No comments about One Man's London.

No comments about Ireland Insight Pocket Guide.

1 comments about Hudson's Historic Houses & Gardens 2006: The Comprehensive Annual Guide to Heritage Properties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Hudsons Historic Houses and Gardens).

1. We are working on arranging our 5th auto tour of Great Britain. We like to tour castles, gardens, and stately homes. Hudsons is indispensible for trip planning. It describes all the castles, gardens, and stately homes that are open and gives all the information we need to plan our trip--what you will see, when they are open, admission costs, and how to get there. The photos are fantastic. We found our first Hudson's 8 years ago in the local library when we were planning our first trip. Since then, we've bought a new edition every second or third year. The 2006 version is our fourth copy. The two main references we use for traveling in the U.K. are the AA Road Atlas and Hudson's. That's really all you need. P.S. Driving on the wrong side of the road isn't as hard as you'd think. Follow other traffic as you leave the airport and for another hour or so, especially through your first few intersections or roundabouts, and you adapt pretty quickly. We can see so much more by planning a trip using Hudson's than we would ever see on a bus tour. We wouldn't think of heading "across the pond" without it.

1 comments about Anna Maria Falconbridge: Narrative of Two Voyages to the River Sierra Leone during the Years 1791-1792-1793 (Liverpool Historical Studies , Vol 17).

1. Falconbridge details her travels to Sierra Leone and the establishment of the pioneering Freetown settlement founded by the Sierra Leone Company. The initial section of the narrative is dedicated to a description of her surroundings and the native culture as well as the circumstances of her first voyage. The narrative takes a different turn on her second voyage however, when she accuses the Sierra Leone Company of mishandling the colony and attempts to gain recompense for her hardships. This narrative is interesting in the context of British abolition and as an account of a European woman's experiences in Africa. Some of the material is a little dry, especially Alexander Falconbridge's testimonial which has been rehashed many times. Also, Anna Maria's response to African society is not surprising and yet the hardships that she overcomes in her travels are remarkable. The editorial commentary in this book is excellent and helpful in understanding this epistolary narrative in its context.

No comments about Berndtson & Berndtson Dublin Map (Berndtson & Berndtson Maps).

No comments about Baedeker Great Britain and Northern Ireland/With Map (Baedeker's Travel Guides).

4 comments about Hanging Out in Ireland.

1. I look forward to using this book when I get over there this year...its very down to earth this book and not your typical touristy book...see for yourself...



2. It's lacking in some of its reviews and a lot of the important sites seem glossed over rather than sounding like the authors experienced it for themselves. However, most of the facts in it are already out of date. There are better books out for those with Ireland in mind as a destination.



3. I used this book just a few months ago and was thoroughly pleased. It appeals particularly to a younger age group, when it mentions the glam clubs and pubs. I will use the Hanging Out Series for later travel abroad.



4. A fair amount of the information is now out of date. For example, costs are shown in Irish Pounds but the currency of the Republic of Ireland since January 2002 is the Euro. A fair number of the listed restaurants have closed. I'd wait for the next edition or be sure to carry another book or two.

5 comments about No News at Throat Lake.

1. Written in a spare, journalistic style, "No News" is easy to read and fun. What do Newt Gingrich, Meryl Streep and gypsies have in common? and what are they doing in a tiny Irish town? A refreshing change from the current "I bought a really great house in another country" genre, its more real-"I rented a dump because it seemed like a good idea". The ending will surprise you.

   A great companion to: "Round Ireland with a Fridge" and "Oh Come Ye Back to Ireland-Our First Year in County Clare".




2. Lawrence Donegan's book is one of the funniest I have read all year. He takes an everyday existence, so ordinary to the people he is writing about, and makes it interesting, enjoyable and comforting.
   Having spent many summers in this part of Donegal, I was instantly captivated by his affable style and innate journalistic inquisitions.
   Throw in a little Newt Gingrich, some decrepit, rain gathering cows and a vist from Meryl Streep and you have all the ingredients of a right rivetting read.



3. Donegan gives the reader a fun but narrow inside view to the charms and tribulations of rural Irish life. Great characters and interesting stories create the fuel for intense laughter as the city slicker to rural farmer/journalist adjusts and takes a liking to his new surroundings. Unfortunately, in the end, the writer finds himself lonely without discovering the underlying concern for humankind that is present in rural Ireland. A concern that does not exist in the world in which he decides to reenter. Definitely worth purchasing.



4. As others have agreed, I liked Donegan's straightforward style. Adding to the list of favorite bon mots below, I'm chuckling over his reaction to seeing his picture on the cover of the newspaper's he's joined: Narcissus' bedroom wall. And summing up some fearsome portraits in some Anglo-Irish manse as having the hair of Barbara Stanwyck and the face of Fred MacMurray.
   
