text for smaller places with more detailed listings for the larger cities. Rather than giving prices for each hotel or hostel Rough Guides uses numbers to indicate the price range. The authors seem to have chosen a good range of accommodation.
   
   All the places that one would expect to be covered in a guidebook are included. There are also a few smaller and less well-known places that are covered. Of course there are many places that are still not mentioned. However, I think overall the choices are well considered.
   
   One important thing that is key to the on-the-ground usability of any guidebook in Taiwan is its use of Chinese characters and romanisation. The RG includes tables through the text with place names in Chinese characters, Hanyu Pinyin with tone marks and the mix of English and romanisation that is commonly used on signs in Taiwan. I think this works well as it leaves the main text uncluttered and easy to read while all the key information is grouped together in one place for easy reference.
   
   The RG has several features that make it stand out. These include the detailed list of festivals with dates and information about all of Taiwan's major aboriginal tribes. The section on religion in Taiwan is well written noting its syncretic nature and idiosyncrasies. It includes descriptions of all the major dieties one might encounter in Taiwan. Some pictures would have been nice here though.
   
   The detailed coverage of how to climb Yushan and Xueshan is excellent. Everything you need to know from accessing the National Parks to obtaining permits and descriptions of the climbs is included.
   
   Overall I highly recommend the Rough Guide as a great practical guide for anyone visiting Taiwan.
   
   (originally posted at David on Formosa)



2. The Rough Guide series has a new look, and improvements to their style. Rough Guide Taiwan 2007 is one of the new series. At the moment, this is the best guide available in English for Taiwan, and it is very good indeed. It does a fine job of presenting both major and lesser-known attractions, and is clearly superior to the nearest competitor, Lonely Plant Taiwan 2004 (more on this below).
   
   Still, there is room for improvement; see CONS.
   
   Taiwan is a fascinating but underrated set of islands, with friendly and helpful people, many of whom speak at least a little English or Japanese. The Chinese culture here is fascinating, but I had no idea before I came here the first time that there were people other than those descended from the Chinese. The indigineous Austranesian peoples add ethnic cultures, arts, and cuisines to get to know.
   
   The diversity of natural beauty on this island is staggering - mountains, rugged coastline, waterfalls, and unique wonders like Toroko Gorge. You can see it all easily because of the new high-speed bullet trains that can take you from Taipei to the south in just over 2 hours. (Buses from the train to inland areas are not as fast, of course.)
   
   Even if you have to stay in Taipei, there are many day trips to enjoy; Wulai is easy and worthwhile, and you could even take a train to see a little of the south, yet return the same day.
   
   PROS
   
   Excellent coverage of Taipei and (separately) each of the major regions, including one for the islands. An excellent overview in the first 24 pages, with color photos to give you a very quick introduction to the highlights, which will help you decide whether you want to visit Taiwan. Sections for Basics, and for Contexts (history, indigineous people, religion, culture) make it complete.
   
   CONS
   
   No maps section for quick reference, like Lonely Planet's, means you will have to search for the maps mixed in the text, and they are not as detailed as I would like, and use two colors. You will need to get a local map while you're here... but maybe your hotel can provide one free.
   
   RG misses some key details here and there. Example: to go to Wulai, it says to take MRT to the Xindian station, then take the Wulai bus. It fails to mention that while most buses show both Chinese and English, the Wulai bus does not have the English characters for Wulai on it, only the Chinese ones. It does have two Taipei destinations in English, making me think it was not the Wulai bus, and the bus does not have a number (maybe it is a diffent company). To take this bus, you need to spot two Chinese characters. Your hotel concierge, or the Info center at the Xindian station, could write them for you, unless you happen to notice that the name for Wulai is given in a sidebar on a diffent page. I did notice... the day AFTER I spent almost an hour waiting for the bus, only to learn that it had gone by a few times already.
   
   The Language section seems to be Chinese (Mandarin). It discusses the basic differences between Chinese and Taiwanese (a completely different dialect), but it doesn't actually say which is presented here. It would be nice if they had at least some basic greetings in Taiwanese and a few of the most common indigineous languages, as greeting people in their preferred language always brings good will.
   
