General Books - Page 11

Take Your Kids to Europe, 8th: How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children

Cynthia Harriman

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Globe Pequot Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $2.37

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General AAS
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

If you are planning an extended stay in Europe with children, you need this book! Take Your Kids to Europe, 7th: How to Travel Safely (and Sanely) in Europe with Your Children (Take Your Kids to Europe) My 3 school-age children and I have just returned from a 4-month trip to the UK. This book was the single best purchase we made as we prepared for our trip. The book helped us to set up an accurate budget, buy and sell our car, camp our way across Wales and the Lake District, rent housing for our stay in the UK, and rent an apartment in Paris for a week. Harriman's suggestions for how to help children adapt quickly to a new home-away-from-home were indispensable. We used TYKE to pick the cream of the crop of sites to visit and then used the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: Great Britain Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guides) for additional information and photos of each excursion. My 10 year old relished the job of "checking the book" and filling us in on our next stop. I cannot overstate how much this book helped us to have a safe and fun adventure. If only life came with a guide this thorough and helpful!

Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman

Alice Steinbach

By: Bantam Books Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $8.66

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Specific Groups -> Women
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 83 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

With Reservations 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach looked like a good book as I strolled through Barnes n Noble bookstore one afternoon. So I bought it and couldn't wait to get home and start reading it. I think I got maybe halfway through it before the sheer boredom nearly knocked me out. I have several issues with this book and I'm going to address all of them.

First, I am 30 years old. The writer of this book is potentially in her 40s or 50s and I wasn't too interested or excited by her lifestyle. Separated with kids is not appealing to me. There was not even a remote stitch of sensualness to her character - to me, it was reading the boring travels of a middle aged woman - and sometimes, it felt like she was already in her 70s.

Second, no one I know travels to Europe and just walks into cafe's and meets and makes friends that easily. As much as I'd like to talk to others, I'm also very careful when I'm in a foreign country. I found it hard to believe that she made all these perfect friendships everywhere she went.

Third, the Japanese man she had a "relationship" with. It was never outright stated whether they had sex and most of the time she spent describing scenery when they were together. A virtual sleep fest. Again, this made the author appear to be in her 70s.

Fourth, once she left Paris - I tried to continue reading on for the London and Italy journeys but I must admit the lack of dialogue and overall lack of interest kept me from doing this. She spent eight pages being ill and talking about that...and I was bored to tears.

I recently travelled for business and brought the book with me in the hopes I could finish it on the plane. I could barely read through it and had wished instead that I bought a glossy magazine. As I exited the airport, I threw the book away. $14.95 ill spent dollars and I refuse to tolerate that.

I will not buy anything further from this author.

Bella Tuscany the Sweet Life In Italy

Frances Mayes

By: Bantam Press Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $0.41

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 131 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Spectacularly Boring 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I cannot understand why the first book was a best-seller. It was about an ultra-rich, ultra-materialistic women that has only a very superficial understanding of Italy and the Italian people. I bought this book to read for my book club. It was even worse than the first. No more Frances Mayes for me, ever! One of the most self-absorbed authors the book club has ever read. Hope she finds happiness in her eternal quest for the perfect stuff.

Bella Tuscany 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Lovely, light book all about Tuscany and life in the author's adopted village and her renovated old stone house and garden with such a view! Wonderful characterizations of people, great foods, travels here and there. Enjoyable and very well written.

Editorial Review:

Mayes invites us back to Tuscany for a new season of friendship, festivity and food. She is now truly at home, learning a new language and touring neighbouring towns, villages and islands, delving into gardening, wine-making and the experience of primavera. A section of recipes from her kitchen is included.

The Europe Book (General Pictorial)

Laetitia Clapton

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $26.40

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Stunning photography; capsule travel descriptions of every country in Europe 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Lonely Planet's newest hardbook travel book is ideal not only for travelers who dream of Europe's most famous sights but also those who seek more under-the-traveler-radar adventures beyond the typical tourist stomping grounds. In addition to a general overview of the geography, history, and "great journeys" of Europe, the book is organized into the following geographical chapters:

1. British Isles & The Low Countries

2. Western Mediterranean

3. Central Europe

4. Eastern Mediterranean & The Balkans

5. The Black Sea & Caucasus

6. Scandinavian & Baltic Europe

Jampacked with gorgeous photos, The Europe Book highlights each country's most memorable features including history, people, legends, landscape, and major traditions. As a travel consultant and tour guide, I found the "Essential Experiences" sidebars especially interesting. Put this book on your coffee table and your guests will enjoy the superb photography and feast on the cultural smorgasbord that is Europe.

Editorial Review:

Following in the theme of the bestselling "The Travel Book" comes "The Europe Book," a focused celebration of the world's most culturally influential continent. It explores Europe in detail, and includes an evocative and in-depth look at each country. Full of arresting images and maps, this comprehensive coffee table book can also considered as an indispensable reference title.Lonely Planet

Encore Provence

Peter Mayle

List Price: $23.00 By: Knopf Amazon Marketplace: 199 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 77 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

After trying--what folly!--to live in other places, Peter Mayle is back in his beloved Provence. He celebrates his homecoming by sharing with us a whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix of Gallic characters. The pauses for refreshment include an unforgettable meal in a converted gas station, a rendezvous with the very best bouillabaisse, and visits to eventful weekly markets.

