1 comments about Village Walks: Ireland: 50 Adventures on Foot (City Walks).

1. I got these today in preparation for leading a group to Ireland soon. I've spent quite a lot of time there, so I recognize most of the places shown on these cards, and know the history of many of them. The maps are very clear and the information about the notated places seems to be accurate, if not terribly detailed. The walks are short, not hours treking overland, but quick tours of the cities and principal towns of Ireland. These will be fun for anyone taking a self-directed tour around Ireland.

5 comments about Notes from a Spinning Planet--Ireland (Notes from a Spinning Planet).

1. I picked up this book because of my love of all things Irish. I really appreciate the insider look at traveling the Emerald Isle. It's a light read, perfect for the age it's targeted for. I didn't find the book too suspenseful--it was easy for me to see where it was headed--but it was well written and fun. I had a hard time believing Carlson was not 19; she nailed the young person's thoughts and mannerisms, I thought.
   
   One thing that got old as I was reading was Maddie's annoyance with people drinking Guinness in Irish pubs. The lesson was, I think, that it's not a bad thing if not done in excess. But I got the point after the first couple of pubs. It got old after that. Also, I would have liked more exploration into the Catholic-Protestant conflict, but then again, this is a book for kids, so the light touch on that was probably enough.
   
   Still, it's a good book for young people and a good look for anyone who wants to have a glimpse at Ireland today.
   
   Cindy Thomson, author of Brigid of Ireland



2. Nineteen year old Maddie is traveling to Ireland with her Aunt Sid and Ryan, her aunt's godson. Her aunt is researching the peace camps affected by the Irish conflict with the Protestants and the Catholics. Meanwhile Maddie and Ryan explore the Irish countryside and discover the beautiful country while learning about the people and the culture. While there Ryan discovers his Irish roots and the story about his father and mother. Maddie and him then discover the truth about the IRA bomb that killed his father and what really happened to the man Sid loved.
   
   I have always wanted to visit Ireland. I really want to see the green hills and listen to bagpipes and see the sheep. In fact I've already made plans to go to Ireland for my honeymoon one day. Heh. Reading this book was like taking the trip from my armchair. I learned lots about the culture and the people from reading. Little tidbits like stores not having bottled water or biking tours made the book more authentic like a guidebook. I learned quite a bit from reading this book about the IRA. I always used to get them confused with the IRS. This book made me understand more about what the conflict is going on in that country and how religion is a big factor in the fighting. It was sad to read about all those affected by the fighting. I also appreciated how the situation with drinking was portrayed. I understand how Maddie felt about seeing Ryan and her aunt drinking and being uncomfortable. But I also liked it how Maddie had to struggle with trying to explain why just having one drink is wrong. No one ever forced her to drink a beer, she did it on her own and then found out she didn't like it. I could have told Maddie that Guinness is horrible tasting, exactly how she described it! Drinking is not promoted in this book at all, it just gives a view that maybe as Christians we should find out why we say no to something before condemning others. I really enjoyed reading this book. It definitely makes me want to go to Ireland now more than ever. Teens will really enjoy reading this series.



3. Maddie's trip to Ireland with her aunt was a fun read and a mini-history lesson. I always knew Ireland had a rich history and without being dull, Maddie and the characters bring it to life



4. This book is somewhat poorly written, with nearly every line of dialogue containing the word "cool." But the worst part is that it is a Christian book that hides this fact by not mentioning it anywhere in the book description. If you're not interested in a thinly-disguised book of proselytizing, stay away from this book!



5. Okay, so I will be completely honest, I got this as a library book and I did not see the little taggy thing on the side that said 'Christian' until half way through the book so at first I was a little bit creeped out by this girl who kept saying all these things like I don't do that because I'm Christian. Personally I get mad when people try to push their religion on you but thats okay. Now on with my real review instead of a rant. I loved this book despite what I just said those comments were very limited and I don't really read christian type books but this one was just amazing!! It really gets into the history of Ireland's Catholic/Protestant troubles. It has a few plot twists and some obvious character hook-ups(ish). But I loved this book and I can't wait to read the next two.

