3 comments about Giotto to Durer: Early Renaissance Painting in the National Gallery (National Gallery London Publications).

1. We are used to looking at "old Master" painting as if it were just a matter of style, but the truth is that Renaissance art was in important respects the product of a revolution in the use of binding media (water and egg yolk for tempera; oils) for pigments, and in the prepared surfaces (wood panels, paper, canvas) to which these pigments were applied. This wonderfully illustrated book distills the knowledge gained by the restorers of the National Gallery in London, from decades of well-documented, cutting-edge restorations of the outstanding Italian and northern European Old Master paintings in their care. It is much, much more than a technical handbook. Historical essays cover the categories of Renaissance painting, 1300 to 1500, and their many uses, while the second half of the book is an informative catalogue (with gorgeous color reproductions) of individual paintings by many of the best-known Renaissance artists (Botticelli, Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer, to name the most obvious).



2. This is a beautiful, sumptuous book, crammed with detail and excellent colour reproductions. Other readers mightn't go for all the technical information but I can't get enough of it. I also prefer the discussions of individual works which occupy a large part of this volume -- its companion, 'Dürer to Veronese', takes a more synoptic view, which tends to obscure the fact that these are surveys of a collection.
   
   That's my only quibble, and it isn't really with the book, which is about as accomplished at it could be -- so good, in fact, that it's tempting to read it as a textbook of the whole period. Much of the material is of general relevance, of course; but don't forget that many of the major works from this period aren't in galleries at all: they're still in the places they were meant to be.



3. I'm a real art geek, and I've read a lot of books on this subject. This is one of the best. It provides a wonderful review of paintings and how they were made in Western Europe before the 16th century. This was a time of great transition in style, subject matter, and materials. This was when oil painting transitioned from an ancillary medium, believed useful for a few minor aspects of a painting, to the primary means of making visual art. This book lays it all out in ways that are accessible, yet thorough. If you are going to get one book about Renaissance painting, get this one.

No comments about Eastern Europe: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

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

1. Great book for sightseeing and understanding history. Would be a perfect book if a bit more info on dining and shopping was added.



2. Like other Rough Guides, this book excels in its depth and breadth of coverage - if a town isn't covered, it does not have very much for the tourist. However, I was very disappointed by the out-of-date price information found in this ostensibly brand-new guide. While I don't expect guidebooks to be perfect, it became obvious that they had not contacted many of the bed and breakfasts they list for many years, as rates I was quoted were often almost twice as much as the Rough Guide price! In a couple of cases, the proprietor was no longer doing B&B, and had not been doing so for several years! So buy the Rough Guide for its detailed site information, but look elsewhere if you need accomodation advice.



3. After travelling in Europe with the Lonely Planet guides for Paris and Barcelona, I found this guide somewhat more difficult to navigate. However, I suppose you must consider that the city guides will generally be more detailed than those for an entire country.
   
   Although the guide gives a wealth of attractions, restaurants, and sleeping options for the various regions, I found it a bit lacking in maps and "how to get there" information. In addition, I would have liked it if the author had included a more website references. Finally, for some of the hotel and restaurant options, it would have been nice if there was some system used to denote how cheap or expensive a place was.
   
   If you plan on using this book as your primary reference for your visit to Wales, I highly recommend purchasing a good map and plan on doing a lot of driving.



4. The 2006 "Rough Guide to Wales" features a part of Great Britain generally off the beaten track for most tourists coming from the United States. Although a small component part of the United Kingdom, Wales has fiercely maintained its independent character over the centuries. Travelers will find a geographically varied region celebrating its Celtic origins while welcoming tourists.
   
   The Rough Guide to Wales combines vital visitor information, maps, graphics, and photographs in a compact format, along with the expected Rough Guide opinions on where to go and what to see. Wales offers some dramatic shoreline and equally dramatic hill country in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. Wales also features an excellent selection of castles, many in good repair and most open to the public. If some popular areas, especially along the seacoast, have become overrun with caravan (trailer) parks, other parts are relatively uncluttered and offer spectacular attractions. Wales has been a tourist destination for the British for many years and the infrastructure for accomodations, eating, and traveling are both well-developed and offer options across a broad price range.
   