   CONTENTS/ORGANIZATION
   
   Color Section (where/when to go, highlights), 24 pages
   Basics, 52 pages
   Taipei and vicinity, 80 pages
   North Taiwan, 68 pages
   Central Taiwan, 82 pages
   South Taiwan, 70 pages
   East Coast, 60 pages
   Taiwan Strait Islands, 62 pages
   Contexts (history, indigineous people, religion, culture), 41 pages
   Language, 15 pages
   Plus: two 4-page color sections on festivals and national parks.
   
   OTHER COMMENTS
   
   A warning: while many Taiwanese speak at least some English, and many younger or more-educated people can speak it reasonably well, you will at times need to look at the Chinese characters to find things (like the bus I mentioned in Cons). Unfortunately there are three different English spelling schemes used for Chinese words, so you will need fuzzy thinking using sounds in your head to work it out. Example: Xindian (the MRT spelling) is spelled Sindian on the buses. A road like Zhongshan might be spelled Jhongshian or Song Shan, but Songjiang is a different road in the same area. BTW, I have found that many Taiwanese can also speak some Japanese.
   
   LONELY PLANET vs ROUGH GUIDE for Taiwan
   
   I have always preferred Lonely Planet (LP) guides, and have many more LPs than Rough Guides. I found LP first and got used to the LP organization, which is reasonably consistent among their books. The LP city guides have a handy map section in the back, great for quick reference on the go.
   
   But the LP Taiwan books, at least 2004 and before, are among the worst of the LP series. They are hopelessly incomplete for the fascinating country outside of Taipei. Compare, for example, the 592 pages for Rough Guide Taiwan 2007 vs 384 pages for LP Taiwan 2004.
   
   Then there is accuracy and completeness of information in LP Taiwan. Perhaps the finest and most expensive Oolong tea in the world comes from the high mountains of Taiwan, and all kinds of tea are an essential part of Chinese culture, both in Taiwan and in PRC. Rough Guide discusses the culture, tea houses, and the two major growing regions for those who want to visit, and I consider the amount of coverage appropriate. LP has merely a sidebar written by someone who clearly knows nothing about tea culture stating, for example, that "the more bitter, the better." The truth is, for many Chinese people, a great deal of effort (indeed, the entire Chinese tea ceremony) is placed on brewing tea properly to avoid bitterness.
   
   LP is said to be revising their Taiwan 2004 guide for publication in 2007. It will be interesting to see if they rise to the occasion and produce a book on par with the vastly superior Rough Guide 2007.
   
   Update: LP Taiwan 2007, to be published in Nov 2007, now appears on Amazon for preorder. Since the page count has been grown only from 384 to 400 pages, it appears that the new edition is a minor update rather than the reworking that guide sorely needs to be up to the LP standard.
   
   Update: According to a comment left on this review, LP Taiwan 2007 IS a rewrite after all. When viewing reviews on LP Taiwan, disregard all of the ones with dates before November 2007, as they apply to the earlier edition.
   
   If you're faced with the decision between this guide and the LP Taiwan 2004 edition, I strongly recommend the Rough Guide.



3. When Rough Guides are good, they are arguably the best guide books on the market. The Rough Guide to Beijing is the finest travel book I have ever owned, and I have owned quite a few. The problem is: they're not always that good. However, with this sleek looking 2007 Taiwan edition, the people at Rough Guides are clearly out to make a statement: "Hey, competition! Look out!" This is a quality effort. Weighing in at a hefty 580 pages, the buyer also gets much more bang for his buck, important given the price tag on all travel guides these days. Yes, you may have to pick up additional maps on your travels (a breeze in Taiwan), but you won't have any excuse for not becoming informed. This volume makes for a great deal of jaunty, intelligent reading. And it has fantastic pictures.
   
