No comments about Time Out Amsterdam (Time Out Guides).

5 comments about Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail: Can a Punk Rock Legend Find What Monty Python Couldn't?.

1. "Holy Blood Holy Grail" - and this one.
   
   The first because - despite the fact that other books on the subject preceeded it - it's the one that really put the subject on the map. And Dawes' book because it's the only one I've read that really seems to pick up where the first one leaves off, with a very entertaining and comical, yet touchingly personal, spin. Is there anything to the mystery after all? Who knows? But with a book like this, the quest is just as beguiling a read as any blockbuster revelation could be.



2. What happens when a journolist and a punk rock legend go off to find the Holy Grail? Well read this to find out. An hilarious account of adventuring in the misty world that most people have only heard of due to The DaVinci Code. A good travel book and mystery book. Highly recommended.



3. If you've read/see the Da Vinci Code this is a must read book. The same basic idea, just a little more tongue in cheek.



4. This book is awesome! I've read it three times already...It just doesn't get old. I originally got it because I'm a fan of The Damned. Any fan of The Damned, the DaVinci Code, the esoteric, or anybody who just wants a laugh-out-loud read should buy this!
   
   Funny as hell, interesting, mysterious, spooky, and, oh yeah, funny as hell!! Great book!!



5. While most of the plot deals with the Rennes-le-Château mystery, deep inside this book is about friendship. It is also quite funny.

2 comments about Paris Discovered: Explorations in the City of Light.

1. I am not much of a writer so I will keep this review brief. All I can add is that anyone looking for a deeper insight into the City of Light should really consider this book. It is full of interesting stories and walks that will fascinate anyone with a sense of adventure and an interest in the diverse history of this wonderful city.



2. This book is clearly intended for the niche traveler of the Francophile variety. While most of it's "discoveries" are not truly arcane, they are not generally of the sort you would find in the standard Paris travel guide. For one, such as myself, however, who has been to Paris many times over the years, it did open up totally new vistas, relative to the history of that amazing city. An underground 12th century river-gate located in the basement of a modern day postoffice is hardly something that a first time casual visitor to Paris would bother to go see, but for the historian of the nitty-gritty, it is an adventure well worth knowing about.

5 comments about Above Paris.

1. This is a stellar exploration of Paris and its environs via aerial photographs. Armed with a map and this book, you can take a wonderful tour of Paris from a bird's-eye perspective, becoming familiar with the layout of the city, the location of the most famous spots in relation to other structures, and a feel for how the city is built around the various physical landmarks, including hills and the waterways. There is also a wealth of photographs from the surrounding areas of Paris.

   The photographs are of the greatest imaginable clarity, with a wealth of detail in every picture. Although it is possible to flip through the book, the best approach is to take it and carefully study each picture, teasing out all the details that each one can reveal. I will confess that I have never been to Paris, but thanks to studying this as well as other books enabling one to study the layout of the city, I honestly believe that I could negotiate between the landmarks if I were suddenly plopped down in the center of the city.

   I have only two complaints with the book. First, the first section of the book features both historical and modern views of the same areas. I would have liked to see a lot more of that. For me, these were by far the most interesting photos in the book, and I wouldn't have minded if this constituted the bulk of the book. Second, while the pictures are of the highest imaginable quality, most were taken from approximately the same elevation. If one compares the photographs here to those in Jan Morris's OVER EUROPE, you will find in the latter a much greater variation in elevation. In the Morris book, they were able to many instances to use a remote control balloon with a camera to get much, much lower than Cameron was in this volume. Pierre Salinger's intro details some of the difficulties they had in getting permission for low-level photographs. Minor quibbles, but I do believe that more variety in the book would have increased its attractiveness and value.




2. All I can say is Wow, Mr. Cameron is such a talent, people just have no idea the skill it takes to get photographs of this quality, much less hanging out of a helicopter. I love Paris and this book lets you see the hidden gardens and the wonderful lay out of this singular city. Paris has NEVER looked so good, and eventhough this book was first published in the late 80's the photographs still capture the present city, after all Paris, thank heaven, does not change that much, that is a big part of her charm. Though she ages she never really shows her age, she is truly eternal. I highly recommend this book, it is just quite frankly unparalleled.



3. Every time i open this book, it draws me in. The clarity of the photos is amazing! The superb images are shot from the perfect height so that they provide a panoramic view, while still allowing you to glimpse tiny architectural details like balconies and awnings. This beautiful, unique book is the perfect preparation for a trip to Paris, as it will help you create a mental map of the city - but it's a wonderful post-trip souvenir, too. If you have even a passing interest in Paris, this book is a must-buy!



