1 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Munich (Knopf Mapguides).

1. This Knopf map guide was the BEST money I've spent in a long time! We brought another "top ten" guide with us on our trip to Munich, but found ourselves returning to this guide over and over. The full color maps were easy to use and so informative! From "sights to see", subway stops and restaurant listings, the suggestions in the guide were beyond fantastic!
   On the last day of our trip we were in a quiet part of town without a restaurant in sight. The guide suggested an Italian cafe a few blocks away and it ended up being the best time we had on the whole trip. We never would have gone there had it not been for the guide.
   Also, my husband and I are vegetarian and the guide even listed a few vegetarian restaurants which was VERY helpful when traveling in Germany (and delicious!). Now that we're back from the trip, we still look back at the guide to remind us of all the great fun we had. Can't wait for our next trip... and our next Knopf Guide!

1 comments about Michelin 2007 Charming Places France: 1000 Charming Hotels and Guesthouses (Charming Places to Stay in France).

1. I'm planning a trip with my husband to France this July and this guide was SO helpful! If you want to find places with lots of character and that are affordable, this is the right guide for you. Here you won't find hotel chains, which is something I always avoid, but lots of small lovely b&bs and hotels. The places we'll be staying at all came from this guide and there was no way I would have thought of them if I didn't have the guide. I made further research over the internet on the b&bs I chose and they all had very good reviews at [...], also a great source of information on places to stay.
   I plan to review this review when I come back from the trip, writing if the b&bs were all that I expected them to be - but I pretty much trust the Michelin inspectors.

2 comments about A Traveller's History Of England (Traveller's History).

1. Since I was going to study abroad for a semester in England, I figured I'd read up on the history.
   
   Below are my specific opinions, but in summary, it's a decent book if you want to brush up on English history and not be weighed down with it.
   
   The good:
   -The book is short despite England's LONG history.
   -It's comprehensive. Not only does it talk about England's monarchial and wartime history, it also includes major writers, artists, and thinkers.
   -It has a rather fine index that includes, but isn't limited to, monarchs, major battles, and cathedrals.
   
   The bad:
   -The writing's poor. Not only does the author use incorrect grammar, he uses it blandly. Whereas I normally would finish a 300 page book in a day, this took me a week.
   -The book's short. Now, I know I put this in the good category, but it also works against the book. Since it's so condensed, the author glosses over some interesting bits. The War of the Roses is cut down to a page; it's never mentioned why the Boer Orange Free State was named as such.
   -It's confusing. Since hundreds of years of history are condensed into just a few pages, new names appear in every sentence, and it's hard to keep up.



2. This is an excellent single volume review of English history that makes for a great introduction for travellers, and interested readers alike. Almost by definition this relatively short volume leaves the interested reader wanting more, but it does cover such a wide span of time and topics admirably well (the ample bibliography will help interested readers to "dig deeper"). Highly recommended for travellers (it was a wonderful introduction for my 1st visit to the country, and even added intruiging insights for my spouse who had lived in London for several years).
   
   As a follow-on, consider reading Smith's English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable. A wonderfully insightful and funny read once you understand the rudiments of English history from the "Traveller's History".

2 comments about Mallorca (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

1. If you like this book about Mallorca, take a look to one of the following links: http://www.balearicpictures.net http://www.mallorcapictures.com http://www.menorcapictures.com http://www.ibizapictures.net http://balearicpictures.net http://mallorcapictures.com http://menorcapictures.com http://ibizapictures.net



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3 comments about Frommer's England 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1. Apart from the 2 chapters about London, this book is useless as it doesn't provide much information for other major cities in England.



2. It's probably too much to ask any one book to cover all of England in detail. But Frommer's has packed this 784-page monster with all the information they could in an attempt to do just that. Did they succeed? Mostly. For starters, they offer over 20 "Best of" lists that help you zero in on the finest the country has to offer in all sorts of categories ranging from museums to pubs and everything in between. Basic travel information is offered for those completely new to the country to help you start off on the right track. There's even a short offering to help you learn a bit about art and architecture so that you can better appreciate what you will see on your visit. And, of course, there are four suggested itineraries for complete trips. Finally, the remaining 700 pages detailed information on the various geographic areas of England.
   