   The Rough Guide breaks down Wales into seven geographic regions in order to address to address the principal attractions, accomodation, and information on how to get around. Website addresses are generously included for those needing additional information about hours, rates, and times of specific facilities. The last portion of the guide features some interesting narrative essays on the history of Wales, its modern sense of nationalism, its natural history, and its music and other cultural attractions.
   
   This guide is highly recommended to visitors to Wales. Coupled with the appropriate Ordnance Survey maps, the guide should be a very sufficient planning resource for most vacations.



5. I ordered this book a few weeks ago and was absolutely thrilled to finally receive it! I was so discouraged that most book stores don't carry Welsh travel guides. This guide did not disappoint at all! The two authors are very thorough and divide the guide into the following sections:
   
   - Colour (as the Brits say) gives the reader a feel for Wales. They describe various events throughout the year (like the Dylan Thomas festival, great places outdoors for hiking, cragging) and where to go, how to get there.
   - Guide describes the various cities in North Wales and South Wales in depth. Each section has a map and lists most restaurants, prices, and local cuisine and venues to try out.
   - context describes the history, culture, music, literature, films, books, and enough Welsh to get the reader by.
   I'll be going to Swansea, which is by Cardiff, and I imagine I'll be exploring that town greatly! I am interested in finding many different castles in the surrounding areas too and the guide points out where they are and the best means to get there.
   I think perhaps the only thing I would have liked more is more color photographs. But other than that, it's a very functional and easy guide book to use.

2 comments about Prague Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay).

1. I cannot tell you how happy i was after looking through this book. I have been to Prague and loved it. This book made me fall in love with it all over again. The photoes are excellent and the text is informative with being over the top. I cannot recommend this enough to people that have been here and i cant tell you (if you have never been to Prague) how much you will want to go after reading this book.
   Everyone says how great this place is and I can assure you, no matter how much they build it up, it will not dissappoint.



2. As a resident of Prague for many years, this book won me over as a rare find, especially for non-Czech speakers. The writer has obviously invested quite a lot of research, and the text is a pleasure to read: informative and interesting, combining insights of social and political transformations with a keen appreciation for architectural details. The well-selected images cover a wide span of the city, from the much-touted tourist favorites to equally significant sites off the beaten track. I found myself looking with renewed interest upon places I had passed often and typically taken for granted in this city of wonders. Whether you are a long-time resident or first time visitor, this book will be an invaluable guide to revealing one of Europe's most fascinating capitals through an informed historical perspective.

No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Reykjavik (Wallpaper City Guides) (Wallpaper City Guides).

No comments about The Way of Saint James: Pyrenees-Santiago-Finisterre (Cicerone International Walking).

No comments about Viajes por Europa, África y América 1845-1847 (Viajes).

No comments about AAA 2008 Europe Road Atlas (Aaa Europe Road Atlas).

No comments about The Oxford Guide to Literary Britain and Ireland.

1 comments about For the Love of Ireland: A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers.

1. This is a brilliant book!!! I take one exception Annie Murphy's father was a surgeon in Who's Who,one of 1st 100 to pass the American Board of Surgery. He was brought up by a immigrant German mother who shaped his life. Throughout his adult life he fought for birth control and divorce in his diocese. He brought his children up to believe in Buddishm, Zen etc., if they found the Catholic Church too restrictive. They were not lace curtain Irish, he was a Jazz Musician, a poet and a physician. Our German Grandmother told us of the great and powerful Germany, she simply shook her head at the Irish. Ireland has birth control and divorce, isn't that nice Ms. Cahill? I believe it was greatly assisted by a journey which began on Lonetown Road, up a windy path on 55 sprawling acres in the middle of an idyllic historic New England homestead, with a German Grandmother drilling into our heads that the Church was "mad".....My father brought forth his wife's cousins' story "On the Waterfront", which later was turned into an Academy Award winning film. He was a raw, 6ft6 brilliant, wicked, funny, , complex human being who sought out many gods and universes. Perhaps it was just reincarnation playing out between Annie and the Bishop, rather like unfinished business? St. Theresa said "The Light" was to die for, I'll second that......