2 comments about In Search of the Craic: One Man's Pub Crawl Through Irish Music.

1. Like most pub "sessions" in Ireland, this book doesn't offer a flawless performance, but it is still good craic. And, like a good session, it leaves you wanting more.
   
   People unfamiliar with the Irish traditional music scene, however, might find the book's references too obscure to be of interest, since reading about music you haven't heard must be like listening to someone describe what a slow pour pint of Guinness tastes like, when you've never had the pleasure of drinking one yourself.
   
   But anyone who has traveled Ireland and checked out a pub or two in search of traditional Irish music will enjoy the vicarious pleasure of following along with Colin Irwin on his quest. His interviews along the way with some of the leading figures in Irish music are one of the best parts of the book. Hearing Liam Clancy talk about his conversation with Shane MacGowan, bad boy of The Pogues, was priceless. Also funny was Irwin's own discomfort at being face to face with Clancy -- after a jouralistic career in which he had often mocked the trailblazing Clancy Brothers for their Aran-sweater-Oirish act that today seems over-the-top. Just as rewarding was seeing how unbothered Clancy was by the criticism.



2. My only regret about this book is that I didn't find it before I went to Ireland in 2005 in search of "the music". While my daughter and I did find lots of great traditional music in Cork, Galway, Dublin and other places, Mr. Irwin's book provides as close as you can get to a guide to something as fluid and out of the spotlight as Irish session music and musicians. In the guise of a funny (and it truly is funny) series of musings, Mr. Irwin manages to put together a non-academic, but relatively exhaustive overview of the development and then current state of Irish traditional music. His biases are laid out clearly, many times to be auto-debunked as his travels open his eyes to the precursors of his heroes of the '70's and '80's, like Planxty, Bothy Band, etc. Mr. Irwin's research would be of great benefit to anyone traveling to Ireland for the music, or just interested in Irish traditional music.

5 comments about Frommer's Ireland 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1. Best guide to Ireland I've used so far. I found it was more honest and less PR sounding than many guides, which can sound like they're written by a tourist board. Quality of writing excellent, information exhaustive and comprehensive. Does a good job of listing a range of what's available for differnt budgets too, in terms of hotels and so forth, which I found particularly useful given how expensive visiting Ireland (and Europe in general) has become!



2. I bought two books before my trip, this one and the Eyewitness Guide. I found the Eyewitness Guide the best book to read before I left and on the trip I referred to my Frommer's time and time again. It's just a bigger, more comprehensive book. We traveled over 1800k in the two weeks we were there and visited just about every corner of the country and found the Frommer recommendations helpful and accurate.



3. Frommer's guides are so helpful when traveling, so I looked for their Ireland book on Amazon right away when we were planning our trip. We had already booked our stay at the Knockranny Lodge in Westport, and were looking for the best restaurants and sightseeing advice. This book has it! Frommer's even includes a tear-out map of Ireland/Dublin so you can put it in your pocket and walk around Dublin without carrying around the heavier Frommer's book. The Dublin street layouts were helpful in finding the Guiness Factory and Thomas Reed's pub.



4. We purchased several guides for Ireland and this one seems to be the best one for planning a trip and learning more about the country. Frommer's did a good job on this one.



5. I purchased Frommer's Ireland and Rick Steves' Ireland for a trip last year. You can always depend on Frommer's guides to be accurate. However, if you want to experience something other than the
   ordinary tourist-type attractions with a bit more budget in mind, Steves' will take you there.

5 comments about Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life.

