5 comments about The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War.

1. I will not repeat the praises of the preceding reviewers with which I fully agree. This I must say: with Graham Robb I'm absorbing rather than reading. Like his Victor Hugo's biography, this book is a smooth flow of information that pumps one full. I feel satiated and richer in knowledge.



2. Robb has done more than a yeoman's job in producing this book. It's not that difficult to write a book like this to be informative, but it is hard to write one that is pleasant to read. Robb has spun out a great many anecdotes while making the information not only plausible but entertaining.
   My only regret is that he spent so much time researching a 'People' who probably will never appreciate what he has done.
   
   Like the stereotypical French Cafe Waiter (never snap your fingers and yell Garcon); the French will probably turn up their collective noses at the thought that anyone but a "true" frenchman (i.e. a Parisian) could 'know' much less write about La Belle France. Most Parisians still look at their countrymen outside of 'Le Capital' as country bumpkins and half literate imbeciles who marry their first cousins.
   
   In parts of the book (like the stories of the Cassini's I->IV), Robb mentions that there is little information about such and such. Here's hoping that he continues to write about these 'little known' areas and people so that the rest of us can be entertained while opening our eyes to more 'hidden history'. Thank you M.Robb.



3. France is more than just Paris! There seems to be little written on life in provincial France and the author has certainly filled that void with this book. Who would have thought that life in rural France was so backward compared to not only Paris, but rural life in other European countries? Peasants at this time prayed to stone fertility statues, believed in werewolves and witches and were very ignorant of life outside of their little village--and most didn't even speak French.
   
   This book is chock full of the history of cartographers, early travelers as well as daily life and thought.
   
   There was a France long before there were the French.
   
   If you're interested in French history, this is a must read.



4. Robb has generated a book which taught me much about a place I know little--France beyond Paris. The book seems a compilation of provincial lore and wisdom accumulated over several years' of bicycle travel through this country of peoples. It was generally enjoyable, but like a long uphill climb, was tiring in places. I often enjoy books in this genre, but I found this one occasionally lacking. I still recommend it, for it will open most readers' eyes to new notions, and the author is competent. I most enjoyed the section describing Cassini's mapping of France.
   
   My lack of enthusiasm may be because I did not find the book to be tightly structured, and I sometimes found myself wanting a crisper roadmap for the direction of the text. I also wanted a better roadmap of France in the illustrations, as the many localities described had me turning to my own atlas much of the time. The major theses of the book are lightly woven into the text. One mildly recurring theme is a whiff of anti-clericism. At one point the author suggested the Church had more to fear from latent paganism than the revolutionaries of 1789; I suspect the thousands of clergy who were massacred by the Republicans after seeing their churches destroyed and properties taken might come to a different conclusion.



5. Every page of this book yields unexpected and brilliant insights and sidelights into the motley collection of nationalities, languages, and races that somehow became France. The story of Bernadette of Lourdes. The creation of the "official" meter. The persecution of a particular group for a thousand years (and no, it wasn't the Jews). Add to this a smooth and witty prose style and you have a book that shouldn't be missed. It's one of those rare books about which, as Holden Caulfield would say, you feel like calling up the author after reading it.

5 comments about Amsterdam (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I Love the Eyewitness Travel Guides. They give you beautiful pictures, & lots of information. I usually buy one for each European City I travel to.



2. Eyewitness produces terrific City Guides. We used them in London and Paris last year and will 'test drive' the Amsterdam Guide next week.
   They are very comprehensive and user friendly at the same time.



3. This book offers worthwhile information to a range of different readers. The first pages, "Four great days," offer itineraries for art lovers, shopping fans, history buffs, or families with kids to please. I don't think anyone will stop there, but I imagine many readers starting with those day-trips and filling in the edges.
   
   The rest of the book presents the city in lush photography, legible maps, and clearly organized descriptions. The part of the book (about two thirds) divides Amsterdam into seven geographical districts. For each, the reader gets a bit of history and general layout, followed by detailed descriptions of many attractions. The remainder of the book talks about out-of-town points of interest and general information about food, culture, and other helpful travel information.
   
