5 comments about Rick Steves' Ireland 2007 (Rick Steves).

1. You have to hand it to Rick Steeves: he carved out a niche in the travel business by focusing on average travelers, and trying to make their journeys better than average with useful information. I agree with his overall philosophy that spending more money doesn't necessarily enhance one's experience. However, he often lapses into a disconcerting lecture -- never quite a rant -- about how Americans should be quiet, humble, considerate, etc. when they venture abroad. I for one could do without his preachy style. If I am considering a trip to Ireland, and have come as far as Steeves' guide for information, it stands to reason that I'm no yahoo who expects a "Top o' the mornin'" from Irish people, or a McDonalds in every town. There are some of us who are educated and curious travelers, just as there are boobs from Over There. But then, Steeves isn't writing a book to lecture European dolts, is he?
   
   Aside from the overdone bits about how rude Americans are, Steeves curiously leaves out some wonderful sights in Ireland from his guidebook. I loved Bantry House, on the Beara Peninsula, but there's no mention of it. Likewise, he neglects the must-see island of Ilnacullen in Glengarriff, with its Italianate villa and gardens. He also missed niceties like the Avoca handweavers (great tea and scones on the go, upscale wearables, etc).
   
   Some of his estimates for how many days to give each town were off. Kinsale rated two days. Though it's a small town, the harbor, fortress, wine shops and surrounding activities alone were worth a bit more time. I don't know anything about his B&B recommendations, other than the fact that his choices were 10-15 euros more expensive than my picks in the same regions, with not much lost in hospitality or cuisine. I realize you can't cover it all, but with the Internet being such a great source of info, it's hard to rely on just one book for accommodations. Experience is wisdom.



2. Rick Steves really takes you on the best trips around Europe. His descriptions are spot on and his maps are easy to follow. I would never use any other tour book when traveling.



3. Once again Rick has made what could have been a dry guide book interesting, fun, and full of information that travelers really want to know. It takes talent to write a book such as his, fun to read for the sake of reading.
   
   I highly recommend Rick's series of Travel Guides. Buy them and enjoy even if you aren't trotting the globe.



4. I just traveled to Ireland without leaving my chair - that's how I felt after reading this book front to back. I bought this book to learn more about Ireland, from a traveler's perspective. Rick Steves provides a good mix of history and detailed information suitable for travel planning and entertaining enough for the armchair traveler. I enjoy Rick Steves' programs and I plan to purchase more of his books.



5. We bought Fodor's Ireland, and brought along the Rick Steve's guidebook as well. We found everything we wanted in Fodor's. In ten days we were helped exactly one time by the Rick Steve's. We thought we'd try it, as it came recommended by a friend, and bundled together on the Amazon page we thought it would make a good companion with our new Fodor's...no. I'll not use this guidebook again. We had everything we needed in the Fodor's. We both thought this was a waste of money, when we were looking for an invaluable resource for our car trip.

2 comments about The Palgrave Concise Historical Atlas of the Balkans.

1. * * * Do NOT buy hardcover version! * * *

   Summary:
   Maps: **(*)
   Text: ***(*)
   To be used together with another atlas. (e.g. "Historical Atlas of East Central Europe, by P. R. Magocsi or Cartographia's "Történelmi Világatlasz" (in Hungarian))

   Just like when I first discovered the "Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe" I thought: "At last a specific work on the topic in English!".
   Well, despite the range of the maps - 50, listed at the end of the review - it was quite a disappointment.

   The maps... They can at best be described as of "average" quality, but words like "perfunctory" or "sloppy" could be used as well. There is no excuse for the roughness and distortion of state boundaries, the lack of rivers and cities/towns. And the actual errors to them have yet to be mentioned. Still, since these maps cover a smaller area than their counterparts in the
   "Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe", they are a bit more precise, but far from detailed.

   It must be noted as well that GEOGRAPHICALLY the Northern boundary of the Balkan Peninsula is defined by the Danube - Sava - Kulpa rivers. Thus Slovenia is entirely and Croatia and Romania is partly outside of it. However, while historically Ljubljana and Zagreb is rightly considered Central European, Bucharest is linked to the Balkans. Despite it's acquisition of Transylvania in 1918/20.

   It must be noted that the author makes an honest attempt to be objective in the history telling, by sometimes presenting several versions/views on the same event, BUT I am sure that even this won't satisfy everybody.
   However, the style of the text is sometimes "odd". "Nationalist", is one of the much preferred word used by the author, especially when dealing with newer history. The difference between "nationalism" and "patriotism" is apparently very subjective.

