1 comments about MAJOR AND MRS HOLT'S CONCISE GUIDE WESTERN FRONT SOUTH (Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guides).

1. As usual, the Holt's guidebooks are the gold standard for battlefield travel. This is a more concise guide the the area of the Western front - south, generally covering the Somme down to Verdun/St. Mihael area. Outside of the Somme, this is the lesser travelled area of the battlefields. The book is written from a British perspective, but covers the actions of the French and Americans in detail as well. With not quite as much detail as their earlier books, this still is packed with information. Also, being new, it is more current than "Before Endavours Fade", the classic guide to the area. There is no separate map with this book but detailed maps are shown before each section. In my opinion, the maps are generally the weakest parts of their guides. A good Michelin map is essential for touring. The book is organized around a tour covering a specific battle, which makes it easy if you have particular interest to locate everything worth seeing for that area and avoid information on battles of no interest. I will be taking this book on my April trip through the area. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Paris From Above.

1. I am writing mostly in response to the comments from Dr J E Robinson (Jack in Toronto). I share Jack's general appraisal that this is a "wonderful" book and "the photos are stunning."

   However, I felt that Jack's references to the book's size/length ("short book...not big....all too short") might unduly discourage potential buyers. This is a magnificent book, over-sized, with many double-paged, marginless photographs. The page count, 183, is not great but this is not a "small" book. It comes in on my postal scale at 3 1/2 pounds! I could easily see this book priced at $... As long as Amazon continues to offer it at $..., it is aa terrific value.

   An extra feature of this book that I particularly enjoy is the color, satellite image on the endsheets (front and rear). This is a great image for keeping yourself oriented. I give it an enthusiastic five stars, both in absolute terms, and in acknowledgement of what seems to me an excellent value.




2. Beware, there are two hardcover versions of this book.
   
   A small approximately 5" X 10" 78 pp hardcover edition at half the price of a larger(more pages and larger size) more expensive hardcover version.
   
   I know, I bought the larger more expensive version after buying the smaller version, I knew I had to have the larger one.



3. I loved this book. It is one of my favorites (and I have many) about Paris.



4. The images in this book are first rate and very vivid. Paris is of course a gorgeous city and making her look good is not that difficult, but this book does show her at her best. It's easy to forget at street level how green Paris is and how many parks and private green spaces the city possesses, when viewed for the air you see how brilliant Haussmann, Napoleon III's prefect of the Seine, redesigned the city. It was said he designed the grand boulevard so that the Emperor could easily get troops in in the event of politcal unrest, but whatever the reason it makes for a spectacularly beautiful city. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a love for Paris, and frankly who could not love this singular city.



5. Excellenet book!! Contains pictures of all the known tourists points of the city!!! Perfect pictures!!! Perfect book!!!

1 comments about AA 2008 Road Atlas France (Aa Atlases).

1. I ordered this road atlas to plan a tour of the French pilgrimage routes to Santiago Compostela, particularly those beginning from Vezelay and Le Puy. Plotting 12th century routes using 21st century roads requires considerable detail, and this atlas turned out to be very useful. Even sub-tertiary roads (single lane connectors running between forests and pastures) were accurately drawn. The type-face is clear and legible, even when superimposed on topographical color varations. Also good for finding fuel (coffee and diesel) between cities along France's ever-expanding autoroute system. Printed with a margin in the center of facing pages, to prevent loss of visibility in the fold or (the excellent lay-flat!) spiral binding but place names are often split across the center. One negative: there is very little overlap from one pair of facing pages to the next--in a couple places I could see no overlap whatsoever going above or below the adjacent views.

5 comments about Let's Go Paris 14th Edition (Let's Go Paris).

1. Hey, all,
   So, I agree completely with everyone's cranky reviews of Let's Go: Paris 05. As it turns out, they've completely redone quite a bit for the 07 edition, and I found it quite accessible and useful. They've totally reorganized the Entertainment, Food, and Nightlife sections so that they're all by arrondissement: no more of the idiotic subdivisions. Plus, all the information in the chapter is in a handy table on each chapter's opening page, so you can really do a fast find if you need to.
   
   Plus, the maps have improved tenfold. They've got the "Paris by Arrondissement" map as well as a map that breaks the city down into cultural areas, and ones that highlight suggested itineraries.
   
   Bottom line: 07 is incredible. I've seen Lonely Planet, Frommers, etc., and LG is the way to go.