   I'm going to Amsterdam soon on business, and have just a little time to enjoy this amazing city. This guide has been very helpful in planning those scraps of free time. Maybe this book won't meet every traveler's needs, but it meets mine.
   
   -- wiredweird



4. Although Eyewitness Travel Guides may offer more visual guidance than other guide books, they are still quite terrible. Maps are difficult to read and information is inconsistent.



5. We are now using the Eyewitness Travel Guides exclusively. We no longer need info about hotels, restaurants, etc., as we log on to Fodor's Travel to get the latest inside info from the Talk site. What we are looking for in a travel guide is inspiration, history and a sense of the country/city we will be visiting--we get all of that from Eyewitness Travel. We are now finishing the plans for our spring trip to Europe. The Amsterdam guide provides just what we need--lovely pictures to inspire us; practical info for visiting the city; history of the city to bring it to life. All this makes this guide just perfect for us.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Venice 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. I used this book for my recent trip to Venice. You can skip all guided tours offered by agencies in Venice, if you have this book. It is very helpful with historical overviews, but when come for food advices - just browse local restaurants and look for "tourist menue" (around 15-18 euros for 3 dishes, but be sure it doesn't' come with "cover charge" which is extra 2 euros). It is the best deal to get variety of dishes for reasonable prices. Also, visit Realto market for fresh fruits and vegetables, and small stores for ham and cheeses.
   
   I went on day trips to Padova , Vicenza, and Verona. The book was extremely helpful for giving the guidance for day trips. Don't miss to try Recioto wine in Verona.



2. This is another great book from Rick Steves. It gives you all the information you need to plan a trip with many details. We have relied on his book in the past and are never disappointed.



3. Rick Steves 2007 book had one good thing, in the front of the book there is a comprehensive 1 page map of Venice with vaporetto and traghetto stops and all street names. I used this map. Otherwise, his recommendations were a hit and miss. I checked out a recommendation of a restaurant he gave around San Marco and the price was appalling (one squid dish and one 1/4 glass of pinot grigot for $16 euro. This food was so so and I think the touristy menus (15 euro for 3 course meal with drink I had another night) that emphatically he warns against seemed like the better deal in Venice. Anyway, I used Timeout Venice more extensively as it had info on how to get from the aiport from Treviso (Ryanair). He had no info on this at all. He also did not talk about a grocery store in Venice just off the Piazza Roma where you should buy food before you head to your hotel, since everywhere in Venice is expensive including water. Anyway, my co-worker swore by his book but I think it's overrated. Get Timeout Venice if you want more details and more pictures too!



4. I plan to take this along with me to Venice. It is the perfect size to carry with you and provides quite a bit of very useful information.



5. The book was of very little help when visiting Venice. Poor maps and confusing information. We had to get local maps and the book was useless.

5 comments about Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History.

1. I tend to enjoy Kaplan's books very much. His writing style is very smooth, fluid, and entertaining, and provides for a pleasant read. Having lived, however, in Eastern Europe now for many years, I find it rather odd that the author skipped Bosnia and Herzegovina altogether.
   
   He covered this region though very well, better than most other authors. I did not rate this book with '3 stars' because I did not agree with what the author said, nor because it was a boring book. I rated it as such because, first, it was written during the initial phase of the Balkan War, which I assume was the reason why Bosnia was skipped from this book. On page 3 (I think) he apologized for doing so. However, he still managed to cover Serbia and Croatia, so war couldn't have been much of a barrier to research.
   
   Because he left out Bosnia, I feel that many pieces of history are left unanswered, and not connected. As this country, during Yugoslavia, represented the cultural epicenter of Europe, and symbolized multi-ethnic tolerance, Bosnia should have played a role in this work. Bosnia also has produced the Nobel Prize winner, Ivo Andric. The history of the Balkans is drastically changed once this small, yet highly significant country, is not included in its overview.
   
   Still, if you have never lived/traveled to this area, you will defintely enjoy this book.



2. At the front of the book is the Author's map of the Balkans which begins in the north with Austria and ends in the south with Turkey and Greece, in parallel and separated by the Aegean Sea. There are two tracks going from north to south. The western track follows the Adriatic Sea down to Greece while the inland eastern track begins with Hungary and ends with northern Turkey.
   