   Without diminishing the rest of the book, I found the "Best of" lists and the itineraries a great starting point because it helped me zoom in on the part of England that I would most want to visit. From there, I started worrying about the specifics of what I would do there and that's when the rest of the book started to come in handy. But I also purchased the The Unofficial Guide to England (Unofficial Guides) and found that I often went back and forth between the two. For information on the Cotswolds, Lake District, and some other aspects of the trip, I found Frommer's to be the most helpful. At the same time, when it came to reviewing the sight-seeing attractions in London I preferred the content and format that the Unofficial Guide used. It's not that Frommer's didn't cover it at all, or that the coverage was poor. But comparing the two, I definitely found the Unofficial Guide easier to use for touring London. Leaving London aside, Frommer's has certainly put together the most comprehensive guide you will find on England. It has every city you could possibly be interested in as well covering the Lake District, the Cotswolds, and other rustic areas of interest to tourists.
   
   In summary, I found the Frommer's Guide to be highly useful and I certainly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to England. I also believe that no one book will have everything when covering a place as diverse as England, so don't limit yourself to just one book.



3. Comprehensive, no frills, gives you what you need to know, but somehow more dense and less flashy than other books of this type. It's informative, but a bit like some sort of catalog. Good to get and read but I don't think it's the best choice on the market or one you'd want to take with you after you've gleaned everything in it you want to know.

No comments about Hedonist's Guide To Rome 1st Edition (Hedonist's Guide to..., A).

No comments about Language And Travel Guide to Romania.

5 comments about The Grown-Up's Guide to Living in France (Grown-Up's Guide).

1. This is a really great book -- I wish I'd read it before the first time I went to France as an adult, nearly 5 years ago. Two more trips later, and I can vouch for the accuracy of what's presented in this book.

   The writing is straight-forward and the information is well arranged. I also really like the additional comments from other Americans living in France.

   This book is useful for anyone planning on spending more than just a few days in France, not just for those planning on living there. The parts about driving and going to the grocery store hit home with me, and now I know why doing laundry there takes *so* long.




2. This is real lightweight stuff. Lacks depth and lacks details to be of any help to the serious expat-wannabe. I think many of the reviews full of over-the-top praise must be written by the author's friends or at least by those in the same clique. Skim this book while you're having a latte at Border's and save yourself some money.



3. Waste of money for those hopeful expats without unlimited bank accounts. Much of the info is also outdated or seen through the proverbial rose-colored glasses. Often deceptive or misleading--I wasted more time trying to use the info during my move, than I would have just trying to figure things out on my own. Just one example, the author says you can open a bank account during a "preliminary visit" and recommends Banque Transatlantique. Then you find out on your own that you HAVE to be living in France with your green card in order to open an account AND that BT's required [high account balance]. Waste of time and money!!



4. In preparation for a three-year tour in Paris with my wife and children, I purchased this book and five (!) others on the subject of living in France from Amazon.com. While all have their merits, none have adequate coverage of the French legal system and how to work with the police. It shouldn't have surprised me that, in a country whose history contains episodes such as the Reign of Terror after the French Revolution and collaboration with the Nazis during WWII, there is an official process, called "main courant" in which citizens can "denounce," or file official complaints, against their neighbors for things such as having a baby that cries. Suffice it to say, this process, apparently embedded in the culture for centuries, can result in tremendous prolonged misery and stress, even for a Francophile like me, with many, many wonderful French friends. It might have been easier to deal with summons to the police station, investigations by the mayor's office, visits from social workers - all in less than three months of living here - with some advance prep. Thank goodness I work for a supportive company. Be forewarned!



5. Having spent seven weeks in France last year, we are now planning a move there. This little book answered many of the basic questions we have regarding such issues as health care, health insurance, automobile ownership and registration, etc. Because we have been there recently, I recognize that many areas addressed by the author are accurately covered, so I'll be happy to accept her advice about areas with which I have no experience. I enjoyed the upbeat tone of this book. Her attitude makes me all the more anxious to make the move.

3 comments about Iceland.

1. Si has estado allí, será como volver. Y si no, irás. Espléndido. No defrauda. Está en Inglés pero casi sólo hay fotos. Merece la pena.



2. The photography appears to be done within a short time and by someone intent on putting his particular spin on his subject. Unfortunately, the consequence is that none of the pictures qualify as stunning. They photography is very competent and has wonderful color saturation, but the compositions left me cold. None of them had points of interest or hints of an underlying story that typifies the best photography.
   
   The photographer also decided to concentrate on close-up landscape, thus, there's relatively little coverage on the waterfalls and wildlife that Iceland is known for. Even worse, many images look very similar to each other, and most did not make me want to visit Iceland or re-read this book. I have seen far superior Iceland photography posted for free viewing on Flickr.



3. Beautiful photographs that show both the splendor of Iceland's wild places and the mute artistry of the camera. Not much in the way of useful text but very pretty pictures.

No comments about Knopf MapGuide: Edinburgh (Knopf Mapguide).