5 comments about Dublin (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

1. This guidebook is great for its pictures and detailed diagrams of major sites, neighborhoods, and buildings. The book is absolutely filled with brilliant photos that help visitors (especially first time visitors like myself) what the sites look like. It also has photos of practical things such as roadsigns, the euro currency in all denominations, police cars, telephones, and even food. This might seem silly, but it's very helpful to know how to use their telephones and to learn which coins are which before going over there. It has a limited list of places to stay and doesn't go into detail about how to get to all the sites they cover. This is why I think this shouldn't be the only guide you buy if you're planning a trip to Ireland. It is definately one of the ones to buy, however. Another note: if you're like myself, and plan to travel light to Ireland, keep in mind that this book is rather heavy because of the thick, glossy pages - they're great for the pictures, but they'll weigh down your bag. Hope this helps!



2. Want a great guide that gives you the information you need to know in a easy to reference way? Want a guide that is also a great souvenir? Go for this one! The main caution is to be sure to get a current edition -- Dublin is a city that is changing fast!



3. A pleasure to read as an armchair travel book and very useful on the streets of Dublin on a recent trip.
   Illustrations are scrumptious, information on specific sites informative but concise and it is pocket-size - what more could one want?



4. I bought this book based on previous DK purchases I had made and found it to be terribly out of date! This book was bought for my fiancee who was travelling to Ireland from the USA to visit myself and my family. Being Irish and living and working in Dublin I found the most basic information to be incorrect, most notably the currency which has been the Euro for the last 6 years. Other transport information also should be ammended in relation to the new overground rail system, called the Luas, that has vastly improved commuting for one side of Dublin to the other. on the whole this book does manage to portray Dublin as a city with an historic background that has to been seen to be appreciated. Also some of the references to attractions outside Dublin appear to make the rest of Ireland look less modern which gave the impression to me that it is more rural and agricultural than it actually is and may not be the most appealing to visitors! Anyway I hope this review just helps to point out some glaring mistakes that should be fixed. On the whole the quality of this DK book was well above other publications that I have read.



5. If you are planning a short trip to Dublin this is a must have book. It covers excellent restaurants and wonderful places to stop and shop. The essential sights are all listed by region and are explained in enough detail for one to decide if they want to visit. If you are going for a longer period of time I would recommend a bigger guide but I would still get this one to walk around with.

5 comments about Jaywalking with the Irish.

1. I delighted in the armchair journey with David Monagan and his family as they embarked on their adventure to Ireland. It's refreshing to read a travel memoir that gets past the stereotypes to relate what's truly special about Ireland and its people.
   
   This book is a must read for anyone who has ever longed to leave the familiar to take on new challenges and adventures. It also offers lots of delicious nuggets along the way and inspiration to book the next flight to Ireland.



2. It is not your typical - this is what to expect when you live abroad - book. It describes the personal experiences of one family in a very captivating way. The books deals with the emotions, the differences in mentality, and not so much with detailed technical aspects of moving to a different continent. Food for thought and fun to read.



3. I'm surprised no one else mentioned this. The type-face is extremely small throughout this book. In fact, it is so small that I find it completely exhausting to read.
   
   I don't even have glasses, yet feel like I need them every time I sit down and read 10 pages of this book.
   
   Strange decision by publisher. I'm enjoying but have decided to give up on this one.



4. So far, I find it very humorus and well written. I have been very busy and unable to complete the book but I am anxious to complete.



5. I give the man credit: he uproots his family from his wealthy East Coast job to move to Cork, Ireland. He describes the scenery and the Irish in straight-forward objectivity, yet I got the feeling half-way through the book (by then the family had been in Cork three months) that they were a little sad about Ireland. Were they truly happy being foreigners in such a cold and reclusive country?
   
   He doesn't hold back. If the local teens were thugs toward their three kids, he wrote about it. If the locals were a bit leery of the new American neighbors, he didn't hold back, either. But what kept bothering me during this read was wondering if the three kids were happy in their new country? The boys seemed a little homesick and troubled.
   
   The descriptions of the terrain and towns in this book are very good. I could feel the fog, rain and sadness in every page. I could envision the mountains and the craggy cliffs when he wrote about the ocean. He gave Ireland the mystical image we have heard and read the world over.
   
   This book is somehow sad, but a very worthy read. I can see why the Irish drink as much as they are known to drink. I can also see why so many immigrated to the US for a better life. It's good to see the country of one's parents but one must also understand why our parents left their country to start anew.