   The Author travels both tracks, spending a bit more time along the eastern track, particularly Rumania and Bulgaria. His contribution to history comes from a ground view of interviews with people along his path. As opposed to the view from 30,000 feet, the Author's ground level travels allows him to record pictures of life as experienced by the people whose homes were in the Balkans.
   
   Balkan Ghosts is an interesting book that sheds light on some historic events.



3. How one judges/reviews a book tells as much as about the judge/reviewer as the book sometimes. I know very little about the Balkans. I expected to increase my little knowledge of the area a lot by reading Kaplan's book. In that sense, I was not let down; this book multiplied my knowledge of the Balkans many times. The book covers the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. In each part, the reader learns a bit about the history and people of the region. For the person who knows little about this fascinating region, the book provides a nice overview.
   
   I did not find the book organized well. Historically, it jumped all over the place. The author quotes multiple authors liberally (for example, Rebecca West on Yugoslavia). At times I wondered to myself why I was not just reading their works instead of Kaplan's. Disproportionate amount is allocated to Romania (over one third of the book). I was surprised and disappointed by his lack of coverage of Bosnia and Montenegro. Long sections are dedicated to the author's interview of citizens of these countries. These interviews and interactions are fine if the author's goal was to give the reader insight into cultures, however he uses the interviews to educate the reader on historical events. That would be like talking to an average American who was alive during WWII and hoping to understand the events that led to Pearl Harbor. The conversation may be interesting, but if your goal is to teach readers history then I would argue that there are much better ways of doing it. It is not scholarly in that sense.
   
   Writing style was mildly entertaining. I have to admit that I don't enjoy reading travelogues and if you are a fan of travelogues then you may enjoy this book more than I did. If on the other hand, you already have some knowledge of the Balkans and you hope to increase your understanding then I would find a different book.



4. This was Kaplan's, (the author of the award winning and rather incredible book The Coming Anarchy), first book. It is both a literal and a conceptual travelogue through the history of the Balkans. With the skill of an historian, and the flair and intimacy of a seasoned journalist, Kaplan captures the "chosen-ness" of the disparate "chosen histories" that have exorcised an entire region for the last seven hundred years.
   
   In doing so, he brings vividly to life the psychodynamic theories of the brilliant Volmik D. Volkan, in his "The Pschodynamics of International Relationships." In that book Volkan, et.al., made clear that culture is nothing, if not "living collective tribal memory." The memory of the tribe is reconstructed in the present as "chosen injuries," "chosen traumas," and "chosen histories."
   
   This book is about the "chosen histories" of all the different sides who are at "right angles" to each other in the Balkan region. Kaplan takes us on a guided, but structured tour, region-by-region, devoting a chapter to each country -- to its history, its art, its architecture, its collective dreams and hopes -- sharing intimate conversations with ordinary as well as important people on all of the various sides of past conflicts.
   
   Altogether, this makes for a rich, layered and densely packed narrative that has the feel of walking into the same "time warp" as his subjects in their respective narrative re-creations. As Volkan predicted in both the book cited above and in his even more brilliant book "The Third Reich in Consciousness," that "chosen traumas," and "chosen insults" would be repeatedly "relived," as if they happened just yesterday: The collective nerve endings and emotions of the people remain "raw," even across generations.
   
   In terms of volatility, the socioeconomic and political grid of multiple ethnicities, religions, races, and cross-generations grievances, the Balkans remains without a rival, as subsequent events were to prove most devastatingly.
   
   Although it is not as theoretically sweeping or as gritty as "The Coming Anarchy," this was a deeply thoughtful and timely book, coming out just before the region exploded into the very chaos that Kaplan had so presciently predicted. It certainly put Kaplan on the map, as well it should have. Five Stars.



5. Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts is more than a travel book for most of his experiences in the Balkan's were far from tourism. Rather, like Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, his book explores time and place with the precision of an anthropologist.
   
