1 comments about Lisbon: City of the Sea: A History.

1. I haven't been to Lisbon but having read this lovely book, I'm really interested to go. I had no idea that Lisbon was so cosmopolitan even hundreds of years ago when most European cities were still quite insular. Malcolm Jack draws on a huge amount of research to bring human stories to life; one identifies easily with the main players of each era. He also orders the book in a very logical manner which helps bring each stage of the city's development (and destruction by earthquake) into clear focus.
   
   I'd recommend this book to anyone who knows and loves Lisbon, and to those people like me who haven't been but love cities with history and passion.

1 comments about The Fields of Athenry: A Journey through Ireland.

1. "In The Fields of Athenry, James Charles Roy leads us through the Irish past and present by way of his own personal struggles and misadventures in renovating Moyode Castle, an old tower house that he purchased more than thirty years ago. While he pieces together its four-hundred-year-old past, the castle becomes a powerful symbol for Roy - it is battered by waves of history, yet timeless and resilient. Roy's personal struggles with the land and its people open for him a wide-ranging historical conversation on Ireland today and our sense of history more broadly. How do we reconcile the historical nostalgia attached to Ireland with the boom times that the "Celtic Tiger" enjoys today? With this question in mind, Roy searches for the answer of what attracts us - or, perhaps more aptly, him - to the rubble of a castle from Irish days long past." (review from the Aho.org website)

1 comments about Prague: The Turbulent Century.

1. This is one of those books that you really have to hold in your hands to appreciate its qualities. It's worth at least the twenty dollars it costs on the basis of its quality paper and binding, but beyond that it represents a really remarkable and unique illustrated guide to the history of 20th century Czechoslovakia (now, The Czech Republic) as exemplified by the history of modern Prague. I own several books on Prague and Czech history and I've been there a few times, but this volume contains illustrations I've seen nowhere else. Examples include candid and fascinating pictures of late-imperial Prague, pictures made at the time of Czech independence from the crumbling Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918, along with many from the inter-war era and long night of Nazi occupation and Soviet domination, and 1989's "Velvet Revolution". Throughout the book the historical narrative and mostly black-and-white photography is augmented and considerably enriched by hundreds of full-color illustrations, including historical documents, advertising, and other artifacts. The book's few weaknesses include an evident lack of editorial discipline in the presentation of some of the material, and minor problems with the narrative text that I would describe as "mischaracterizations" rather than "inaccuracies". I also noted a few inconsistencies between the languages of the narrative (each block of text is presented in English, German, and French). But these are insignificant quibbles next to the great wealth of wonderful things this book offers. It is a small triumph of social and political history, photojournalism, graphic design, and production values, and it's difficult to drop it into a single category. I highly recommend it to those interested in Czech/European history, art, architecture, and design. And if you are planning to visit Prague, along with exposure to the vast, rich universe of Czech art, literature, music and film, and the also-excellent Knopf Guides series' Prague volume (which you should by all means bring with you), this book will provide you with an excellent context-setting overview of a remarkable city.

3 comments about Budapest Diary: In Search of the Motherbook (Texts and Contexts).

1. This is a book exploring the author's search for a childhood identity forged in Hungary in the shadow of the Holocaust and her family's subsequent emigration to the USA. For many complex reasons, childhood issues had not been addressed for much of the author's adult life. The book is a wonderfully evocative memoir of childhood, a search for a national identity and an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the sense of alienation felt by those with the immigrant experience. It is set in the background of the diary written by the author while she lived and worked in Budapest in an academic capacity. As she explores the issues around Hungary's newly found freedoms in the 1990s, she examines them in the context of the uglier aspects of Hungarian and European nationalism which had decimated Hungarian Jewry. Although told from the Jewish viewpoint, it has broad appeal and addresses many important aspects of the human condition.

   The author's considerable literary ability (she is professor of Romance Languages at Harvard) is evident in the exquisitely sensitive descriptions of events and emotions from both a child's and adult's viewpoint. She seems to have learnt well from the authors on whom she has based her distinguished career. Emotions leap at the reader from every page, often rapidly traversing the spectrum of joy, sadness, longing, confusion and humor. At all times there is a strong prevailing sense of the author's awareness of how her uniquely Hungarian Jewish background profoundly influenced every important outcome of her life and her world outlook.

   The dilemma of being an outsider, yet identifying culturally and nationally with a sovereign state is well known to many Jews and constitutes the fundamental European Jewish experience. Many of those (myself included) who underwent this in repressive political systems fled to the western world and became very successful and yet experienced a sense of national and cultural alienation in their adopted societies.

