No comments about Surface Japan;: Short notes of a swift survey,.

No comments about Japan Pictorial.

No comments about Four Pairs of Boots.

No comments about A BUDGET OF LETTERS FROM JAPAN Reminiscences of Work and Travel in Japan.

No comments about Japan in pictures,.

No comments about Japanese Gardens (Tourist Library) (Tourist library).

1 comments about Japan (AA Explorer).

1. There is the sad thing: sometimes big corporations like AA (and they ARE big in UK, selling everything from roadside rescue to insurance to travel booking) think they can also be publishers and sell books on the strength of their very strong brand.

   I can almost see them coming up with the idea. "Let's get someone to write this stuff, we'll get some nice pictures from agency libraries, some kinda map, and bingo!" Sorry, it doesn't work like this. You need some knowledge and experience and skills in travel writing business, and just because it's a big business and you're a big company does not guarantee success.

   The book does not position itself anywhere, really. It tries to be as pictorial as Eyewitness Guide or Insight Guide but there is a distinct feeling of everything done in a hurry and on tight budget.

   As for practicalities, it doesn't even try. It's just an eclectic collection of semi-relevant factoids. You could write a guide like this without ever actually going to the country.

   And for maps - who called them "clear"? They're awful. I could draw you a better map myself, and I am no cartographer. Map depicting a river and a dozen of main streets? Wow, that's helpful, thank you very much. It's good these guys are not in charge of defence or anything serious; on this occasion, they stayed in the business of producing a bad guidebook which hopefully not many people will buy.

   Avoid like a plague.

No comments about Japan The Pocket Guide.

No comments about The land and life of Japan, (Land and life series).

No comments about Japanese architecture (Tourist library. [New series]).