   Taiwan is a fascinating place, and yet for various reasons (chief among them the fact that the government has no idea how to promote itself) it remains obscure and off the proverbial beaten track. What a shame, as there really is a lot to see and do. Places like Toroko Gorge, Jade Mountain, Taiwan's east coast, and the country's engaging collection of attractive islands in both the Taiwan Strait (Kinmen is a mere two kilometers off the coast of China's Fujian Province, for example) as well as the Pacific Ocean are all must-sees for anyone looking for something different in Asian travel. Living in Taipei, like I do, it is easy to forget that although half of the country is urbanized and - it must be said - quite ugly, the other half ranges from agreeable to stunning. A two to three week jaunt around Taiwan, with this Rough Guide in your hand, would make for a unique, once in a lifetime experience. Unless, of course, you were to do it twice.
   
   Troy Parfitt, author



4. The Book is a font of information that is preparing me to go to Taiwan in mid Januaary.
   It is both concise and in depth. I recommend it higly for those persons like myself who want to prepare to live in a new culture.



5. This book has all of the sights and activities that you would want to have but, the layout is poor. I found it difficult to use the book as a reference. It was time consuming to sift through the book to find where that particular sight was, most were not included in the index. I made it more useful by using bookmarks that I could turn to quickly to locate the sights.
   
   Also, they included shopping as a seperate item so, if you are visiting a sight, you had to sift, again, through the book to the shopping category to see what shops surround that temple you are visiting. And vica verca, This can be tedious

5 comments about Philippines (Country Guide).

1. Many errors and omissions in ferry and flight schedules. We also noted the map in one of the major tourist destinations (Coron) did not even show the pier location correctly. All in all, a useful guide. But you may want to check out the guide written by the first LP Philippines author, Jens Peters, Philippines Travel Guide, which we have heard may be better. It's also available on Amazon.



2. Lonely Planet is a known quantity but I am impressed with the information on so many of the 1107 islands of The Philippines. Truly a good guide.



3. I have owned several editions of the Lonely Planet Guide for the Philippines since 1997. The earlier editions I owned were written by Jens Peters. I believe that those earlier editions were even superior to the 2006 edition written by the current authors. I used those past guides for traveling in Boracay and Baguio--I found them to be excellent even if they were written years after I visited the place.
   
   I had the chance to browse Jens Peters Philippines Travel Guide written in 2005 and I found it much better. However, I could only find a browser's copy of the book which was pretty beaten up.
   
   I purchased this LP Guide because I wanted to visit Puerto Galera. However, its Puerto Galera section is terribly inaccurate because the phone numbers for the resorts have changed a lot. Out of 4 numbers I called, only 1 was correct. Now how's that for a travel guide supposed to be published only 1 year ago?
   
   This current guide does not compare with the depth that the Jens Peters guide explores the country. It has lost some of the distinguishing features that LP guides have. Typical LP guides have segmentation of Places to Stay from the low end to the high end. It's missing in this guide. I find it very much of a let down because this book costs a lot in the Philippines (PhP1,299=US$28.26)



4. I have read lots of criticism of the Lonely Planet Philippines guidebook but I feel much of it should be disregarded by the first-time visitor to the Philippines. When one is planning a trip to the Philippines, especially if the traveler has not been there before, what one needs is qualitative advice, help in figuring out where it's worth going and where not to bother with. In this, Lonely Planet is excellent, perhaps the best of all the guidebooks. It will give you good advice about which places are worth visiting and which are not of much interest. If you've never been to the Philippines, you need frank advice about these things. As you spend time in the Philippines (I live there full-time) you may make your own judgments, but I have found Lonely Planet's advice to be quite good.
   
   There is no question that Jens Peters' Philippines Travel Guide offers far, far more detail than does Lonely Planet; many more detailed maps, more complete listings of accommodations, transportation details and so forth. No other guidebook comes close.
   
   I live in Iloilo City. I believe Lonely Planet's well-written Iloilo City narrative conveys the spirit, paints a true picture of the place in a way that allows the trip planner to decide if he or she should even include a visit to Iloilo City. For the trip planner this is more important content than extensive details about bus terminals, ferry links and so forth. Once you're here you may wish for the detailed information that Jens Peters' book gives.
   
