2 comments about Ireland.

1. This is must have photography book on Ireland. The images jump out at you. This has to be the most lavish book published on this magical place.



2. This is a splendid coffee table book on Ireland and the Irish. The photography is exceptional and captures much of the essence of Ireland and her people.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Russian Language Life and Culture.

1. I am a writer and I could have written this book in fifteen minutes using a Collier's Encyclopedia. It is terrible. Pay attention to the title that says teach yourself Russian CULTURE and HISTORY because it has nothing to do with teaching yourself Russian or Ukrainian. The book basically begins with an encyclopedia article on Ivan the Terrible and ends with an encyclopedia article on Boris Yeltsin. That's not Russian, that's not Ukrainian- it's nothing you didn't already know by spending a half an hour on the internet. Do Not Buy This Book!



2. The previous reviewer of this books gets it completely wrong - their lack of credentials to write a review is shown by their failure to appreciate the fact that Russian and Ukrainian are separate languages. This book is about Russian life and culture, and is NOT a language textbook. And excuse me, the whole point is you CAN'T find a summary of such a wide range of topics as covered in this book on any internet site or indeed any other book I can think of, hence the value of this book (as recognised by schools, universities and individual customers of the book in the UK). Take a look at the reviews on the amazon UK site, in the journal of the Russian teachers of the UK (Rusistika).



3. As a Russian studying in the UK, I am often asked a lot of questions about Russia by my British and iternational friends. Very often I did not have the answers! So, I was actually looking for a suitable source on Russia. This excellent book is the best of this kind - it manages to compress a great deal of information and insights about all aspects of Russian life into just some 250 pages. It is refreshingly free of the usual stereotypes about Russia, but is still realistic. So, for a taste of what Russia is, I can certainly recommend this book.



4. I wish I had had this book when I was teaching Russian culture, in its broadest sense, in UK universities. Most students took up the subject on entering the university and therefore had no grounding in it at all. This book, rightly, assumes zero knowledge on the part of the reader, yet manages not to assume a condescending tone. On the contrary it is readable, up-to-date, informative and interesting. Even an old Russia hand like myself learned a great deal from it. The fact that one of the authors is Russian, the other English, gives them a particularly broad insight into their subject.



5. this book does what it advertises, a consise discussion of cultural scene from historical context to present, very pleased;
   ñïàñèáî for giving me everything in one volume, clear and full overview of most aspects of Russian lifestlye, great starting point

1 comments about A Day in the Life of Ireland: Photographed by 75 of the World's Leading Photojournalists on One Day, May 17, 1991 (Day in the Life).

1. If you like anything and everything about Ireland, this book is an excellant addition to your collection. In the tradition of "Day in the Life of ...." books, this book is is a beautiful photographic montage of a culture and a people that has fascinated the world for centuries. You open the book to dawn of May 17, 1991 and enter the daily world of the lives of rural and city people throughout Ireland. Of parents getting ready for the workday, trying to get their kids off to school and the day off to a good start. The book travels through the day from dawn to dusk, unfolding the world of the Irish people and showing the Universal common thread of people around the world trying to live their lives and do an honest day's work. This book is a beautiful montage of color, humor and life and makes a excellant addition to the "Day in the Life..." books that been published in the past decade. Also a side note: The same time the publishers were organizing and executing the book, they also documented the work with a filmed documentary of the "Day in the Life of Ireland" for PBS. If you find a copy of this video, it will make a great companion to the book. You will take a great voyage as you journey through the book. Bon Voyage and Slainte!

No comments about Living in Ireland (Jumbo).

2 comments about Cold War Holidays: American Tourism in France (The New Cold War History).

1. Before reading Cold War Holidays, I had little appreciation for the symbolism and historical significance of American travelers taking off from Washington's Dulles International Airport and landing at Paris' Charles DeGaulle. Exploring the concept of "consumer diplomacy" from the 1940s to the 1970s, Christopher Endy uses tourism to argue that the Cold War and globalization are not two distinct eras, but interrelated forces that shaped the world in the second half of the twentieth century. This insight makes Cold War Holidays an important text for students of American foreign policy and global studies.

   But what makes this book fun as well as academically groundbreaking is Endy's ear for the conversations that take place not only at the State Department or embassies, but also street-side cafés and hotel bars, where everyday Americans and Europeans hashed out international relations and national identities. Though John F. Kennedy asked his generation to do their patriotic duty and support US foreign policy by joining the Peace Corps, Endy shows that American tourists were even more important ambassadors than their compatriots who became idealistic volunteers or slick diplomats. Perhaps if Kennedy could have read this book, he would have said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask where you can vacation for your country."