   Kaplan points out that this area of the world seems to have a talent for starting wars and once was called `ethnic trash' by Karl Marx. Serbia is the area where Habsburg Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated, an event that sparked World War I. From here come the 20th century's first terrorists. Kaplan points out that the Balkans are not just the area where Communism meets capitalism. It is also the place where Roman Catholic meets Eastern Orthodox, where Christian meets Islam, where Rome meets Constantinople, where Habsburg Austria-Hungarian empire meets the Ottoman empire. Kaplan identifies the principal illness of Balkans which he sees as conflicting dreams of lost imperial glory. Each nation demands that its borders expand to the point at which their empire reached its heights in ancient or medieval times.
   
   Croatia's unique history is explored, its alliance with Hapsburg Austria, and its history of conflict between Catholic and Orthodox Serbs. A fascinating part of the book is the rise of Croatia as a small nation only to become a puppet of the German Nazis. During this time murders against both Orthodox Serbs and Jews occurred. The figure of Catholic Cardinal Stepinac remains controversial to this day, for he appeared to support the fascist nationalists until their murder of Jews and Orthodox Serbs reached terrible proportions. He chastised the fascist around the fall of Nazism in World War II but was later tried as a war criminal by the communist Tito. Tensions remain to this day between Catholic Croatia and the mixed ethnic state of Bosnia where Catholics, Jews, Orthodox Serbs, and Muslims all live in suspicion of each other.
   
   Kaplan repeatedly praises the work of Dame Rebecca West in her Black Lamb Grey Falcon. West indicates that the Turks ruined the Balkans so greatly that it has never been repaired.
   
   Albanians descended from Illyrian tribes and their language bears no similarity to other languages. Kosovo has gone back and forth between Serbian and Albanian control. Enver Hoxha was a young Communist freedom fighter against the Nazis. At the end of World War II, Albania had lost more than 7% of their population.
   
   Macedonia is a mix of ethnic groups. Turks, Albanians, Serbs, Rumanians, Greeks, and Bulgarians live there side by side since the days of St. Paul. Czar Alexander II's war to liberate Bulgaria from Turkey in 1877 was the first spark of modern Great Power conflict. Russians occupied the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and dictated to the defeated Turks the Treaty of San Stefano. The union of Macedonia and Bulgaria created a pro-Russian state. Germany's Bismarck set out to revise the Treaty in the Congress of Berlin. Macedonia was returned to Turkish rule upon pressure by Germany and Great Britain on the Russians. To balance the powers, Turkey got Macedonia, Austria got Bosnia, an arrangement leading to World War I. The Russian forces in Bulgaria drove the Muslims into Macedonia whereas the Austrian advance into Bosnia also drove the Muslims south into Macedonia, where the enraged Turks began terrorizing the Orthodox Christians. The relationship between Bulgaria and Macedonia has been one where Bulgaria wishes to incorporate Macedonia within their borders but has always been on the losing side of world conflicts, never allowing for integration.
   
   Apart from forcing Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid to accept a liberal constitution, the "Young Turks" led by Pasha had no well-defined program. As with Gorbachev, Pasha and the Young Turks were determined to conserve in a loser more liberal form the Empire, which they perceived as threatened primarily by a reactionary Sultanate and near total resistance to change. The Ottoman Empire's disintegration enraged fundamentalists Muslims within Turkey. The increasingly authoritarian Young Turk regime culminated in the 1915 mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians, the century's first holocaust. This genocide was perpetrated because the Armenians demographically threatened the Muslim Turks.
   
   Romania's language is Latinate, closer to ancient Roman. Roman legions conquered this territory in 101 AD. Romanians are closer in appearance to the Latins than to Slavs. In 325 AD Roman Christianity was brought to Romania. However invasion by Bulgarians brought in the Eastern Orthodox religion. Geographically Romania lies vulnerable between the Ukrainians and Russians and Turks. For the 14th century onward the Turks kept Romania in fear. There were uprisings against the Turks, for example Vlad the Impaler (the historical "Dracula") was a rebel against Turkish rule. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Russians invaded over a dozen times. In the 1860's the Romanians elected Karl Hohenzollern as their king. Carol I abdicated to his nephew Ferdinand, who married Princess Marie of Edinburgh, granddaughter to Queen Victoria. Queen Marie was a force behind the throne during World War I and died before her son Carol II caused havoc.
   