2. Let's Go Paris 2007 offers a wealth of information! It is easy to use, organized well, and focuses on budget traveling. I found my hotel in the 5eme for only 65 euros a night - thanks Let's Go! It also outlines dangerous areas in Paris, cheap places to drink, and describes sights and musuem by neighborhoods. The maps are great as well. I found it much more useful than Lonely Planet France or Frommer's Paris for budget traveling.



3. I had used one of the "Let's Go" books on a previous trip to Europe (in 2000) and remembered it being informative and helpful for youngish people traveling on a budget, so after quickly looking through guide books at the bookstore I decided to give Let's Go Paris 2007 a shot for my trip to Paris this summer. I soon regretted that decision. Here are my top complaints:
   
   -In general, the information is disjointed and poorly organized. Food, Sights, Museums, Entertainment, Nightlife, Shopping, etc. all have their own categories, which is not helpful when you're in one area, trying to find multiple things to do. I was constantly flipping back and forth between the many sections, and it wasn't always clear where to look. For example, is "Invalides" a "sight" or a "museum"? What about the Pasteur Institute? And where can I eat nearby? Are there other attractions worth visiting near here? Flip, flip, flip. Also, the maps (more on those shortly) are all in the back, in the index. What I wished for, while standing on the street corner trying to hold five pages at once while my husband plotted things on the map (in the Index!), was an all-inclusive section for each arrondissement, with the map of that arrondissement in that section. Another reviewer mentioned that this problem was resolved in the 2007 edition, but my copyright date reads 2007 and the subdivision pest lives on.
   
   -The maps themselves are terrible. They're small, and not in chronological order by arrondissement (it breaks down after the eighth when they go 9th & 18th, 10th, 12th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th), and the map of the 15th was so tiny it was practically useless. On the map of the 20th it actually says, "See Père Lachaise map p. XXX." The page number is listed as XXX. Unbelievable. I was so frustrated that I almost purchased a "Paris Pratique" while I was there.
   
   -At least one restaurant reviewed ("Le 36" in the 8th) did not exist once we walked 45 minutes to get there. That was unpleasant.
   
   -Almost all listed admissions prices were wrong. If it said 6,50 E, we just counted on it being 7,50. It said a carnet of 10 Metro tickets was 9,60. It was 10,80. Again, this was issued in 2007.
   
   -There are things listed in the book that are not in the Index (so it's almost impossible to find them again if you haven't marked the page) and things in the Index that are not in the book.
   
   -While I found the cultural information and historical sections in the beginning to be generally interesting and useful, I was annoyed when trying to figure out postage rates and found the following on p. 48 "...the standard postage system whose rates are listed below," but there was nothing listed below. My husband and I read and reread the section, baffled, and there were no postage rates listed anywhere.
   
   After a week, this book became that unreliable friend that you can no longer trust so you just stop trying. We resorted to looking up restaurants, maps, and attractions on the Internet, but not everyone visiting Paris has easy access to an Internet connection. I'm giving it 2 stars only because some of the information was helpful, but I would strongly advise looking into another guide book. I will not purchase any Let's Go publications again. Ever.



4. This book was my bible for the trip I took to Paris. The pages are so worn and dog-eared and wine-stained, it makes me laugh to look at it. Indispensable if you're making up your own funky itinerary (on a budget!) and looking for your own experience of Paris outside of guided tours and bus trips.



5. I would just like to say, be careful when reading the reviews for this product. I searched for the 2007 (14th) edition of Let's Go: Paris and was presented with ranting reviews from 2005, when the book was not even written. This guide book is great and accurate, and the mistakes in the 2005 book are not applicable to this updated version. Please be aware of when the reviews were written and about which version. I am not sure why they even show up for this book.

3 comments about World Food France (Lonely Planet World Food Guides).

1. On a recent trip to Paris, my father-in-law brought along the dictionary part of this book. A bit excessive, I had thought. However, we used it in just about every restaurant we visited - French, Moroccan, Vietnamese, you name it. It defines every imaginable food and preparation type. The English to French translation is not quite as complete, but it doesn't diminish the book's value. Well worth the money and the trouble carrying it (at least the dictionary section). I'm buying this one and the Italian one for myself.