   That's why, in my opinion, there really is no single best Philippine guidebook. For the person on their first trip, Lonely Planet offers plenty of information and advice in a compact format. It is in need of an update.
   
   I'm an American and have read complaints of my fellow citizens that the Lonely Planet guide is "anti-American". I suspect it may seem so only to those who are not familiar with some of the sadder episodes in the history of American involvement in the Philippines; the brutal crushing of Philippine independence, imposition of decades of unfair trade rules, our unwavering support for the Marcos regime so we could keep our Philippine bases and so forth. It would be better if the Lonely Planet's jabs should inspire some reading and soul searching rather than flag-waving. Stanley Karnow's "In our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines" would be a good start.



5. I read this book cover to cover anticipating my trip so far it has given me a good geographical and planning ideas I can not say how it would turn out once Iam there.It appears though the authors are mostly europeans and canadians intent on giving their point of view rather than an american point of view.

5 comments about Laos (Country Guide).

1. I bought this edition for a bicycle trip across northern Laos, but was very disappointed with the very old and inaccurate information on Hua Phan Province in the northeast of the country. It's a remote region, and probably on few travelers' itineraries, but it was on mine. I felt let down that the authors didn't provide up-to-date coverage. Neither author even visited the province! That's not good enough.



2. When I first read the reviews at amazon, I thought I just ordered a worthless piece of paper. In fact that guide was as useful as I used lonely planet in other countries. It gave me maps of where I was, general knowledge of many regions of Laos and much more, exactly what a guide book is intended to do.
   
   I agree though that some of the information in the book is no longer right, but it is as always in a country opening up to tourism, constantly evolving. Anyway, if you live by the book, you will be deceived so use it as a reference when needed and try to go beyond the book (same for every lp).



3. This book made traveling through Laos a fantastic experience. Though prices in the book can't keep up with increases, most of the information was very timely and accurate. Very useful as a reference guide and helped make our trip go smoothly.



4. I agree 100% w/ Bryan below. (So, you could stop reading my review now) But when planning a trip to Laos, one needs to do allot of research on one's own. You can't leave it up to a guidebook. But why would you really want to anyway? Of all the guidebooks on the market, I'd still pick this one as my top choice. It's respectful of Laos, imparts a firm sense of culture, history and identity with the reader and then let's you figure some things out for yourself. Laos is a beautiful country... but you need to relax and keep in mind the motto" LAO PDR...please dont rush".... same thing with any guidebook, relax, enjoy the read and let the journey take you where you need to be.



5. What a difference a new edition makes. Lonely Planet's brand new guidebook, Laos 6th edition, released August 2007, is easily the best on the market. The traveller looking for comprehensive coverage in a guidebook need look no further. An extra 60 pages long, this title packs an impressive punch, with a good balance of exhaustive coverage of the key destinations along with sound information on the lesser known spots.
   
   Quite simply, Australian co-authors Andrew Burke and Justine Vaisutis have put together what is the best English-language offline resource for travel in Laos. From a tourism perspective, Laos is a rapidly developing nation, especially in the major tourist centres where new accommodation options multiply at a seemingly ever-increasing rate, yet they've done a fine job of boiling down a snapshot of the country into a guide that will be more than enough for the most demanding traveller.
   
   Matters get off to a good start -- a good, easy-to-read colour map (even if some of the roads look a tad sketchy), suggested itineraries and a completely rewritten history section by Professor Martin Stuart-Fox, author of A History of Laos (1997). This is followed by a pretty stock-standard introductory section -- the people, government and culture are all covered, though the government -- arguably the most repressive and certainly the most secretive in Southeast Asia after Burma -- gets off the hook pretty lightly.
   
   What does stand out in the introduction is the generous space given to Laos and its natural environment -- particularly its budding eco-tourism industry. As Burke says in an upcoming interview with Travelfish.org, "If there's anywhere in Asia where eco-tourism can be a success, then it's Laos". There's an outstanding summary of all the main trekking opportunities in the country's NPAs -- this alone makes the book worth buying (or at least a quick use of the library photocopier).
   