   King Carol II is a colorful character, having deserted from the army, eloped with a Romanian aristocrat, then was forced to abdicate since Romanian law requires him to marry a foreigner. He marries Princess Helen of Greece and deserts her for Lupescu, his Jewish mistress. He abdicates a second time rather than return to his wife and leave his mistress. He extorted funds from casinos and deposited $50 million in foreign banks. He declared dictatorship. He supported the Legionnaires of the Archangel Michael until they turned against him because of his Jewish mistress. Hitler also told Carol that he preferred to have Codreanu as dictator of Romania rather than Carol. Carol had Codreanu and the legion leaders killed which angered Hitler. Corneliu Zelea Codreanu formed the Legion around secret nests of 13 men who drank each other's blood and vowing to commit murder if ordered. Carol formed his own Nazi party and repressed his countries 800,000 Jews. Stalin demanded Bessarabia and Hitler demanded Transylvania. Carol tired to play a double game and lost. He left Romania in 1940 in a train full of gold bound for Mexico. His 18 year old son, Michael became king. The Legion struck back, primarily at Romania's Jewish population, killing thousands. Hitler wished to obtain Romania's oil reserves. In 1947 King Michael also abandoned Romania in a train full of treasures as his father had done.
   
   The fall of King Carol II Hohenzollern and the rise of reactionary forces in 1941 in Romania are a frightening tale. The rise of the Legionnaires of the Archangel Michael, a terrorist group that committed murder against the Jews in their country, is a terrible story and helps us realize the degree of anti-Semitism throughout Eastern Europe.
   
   Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania for a quarter-century until the army executed him. Ceausescu outlawed abortion and birth control so that the Romanians could outbreed the Hungarians. However poverty and semi-starvation increased infant mortality rates. Badly urbanized peasants worked in factories and lived in dorms where only alcohol and propaganda were readily available. Romania was allowed to fall under Stalin's domain at the peace discussions at Yalta.
   
   In World War II, the Romanians were on the side of the Nazis while the Jews in Romania supported the Russians. The Romanian army killed 4,000 Jews in Jassy and then the army evacuated another 12,000 that dies of thirst and asphyxiation in railroad cars. Then in 1941 and 192 15,000 Jews were deported from Moldavia into Romanian run concentration camps. In 1944 when the Russians invaded Romania, the Romanians switched sides and began fighting the Nazis. The Romanians have always fallen between three empires, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Turkey, and Russia.
   
   The Bulgars were a Tartar tribe. In the medieval period, Bulgaria was among the powerful kingdoms in Europe. Kings carved out empire from Albania to the Black Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains to the Aegean. In 865 Bulgaria became the first of the Slav peoples to embrace Orthodox Christianity. Byzantine Emperor Basil defeated King Samuel and had 14,000 prisoners blinded - the most horrific moment in Bulgarian history. Bulgaria then endured 500 years of Ottoman occupation. Turkish rule was bloodier in Bulgaria than anywhere else. In 1876 Turks encouraged band of Bulgarians converted to Islam to hack to death 5,000 Orthodox Christians. A Russian army swept through Bulgaria in 1877 liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
   
   Kaplan argues that Greece must be understood through the eyes of the Balkans rather than through a Hollywood lens. He tells of Salonika - Thessaloniki in Greek -a community of Spanish Jews. In 53 AD St. Paul preached from the Synagogue. Jews from Hungary and German arrived in 1373. Following the conquest of Salonika by the Ottoman Turks, 20,000 Spanish Jews received permission to move there in 1492. By 1913 half the population of the city was Jews. The Nazis captured the city in 1941 and in five months had sent almost all the Jews to concentration camps. Of all the cities in Nazi-occupied Europe, Salonika ranked first in the number of Jewish victims: out of a population of 56,000, 54,0505 - 96.5%- were exterminated at Auschwitz.
   