2. On a recent trip to Paris, my father-in-law brought along the dictionary part of this book. A bit excessive, I had thought. However, we used it in just about every restaurant we visited - French, Moroccan, Vietnamese, you name it. It defines every imaginable food and preparation type. The English to French translation is not quite as complete, but it doesn't diminish the book's value. Well worth the money and the trouble carrying it (at least the dictionary section). I'm buying this one and the Italian one for myself.



3. This book is a wonderful intoduction to different types of cuisine that is avaiable in france. Its real insight to the interesting combinations of food and preparation techniques, not to mention a great cursory intro to the wine regions in France. I would definately recommend this book to the first time novice in French cuisine!

No comments about Paris InsideOut (Insideout City Guide: Paris).

4 comments about Living In Paris (New Edition) (Living In... Series).

1. The photographs within these covers are gorgeous - it's a perfect souvenir of Paris. In fact, if you buy this, you can think about leaving your camera at home. The text, translated from the French (original title 'Art de Vivre a Paris') is a bit gushy, and you might wonder, as I did, how much has indeed been lost in the reinterpretation. Never mind. Living In Paris has been in and out of print, so when it's available, get it! It's still cheaper than taking 5 rolls of your own shots to the Fotomat. And these are the pictures you'll wish you had taken.



2. I'm surprised the other reviewer only gave this 3 stars. I think the photograghy is sumptuous and the text is quite lovely. These are the spots I remember and go back to in my imagination.



3. I bought this book when it first came out, as a friend was leaving that very day to go to Paris. It kept me going until I was able to make my first visit in 2003. I have made two more visits since then.
   
   I still go back to it and tell friends about it. It is one of the best photographed Paris books that I own. It brings you and your armchair right into the best of it...and allows you to savor the beauty. Voila!!!



4. Beautifully illustrated, this book takes you on a well organised journey through the main districts of Paris but also informs on a differnent asthetic level such as the essential spirit of this city as seen through its architecture and its culture. The grande old history from the baroque and ancient regieme onwards is elegantly sought out with a particularly interesting chapter containing old master craftsmen at their trades and where you might find them. This is a book that you can simiply sit down with and devour in a glutonous way. I found this book, when sitting in one of those well heeled, and gracious bookshops, that sell good coffee and deadly cakes! Long story short - Amazon to the rescue and I am now enjoying the glories of it's pages right from my armchair. For anyone who plans to visit Paris (like myself)and/or anyone who loves things of days gone by, and wants to do so in thier mind.... give this a look. It's cheaper than an airfare and nearly as good.

No comments about Working & Living France, 2nd (Working & Living - Cadogan).

5 comments about Paris: The Collected Traveler: An Inspired Anthology and Travel Resource (The Collected Traveler).

1. I always have a difficult time finding a travel guide that I like. Some are little more than lists of monuments and other must-see attractions; some are better catagorized as historical surveys of a place. Very few give me a sense of what a place is actually like - and that is the strength of the Collector Traveler, Paris.

   This guide takes the unusual route of researching previously published articles and stories, colating them into themes, citing references and listing bibliographies. The editor of the guide, Barrie Kerper, is a keen researcher and for the small price of the guide, you can benefit from her efforts. For instance, besides the usual notations of the famous Michilin starred restaraunts of Paris, there are articles here about the best places to buy bread in the neighborhoods, or the best ice cream. The point is, traveling does not have to be about draining your bank account, but about living like the locals, even if only vicariously.

   I am a notorious and obsessive planner; before going on a long-anticipated trip, I start doing my research. I plan site-seeing routes, shopping trips, where to dine, and where to people watch; but what I cannot plan is what the destination will be like, what my response will be to all the scenes around me. The Collected Traveler gives me more insight into the reality of Paris than any I have ever read. And true to form, I am starting to obsess over all the new things I have learned. One thing I know for certain is that this book will travel with me when I go to Paris.




2. This is a fun book, including, as it does, a series of magazine and newspaper articles on different facets of life and/or visiting in Paris. If you're looking for a guidebook, with maps, and lists and descriptions of highlights to see and instructions on how to get there, hours and prices, this is not the book you are looking for. BUT if you want to get more detailed descriptions of what's only touched on in the guidebooks, or reminiscences, personal essays on experiences, and a sense of the actual flavor of the place, then this is the book for you. There are essays on how the French tie their scarves; on the password you need to buy bread in a French bakery (communication gap: there wasn't one); on the history of the city and why it's called the City of Lights; on the carousels that are found everywhere; and on a multitude of other subjects people wanted to discuss. Will the book help you get around the city if you've never been there before? No. Will it give you an idea of what to look for, enjoy and expect? Definitely.