1. This book was recommended to me as excellent reading about the Troubles, particularly for Americans. I whole-heartedly agree; it is all that and more. Conroy does describe the daily workings of life in Northern Ireland but he also tackles the prejudices and ignorance of Americans (and the U.S. government) when it comes to the political climate in Northern Ireland. He pulls no punches and sugar-coats no issues. He explicates the situation as he sees it and is not afraid to indict those who turn blind eyes. The version I read was older so I have not yet seen the updated book that includes information on semi-recent IRA ceasefires. But I do think many of Conroy's observations are still applicable, changes in administration notwithstanding. He describes the intolerant view towards Sinn Fein taken by the American government in the 80s and the biased, oversimplified treatment of the Troubles by the American media. Indeed as Conroy notes it has not been hard to sell the British point-of-view to American audiences but what of the counterpoint? When do proponents of the other side get a chance? Conroy also concludes that for as long as Northern Ireland remains a British enclave, continued violence is guaranteed. For that reason alone, Americans owe it to themselves to read _Belfast Diary_.



2. of what it is like to live, work and experience the turmoil of "The Troubles." Conroy covered the Troubles the right way...he went in and lived among the people in Belfast instead of swooping in for drive-by interviews like too many journalists have done in the past. He also manages to convey what he experienced while maintaining objectivity...this skill when dealing with terrorist and paramilitary violence is something writers covering the "War on Terror" these days could learn from. Required reading for anybody interested in Northern Ireland, its history and how to possibly make a better future in that wartorn nation...



3. I really enjoyed this book. I thought that Conroy did a great job putting the 'Troubles' in Belfast into perspective from an American living in the midst of it all. Having visted the area that he writes of brought back memories. I referred to his map at least 50 times during my reading of the book to recall the streets that I walked in relation to where he wrote the book and spent his time in Belfast. I highly recommend this book.



4. Not only do I admire John Conroy's writing, but I admire his courage to put himself right in the middle of 'the troubles' just to get the story right. It would one thing if Conroy was a Belfast resident and was just reporting on his day to day life, but he is not. He is an American who more or less stumbled upon this assignment and saw it through.
   
   It struck me a few times in the book just how close Conroy was coming to being killed in a place where death is a way of life. He is to be commended for this and we owe a debt of gratitude for making this sacrifice just so we could get a look right from the belly of the beast.



5. John Conroy performed a courageous feat of journalism with this book. As an American writer he put himself in the midst of the conflict and in incredible danger at times to capture the true picture of Belfast in the 80's. The stories of the people he encountered and the tough environment he experienced and witnessed is indispensible reading for anyone who wants to understand what the conflict was all about at the street level.
   While Belfast seems to be enjoying more peaceful times at the moment this book is a reminder of just how volatile a political climate there is and provides the reader with a much fuller understanding of the how , the why and major developments in the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

5 comments about Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness.

1. A friend of mine tipped me to a book that immediately caught my interest... Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness by Evan McHugh. Having spent a little time in Ireland for a software conference, I find myself drawn to the country, people, and customs. Evan McHugh made me feel like I was right back there. And I haven't read something this funny in quite awhile...
   
   Contents: The first round; Dublin on tap; Beer and politics; Blood is thicker than Guinness; Love at first pint; Pub town; Heading north; The holy mountain; A land of pubs and poets; Last drinks
   
   So the framework of the story is that Evan and his traveling companion (who was to become his wife) decide to travel over to "Oirland" to meet up with a couple of friends. Knowing that there would be plenty of drinking (it *is* Ireland!) of Guinness, he felt that it was necessary to acquire a taste for the dark beverage. On the ferry over, they start their training. It does *not* go well. His description of "moother's milk" leads you to believe that mother is none too well. As expected, a stop at a pub is the first order of business once they meet their friends. This Guinness goes down better, which starts the discussion as to where you can find the "perfect Guinness". So as they travel the island via train, hitchhiking, and hostels, the question is always asked... where can I find the perfect Guinness? And it's always "somewhere else". Along the way, you meet traveling companions, colorful locals, and more pubs than you ever imagine existed. And at the end, McHugh does find the answer to where the perfect Guinness can be found. And it's a classic...
   