2. When I was in school we had to slog through textbooks that were written by professors for professors. The idea that a book ought to be entertaining and fun to read was not ever considered. It seemed that for a book to be acceptable to the professoriate it had to be written in a turgid style with an absolute absence of humor or personal wit.
   
   This is not the case with Endy's book, which is both scholarly and hugely entertaining. I would recommend its adoption as a reader in courses in political science and diplomatic history. At the same time, it can be an engaging read for anyone interested in the aftermath of WWII and the reconstruction of Europe.

No comments about Lithuania: The Rebel Nation (Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics).

No comments about Europe's Wonderful Little Hotels and Inns 2004: Great Britain and Ireland (Good Hotel Guide Great Britain and Ireland).

3 comments about Ireland, a Bicycle and a Tin Whistle.

1. I've been to Ireland twice and when I go I never have a hotel reservation, a set itinerary or a care in the world. I immerse myself in the culture and people of Ireland and go where the locals/journey takes me.

   Before I go I like to read about similar journeys through the greatest country on the planet. Mr. Wilson has captured what it's like to travel through the countryside, cities and coastal villages of Ireland. It's not just the scenery that endears people to the emerald isle... it's the people, their sense of humor, outlook on life and how they spend their day.

   If you want a book that puts you in the middle of an Irish pub with a "three-pint-buzz", listening to traditional music with perma-grin on your face... then grab Mr. Wilson's tale of his Irish Journey. A great read for the plane ride over.




2. Lucky for us, Mr. Wilson stops drinking enough for most of the trip to tell us of his musical journey round the coast of Ireland. He writes well and integrates some Irish history into his personal experiences. Best of all he seems to hit all the musical hotspots on the west coast from Donegal, where he hears Altan, past Sligo and Westport and Matt Molloy's pub to Clifden, where he hears Kevin Burke and Andy Irvine in a pub session, down the coast to the once wonderful Doolin where he hears a loser singing James Taylor songs, then on to the traditional music mecca of Miltown Malbay and the Willie Clancy festival. His descriptions of sessions are great and he knows his tunes. He works in some history of Irish music as he pedals his bike through potholes, up hills in blasting rain, and across sunny vistas. There's some laugh out loud humor but he doesn't imitate the Dave Barry style (as in McCarthy's Bar). Too often he descends into drunken oblivion and tells us all about it, as if to make sure we appreciate the truth behind the stereotype of the drunken Irish. Minus a star for the hangovers.



3. "Cycling around Ireland in search of traditional music, David Wilson follows the coastline from Presbyterian Islandmagee to Gaelic Cape Clear and back up north from Dublin to Belfast. Ireland, a Bicycle, and a Tin Whistle takes us on a journey across wild open spaces and through crowded pubs and festivals that pulse with energy and life. This is the Ireland of... More fiddles, harps, and flutes, butterflies on bog roads, Country-and-Irish songs, Ulster Fries, storytelling, yarnspinning, and jigs and reels to the crack of dawn. As he travels through the North, Wilson gets beneath the surface to portray both the tragedy and comedy of everyday life inside the Protestant and Catholic communities. Aware of the polarized image that each side has of the other, he emphasizes the importance of finding common ground and asserting the middle against the extremes. Just as traditional Irish music is characterized by ornamentations and elaborations on a melodic theme, Ireland, a Bicycle, and a Tin Whistle is full of variations and wanderings on the theme of the trip itself. And just as traditional Irish musicians will follow a sad slow air with a lively foot-tapping reel, Wilson's mood ranges from the nostalgic and reflective to the irreverent and mischievous. If there is a lament in one ear, there is always a song in the other." (review from MSN Shopping site)
   
   "Ireland, a Bicycle and a Tin Whistle is part travelogue, part social commentary, with a bit of history, a lot of Irish character and a strong thread of music running throughout. Wilson's colorful, descriptive prose at times approaches poetry in its style. Read this book for a real slice of Irish culture; it will sharpen your desire to see Ireland and its people for yourself, or it will bring your own memories of Ireland into distinct and vivid focus.
   Whether or not you've been to Ireland, whether or not you ever plan to go, you could do much worse for yourself than to see it through Wilson's eyes." (review from Rambles - A Cultural Arts Magazine)

No comments about Insight Guides Best Hotels Great Britain & Ireland: Including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man: With HotelClub Card (Insight Guides Best Hotels).

No comments about Ireland (Michelin National Maps).