No comments about Insight Pocket Guide Costa Brava (Insight Pocket Guides).

1 comments about Florence InsideOut (Insideout City Guide: Florence).

1. These "Inside/Out"books are the best for today's travel - small enough to fit in a carry-on and have pop-up maps that show particular areas of travel. Very useful information inside as to what to see in a particular city/place.

No comments about Fodor's See it Barcelona, 3rd Edition (Fodor's See It).

2 comments about Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1. Author Kev Reynolds is an experienced walker and climber in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. The book describes some of the most interesting parts of the Pyrenees, and includes some 20 pages of color and black/white photographs.

   For everyone, new or already acustomed to the range, planning to make a day-trip walk or true hike in the Pyrenees this book can be of nice help for finding good ideas what areas to visit and what routes to take. Based on this book the detailed maps can be bought, and the details of the route further discovered.

   For every massif there is a 2 page introduction, followed by route descriptions (usually at around 1 page length, sometimes including a photograph). Usually the routes are for experienced walkers no problem, however overweighted first time walkers can forget to follow the routes.

   From extensive experience with the range, it must be said that Mr. Reynolds pretty well describes the tracks, without to big mistakes. Shure, you still need a French IGN map, or a less good) Spanish Editorial Alpina map, but this book gives a good impression in what to expect.

   The book further includes a short description of the HRP (Haute Route Pyreneenne), a map desciption and a bibliography. Author Kev Reynolds has also written Classic Walks in the Pyrenees (larger sized, with more photograps, describing 24-classic walks) and The Pyrenees.




2. Kev's work seems pretty thorough. I will field test the guide this july.

1 comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Lisbon (Wallpaper City Guide).

1. I had seen Wallpaper*'s city guides on display and liked the idea - and had been waiting for the opportunity to buy one. It became Lisbon.
   
   And true, the guide is handy (though unfortunately with a very use-sensitive cover) andbeautifully designed, a delight in typography, layout and photography.
   
   It does however not serve much more than that purpose: A fancy companion only for a few fancy places and therefore deep pockets. So it's fun to try, or cool to have on your coffee table - but not overtly useful as an actual guidebook.

No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Bilbao (Wallpaper City Guide).

No comments about Walking in Portugal.

5 comments about Death and the Sun: A Matador's Season in the Heart of Spain.

1. I thought Edward Levine's book about bullfighting in contemporaty Spain was terrific. I enjoy the genre of book where a writer/reporter stays with a subject for a season and this book is among the best. Have always thought this subject was extremely interesting and Levine does it justice.
   
   Brought back memories of spending a month in Spain in 1977 during which I read Michener's Iberia and Death in the Afternoon. The principal character of Levine's book is Francisco Ordonez and by chance I saw his grandfather Antonio Ordonez fight in a Novillos in Seville on 11/27.
   
   I think Mr. Levine is a keen observor of human behavior and events surrounding him. I also found his style to be very descriptive and it flowed nicely.



2. 
   This was a truly absorbing book. A debt goes to Francisco Rivera Ordonez, as well, for allowing a writer to join his entourage.
   
   Lewine gives us an appreciation for this art by taking us into the life not just any matador, but one who wears the mantle of his fathers.
   
   We learn about how the crowds vary from city to city, how the bulls are bred and selected, the attitude of the "bull press", the history of the game. We learn how to appreciate the matador's movements and about the nature and of his entourage. We learn about costumes, the genteel way to buy scalped tickets and how to run with the bulls in Pomploma and much more.
   
   Pictures would have been great, but the writing is so good they're not missed until the book is over. I went to Francisco's web site where there are lots of photos, small and unlabeled, but many you can figure out.
   
   Through the writer's respect for the matador, and Fran in particular, the reader learns respect as well.
   
   OLE!



3. 
   To enjoy this book you have to have at least a passing interest in bullfighting.
   
   If this is the case then you should really enjoy this book.
   
   It is very well written, the prose is tight and easily leads the narrative quickly along.
   
   The author is not a wild eyed fan of bullfighting (or if he is he hides it well). He approaches is subject in a detached and objective way but at the same time understands the intangible forces and emotions that drive the national fiesta. He does not denigrate or defend bullfighting but rightly observes that much like personal religious beliefs it is something that is either formed into a person as something of value without the benefit of logic or it is not.
   