   All in all, the map part of this atlas is suitable for low-level studies of the area only, and the text for high-school studies.

   A last remark: This volume shares 14 - or 1/3 - out of it's 50 maps with the "Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe" from the same series. (Nos. (5), 8, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21, 25, 30, 32, 33, 37, 38, 49 and 50, as observed by the author of these lines.)
   So basically, the "Historical Atlas of the Balkans" - with it's 36 additional maps of the Balkans - is a complementary to the "Historical Atlas of Eastern Europe".

   The Maps:
   1: Physical
   2: Political, 2001
   3: Natural Resources
   4: Demographic
   5: Cultural
   6: The East Roman Balkans, Late 6th Century
   7: Avar, Slav, and Bulgarian Invasions, 7th Century
   8: Rise of the First Bulgarian Empire, 7th-10th Centuries
   9: Fall of the First Bulgarian Empire, Mid-10th-Early 11th Centuries
   10: Rise of Medieval Croatia, 19th-12th Centuries
   11: The Balkans, Late 12th Century
   12: Crusades in the Balkans, Late 11th-Early 13th Centuries
   13: The Balkans after the Fourth Crusade, 1204-1214
   14: Byzantium Resurrected, 1261-1328
   15: Rise of the Romanian Principalities, Mid-13th-14th Centuries
   16: Rise of Medieval Bosnia, 13th-14th Centuries
   17: Rise of Medieval Serbia, 13th-Mid-14th Centuries
   18: Political Fragmentation, Mid-14th Century
   19: Ottoman Expansion in the Balkans, Mid-14th-Early 16th Centuries
   20: Fall of Constantinople, 1453 (and Ottoman Istanbul)
   21: Apex of Ottoman Expansion, Mid-16th Century
   22: Ottoman Millet Organization, Mid-16th-17th Centuries
   23: Habsburg Croatian-Slavonian Military Border, 17th-18th Centuries
   24: The Ottoman Balkans, Late 17th-18th Centuries
   25: Emergence of Modern Balkan States, 1804-1862
   26: The Balkan Crisis of 1875-1876
   27: The "San-Stefano" Balkans, March 1878
   28: The "Berlin" Balkans, July 1878
   29: Balkan State Territorial Expansion, 1881-1886
   30: The Macedonian Question
   31: The Balkans, 1908
   32: Bosnia-Hercegovina, 1908-1914
   33: The Balkan Wars, 1912-1913
   34: World War I in the Balkans
   35: The Post-Versailles/Lausanne Balkans
   36: Yugoslavia, 1929-1941
   37: Post-Trianon Romania, 1920-1938
   38: The Transylvanian Question
   39: Bulgaria, 1919-1940
   40: Greece, 1923-1941
   41: Albania, 1921-1939
   42: The Balkans, 1939-1940
   43: World War II-The 1941 Balkan Campaign
   44: The Axis-Dominated Balkans, 1941-1944
   45: Balkan Cominform States 1945-1947
   46: The Greek Civil War, 1946-1949
   47: Splits in Communism, 1948-1960
   48: Collapse of Communism, 1989-1991
   49: Wars of Yugoslav Succession, 1991-1995
   50: The Kosovo Crisis, 1999

   Review based on First paperback September 2001 edition.




2. If you're looking for maps of how the Balkan borders have been drawn and redrawn between 600-1999 AD, plus a brief textual overview on the facing page, this is the book for you. Several earlier maps also show the general dispersion of the various cultures that inhabited that portion of the Balkans (not always an easy task).
   
   Understanding the Balkans is difficult (well, at least it is for an American like me) ... but this book has helped me more than one time to grasp the often turbulent events that constantly reshaped Balkan countries. As kingdoms and empires grew and shrank, the borders often changed ... and new countries were created and old countries disappeared.
   
   It's nice to have this brief progression through time in the form of the changing geography. It's a reference book that anyone who is interested in Balkan history will find useful over and over. And it's never out of date, since 600 AD will never occur again.

3 comments about Golfing in Ireland: The Most Complete Guide for Adventurous Golfers.

1. Very personal acoount of the author's favorite Irish golf courses. I bought the book to help plan my Irish golf vacation. Just about everything he said about the courses, I agreed with. He rants about shabby treatment towards Americans & women at some courses that we did not experience. Some of the phone numbers are now out of date and the book could really use a map of Ireland with the location of the golf courses. Excellent reference book, but not the bible of Irish golf.