   At the other end of the book, the "Directory" section, covering everything from getting a flight to what you should have in a medical kit is informative and rather well organised. As with other Lonely Planet titles, I think it's a bit too lengthy and hand-holding in nature.
   
   Listings
   The guidebook's listings are comprehensive, not exhaustive -- if you expect every place on Don Dhet to be listed, prepare to be disappointed. Perhaps half the available options in Vang Vieng are listed, similarly so in Luang Prabang, but what are listed are the best, and these can be taken as representative of others in the offing. Burke and Vaisutis do a fine job of brushing away the slimy rambutans and spoiled sticky rice to leave you with a feast of the best options to choose from.
   
   The accommodation listings are generally easy to digest, with one exception -- Luang Prabang. There, the listings have been divided up geographically into "Near the Mekong", "Historic Temple District", "Thanon Pha Mahapatsaman", "Ban Wat That" and "Elsewhere". This is confusing in a number of ways -- "Near the Mekong" and "Historic Temple District" could easily be taken to be the same area -- neither is marked on any of the maps of Luang Prabang -- nor is "Ban Wat That". "Thanon Pha Mahapatsaman" is a short strip of around 200m of road that carries just three accommodation listings, and "Elsewhere" is just vague and meaningless. All this for just 37 listings -- Luang Prabang isn't that big a place!
   
   Where this guide does come into its own is regarding things to do -- and this is particularly the case with the Southern Laos section. While it tends to be motorcycle-focused, there are lots of good tips and suggested day-trips to week-long adventures you can undertake. Less of this type of material is suggested in the north, where the focus is more orientated towards trekking and the tried and tested destinations, but you'll find ample material within the book to point in the right direction.
   
   Transport
   One of the big issues people face in Laos is the time it takes to get from A to B. Over time the road network has improved considerably but it still takes a while to get around, so it's refreshing to see that most of the bus and songthaew travel information includes an estimated trip time.
   
   Border information is outstanding. Every main international border has a boxed section containing detailed information on how to get to and from the various border crossings and what's particularly good is there's information on onwards travel as well.
   
   Text and design
   As always, the densely-packed text has been put through the Lonely Planet humour wringer, so don't expect too many Laugh Out Loud moments, but the facts are all there and that's what really matters. As with all the new Lonely Planet titles, there's more fact boxes scattered throughout the book than I'd like, but at least in this case they're mostly interesting or of some practical use.
   
   Maps
   With 61 maps you'll struggle to find yourself needing many more. Some -- the Wat Phu locale (p 267), Wat Xieng Thong (p 142) and Around Vang Vieng (p 124) -- seemed superfluous, but all the key spots are mapped out well.
   
   I had two issues with the regional maps: they're difficult to read, and make frequent use of the "unsealed road" indicator. Some of these roads are really little more than foot-trails. Perhaps they need an extra map indicator for goat-tracks.
   
   Photos
   The guide contains a pretty good collection of pics. There's one of kids fooling around in the Nam Song at Vang Vieng (p 11) which really caught my eye, but it's a shame that given the weight the NPAs get in the text, there's only one photo taken in one -- and that of an easily visited waterfall. Having photos taken of the more remote (and beautiful) parks would have been a great means to showcase some of Laos' more challenging destinations. People aren't going to go if they don't know about it!
   
   Conclusion
   My gripes are minor and mainly focussed on the layout and in some cases organisation of the title. These are factors that will be minor inconveniences once you're on the road. Lonely Planet's Laos 6 really delivers the goods -- it isn't exhaustive (that's why it's called a guide), but it's succinct, accurate and very easy to use. Be you a first time visitor to Laos or a repeat visitor looking to get off the beaten track, you'll do well with this title in your backpack.
   
   The friendly people at Lonely Planet sent me a complimentary copy of Laos 6, so even though I didn't pay any money for it, we'd suggest you do -- it's worth every kip.

1 comments about Culture Shock! Philippines: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Philippines).