   The Greek Church was the mother of all Eastern Orthodox churches, which are treasure houses of their culture that survived the Ottoman rule. Hagia Sophia built in the sixth century AD by Emperor Justinian became the prototype for all Orthodox cathedrals, for St. Marks in Venice, and for mosques throughout Turkey. Byzantium, an empire created in AD 324, as the successor of Rome, and destroyed 1,100 years later by Ottoman Turks in 1453. During these eleven centuries, the Byzantine Empire was a Greek empire. Ottoman Turks ejected the Byzantine Greeks from Constantinople in the fifteenth century but large Greek communities survived in Istanbul and along the western shore of Asia Minor - particularly Smyrna. In 1921 the Greek army advanced into Asia Minor beyond the Greek occupied coastal areas. In 1922 Kemal Ataturk, in the midst of developing a new Turkish republic, drove the Greek army back. Greek dead numbered 30,000. Then 400,000 Turks from Greek Thrace moved into Turkey and 1,250,000 Greeks from Asia Minor went into exile in Greece, increasing the population by 20%. Refuges tripled the size of Athens. The Nazi invasion left 8% of the population dead, followed by the Greek Civil War which saw more destruction than the war against the Nazis.
   
   Constantinople is a Greek word for a historically Greek city. The Cyrillic alphabet, used in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Russia, emerged from the Greek alphabet when two monks, Cyril and Methodius, left Salonika in the ninth century AD to proselytize among the Slavs. The ultimate achievement of Periclean Athens was to breathe humanism - compassion for the individual - into the inhumanity of the East. Classical Greece of the First Millennium BC invented the West by humanizing the East.
   This well written book taught me much about the Balkans and gave me an appreciation for these boiling nationalistic forces that run against each other century after century.

3 comments about Frommer's Germany 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. I purchased the Michelin guide and the Fommers, and the Frommers guide has proved to be infinitely more useful. It is easy to read, very descriptive, and includes activities and lodging in all price ranges. My only complaint is that there aren't pictures, but the guide would be unmanageably large if there were, so it's forgivable! Enjoy your trip to Germany!



2. Not a bad travel book, fairly complete, decent detail on many of the cities within the country, but the book does lack pictures, has a few in the front of the book. That would have made the book more complete and enjoyable. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."



3. Bought this for a recent trip to Berlin and tore out the pages on Berlin to take with me, since I don't like carrying any extra weight while out touring around. The info was useful, esp as a counterpoint to Rick Steves' pages on Berlin which I also carried. As we were heading to Schloss Charlottenburg, I read Rick Steves' assessment that it wasn't worth going! But there was good helpful info in the Fodor's writeup that helped us enjoy the trip we had already committed to.
   
   I was glad to have this as an additional viewpoint on the various sites and sights.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels (Rick Steves).

1. as usual, rick steves' does the best job. having lived in europe for 13 months, his way is my favorite way to travel. i won't allow myself travelling 'looking like the usual tourist' and doing the usual tourist thing. his suggestions allow you to get to know the heart of the people and culture.



2. We recetnly traveled to Amsterdam, Bruges, Brussels and Antwerp. We used Rick's book to select the hotels and the areas to visit versus the bigger name publisher review books (like Let's Go and Formers, etc.). We picked three hotels from his book. Two of the three hotels were great, while one was a bit noisy. Even the hotel that was a bit noisy was a clean, smart hotel in the St. Caterhine neighboorhod section of Brussels. We found his book and recommmedations to be well written, clear and true to form. We also used Fromers guidelbook, in campanion to Rick's, but did not find it to be local enought to our needs. We ate almost exclusively at the restaurants is his book, traveled to the sights, used the train systems and used the maps in his book for our trip. Sometimes when you use a book like this you get one or two great places to stay or to eat, but, with his, it was truely a satisfying experience to go to his book's places and come away satisfied.
   
   We saw other travelers in the regions we visited using his book as well.
   
   We will definitely recommmend this book to novice travelers as well as repeat travelers, and defintely buy one of his books again.



3. Rick led us to some of the nicest places in Brugge. I didn't get to experience Amsterdam (which claims about half the pages in the book), but the information on Belgium and Brugge was great. He has some really excellent B&B recommendations. If you end up in Brugge, definitely go see Scottish Maggie :)



4. An excellent travel guide that is easy to read and filled with low cost alternatives from hotels and pensions to wonderful restaurants and tour options. This was my second trip to Amsterdam and the second time staying in the same hotel that Rick had recommended. One year while in Paris, standing in line at the Eiffel Tower I had noticed that there were several people reading Rick Steves Paris Guide. It was a great conversation starter. My last trip this past October, while touring Germany, the guide said to mention Rick's name while checking into a very comfortable pension and the owner would give a discount. It worked! Thanks Rick!