3 comments about A Traveller's Companion to Venice (The Traveller's Companion Series).

1. Lord Norwich is a consumate storyteller with an incredible ability to weave various sources of information into a compelling narrative--or in this case, a series of anecdotes. I can hardly recommend this highly enough. His choices of material are brilliant, his narration masterful, and the overall sense of place perfectly fitted to the Most Serene Republic.
   
   Also not to miss is his A History of Venice and Paradise of Cities: Venice In the 19th Century. The letters written by Euphemia Ruskin inspired several characters in my second novel!
   
   Venice for Pleasure is useful for the traveler or writer, as well, as is Jan Morris' The World of Venice.



2. I bought this anthology in the months prior to a trip to Venice, after reading editor John Julius Norwich's excellent "A History of Venice", to which it makes a terrific companion volume. These first-hand historical accounts present a colorful review of divergent viewpoints on "La Serinissima", from its distant origins in the Dark Ages up through the 20th century.
   
   Though billed as a "traveller's companion", this is not a guide book in any sense of the phrase; rather, it serves to give one a sense of the history and character of the city and its most prominent features through letters, journals, and essays spanning the nearly 1400 years of its existence. Amongst the commentators are humorists like Mark Twain, great eccentrics like Thomas Coryat, litterateurs such as Henry James and aesthetes like John Ruskin -- and their contrasting views create a multifaceted portrait of this unique city, full of surprises and compulsively readable.
   
   For those who want a sense of the hidden history and culture under the dazzling surface of Venice, who want to more deeply appreciate the city and its sights while experiencing them, this collection is highly recommended.



3. I read this book cover-to-cover before, during, and after a recent trip to Venice. I have to say that more than any of the other books about Venice that I looked at, this one had the most profound and positive impact on my trip and understanding of the city. No, it certainly won't tell you where to stay or eat, and you probably won't find yourself looking up churches and museums in it like you might in the Blue Guide or some other book. But the centuries of travelers' observations compiled in its pages will bring color and life to the city and its monuments and public spaces in a way that no single guide or history could. The passages in this book are not merely informative; they are also highly engaging and range from touchingly serious to laugh-out-loud funny. If you are going to Venice, or if you merely want to travel there from your armchair, get this book before you even consider getting any other!

3 comments about Castles: England + Scotland + Ireland + Wales.

1. I really wanted a nice comprehensive book about this subject. This is a wonderful product but the only thing I would suggest to make this a 5 star book would be more intensive pictures. There are a lot (multitudes in fact) of places, castles, ruins that are simply listed with no pictures or in-depth facts to accompany the listings. That was somewhat disappointing.



2. 
   Firstly what a wonderful name for an author of such a book, secondly what a wonderful book he has written. The British Isles is littered with castles of varying sizes and in various states of repair, or disrepair as the case may be. This book attempts to give you a guided tour of some of the best and there are far more than you think that are complete or almost complete.
   
   Many of the most famous castles in our history have crumbled to little more than a pile of stones and we can only romanticise about how they looked, who built them and lived there and the events that occurred during their long history
   
   But on the reverse of the coin we have castles that are still inhabited even today and one of the oldest, the tower of London is still in an excellent state of repair. Windsor is inhabited by the Queen and Warwick Castle and Leeds Castle look almost as good as the day they were built.
   
   In Scotland, Edinburgh and Stirling have stood the rigours of time and Caernarfon Castle in Wales is a legacy of Edward I, being built on the site of what was a Roman fortress and then a Norman motte and bailey. Another Welsh castle in the beautiful town of Conway has not stood the test of time so well, but the superstructure is more or less still there. There is something magical about a castle when you are inside it. Perhaps it is the presence of long dead residents, or the mighty deeds and events that happened within those enormous walls. Whatever it is this book helps to bring to life our history with a profusion of photographs and information galore. Almost everyone likes a Castle and this book takes you on a enchanting tour from ruins through to the splendour of a fully preserved structure.



3. My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip through England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, so this book seemed like the perfect Christmas gift for him. The book has beautiful photographs of some of the best known castles, however I was a little disappointed that the information on each castle was minimal. I was hoping for a little more background history on each one. I was also disappointed that our favorite, Ross Castle in Killarney Ireland was not included. Overall, it will make a nice keepsake to remember a trip of a lifetime, and I'm sure will have a place of honor on our coffee table for some time.

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.

1 comments about Insight Guides Ireland.