   The end of the account does hit rather suddenly, as if Donegan wanted to duck out with as little damage as possible--again, not surprising in an Irish rural context to which he has, if imperfectly, adapted over his stint. I would have liked some nuts and bolts knowledge: how did he survive on what the paper paid him? Did he play any more golf, being a Scotsman who's written previously about the sport? Was he living rent-free in his (former? on-and-off?) girlfriend's family's shack? Wouldn't more of his London and Glaswegian pals look him up, or call him, or e-mail him? How did the Tribune fill its pages and meet its bills? Still, the charm of Donegan's year of discovery lies more in his admittedly artful arrangement of a slew of witticisms, anecdotes, and set-pieces. Newt Gingrich gets his deserved comeuppance, by the way.
   
   A light read, sure, but not without it worthwhile insights into Derry, Dublin, the memories of a former pop star, a funeral, and the realization into what opting out ultimately leads one to understand.



5. Not since "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Post Office" have I read a book that's made me laugh like this one. Donegan's witty observations are funny and incisive without being overly smug or condescending. He has a way of couching his opinions in a way that I could relate to(referring to his grandmother's musical taste as "aural carnage" was especially sharp).
   
   Bukowski has nothing on Donegan in the dry, witty social observations department. I look forward to future works from this talented writer.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Great Britain & Ireland 2001 (Rick Steves' Great Britain).

1. I just returned from two weeks in the UK: visiting London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cotswolds, York, and South Wales. This book has excellent coverage of London, York and the Cotswolds -- with just a bit about Stratford and nothing on South Wales (although it has a whole chapter on North Wales).

   The book had almost everything we needed for the places that it covered. Great advice for London -- seeing all the right places, getting acclimated on your first day by walking down by Big Ben and Westminster Bridge, using the tube and the buses, etc. We took the recommendation for the Lime Tree Hotel in London, for example, and found it quite good for us. The featured area around Victoria Station turned out to be an ideal area as a base for London sightseeing.

   We probably wouldn't have visited York if we hadn't read the chapter on York in the book. Similarly, the Cotswolds information was very helpful. He's not a fan of Stratford but I think he's overly negative about it.

   I didn't find the restaurant recommendations very helpful (except for the one for Caffe Concerto in York -- which is a great place for lunch!). I think it's tough to provide good restaurant recommendations in a guidebook -- better to ask at the hotel or TIC when you get there as they can provide more current and personal recommendations on places to eat.

   I took a couple of other guidebooks along -- but this one was in my backpack all the time while the others remained in my suitcase. The others just weren't as helpful or useful. It's the difference between just getting the facts about a place vs. what this book gives you: advice and recommendations. Next time, those other guidebooks will just stay home!




2. My family and I used this book extensively in our 3-week trip to England. Rick's suggestions for lodging are especially apt -- we used them in York, the Lake District (Ellas Crags B&B is superb!) and in Bath. I suggest that you team this up with Bill Bryson's irreverant "Notes from a Small Island" (read it before you go), for a wonderful look at the best of England. Rick has good ideas about where to spend time, and what's not worth waiting in line for. At Rick's suggestion, long before our trip, we sent ahead for tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, and it was one of the most memorable activities on our trip. We also recommend starting your trip in London with an audio tour of Westminster Cathedral -- for a quick history lesson on both London and Great Britain. One note of caution: Rick sometimes underestimates how much time you'll need at different sites -- for example, the changing of the guards takes many hours, even doing it "through the back door" as he advises. Also, if visitors are like us, you will likely want to schedule more time for the art museums, especially the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate British, and the Victoria & Albert.



3. I planned a trip to England and Ireland using Rick Steve's books (last year's edition and this year's edition) and the Lonely planet books. The combination was great. Rick Steve gives you a very up to date selection of places to stay, things to do and the prices you'll pay. He also included lots of internet addresses. I organized the whole trip over the web with no travel experience! I had to use the old edition to start planning because the new one wasn't available at the time I started planning. I invested in the second updated version a month before leaving and some things had changed! This guide wasn't as comprehensive as the others, but it was full of good usable information. I wouldn't even try traveling overseas again without one of his guides.



4. Rick Steves fans know what you are getting. For the uninitiated, his travel philosophy is to travel better by traveling cheaper and closer to the people. If your idea of a dream vacation is sleeping on the eighth floor of a high-rise hotel for a fortune every night, this is the wrong book for you. If your idea of wonderful is to sleep in an exquisite four-poster bed at a Scottish B&B owned by a pleasant old lady who will talk to you for hours, all for [amt.] a night -- buy this book. Steves has three big strengths, which are all at work in this book: The most important, by far, is the accomodations. Steves consistently finds amazingly good buys among centrally located B&Bs with friendly owners. The only problem is that everybody knows this, so getting a room on short notice in the summer at one of his spots can be dicey. The second big strength is the practical guides to sights, which include lots of interesting little details that you won't find elsewhere while telling you in no-uncertain terms which sights are must sees and which ones you should skip. Over time, his picks may not always coincide with yours -- but I almost always found his stuff on-target. The third big-strength is Steves' travel philosophy, which is especially helpful to first-time travelers (or those venturing away from the Hilton for the first time). I highly recommend that you also check out Europe Through the Back Door, Steves' classic magnum opus, now in its 19th Edition.



5. Wonderful! That's all I got to say about this traveling gem...helped out greatly in Dublin and Galway...Prices were right on...info was grand.

No comments about City of Dublin (Pitkin Guides).