5. Having just returned from a visit to the Low Countries, we found this guide to be very helpful. Though it does not go off the beaten path, concentrating instead on the major cities, it does cover those cities well, with transportation information as well as hotel and restaurant recommendations which we found reliable. Maps show the metro stops, which is handy, and the book includes walking tours of the cities and some museums. Recommended.

5 comments about Streetwise Prague Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Prague, Czech Republic - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map featuring ... - trams, streetcar routes (Streetwise).

1. This map is convienient (like the others in the series) because you can fold it in half and stick it in your pocket without it getting all ripped up. However, I ended up referring to other maps as well to verify where I was going. The Prague map is particularly inconvenient in that it divides the Stare Mesto (the central area where most tourists spend their time) in half, such that I frequently had to turn it over as I traced my path.



2. Worked out perfectly for our recent trip to Prague. We used it every day.



3. There are maps with even more detail, but this map is an essential. Lightweight, laminated (waterproof), pocket-sized, and with almost all the detail that most visitors need. Fully-opened, it is still small, unobtrusive, and easy to use. A handy gazeteer lists many streets and monuments, with map grid locations. There are some very tiny streets/alleys that are hard to make out, but that is true for almost any
   pocket-sized folding map. I buy a Streetwise for any city destination.



4. In typical Streetwise fashion, this is an excellent map that is key to exploring the city of Prague which has many confusing streets with confusing names.
   
   This is a map not a guide and while it does point out places of interest it is obviously meant as a map first and foremost. None of the free maps I found came close to be as legible and understandable. The fact that it is a trifold lamninated map makes it very easy to keep in your jacket and use.
   
   A definite must have for Prague in my opinion.



5. The map is convenient to use, and the lamination keeps it from getting destroyed from use. But it is relatively expensive considering you can get the same map in your tourist guide or for free from any one of a number of places once you get to Prague.

5 comments about France (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. .
   Summary:
   Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!

   The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.

   But, the really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:
   ............Very complete
   ............Easy to read
   ............Beautifully and artistically completed
   ............Good shopping, safety and other tips
   ............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list.

   Summary Negative:

   The country books are too general to really satisfy all your needs in any given location. So, if your entire trip is spent in Champagne, or Brittany, for example, you will also want to get the specific guide for that city (but, the Paris Section is fairly good)

   Guide Specifics:

   The guides are organized as follows:

   How to use this guide
   Introduction to France
   ............Intro. to France
   ............Portrait of France
   ............France Through the Year
   ............History of France

   Paris and Ile de France, Area by Area
   ............Intro. Paris and Ile de France

   ............River View of Paris
   ............Ile de La Cite, Marais, Beaubourg
   ............Tuileries and Opera
   ............Champs-Elysees, Invalides
   ............The Left Bank
   ............Farther Afield
   ............Shops and Markets
   ............Entertainment in Paris
   ............Paris Street Finder
   ............Ile de France

   France by Region
   ............Northeast France
   ........................Specific Cities / Towns
   ............Western France
   ........................Specific Cities / Towns
   ............Central France and the Alps
   ........................Specific Cities / Towns
   ............Southwest France
   ........................Specific Cities / Towns
   ............South France
   ........................Specific Cities / Towns

   Travelers Needs
   ............Hotels
   ............Restaurants
   Survival Information
   ............Practical Info.
   ........................Police, safety, buses, trains, etc.
   ............Travel Info.
   ........................Maps, tours, currency, etc.
   ............General Index
   ............Phrase Book

   Discussion:
   The book begins with "A Portrait of France", including a complete map, a review of France, it's history, and France thought the Year - including events, etc., and France's History (very interesting).

   The Paris section is very good supports this book for those on a general tour of France (see Negatives below). But, one should get the alternative "Eyewitness Guide to Paris" if you wish better information on that city.

   Region with an "At a glance" overview, then has subsections of Cities / Towns, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridges, galleries, etc.

   Architectural reviews include various views, and cutaways; given greater understanding and better perspective. They are all attractive, if not works of art - honestly.