   The book has a well balanced symmetry, flowing the story of Francisco Ordonez, the world he moves in, his bullfighting predecessors, the history of bullfighting, the detail of one particular season and a lot of interesting bits and pieces that a person like myself, who has been interested in bullfighting for twenty years, have always wondered about but never knew, things like- just how much do these guys make and what are the functional economics and organizational mechanics of bullfighting. You learn about this and much more. You get to know the structure of Francisco Ordonez's world, the caudrilla, the aficionados, the press, the hotels, the travel, the manager.
   
   After Death in the Afternoon, this was the most enjoyable book on bullfighting I've read.
   
   I highly recommend it.



4. Excellent! This book is (at least) three stories in one: a review of a season following the bullfighter Francisco Rivera Ordóñez, an introduction to bullfighting and a Spanish travel book.
   
   As to bullfighting, there is limited bullfighting coverage in the English language, and I found this book to be a good introduction to bullfighting. For a first time reader of the subject, I recommend this book over "Death in the Afternoon", the classic English language treatise by Ernest Hemingway. "Death in the Afternoon" is in part outdated as bullfighting has changed since it was written, and Lewine's work is simply easier for today's reader to read. If you fall in love with the subject, then also read "Death in the Afternoon".
   
   As to a travel book of Spain, Lewine's description of the cities and places he visits and the related history is also enjoyable. If you are interested in the subject of bullfighting, this book is an excellent choice.



5. I am just learning about Spain and the culture and history of the bullfight. This book provides a great method of giving the reader a wealth of information while taking one through a year in the life of a matador. For anyone interested in accurate information that also tells a story, this book is highly recommended.

No comments about Catalonia: A Cultural History (Landscapes of the Imagination).

3 comments about Time Out Barcelona (Time Out Guides).

1. We just returned from Barcelona two weeks ago. We had three guide books with us, and this is the one that we consistently carried around. The books were identical in terms of the touristy information and sites. But where Time Out really shines is in the food and drink and nightlife sections. We tried many of their listings and they did not steer us wrong once. Also, their listing s are for places where locals also frequent, which makes for a much more pleasant trip! We had a fabulous time in Barcelona. A couple of recommendations: Park Guell is worth the trip. The following tapas bars were delicious and swarming with locals: Euskal Etxea, Bar Celta Pulperia (get the pulpo and acompany it with a bottle of albarino), and Cerveceria Catalania.



2. Don't buy this guide if you are headed to Barcelona soon...The reaon I gave it a 3-Starts rating is that some of the bars this guide recommends do not exist anymore! I wanted to go to three of them and they were all closed or replaced by other businesses.



3. I went to Barcelona recently, and in the planning of the trip I consulted four guide books:
   
   Lonely Planet's Barcelona City Guide
   Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Barcelona and Catalonia
   Cadogan Guides Barcelona (Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls)
   Time Out Barcelona
   
   All of them were good. I took two with me: Lonely Planet and Eyewitness.
   The reasons I chose those two:
   
   Eyewitness unfailingly has a good quality map, which in my view is LP's downfall. Eyewitness always includes a Street Finder Index which LP does not, and LP often misses out on streets other than the major ones, which can be very frustrating, especially in a city like Barca where there are many alleyways. I never use Eyewitness for hotels - the information is scant and usually more expensive than my (more Lonely Planet) budget, but it has fantastic colour photos and cutaways of buildings, and illustrations which place buildings within their streetscapes. It's a nice book to read on the bus or train going somewhere.
   
   LP specialises in listings, which seemed to be more up-to-date and comprehensive than either Time Out or Cadogan, It also had a good Excursions section which helped a couple of times when I travelled beyond the city. I also liked a couple of the walking routes they recommended. Information on matters such as public transport is comprehensive and detailed. I like the chapters on history, architecture and food as well.
   
   Time Out's great strength for me was in helping to plan. It had a huge array of hotels, and if you were especially interested in nightlife, I would take Time Out. I was there primarily for a conference, and many of my evenings were organised. And I'm also night a great nightclubber, perhaps contrary to Barca lifestyle!! If you are - consider Time Out. Its maps were pretty good, but not comprehensive for the area I was staying in, beachside Barceloneta.
   
   That is where the Cadogan guide excelled. Its maps were so good that I pulled them out of the book and took them with me. I would have taken the whole book, but for the weight in my suitcase! Its info about places and sights seemed accurate and comprehensive.