No comments about Culture Shock! Switzerland (Culture Shock! Guides).

2 comments about Rick Steves' Switzerland 2005.

1. Ideal for historians who want to find out what Switzerland was like in 2005 or for Swiss people who want to reminisce.



2. Rick Steves is as entertaining in his books as on TV. Especially for those who have visited places before, his books really help give a local feel to the area. He has great "insider" tips that we look forward to when we revisit a country. All of his books are exceptional

4 comments about Lonely Planet Walking in Switzerland.

1. It took us to places that the locals thought were not available without local knowledge. I highly recommend this book. Please e-mail me with your comments



2. This was by far the most helpful resource that I took to Switzerland--extremely detailed, logically organized, and quite accurate. Walking in Switzerland was extremely helpful in its well-written trail and regional descriptions as well as precise information on surrounding logistics. A must for anybody who intends to hike (seriously or casually) in the region. At the risk of gushing overmuch, this is quite possibly the most useful travel guide I've ever bought.



3. Last summer I went to Switzerland with my girlfriend. She had this book with her. It was great! It helped us to see interesting places, find affordable hotels, good restaurant. I recommend this book to anyone who is planning on going to Switzerland.



4. Excellent book with fine maps and accurate descriptions. It was an outstanding resource for planning out some long trail runs, and was nicely complemented by the efficient Swiss trail signs. Lonely Planet does a very good job with travel guides, but excels the most when doing the walking/trekking guides.

No comments about Switzerland from Above.

No comments about The Painter's House / Das Haus Des Malers: Balthus At The Grand Chalet / Balthus Im Grand Chalet.

2 comments about Eiger: The Vertical Arena.

1. The Eiger is a 3970 m mountain that looms above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Its north face has been quite literally a ca. 2000 meter-high 'vertical arena'. Although the mountain itself was first climbed in 1858 by Charles Barrington, Christian Almer, and Peter Bohren, the north face ('Nordwand' in German) was not conquered until 1938 (when Heinrich Harrer, Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek, and Wiggerl Vörg were finally successful). In the early 1930s, it was deemed one of the 'last remaining problems' of the Alps and was truly a 'vertical area', as onlookers (including reporters who made sure the rest of the world was also able to vicariously participate) were able to follow the progress of several tragic expeditions from the comfort of the patio of a hotel on an easily-accessible meadow far below. Part of the great difficulty of the climb is that the wall's north-facing aspect means that it remains snow- and ice-covered year round. The rotten rock and ice that coats the Nordwand makes things even more complicated and afternoon rock avalanches are common and treacherous. The weather is also extremely unpredictable and changeable, a condition that is caused in part by the fact that the wall is part of the northern boundary of the Alps.

   The combination of extremely challenging climbing conditions with high visibility has led to a century of high drama centered about the Eiger's north face and this book does an excellent job of summarizing many aspects of this highly notorious and celebrated mountain. The book consists of an eclectic collection of short chapters by different authors about different aspects of the Eiger (and not just the north face). Each chapter is named after one of the distinctive points along the first successful route, but tells a different aspect of the story. Chapters include descriptions of the varied routes, the myriad tragedies and dramatic rescues, the debates about the morality of even attempting to climb the mountain, the controversial politics of the first successful climbers (one of whom, Heinrich Harrer, carried a Nazi flag with him), a summary of the Eiger's appearances in books and the movies, tales of people who skied and snowboarded down the mountain, and the uniquely Swiss engineering feat that is the railway tunnel bored through the mountain and on up to the Jungfrau Joch. There is also a section at the end providing information for visitors (including suggestions for alternative walks and climbs in the area for those who would rather wear sandals or are otherwise not quite ready for the north face itself) and an extensive bibliography.

   My favorite feature of the book is the fantastic and abundant illustrations that range from dramatic contemporary photographs to historical photographs to artwork of various sorts, all of which serve to nicely complement the text. I should mention, however, that the quality of the printing appears to be a bit worse in the English edition than in the German-language original, which probably will detract a bit from the impact of the pictures.




2. If you love the mountains, their glory, their beauty and deceit, then this is the one book you need to have. Not only does it read like a thriller at times, it also has some of the most fabulous mountain photographs one can imagine. And what better mountain than the fascinating Eiger is there? Well, maybe the Matterhorn... but it does not hold such climbing fascination as the treacherous wall of stunning Eiger. So if you plan a vacation in the Bernese Oberland or just want to play couch mountaineer, this is one hell of a book. Go for it!