2. I found this book to be a very useful resource in planning my golf vacation to Ireland. He covers courses by county - my one criticism of the book is that there is no map to help you plan your itinerary. I had to buy a more general guidebook for Ireland with a map to plan our itinerary. Other than that, Rob Armstrong is very familiar with Ireland and the golf courses covered. His descriptions of the courses are thorough and enticing. I like the fact that he covers all of the major/well known courses, but many lesser known, excellent courses that you wouldn't ordinarily hear about. This book is well worth investing in.



3. Having read the first edition of this book,Rob Armstrong has expanded his book in the 3rd Edition to produce an essential guide to all Irish golf courses,tours to see the best of the country,hotels,and restaurants.I heartily recommend this book to those who are taking golf holidays in Ireland. Donald Holmes.

No comments about The Irish Bed & Breakfast Book.

2 comments about The History and Topography of Ireland (Penguin Classics).

1. I found the chapters relating ot the topography of Ireland to be seriously flawed and containing inaccurate descriptions of the rivers and areas of Ireland. However it does give a very good idea of the mindset of the early Norman invaders in their conquest of Ireland and offers some to moder day readers humourous rhetorical accounts of native Irish tribal behaviour.



2. Have you ever seen a medieval map? People had only the vaguest idea of the world they lived in - and when men such as Gerald of Wales set out to gather information they very often had to rely on what local people told them (as did Herodotus over 1000 years earlier). So of course Gerald's History and Topography of Ireland is going to be riddled with factual errors - if you want to find out about the history and geography of Ireland you should look at modern maps, produced by satellites, and modern histories, written by scholars with hundreds of thousands of documents at their fingertips. Books written in the eleventh century tell you what people thought THEN, in the eleventh century, and are as such fascinating journeys into the early medieval mindset. Myths mingle with facts as the locals tell Gerald about things that matter to them, and really brings home history - in a way that reading of battles and kings doesn't. It tells you about daily lives and what people thought - we are really quite amazingly lucky that books such as these have survived a thousand years to tell us what life was like then.

1 comments about A View of the State of Ireland.

1. As difficult as it is to give a "star rating" to a book that advocates the genocide of an entire nation, this volume is a valuable scholarly resource. And, indeed, the total destruction of the Irish "race" is Edmund Spenser's aim and rallying cry in writing this volume, addressed to the first Queen Elizabeth. The text takes the form of a Platonic/dramatic dialogue between Irenaeus, lately returned from Ireland (as was Spenser), and his compatriot, the reasonable Eudoxus.
   
   A capsule-summary of the book's tone is possible by a brief description of the half-dozen pages that Spenser spends describing a single article of traditional Irish clothing: the mantle, a long, warm cloak worn by common countryfolk. Even the clothing of the Irish, Spenser/Irenaeus argues, is an incitement towards crime and vice: the mantle can be used to hide anything from weapons to stolen goods to illegitimate pregnancies, and serves as both shelter and bed for outlaws, as well as serving as an effective shield in swordplay. This simple garment, he concludes, must be outlawed. Elsewhere, he also attempts to dissuade British functionaries similarly stationed in Ireland from taking Irish wives or wetnurses, because the women will infect your home and family, resulting in somehow "going native."
   
   So be warned, this is a hateful volume, advocating step-by-step for the Irish people to be killed off so that England can flourish without a sore on her side, and warning, in fact, that the "great scourge" of Ireland presents an eminent danger to the Queen if she does not immediately invade and crush that nation. He argues that the Irish people are so barbarous that English laws will not rule them (and Irish "law" is simply "wrong," encouraging immorality), that the Irish people are uncivilizable, and thus barely human. This book, in many places, does become difficult to read, but read through 20th century eyes, the faulty logic of its arguments is ridiculous enough to prompt giggles--if they were not so deadly serious, and had not been taken seriously by the author's contemporaries.
   
   I would definitely recommend this (quite readable for its age) book to anyone interested in Irish or English history, as well as--perhaps more urgently--to scholars of any of the major 20th century genocides.

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.

1 comments about Moon Ireland (Moon Handbooks).

1. This was published in May 2007, and I consulted it during my stay in June and July. I can vouch for its accuracy. The strength of the book lies in the fact that as far as I can tell from the acknowledgements (worth reading for their charm), the whole was written by a young American ex-pat, Camille DeAngelis, and therefore has the consistency of a single p-o-v that reflects her encyclopedic knowledge, tempered enthusiasm, and evident stamina. While the guide is markedly less comprehensive on history, sightseeing, and local lore than competing guides, it is very thorough on practicalities such as civilized accomodation, decent eats, bus routes, and ATMs. I would use this to work out the nitty-gritty of planning the details of staying once you figure out in your itinerary where you are going and how long in each locale you'd be staying.
   