   While it sounds like this book is all about beer, it's really something much better. It's a travel diary of sorts, written by someone who has a real knack for capturing the color and flavor of the culture. In many instances, he writes the Irish dialogue as it sounds. So when they are visiting their first pub, he tells his friends they had a Guinness coming over on the ferry. The reply is classic. "Oh, you shouldn'ta doon that. It's fookin' shite, that's why. Now get that into ya. We've a lotta poobs ahead of us." After spending time with my friends over there, I know that would have been the EXACT reply I would have received, using the EXACT same words. :)
   
   If you're at all interested in Irish culture, this is a must read. Think of it as a way to understand the openness of the Irish people, and how in a "poob" you're never a stranger...



2. Have yourself a Guinness while reading this book, it is a great pairing. The book is a smooth read and will inspire you to by the "mothers milk".
   It's a craic in itself. luis



3. The subtitle of this book tells you what this Irish travel book is all about. And that is what drew me to it.
   
   Contents:
   The first round
   Dublin on tap
   Beer and politics
   Blood is thicker than Guinness
   Love at first pint
   Pub town
   Heading north
   The holy mountain
   A land of pubs and poets
   Last drinks
   
   Australian, Evan McHugh, travels to Ireland to meet some friends. On the ferry over to Dublin from Wales, he and his travelling companion "Twidkiwodm" (the-woman-I-didn't-know-I-would-one-day-marry), aka Michelle, have their first Guinness. It was not a very good experience (but it sure was funny to read). Debarking, they are told that the Guinness served on the ferry is about the worst in the world. Their friends take them to a couple of pubs in Dublin, including the Guinness Factory Tour. Whilst sitting in a Dublin pub, they are told that the best Guinness is found on west side of Ireland. Off they go, looking for the best Guinness and the result is Pint Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness.
   
   Travelling cheaply, hitchhiking and sleeping in hostels, McHugh provides a wonderful travelogue of Ireland. That he is looking for the "perfect Guinness" makes this even sweeter. Travelling from town to town, asking about the best Guinness, experiencing some of Ireland's best (but maybe not so well known) sites, and picking up books from local writers (Yeats is one). Interspersed throughout the book, McHugh includes words from the writers to explain some of his experiences. It adds a lot to the book.
   
   This book really makes me want to visit Ireland. No matter where he goes, be it Dublin, Westport, Sligo, or Belfast, the people are friendly, kind, and humorous. At each stop, either the barman or someone in the pub tells McHugh where he can find the best pint of Guinness (hint: it is always somewhere else). It is in a pub in Belfast, his last stop, where a patron begins to tell him where he can find the best pint. Stopping the man, McHugh tells him where you can find the best Guinness in Ireland. He drank for free the rest of the evening. Yes, the answer was that good, that true. And after reading this book, I agree (if you ask, I will tell you where).
   
   An excellent travelogue, especially if you love "moother's milk."
   
   Slainte!



4. This book was fun, interesting and very well written. To read a book about Ireland that does not have the troubles as its main subject matter is refreshing. The author does a great job of relating Irish culture to the reader. The author even goes as far as to write the peoples dialects into the book, so that when you are reading the book, you can get a sense of the softness of the language.
   
   I would recommend this title to anyone that wants to learn a bit about Ireland. I would especially recommend this to all those of Irish decent.



5. 
   
   This book would appeal to the young person who has the time and a little money to tour Ireland staying at hostels and trying out pubs. It's a fun book to read and you do learn a little about Ireland too.

1 comments about Let's Go 2008 Britain (Let's Go Britain and Ireland).

1. Unless you already are familiar with the sights you want to see and attractions of an area, look elsewhere for a guide. The 2008 Let's Go Britain manages to spend over 700 pages making Great Britain sound boring.
   
   Let's Go does provide good information on transportation, and accommodations, but their attractions entries are largely written by people who don't seem to have been there or, if they were, didn't much care for the experience.

2 comments about Parisiennes: A Celebration of French Women.

1. Perhaps it's my oversight in not checking the publication date of this book. I thought it would share more of the easy style and elegance of the French throughout history. The pictures, although many, were dated from 20's - 40's with a
   sprinkle of 50's style. I was hoping to see more of a range of pictures and fashion. The photography is done well and cover is stylish, but the book does not evoke any feeling of elegance within the pages......have not felt compelled to read
   through yet.