1. I found this book to be extremely informative. It is centered on western ex-pats living in the Philippines, but it is highly useful for anyone traveling there. It is nicely written and also includes some Tagalog phrases/translations that are not well known among non-Filipino. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a general overview of Filipino culture, society, and history.
   
   This book is an excellent reference if you are going to visit the Philippines and a MUST read if you are going to live there.

5 comments about The Soccer War.

1. The Soccer Wars is a timeless diary( timeless in the sense that it lacks chronology, not timeless in the sense of transcendance) that bounces from Eastern Europe to West Africa, the Great Lakes region, Central America and through the west back to Poland. Kapuschinski is usually a more thourough analyst and offers insights along the journey.He suggests many times that this is the book "he never got 'round to writing". Unfortunately, the lack of flow, ideas and critical thought makes it a book he shouldn't have written.



2. As somebody who once lived in Honduras before the infamous soccer war of 1969, I long had Kapuscinski's book on my "must read" list. Though I bought it five years ago, I didn't get around to reading it till just now. I'm glad I did. THE SOCCER WAR is another sterling volume from this master of description.
   
   THE SOCCER WAR isn't a book about the absurd war between El Salvador and Honduras, triggered by World Cup qualification matches, but really caused by El Salvador's overpopulation and the subsequent overflow of Salvadorenos into much-emptier Honduras. The war may also be ascribed to the fact that neither country has been able to tame its landowning classes, who continue to this day to run rampant over the poor masses of people. In any case, this war, which happened decades ago, occupies only 30 pages of a 234 page book. The rest of the book contains vignettes from Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Burundi, Algeria, Tanganyika, Syria, Cyprus, and Ethiopia. I think another title would have given readers a better idea of what the book is about. Anyway, I would not say this book is about particular societies or countries, rather it is about the human condition. Kapuscinski, if you have read any of his other (excellent) work, specializes in inserting himself into extreme situations----war, rebellion, conflict, and abnormal behavior. Where the strictures of daily life have fallen down, we find him reporting, usually at considerable risk to his person. He is nearly burned to death in Nigeria, nearly executed in Burundi, nearly lynched in the Congo, nearly blown up in Honduras. In every case, he manages to portray some participants as humane and decent, or as simple people caught up in events beyond their control. He never writes off groups of people as `wild' or `barbarous', but manages to `read' them even as he faces almost certain death. The absurdity of all this violence, the violence that never ends on this planet, comes through loud and clear. Ryszard, you wrote your best, but nobody in charge listened. Readers of the book, however, will come away with a better understanding of human nature and its universal similarity on every continent, among every race and religion. From the stupidity, waste, and blood, we can learn. We just don't.



3. It's almost impossible to process the news with the same perspective after reading this book...what was true in the 60s still rings true today. I picked up this book while simultaneously reading articles in Esquire and The New Yorker about people (Bill Gates, Bill Clinton...) trying to make a difference in Africa. While I was made hopeful by the observations in today's mainstream press, I grew increasingly frustrated when confronted with the dark reality that Kapuscinski exposes.



4. Kapuscinski is the master of international journalism. Often he prefaces his accounts by saying something to the affect of, "Everyone told me that trying to get into the Congo was suicide. I had to do it." The result is a perspective that no one else is able to give, a sometimes brutal but eye-opening account of the effects of war.
   The best part of The Soccer War to me is Kapuscinski's ability not only to report on war, but to capture the humanity of the people involved. He is in this way an anthropologist as much a journalist. True, this book covers extensive topic matter: Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Algeria, Congo, Burundi, Cyprus, etc, but Kapuscinki's voice is powerful enough to unify these seemingly disparate stories.
   If you are curious about world history, if you want a humanistic and first-hand view of events that have shaped our world today, this is your book. There were times when I was literally on the edge of my seat wondering if Kapuscinski would make it out alive. Of course, we know he did because he pubished a book about these experiences.
   
   Visit my blog: http://www.writingup.com/blog/namingame



5. It is a striking book. Mr. Kapuscinski is a great writer and the narrative is simply wonderful.
   
   It is a great account of the cold war, as fought in Africa and Latin America.