   Despite addressing emotionally charged, controversial and sometimes uncomfortable subjects, there is always a sense of lightness and what is almost playfulness. Not all issues are serious and there is one hilarious description of Hungarian toilets, which every Westerner must have felt (if not voiced) upon their initial experience with these dreadfully designed pieces of porcelainware.

   Although an emotionally charged book, it never descends into unrealistic sentimentalism - the message seems to be that no matter what we do with our lives, where we come from has a profound effect on who we are and how we see the events around us. Acknowledging this can be liberating.




2. It's in no way clear what any of this has to do with scholarship, either on the level of literature, history, or autobiography. Suleiman is clearly her own biggest fan, and the book does nothing but detail her personal celebration of herself. It is, for example, in no way clear what her name-dropping accounts of dinner parties and non-attended talks is supposed to signify within the context of serious, reflective scholarship. If you're sitting a qualfiying exam anytime soon for a degree in Susan Suleimanism, by all means read this book, but it is a waste of time for anyone else. Let's hope this volume sounds a death knell for academic self-aggrandizement: come back to earth Ms. Suleiman.



3. Further up "A reader from Cambridge" proved that he did not understand nothing at all. It's just for this guy that I do have to explain, that this book has nothing got to do with scholarships or so. It's hard to belive that he did not find out while reading the book to its end. He or she however seemed to have noticed in the end that he or she might blame himself or herself and therefore missed to leave the full name.

   For the rest of the world I would like to say that this is not big literature, but an important book. Once individuals stop to be interested to investigate in their history and to try to understand what was happening when and why, we will loose a chance to prevent dark parts of human history from coming back. This is why this book has a right to exist and this is what we can learn from it. It gives us an example for ourselves. And Suleiman does not celebrate herself, as her critic says, but gives us an unproctected view into her feelings. This makes her vulnerable and the "reader from Cambridge" takes his freedom to eagerly touch her wounds.

   I say it very clearly: Books like Suleiman's help to make sure that "readers from Cambridge MA" buy a book about the Iraque war the other day and complain that it is not really on the oil business.

No comments about Florence: A Literary Companion.

1 comments about Stones of Aran: Labyrinth (Stones of Aran).

1. this wonderfully rich book and its companion volume (Pilgrimage) densely cover so many fascinating aspects of the aran islands with a sensitive and philosophical approach, from it's geology and botany to its architecture, mythology, history and folklore.
   Highly recommended for those who savor reading!

No comments about Three Voyages.

No comments about Across the Lines: Travel Language and Translation.

5 comments about Culture Shock! Ireland (Culture Shock! Guides).

1. This book is a wonderful preliminary to any first-time excursion to Ireland, as well as a concise compendium of everything Irish. Not a tour-guide; it delves into cultural issues, Ireland's history (up to and including the 1998 Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, which, unfortunately will require a whole new chapter as of today's writing), political faces and national celebrities,interacting with the locals, pub life, key Gaelic phrases, and basically, how to navigate without looking like a total tourist.

   I highly recommend this to anyone interested in an introduction to Irish history and current issues, and to anyone who is going to Ireland for the very first time.




2. If you think of green beer, shamrocks and leprechauns when someone says "Ireland" then this is a book for you.

   Different from a travel guide, this book will help a new Eire inductee gain insight to Ireland and the Irish people themselves whether you are there for vacation, business trip or school. Especially good is the section about Irish history, the people involved in the making of that history and the important player's in making peace in Northern Ireland. Having said that, this book is badly in need of an update since it stops just after the 1998 Peace Agreement was reached. It also helps you to understand where each side is coming from and how not to make conversation faux pas when discussing the often sensitive issue of The Troubles.

   The book is great for an overall feel of Ireland's culture but it's not for those who have had much exposure already. Having gone on several trips to Ireland and knowing many native Irish individuals personaly, I found much of the book to be too basic. However I still was still entertained and learned bit more about the Irish in general. I wish I had read it before my first trip; it would have helped me to understand and appreciate the island more at that time.




3. It was delivered fast and it was brand new. I loved it!



4. Provides very useful insights to the Irish culture, especially the more rural regions. A must read to understand how best to get along with the locals. Relatively short and easy to read.



5. an excellent resource for planning a trip to Ireland or just learning more about Ireland!

1 comments about Private Ireland: Irish Living & Irish Style Today.

1. "Private Ireland" is a wonderful book that is full of beautiful photos and information about a fascinating country, namely Ireland. Not only do you get history, you get today's furnishings with lots of information. Planning a trip to Ireland? Read this book. Want information? Read this book. It is not a travelor's book, rather, it is a wonderful way to get a romantic view of different spaces and decorating. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a glimpse of real-life Ireland.