2. I find this book fabulous. Pictures are beautiful, all of them in b/w and most of them of anonymous women, the proof of how french women (particularly parisiennes) are charming without the need of artificial effects such as money or marketing-made. They are rebels, mothers, lovers, elegants, self concious, self confidents, etc. But I think, that what is more important, they are very literate. They are always reading, writting....
   To sum up, my favorite part of the book are the quotes by writters, philosophers... about women, and parisiennes. But I must say, the original edition in french est plus charmante...

5 comments about Rome: The Biography of a City.

1. I planned to visit Rome and was told Mr Hibbert's book was better than any travel guide. I was worried it would be a boring, textbook read. To my surprise, I was absolutely engrossed from cover to cover. The endnotes were a bit too inclusive for my taste, but for a true historian, the information would be captivating. Mr. Hibbert's focus on numerous Vatican events is eye opening.



2. This is a good book for those interested in learning about general Rome History but not necessarily in reading thick textbooks. If you're interested in learning about specific periods/events (or the Roman Empire as a whole), you might want to look elsewhere. If you're interested in reading about a great city as a whole, this is a solid choice.



3. With a book that covers over 2,500 years of history, don't expect in-depth coverage here. That's not what this book is about. It provides a very good, bird's-eye view of the city and its history, however, and does a good job of impressing on the reader the incredible continuity of the city's history. I think there's a tendency to concentrate on ancient Rome and then to jump a thousand years to the Renaissance and the Baroque, without focusing on the incredible medieval history of the city. I found the chapters of the book devoted to the medieval period to be some of the more interesting.



4. In Self-Reliance, Emerson says, "In history our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate are gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same," (130). This is a good place to begin articulating my discomfort with Hibbert's Rome: The Biography of a City. Halfway through the book one still has not seen any of Emerson's view that history is more than a succession of popes and kings. On the contrary, Hibbert seems to think that history is only that. It is an older book, and so we spare it some of our modern politics, but thus far, I've read nothing of women, nothing even of artists or architects in a city renowned for these, only that this king fought with this pope etc. through the centuries. I thought historians somehow knew better. One possible explanation for Hibbert's lack of attention to the actual soul of Rome is that he casts a broad net, writing so many histories he can hardly have time to do anything like justice to a place. He's written about France, Britain, America, and India, about their revolutions and separate books about their major figures, lending the impression that he may approach theses "biographies" like assembly-line machinery. One last neglect which seems to me not only in bad taste, but odd: Hibbert's Rome has been pretty overt in its dismissal of the Catholic Church. Nothing has been said about its many acts of charity, nor of its social/art educational status in the community, nor about the individual faiths of the saints and pilgrims, whose devotion, in the face of such obvious abuses, I find heartening.



5. I found the book to be well written and engaging in that typical British anecdotal style that breathes life into historical characters. It offers a detailed account of the sometimes bizarre history of this magnificent city during more than two millennia, all in one book, up until the middle of the 20th century.
   
   However, I felt that the book was quite lacking in providing answers, or even clues to answers, to the Big Questions: the rise and fall of the Republic and the later Empire, and the rise of Christianity. I did miss the context of all these facts that streamed by page after page, and there was no scholarly interpretation from the learned author regarding these inevitable Big Questions.
   
   The latter part of the book gets even better, when the author seems more at ease dealing with the 19th and 20th century. I found the detailed portrait of the rise and fall of the fascist state headed by Mussolini especially riveting. But even there, I wanted a bit more background and historical interpretation.
   
   If you look for a book that introduces you to more than two thousand years of Roman history, and is both educating and reads more like a novel than a thesis, you will not be disappointed. Furthermore, the book includes maps and pictures, to be used during a stay in the Eternal City. But if you want a more intellectual interpretation, there are better books on offer. I decided to buy both.

No comments about Karen Brown's Ireland, Revised Edition: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries 2008 (Karen Brown's Ireland Charming Inns & Itineraries).