5 comments about Rick Steves' London 2009 (Rick Steves).

1. This book saves you lots of time and energy planning a trip. Steves even walks you through museums down to every corridor. Great book - we would have been lost without it!



2. This book has been the most helpful of the three I ordered. I am looking forward to carrying it around London. His comments are always down to earth, just like his tv series. I know his information is current and is in common language that is easy to understand.



3. I've had it with the Rick Steves Groupie crowd. We just came back from a month long trip in Europe and the only people anyone with the Rick Steves guides are meeting are other Americans with the same guidebooks. They all eat in the same restaurants and they all go to the same places. Europe Through the Back Door? Not hardly. It's Europe through the SAME door. Read a guidebook before you go somewhere, but leave it home. Have a small pocket map of some sort along with you and then ASK questions from locals when you get there. The whole idea of travel is to meet new people, enjoy a different culture and have some fun. The purpose is NOT to check things off a "to see" list.



4. This guide gives up-to- date informative information for the traveler visiting London for the first time. The tips, especially if you are traveling on a budget, are very helpful. I would recommend this , or any of his guides, if you are planning on traveling abroad.



5. I loved the witticisms and the good advice. My only complaint is that it is a bit big to carry around.

4 comments about I Never Knew that About Ireland.

1. This is a different kind of travel book. Not a guidebook in the Frommer's or Lonely Planet tradition, but just as valuable for learning more about the country of Ireland. This book covers the four province of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Each county within the four provinces are featured. At the end of each section there is an "I Never Knew That..." section. Some things that I bet you never knew about Ireland:
   
   -- In 1822, Richard Martin put through Parliament the first Animal Rights Bill and two years later founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
   
   -- Rosslare has an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes of sunshine every day. (Living in Washington State, that sounds like paradise!)
   
   -- You have heard of Stonehenge but did you know that the Grange Stone Circle is made up of 113 stones and is the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland (it dates from around 2000 BC).
   
   -- The DeLorean (the famous car from Back to the Future) was built in Ireland and caught the eye of Hollywood producers.
   
   --Sophie Pierce was the first woman to make a parachute jump, the first person in the world to fly solo from Cape Town to London and the first woman in Ireland and Britain to gain a commercial pilot's license. Unfortunately she fell out of a tram and was killed.
   
   Winn has written a book with a warm personable tone. I felt as if I were listening to a fun friend who loved Ireland and knew neat trivia about each region. There is something for everyone as there are facts and stories about famous people, true crime, myths and inventions. Although color photos would have been nice, the numerous black and white sketches add charm to this book.
   
   Winn is a writer, quiz master and producer for theater and television. He has also written I Never Knew That books about England, Scotland, Wales and London.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A wonderful book for trivia buffs and armchair travelers!



2. Actually bought this as a gift, but did take time and read about places I had been in Ireland, think I will have to borrow it back after Christmas.



3. 2006's "I Never Knew That About Ireland" is a charming collection of anecdotes, stories, and a few tall tales about the Emerald Isle, by Christopher Winn. Ireland's long cultural continuity, its varied terrain, and its remarkable people are a source of all kinds of interesting items, ranging from stone tombs dating back to the dawn of Europe to some of the finest churches of the Middle Ages to some surprisingly modern firsts.
   
   Winn breaks up his items by geographic area and further subdivides by county. The effect is a sort of travelogue around Ireland that visitors and tourists may find very useful in augmenting the regular travel guides. The book is nicely illustrated with sketches of some of the featured locations or items.
   
   The effects of the Irish diaspora are on display here. U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy had relatives born in Ireland, as did Buffalo Bill Cody.
   
   Some other samples: Belfast was once the home of the premier shipyards in the world (the Titanic was built there). The first trans Atlantic airplane flight ended with a crashlanding in Western Ireland, ironically, near the antennas that provided the first trans Atlantic telegraph service. Amelia Earheart completed her solo transatlantic flight in Ireland (to her surprise; apparently she expected to land in France).
   