   The one shortcoming I found -- and the reason I've held my rating down to four stars -- is that the book has only a very vague table of contents, and no index. If you want to read about Pere LaChaise Cemetery, for instance, yes, there's an essay in there, but very little help on how to find it in 600 or so pages. The browsing is fine, but if you're looking for something specific, it can be frustrating.




3. I thought this book would be chapter legnth stories by people who visited paris. Instead, it is more like a listing of places to stay, places to eat. There were some essays, most a page or two, but they were not helpful. One example of an essay was a professor from New York who wrote how the French are rude. Another 2 page essay was on "cheap places to eat", but the cheapest resturant was over $75.
   
   I want to enjoy my trip, not start out finding things not to like.



4. If you're looking for a Paris guidebook with detailed maps, walking tours, recommended hotels and restauraunts, museum hours and prices, Metro information, and foolproof directions to Jim Morrison's grave in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, read Rick Steve's trusted, five-star travel guide. But if you're curious why Paris is called "The City of Lights," why poets, philosophers, and politicians have revered the River Seine, where to find the perfect baguette, or why God himself would be perfectly happy living in Paris, read Barrie Kerper's anthology. It reveals why Paris is the ultimate European travel destination, and encourages readers to experience Parisian culture on their own, and immerse themselves in Paris beyond the pages of other best-selling travel guides.
   
   Whether you're a seasoned Francophile or planning your first trip to Paris, this book offers illuminating insights into Parisian culture, history, neighborhoods, personalities, gardens, cemeteries and other monuments, restaurants, bohemian bistros and wine bars that make up the City of Lights.
   
   G. Merritt



5. I really love this book and am reading it right now in preparation for my trip to Paris in a few weeks. I like the fact that it tells so much more than where to eat and what to see. It describes the culture of Paris through stories. I wish there was a book like this for every part of the world.
   
   Enjoy!

5 comments about A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany.

1. My husband and I are very interested in ancient cultures and especially stone circles; this book told us where they were, what to expect to see, and how to get there (which wasn't always very easy!) We were able to pick an area of England with a heavy concentration of good quality circles based on his descriptions and pictures, and with book in hand, see many of the ones we chose. Mr. Burl is kind enough to mention when the going is tough, and he was always right. The only thing that could make this book any more invaluable as a field guide would be inclusion of Surveyor's Maps of the areas...but those can be purchased easily in the countries in question. (Color photos would've been nice, too!) Highly recommended for real trip-planning, or just for inspiration!



2. I recently returned from a vacation over in Ireland/Scotland/Wales where for 4 weeks I and 2 of my friends researched and visited stone circles throughout the Isles. Aubrey Burl definitely has written an essential resource you should pick up if you have the intentions of going to see them. He touches on a great number of "out of the way" stone circles not widely known in areas and gives precise directions on how to get to them. It is almost like a treasure hunt, you never knwo what is around the corner in Aubrey's book! A definite must get for the stone circle enthusiast. Don't even think about putting this book down. Get a map, get this book, and go hunting for these great spiritual centers.



3. I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT! The depth of information is astounding, and I found the the presentation engrossing, the subject fascinating, and the style quite readable---certainly NOT only for students or devotees of archaeology. I can't recommend this one highly enough---it may seem like something of an indulgence for your personal library, but it's worth every penny. Alas, the book is far to heavy to carry about in one's luggage, but I've already marked at least two dozen sites that I want to visit the next time I cross the Atlantic. In the meantime, settle back in a comfortable chair and get ready to cast your mind back a couple of millenia...



4. Aubrey Burl's previous works were showing a wee bit of dating. As carbon dating become more accurate, you are seeing these ancient rings grow older in age instead of younger as they anticipated. While Burl's previous works were amazing, this long awaited "update" of this information, as well as addition information on more recent excavations make this is must. Yes, it expensive. But it's worth every penny. There are new insight in the the purpose of the rings of stone, a new interpretation of Calanais (sorry, as a Scot I refuse to call it Callanish!) and Stonehenge
   
   The beautiful book is loaded with hundreds of photos, explores the ancestry, methods of construction and why they were abandoned after thousands of years of use.
   
   Marvelous work made even better by bringing the information up to date.



5. Just what it says on the box - an excellent reference, whether planning your trip or on the road. Complete with location maps and National Grid references.