4. As you would expect from the "Above Blank" city series, this is an updated version of "Above Paris". It is slightly larger in format than the previous version, and includes the Pyramid entrance to the Louve, and all the new sites like La Bastille opera house. If you have ever been to Paris, this is a MUST. If you are thinking of going, you will buy it when you return!



5. Since I am a lover of Paris this book really reminds me of when I was there and how I can't wait to get back. The pictures are wonderful and I'm glad I purchased it.

2 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Naples and Southern Italy (National Geographic Traveler).

1. This is a great book. I borrowed it from my library first and then had to have my own copy. Great glossy pictures. Great suggestions. A great buy.



2. This is an excellent bookguide of Southern Italy with so many beautiful pictures that just by looking at them, you will want to book a flight and visit it as soon as possible. It features self-guided walking tours (Old Naples) and driving tours (Amalfi Coast, Romanesque Apulia and Sila Mountains), great information and description of landmarks (history and food in Southern Italy) and the following interesting articles: Pizza and Pizzerie, Underground Naples, Vesuvius, Trulli, Cultural Crossroads and the Maffia.
   
   However, even though it features great regional maps (Amalfi Coast and Campanian Islands, Apulia, Calabria & Basilicata and Sicily & Sardinia), the only city maps included are those of Naples and Palermo. Besides, while the bookguide gives an excellent description of Naples and Campania, the chapter about Sicily and Sardinia isn't as extensive as you may wish, since it's mostly focused on the highlights rather than on the off-the-beaten-path places on both islands. The Apulia and Basilicata & Calabria chapters are very good, though. Aditionally, except for a very few places, it doesn't give you information about logistics in terms of public transportation and the lodging and restaurant section is definitely not for budget travelers (there's a section about cheap eats in Naples, though).
   
   While Lonely Planet makes up for what the National Geographic bookguides lack, I must admit that National Geographic also makes up for what the Lonely Planet bookguides lack.

No comments about 100 Hut Walks In The Alps (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1 comments about Stockholm Map by ITMB.

1. This large map shows everything in great detail with the various points of interest marked and identified (palace,the museums,even some of the hotels) so easy to plan a route. It even shows which streets are pedestrian only which is a great help. The guide books were great at telling me what to see, but not very good at how to get there. The tiny, incomplete maps in the guide books I bought were hard to read and left out a lot of streets as I found out when I got this map. I would call this a must buy if you will be exploring the city on foot.

No comments about Puro Border: Dispatches, Snapshots, & Graffiti from the US/Mexico Border.

1 comments about The Hotel Book: Great Escapes Europe (Jumbo).

1. This Taschen book is full of glorious photos of all sorts of hotels across Europe, many not found in normal guide books. A world class book and an inspiration for any arm chair traveter!

3 comments about The Most Beautiful Villages of Burgundy (Most Beautiful Villages).

1. France is a magical place and Burgundy is one of its most magical regions. The premier wine-growing region of France, Burgundy is also the center of fine cuisine, Romanesque architecture and lazy canals bordered by meadows of wildflowers. This book, with its more than 260 color illustrations, shows Burgundy at its finest. A region dominated by water, the book begins in the north and travels through all of Burgundy's four departments. From the Yonne, a land of peaceful river valleys and almost 1000 canals, we travel southward with the author to visit little Romanesque churches and learn how the Benedictine and Cistercian monks spread the Romanesque style. We finally arrive in the southernmost department of Soane-et-Loire and the city of Macon, the border to the Midi and the South, where we sample some of the finest wines in the world, such as Montrachet and Pommard. Burgundy is one of the most beautiful places on earth--unspoiled, unhurried and faithful to its past. Whether you plan to actually visit the area or are just dreaming of a visit, this is the perfect book to accompny you and your dreams and perhaps even make make them come true.



2. My sister and I recently toured Burgundy and even though we were born and bred in France, we saw the region anew. The photos in this book are lovely and for once, do a place justice. If you plan to travel to Burgundy, and may I suggest that you do, you certainly can't go wrong with this book as a traveling companion and tour guide.



3. I have to agree with the two previous reviewers, Burgundy is a very special part of France, and a very special part of the world. It is worth seeing just for the vineyards alone, but there is so much more to Burgundy than just wine. If you're lucky enough to go there, take this book along. It will be an invaluable guide to the restaurants and hotels in the area as well as to the festivals, concerts, etc. And if you must stay at home, then this book is the next best thing to actually being there. The photos are gorgeous and the text informative. Five stars is not enough!