   The travelers' Info. offers good and valid info. on prices, currencies, customs, important words, etc. I used the reviews on resorts, hotel's restaurants and nightclubs, etc. and found they were useful and accurate, and helpful with my touring and site decisions

   The books are so well thought out that it has multiple maps, with various lookup tables, and the book's flaps are designed to be used as bookmarks for map pages.

   Negative:
   The country-wide guides are by definition more general than the specific city guides. So, if you are going to Brittany, get a specific "Brittany" guide for better local specifics. If you decide to get the "France" guide for your 3, or 4 city tour of France, understand that this guide may be a little to general for all your local travel needs.

   Conclusion:
   As the President, CEO of an International Meeting Planning Corporation we have many resources and techniques to learn about places we have meetings / groups at as well as the cities and sights. But, as a traveler, this book really is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone going on a personal trip, or wanting to learn about a city, or location.




2. We have traveled to France the past 3 years and are in the process of planning the 4th at this writing. As always (since discovering these guides)I started with this guide to determine which part of France we will visit and the potential route. I also own the guides to Paris, Loire Valley and Provence. The Green Guides offer much more detail but are infuriatingly arranged in alphabetical order. Eyewitness guides are arranged by area and include some theme tours (wine,cheese,troglodyte, etc)This and the beautiful pictures make planning a joy. I just wish they published an area guide for Southwest France, where we are headed in 2003!!



3. Just returned from a two week visit to Europe, mainly in France. This book was much more user friendly than the typical Michelin guide and I highly recommend it. Places are easy to find. Lots of information makes it easier for you to get an impresssion of a particular place, what to see, what to do, and will it will feel like being there. Highly organized and user friendly.



4. I've purchased this book expecting an overall look to France in order to point out some areas that would be most interesting for me. This book follows the usual quality of the series, which I consider best from what is on the market, but i got a little dissapointed, because a huge part of this book is dedicated to Paris (I would have bought "Paris" if I wanted a detailed guide). Other territories of France are reviewed very briefly, and having in mind my knowledge about some of them, only some, and not always the best landmarks are pointed out. What is more, only some sightseeing points of nature are mentioned, so if you expect some picturesque mountain routes in southern France to be marked you will get dissapointed. So all in all it is a very nice guide of major French towns and chateaus, worth having to discover the most impressive urban sites. However, if you plan to travel in some specific region, it is better to search for more detailed guides ('Provence and cote da zur' and 'Dordogne and Southwest France' from the same series are really fantastic).



5. I love DK guides for their sumptuous photos and the attention they pay to the stories behind national monuments and histories of the destination. For a concise read of the above, DK is the best.
   
   However, DK isn't much of a guide to places. I bought this book expecting to use it for a trip around France but that didn't materialize and I only got to use the Paris section. My review is going to be based on the way I used that part of the book. Besides the usual tourist attractions and monuments, DK doesn't really do a good job of immersing travellers in the culture. Most of the accomodation and restaurant recommendations are on the expensive side and are in touristy areas. I must say that I planned for the accomodation and eating parts of the trip better by browsing around blogs online.
   
   Like I already mentioned, this DK book is absolutely beautiful and is perfect for tourists who can afford to live the high life. It is also a nice read of the history of the place, the stories behind the national monuments and such. However, this book isn't suitable for travellers who want to be immersed in the culture of the place (even if it's only for a week) or who are on a budget (like me!).

1 comments about Metro Stop Paris: An Underground History of the City of Light.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this unusual volume. I have to preface the review by saying I have zero interest in writers, politicians, and opera personnel, so there were many biographical sketches I skipped over. That doesn't detract from the wonderful historical flow of the essays, organized around Metro stops. Some areas skimp a bit (entire books have been written about Pere-Lechaise for example) while others go on a bit too long. Still, it's like having a personal, well-informed and literate guide leading you from one attraction to another. I read through it in a couple evenings - I suppose that theoretically, it might work best to take along on a trip as you stroll around some of the areas, stop at a park or cafe, and read the associated chapter and appreciate the history you are reading about. Still, I can't imagine doing that.

1 comments about French Country Diary 2009 (Desk Diaries).

1. I absolutely love this beautiful, well-designed calendar. Also, Amazon does a great job!