1. On planning a trip to Ireland (return trip for me, first trip for my kids) I wanted to dig up as much info as possible.
   With so little time (and money) I wanted the most of what I had!!
   After securing the Eyewitness guides and the Frommers guides, I stumbled upon Insights and was so impressed!!
   It not only was a guide, but a reading book as well.
   The pictures by far are the best!!
   Looking through it makes me want to be there on my trip, NOW!
   Let's just say, I HAVE to own this one!!
   It's costly, more than the others, but well worth putting into your collection!
   Slante'

No comments about Michelin Red Guide 2008 Great Britain & Ireland: Hotels & Restaurants (Michelin Red Guide: Great Britain and Ireland).

2 comments about Rick Steves' Britain, Ireland and London City Map (Rick Steves).

1. I really like Rick Steves and he gives sound advice. I suppose this map would have been great if we hadn't been travelling so much by car... We drove from Manchester, England to the Scottish Highlands and this was just not detailed enough. The free map we got from the car rental agency was exactly what we needed. We also brought MultiMap.com printouts with detailed driving directions to each of our destinations. This is a good quality map and gives a great overview, but beware if you're driving.



2. When visiting a foreign country, especially the first time, a person is generally unfamiliar with locations. This map helps stay mentally organized with sightseeing locations. Yesterday we returned from a two week Ireland/London trip. When reaching London the map was a definite lifesaver. In utilizing the Tube for most of our travel, the map not only has an Underground Tube map, but the Central London map includes the Underground locations to aid in knowing which station to select for the sightseeing locations. We were saved from many wasted hours. Since we were escorted around Ireland by friends living in Ireland the country map wasn't necessary but the sightseeing destinations were helpful.

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.

3 comments about I Never Knew that About Ireland.

1. This is a different kind of travel book. Not a guidebook in the Frommer's or Lonely Planet tradition, but just as valuable for learning more about the country of Ireland. This book covers the four province of Ireland: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. Each county within the four provinces are featured. At the end of each section there is an "I Never Knew That..." section. Some things that I bet you never knew about Ireland:
   
   -- In 1822, Richard Martin put through Parliament the first Animal Rights Bill and two years later founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
   
   -- Rosslare has an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes of sunshine every day. (Living in Washington State, that sounds like paradise!)
   
   -- You have heard of Stonehenge but did you know that the Grange Stone Circle is made up of 113 stones and is the largest prehistoric stone circle in Ireland (it dates from around 2000 BC).
   
   -- The DeLorean (the famous car from Back to the Future) was built in Ireland and caught the eye of Hollywood producers.
   
   --Sophie Pierce was the first woman to make a parachute jump, the first person in the world to fly solo from Cape Town to London and the first woman in Ireland and Britain to gain a commercial pilot's license. Unfortunately she fell out of a tram and was killed.
   
   Winn has written a book with a warm personable tone. I felt as if I were listening to a fun friend who loved Ireland and knew neat trivia about each region. There is something for everyone as there are facts and stories about famous people, true crime, myths and inventions. Although color photos would have been nice, the numerous black and white sketches add charm to this book.
   
   Winn is a writer, quiz master and producer for theater and television. He has also written I Never Knew That books about England, Scotland, Wales and London.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A wonderful book for trivia buffs and armchair travelers!



2. Actually bought this as a gift, but did take time and read about places I had been in Ireland, think I will have to borrow it back after Christmas.



3. 2006's "I Never Knew That About Ireland" is a charming collection of anecdotes, stories, and a few tall tales about the Emerald Isle, by Christopher Winn. Ireland's long cultural continuity, its varied terrain, and its remarkable people are a source of all kinds of interesting items, ranging from stone tombs dating back to the dawn of Europe to some of the finest churches of the Middle Ages to some surprisingly modern firsts.
   
   Winn breaks up his items by geographic area and further subdivides by county. The effect is a sort of travelogue around Ireland that visitors and tourists may find very useful in augmenting the regular travel guides. The book is nicely illustrated with sketches of some of the featured locations or items.
   
   The effects of the Irish diaspora are on display here. U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, U.S. Grant, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy had relatives born in Ireland, as did Buffalo Bill Cody.
   
   Some other samples: Belfast was once the home of the premier shipyards in the world (the Titanic was built there). The first trans Atlantic airplane flight ended with a crashlanding in Western Ireland, ironically, near the antennas that provided the first trans Atlantic telegraph service. Amelia Earheart completed her solo transatlantic flight in Ireland (to her surprise; apparently she expected to land in France).
   
   This small volume is highly recommended as an entertaining and educational read for visitors, travelers, and friends of Ireland.