   That's where the prefaced itineraries geared to particular cultural, scenic, historic, or recreational interests come in, as well as a few paragraphs at the end of each county section telling you how long would be ideal to remain in a certain location if you want to partake of its attractions-- or flee their lack of appealing destinations. The book lacks the flashy graphics of other guides, and is geared more to the independent visitor, perhaps on their own, on a budget rather than a tour bus or expense account. DeAngelis succeeds in giving travellers a realistic expectation of the costs, hassles, rewards, and drawbacks of getting about the remoter and less-obviously touristed places in Ireland. She also takes care to note prices whenever possible; although inevitably these may rise, they do, due to the book's recent publication, reflect as closely as any print work can, the considerable expense of looking after yourself and getting around and staying put in this, one of the priciest nations now in the world-- especially given the weak dollar vs. the euro.
   
   I tested my own two-week stay in such a place in Donegal, off the beaten track a bit, with her coverage. She was accurate in her descriptions, noting such details as the mattresses in a hostel, how far said hostel was from the main road, what kind of road it was, how to find the place given its remoteness, the temperament of the caretaker, and prices for what she charged vs. what you got for the money. All this in about a hundred words. She tells that the nearest ATM is 27 kilometres away. She recommends of the three choices the pub (not the quieter one I favored...but the same one all the guides like!) with the best craic. She warns of the few shops, the difficulty without a car in seeing it all, and the scattered nature of the dramatically situated settlement. While her coverage of the archaeological and cultural sites there was for my tastes far too brief, such information can be obtained easily with other references.
   
   Like the Moon Handbook I remember using on a trip five years ago to the Big Island of Hawai'i, this series concentrates on the good place to grab a bite, the B&B that won't rip you off but which may not have t.v., the view from the window of the pricy hotel, the fare to the airport, the cost of the taxi, the options if you have a week vs. a day.
   
   The pictures she took, often in black-and-white, make it difficult to do justice to the places, but this does keep costs down for this affordable book, and you can always take your own snapshots or buy postcards! She took care with every feature here. The maps are a bit less detailed than those in a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, but easier to read and larger on the page. For those of you unsatisfied with other guidebooks' tiny maps and insets, the Moon Handbook provides bigger type both in the page layout and the graphics. Symbols often mark tourist attractions. The pages are easy to scan without being cluttered. The shops, pubs, attractions, and bus and rail stations are marked clearly in text and on maps. Streets actually have names on maps and are not only drawn blanks!
   
   A telling example of DeAngelis' thoroughness is the Irish-language section. Short as this portion is, she thought it through. She gives you actual words and everyday sentences and (not simply cute phrases about buying folks drinks and/or flirting with them) with phonetic equivalents, and encourages you (I studied Irish there on my recent trip in that locale for those two weeks) to use them when conversing with the locals in the Gaeltacht-- or, I might add, outside of it! She is realistic about the chances of actually using much Irish (earnest outsiders tend to be in my experience regarded often with bemusement or suspicion by native speakers), but I encourage her inclusion of this material, often superficially treated in other guides.
   
   Finally, she wrote a lovely preface, that begins with the trope that (I paraphrase) ten years from now you will remember the trip that you are now planning, and from there goes into an evocative memory of the pub, the craic, the stranger who struck up a chat, the scenery as you walked to your temporary home away from home that evening. It's a powerful way to bring you into the power that Ireland still can hold, despite the rush to ugly bungalows, rampant consumerism, littered countrysides, urban gridlock, and suburban sprawl. She does not shy away from these realities, but urges you as a visitor to understand these marks of our society as the island's prosperity must contend with, in my clumsy metaphor, killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

5 comments about The Parting Glass : A Toast to the Traditional Pubs of Ireland (Irish Pubs).

1. When I'm in Ireland -- which isn't nearly enough -- I try to avoid the trendy new pubs and stick to the joints where the local people go, where you're still likely to find a session in the corner, where the food is simple but hearty, and where the Guinness is pulled with pride.
   
   Eric Roth, a Boston-based photographer, pays tribute to the "real" Irish pubs of Ireland in "The Parting Glass." Of course, there are thousands upon thousands of pubs to choose from, and the book had limited space, so after exhaustive research (read: going to lots of pubs) he picked 43 representative establishments to capture on film. Eileen McNamara, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe columnist, went along for the trip and provided the text to support Roth's images.
   
   Of course, I have my own favorite spots in Ireland, and sadly, they're not included here. And yet, of the 43 pictured, I've been to only a handful, and they ALL look a delight!
   