No comments about Geneva (CitySpots).

No comments about Michelin Map No. 735 Italy Switzerland.

1 comments about Fodor's Switzerland, 43rd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. I have been to Switzerland many times. Recently I sat down with my daughter who has worked at a hotel at Interlaken in Switzerland during her years in Business Administration at McGill - up to last summer - and we went over the Switzerland guides to see how they ranked, and what was currently the best guide in our humble opinions. We are not experts but have certain requirements and preferences. It helps if one can get a feel for the area in advance of a trip, and generally that is helped by good maps and color photos. So those guides do better in our review. We like to make reservations by internet and telephone and just use the Guide as a "guide".
   
   Generally it costs more to publish a book with color photos so when all else is reasonably equal, one feels that they get better value with a guide with photos. Also we wanted to see if the ambiance at certain hotels and resorts was accurately portrayed in the text based on our knowledge. So those aspects of the guides determine our ranking. Incidentally all the books are excellent. When we did our review the new DK Eyewitness guide was not yet available, but in any case it will be short, under 400 pages.
   
   For the Swiss guides we separated the guides into three groups, 5, 4, and 3 stars.
   
   5 Stars (this group has nice color photos plus maps and text).
   
   A. Green Guide to Switzerland published February 2001 by Michelin, 395 pages, $14., ranked 24,380 on Amazon.com, 0.64" x 9.4" x 4.7", lots of photos, maps, text, accurate portrayal of areas. Gives a nice idea of what you will find. Goes right down to small villages in detail even though it is just 395 pages. First choice.
   
   B. Lonely Planet Switzerland published July 2003, 335 pages, $ 14., ranked 29,913 on Amazon.com, .69" x 6.42" x 6.5". Solid effort, lots of good photos and descriptions.
   
   4 Stars (this group mainly text and maps).
   
   C. Rough Guide to Switzerland published June 2003, 704 pages, $13.27, ranked 30,209 on Amazon.com, 1.08" x 7.8" x 6.38". Solid effort lots of things to see and do and best "text and maps only" books.
   
   D. Frommer's Switzerland published February 2003, 512 pages, $15.39, ranked 47,638 on Amazon.com, 1.1" x 8.5" x 5.08". Similar to Rough Guide but shorter.
   
   E. Fodor's Guide to Switzerland 42 edition, published December 2002, 448 pages, $14.7, ranked highest in group on Amazon.com at 3,172, 1.2" x 8.98" x 5.01". The smallest in the group, do not know why it is so popular?.
   
   3 Stars
   
   F. Michelin Red Guide published in 2004, 563 pages but in four languages: Italian, French, German and English so English sections are just a fraction of the book.

5 comments about The Climb Up to Hell.

1. A great story, poorly told. I am an avid outdoorsman and reader; the subject matter of this book is very interesting. Unfortunately, Mr. Olsen wrote this book in a time when it seemed to be fasionable to dazzle one's audience with one's vocabulary. I have not read any of Mr. Olsen's other books, but hopefully he has matured to a less snobbish style in his later works. If you are interested in mountaineering history and don't mind being confronted with an author's "look how smart I am" delivery, read this book. Otherwise, you too may be put off as I was.



2. A friend of mine is a big fan of Jack Olsen, and suggested that I read this book first as I'm interested in climbing. Since reading it, I can't wait to read his other books. Its unfair to dismiss this book simply because Olson is a true-crime writer - why does this genre get such a bad wrap? Not only is it an exciting account of the events, but you begin to feel for all the people involved. I was so interested in the lives of the rescued/rescuers that I did a search on them right after reading the book and learned as much about them as I could. I highly reccomend this book.



3. This is a fast-moving account of a true and avoidable mountaineering accident and the ensuing rescue efforts. The author holds back the real story about the apparent culprit (assuming there is one) until the very end. Fans of classic mountaineering literature written by technically experienced mountaineers will not find everything they're looking for here. Those looking for a good read will.



4. I bought this book last monday and started it that night,just couldnt put it down,keeped my on the edge of my seat and I couldnt wait to find out what happened next.I came away from this book with a better understanding of what drives men,at the risk of their own lives,to climb such mountains as the Eiger.Well done Mr,Olsen
   A great read



5. I was glued to this book from the first page to the last! What a thriller and it is true! Truly one of Jack Olsen's finest works.