   This small volume is highly recommended as an entertaining and educational read for visitors, travelers, and friends of Ireland.



4. Another interesting relatively(pun intended)unknown fact, except to Irish and Polish is that: More Irish marry Polish, and more Polish marry the Irish more than any other peoples - outside of Poland and Ireland, of course. There is a better than 50% chance that every Irish name you hear or see, probably has some Polish uncle or connection, as is the same with any Irish name you see or hear has some Polish aunt or connection. The connection seems to stem from a Catholic people who have both been to hell and back in their histories. Both the Irish and Polish tend to not sit around and, will always, fight back when needed,i.e., both very proud Catholic cultures. Both Irish and Polish are very proud of culture and country and willing to die for their freedoms. The English to the Irish are like the Russian Communists to the Polish. Ireland and Poland has stood up to both and survived. Dia Duit!; (hello/pleased to meet you, in Gaelic) - Cheshch!; (hello/good-bye, in Polish). Poles and Irish marry the Italians the 2nd most and thirdly the Germans/Austrians.

3 comments about Pardon My French: Unleash Your Inner Gaul.

1. This is a fun and interesting read if you are curious about the uniqueness of the French and their culture. The entries are organized by subjects such a food, getting about, education, and many others. It is not meant to be a deep analysis of the origins of these behaviors but it does at times appear to be a bit superficial. I have spent a lot of time in France and, overall, I found the vignettes and topics to be pretty accurate. The writer's style is straight forward, humorous, and presented in good context. Anyone planning to be in France for some extended time should find the book enjoyable and helpful.



2. Very lucidly written, insightful & very readable. I would highly recommend it for those interested in more than just the mechanics of the French language.



3. Funny, informative and a book you can read again and again. Highly recommended for anyone studying French.

No comments about Frommer's Budapest & the Best of Hungary (Frommer's Complete).

No comments about Time Out 1000 Things to Do in New York (Time Out Guides).

4 comments about Secret London: Exploring the Hidden City, With Original Walks And Unusual Places to Visit.

1. I love this book! It has detailed instructions to find (and history of) little known spots in London that are marvelous. There are several color pictures and hand-drawn maps to help guide you on your walk.

   Some of the fascinating bits of London that you can track down with this book are the rooftop gardens in Kensington, the underground tube stations that are no longer used and the rivers that have been tamed and paved over but still peek out here and there.

   Even long-time residents will find new insight into their favorite city. Every time I go to London I search out one thing from this book and I'm always glad I did. For tourists, if you bring this book and an A-Z, and a copy of the latest Fodor's or Eyewitness, you won't want for anything else.




2. One of the outstanding "Interlink Walking Guides" series, Secret London: Exploring The Hiddin City: Exploring The Hidden City, With Original Walks And Unusual Places To Visit is a travel guide especially for the walking tourist determined to explore the greatest sights of London, including obscure treasures such as rivers long buried, ancient buildings, and sites where anyone can enjoy free lectures. Full-color photographs, extensive descriptions, street maps clearly illustrating the route of the walk, contact and opening time information, and much more fill this handy travel guide for the visitor who wants to see it all.



3. Very interesting book. I haven't read all of it but what I have read was great. I am using it for research at this time and will hope that in the future that I get the chance to visit all I am reading about. Good for the money!



4. Fascinating guidebook with detailed walks of neighborhoods, some familiar, others not. But even the familiar in a city as old and complex as London has a hidden subtext. This book does much to unveil the the lesser known aspects with excellent descriptions, detailed maps and some interesting photos.
   Even the most familiar tourist haunts such as Westminster and St. James have some hidden gems that are covered.
   Very cool book to enhance your trip to London .

5 comments about The French Chateau: Life, Style, Tradition.

1. If you love French history, art, decoration and life style; if you have ever dreamed of living in a beautiful French chateau, you must get this book. Each time I open this book I am enchanted. What makes this book especially interesting is that people still live in these chateaus, these dreamscapes of tall Mansart roofs, formal French gardens and rooms filled with 18th century furniture. Forget about the text, it's the ravishingly photographed gardens and interiors that inspire one to dream. Beyond the sheer fantasy of it, this book showed me how I could create a little of the "French Chateau Style" in my own humble living space.



2. Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery is a fabulous author with fabulous connections. I'm an interior designer & I find Christiane De Nicolay-Mazery's books to be the most inspirational decorating books that I own. One of her other books, 'Private Houses of Paris', is my favorite book on the topic of decorating and I own almost every significant book published on this topic. I do wish that this book was available in hardback, as I prefer hardback books, but this fact should not dissuade you in purchasing it because inspirational design is absolutely on every page of this book!



3. See how the other side lives in this fascinating book on private French chateaux. Their residences as well as their lifestyles are revealed in this book packed with gorgeous photos dripping with color and layers of texture. What's also interesting about this book is the history behind each property as well as its past owners. One can only dream...



4. An unusual and beautifully published book that profiles privately-owned chateaux, inside and out. It gives you an intimate view of life within the rooms, formal and informal, utility and casual, garden and forest. Family and friends are included from a respectable distance, showing weekend sporting activities and day to day life. Snobbish? Unapproachable? Not really. Think of it as a personable Architectural Digest a la Francaise, with much more panache.



5. ok book,not one of my best picks,several out there that are better as far as decorating goes!

No comments about Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas (P.S.).

3 comments about Central Europe (Multi Country Guide).

1. This book is really good if you don't want to buy individual books for each country you are visiting.
   It has information on travel to and from each country, sights to see, accommodation, food and other interesting cultural references.
   It has been a great planning tool for my upcoming trip.



2. I found the book to be too much of a repeat. It had incorrect information (the Munich card was discontinued the first of the year and announced last year), Munich internet cafe at trainstation is closed, another one is now 24x7 - all for over a year.
   
   Train connection information is limited at best.
   
   Does not give the NAMES of the bus-tram-subway stops in any city.
   
   Disability access information is very lacking in this book and series. I wonder does LP have a writer with a movement disability?
   
   I am usually a fan of lonely planet books but this one felt like a money and space waster.



3. This is well written, like most most Lonely Planet country guides. I read through the pertinent sections for countries I was planning to visit, and while there were suggestions for each major city, there was little depth. Maps are also on the skimpy side. "Central Europe" may not be representative of the several regional Europe guides Lonely Planet has recently released, but its coverage is very brief for a number of countries. For example, "Central Europe" has fewer pages devoted to the entire CZ Republic than the CZ Republic guide has devoted to Prague alone.
   
   So this guide may serve you well if you are on a driving or backpacking vacation without having done a lot of background research; you could pull it out to see the one-paragraph-highlights of the major city you are approaching.
   
   But if you have a more specific itinerary, I'd instead suggest getting the books to match specific cities and maybe a road atlas if you are driving.

3 comments about The Rough Guide to London - 7th Edition.

1. I tend to like the rough guides, they go into much detail on the sites. An alternative is an audio guide. soundwalks(i think more for NYC) and www.talkingtrip.com are also great for london guides.
   
   The rough guides I think are one of the better alround books.



2. This book gives ou a nice overview of the region, and incredible specific tips for visiting London.



3. Rough Guides have always been my favorites, and this was no exception. It provides a comprehensive guide to all areas of the city of London, and includes hotels, cafes, pubs, shopping, etc. It also makes for an entertaining read, although I question how much the author actually likes living in London. (The book actually states that "disappointingly, London has had only 2 assassinations." This is a disappointment?!) In addition to the sections on each part of the city, the appendix has a decent history of London, as well as a list of other books about the city.
   
   For anyone who plans to spend a substantial amount of time in London, this will be an indispensable guide. I tend to leave the country for a couple months at a time, and thus rely completely on these guides. However, it's not the best choice if you simply plan on going for a weekend, since there is no way you'll be able to do and see it all....I would then suggest something like Frommer's Top Ten: London instead.