   The book includes numerous large, colorful photos of pub facades and pub interiors. Too, you'll find distinctive pub signs and unique pub decor. Better yet, you'll see people manning taps and hoisting pints, people who make up Ireland's traditional pub scene as much as the Guinness-stained tables, peat fires, live music and pleasant conversation.
   
   There are city pubs and country pubs, ornate pubs and plain, crowded and empty. Roth's photos are gorgeous, rich in color, detail and personality. McNamara's narrative is equally colorful, informative and evocative of the pub experience. Combined, they create a desire to dive through the pages, take a seat and order a pint.



2. This book made a wonderful gift for my husband this Christmas. He and I went to Ireland a few years ago to see a U2 concert at Slane castle. To this day, it remains one of my favorite vacations of all times, and this book rekindled those wonderful memories. So much so, that after browsing through the pages together, my husband and I are planning a return trip "across the pond" as a gift to each other! We're even planning some of our itenerary around these cool cities and pubs.
   
   The photos are just beautiful and so are the stories of the owners, the bartenders, the patrons and pub histories. Neat facts are tucked in between the pages, making it more than a photo essay -- I learned that a special place called a "Snug" exists in the older pubs, where the women used to share a pint or two without the company
   of men.
   
   If you are looking for an unusual and thoughtful gift, I recommend this book. It would make a wonderful father's day gift, (or mother's day gift!), it would be great as a birthday present, a graduation present, a coffee table book for a new homeowner, or for any other occassion where you want to raise a pint in celebration. Cheers!



3. This book is for those who want to be swept away on a marvelous journey through a land of incredible scenery interrupted by warm and friendly people invigorated by mouth watering blends of spirits served in the most welcoming places short of heaven.



4. Great photography. Great for Irish conversation. Makes a great gift.



5. Great book if you're planning a trip to Ireland or if you just want to enjoy a pint in your own living room!

5 comments about A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany: Second Edition.

1. My husband and I are very interested in ancient cultures and especially stone circles; this book told us where they were, what to expect to see, and how to get there (which wasn't always very easy!) We were able to pick an area of England with a heavy concentration of good quality circles based on his descriptions and pictures, and with book in hand, see many of the ones we chose. Mr. Burl is kind enough to mention when the going is tough, and he was always right. The only thing that could make this book any more invaluable as a field guide would be inclusion of Surveyor's Maps of the areas...but those can be purchased easily in the countries in question. (Color photos would've been nice, too!) Highly recommended for real trip-planning, or just for inspiration!



2. I recently returned from a vacation over in Ireland/Scotland/Wales where for 4 weeks I and 2 of my friends researched and visited stone circles throughout the Isles. Aubrey Burl definitely has written an essential resource you should pick up if you have the intentions of going to see them. He touches on a great number of "out of the way" stone circles not widely known in areas and gives precise directions on how to get to them. It is almost like a treasure hunt, you never knwo what is around the corner in Aubrey's book! A definite must get for the stone circle enthusiast. Don't even think about putting this book down. Get a map, get this book, and go hunting for these great spiritual centers.



3. I am not accustomed to purchasing so expensive and specialized a book, but in the early autumn of 1979, I had the privilege of working on a Scottish dig run by Dr. Burl, and I have long admired his scholarship and dedication---and this revision is, simply put, GREAT! The depth of information is astounding, and I found the the presentation engrossing, the subject fascinating, and the style quite readable---certainly NOT only for students or devotees of archaeology. I can't recommend this one highly enough---it may seem like something of an indulgence for your personal library, but it's worth every penny. Alas, the book is far to heavy to carry about in one's luggage, but I've already marked at least two dozen sites that I want to visit the next time I cross the Atlantic. In the meantime, settle back in a comfortable chair and get ready to cast your mind back a couple of millenia...



4. Aubrey Burl's previous works were showing a wee bit of dating. As carbon dating become more accurate, you are seeing these ancient rings grow older in age instead of younger as they anticipated. While Burl's previous works were amazing, this long awaited "update" of this information, as well as addition information on more recent excavations make this is must. Yes, it expensive. But it's worth every penny. There are new insight in the the purpose of the rings of stone, a new interpretation of Calanais (sorry, as a Scot I refuse to call it Callanish!) and Stonehenge
   
   The beautiful book is loaded with hundreds of photos, explores the ancestry, methods of construction and why they were abandoned after thousands of years of use.
   
   Marvelous work made even better by bringing the information up to date.



5. Just what it says on the box - an excellent reference, whether planning your trip or on the road. Complete with location maps and National Grid references.