But there is life after lunch, and we also discover a school for noses in Haute Provence, a gardener who grows black tomatoes, the secret of the oversexed butcher, a celebration of Alowine (Halloween) Provence-style, and the genetic effects of two thousand years of fois gras. There is a memorable tour of Marseille, a comprehensive lesson on olive oil, a search for the perfect cork-screw, and invaluable recommendations for splendid local cheeses, wines, honey, bread, country restaurants, and off-the-beaten-track places to stay.

Never has Peter Mayle written with more unabashed pleasure about his heaven on earth.

Greek Island Hopping 2008: "The Island Hopper's Bible"

Frewin Poffley

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Cook Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $15.27

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Perfect for a cruise 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book was the perfect companion for our cruise of the Mediterranean. It had a map of all the major towns of each greek island (I looked at almost every other guide for the Greek Islands and this was the only one that had that). We wanted to explore the islands on our own instead of taking a shore excursion so this was exactly what we were looking for. The maps were detailed enough that we could get around without any problems. It also included Athens which was a huge bonus. It had sections on history and the main sights of each place.

Two possible downsides to the book. 1. The information on lodging was pretty skimpy and the book is definitely geared more towards backpackers (it has information on camp sites which might be useful if you are a backpacker). 2. There really is no section on food so if you depend on your guidebooks to point you in the right direction for this, you're out of luck.

If I was doing my own tour of the Greek Islands, this book would have gotten a 3 or 4 star rating given what it lacked in lodging and food. I would have had to buy another book like Frommer's or Fodor's for the information it was missing. For a cruise, this was exactly what I was looking for.

Editorial Review:

Now in its 18th edition, this annual favourite is bigger and better than ever. Loved for its distinctive style and honest tell-it-how-it-is commentary; relied on for its comprehensive coverage of all the islands and how best to travel to and between them; and trusted for the accuracy of its material – Greek Island Hopping is the ‘island hopper’s bible’ that readers keep coming back to again and again.

· Covers all the islands as well as Athens and all mainland ports.
· Island Ratings, colour 3D-view sightseeing maps, 100 colour photographs
· Regular online updates available at www.greekislandhopping.com

This is the only guide that describes all known ferries, hydrofoils and tour boats, with over 230 route maps. It shows the location of over 1800 places to stay and provides street maps for most of the smaller islands.

Adventures on the Wine Route: Wine Buyer's Tour of France

Kermit Lynch

By: Ebury Press Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $15.03

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Interesting, But No Longer Timely 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book was written in 1988, and therein lies a problem. In general, the book is a charming personal memory of a wine merchant's buying trip in France. It shines most when the book discusses the people who grow wine, or at least in 1988, grew wine. At that time, the wine industry was undergoing basic changes, in the way vines were grown, tended, stored, bottled and shipped. Perhaps a person with extensive knowledge of wine would find the book an interesting snapshot of wine growing/making, but people with less knowledge of wine will not know how, or if, change continued. One of the reasons I bought the book was to provide a non-textbook source of information about wine for a friend who knows little about wine. This book assumes too much of its reader to be useful as a basic instructional tool for such a person.

Editorial Review:

A tale of the travels of a wine merchant through France's wine regions where he spends several months each year tasting and buying, searching out great wines and talented wine makers. It describes the passions, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses of growers and negociants from both chateaux and farmhouses. Good and bad practices in wine-making are held up for inspection and the wines themselves are judged by their finesse, balance and personality.

Amsterdam (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $15.64 List Price: $23.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $11.57

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Compact and helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book offers worthwhile information to a range of different readers. The first pages, "Four great days," offer itineraries for art lovers, shopping fans, history buffs, or families with kids to please. I don't think anyone will stop there, but I imagine many readers starting with those day-trips and filling in the edges.

The rest of the book presents the city in lush photography, legible maps, and clearly organized descriptions. The part of the book (about two thirds) divides Amsterdam into seven geographical districts. For each, the reader gets a bit of history and general layout, followed by detailed descriptions of many attractions. The remainder of the book talks about out-of-town points of interest and general information about food, culture, and other helpful travel information.

I'm going to Amsterdam soon on business, and have just a little time to enjoy this amazing city. This guide has been very helpful in planning those scraps of free time. Maybe this book won't meet every traveler's needs, but it meets mine.

-- wiredweird

Editorial Review:

A pocket-sized travel guide of Amsterdam, for both independent and package travellers. It provides a background to the destination and a full gazetteer of the best places to see, including opening times, addresses and telephone numbers. Walks and motor tours with maps, plus information on sport, entertainment and other practical details are included too.

Germany (Country Guide)

Andrea Schulte-Peevers

Amazon Price: $18.47 List Price: $27.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $11.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great guide! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This guide is very helpful. I like the way the authors discuss everything in brutal honesty. It seems more like they are giving you the opinion of a friend rather than a boring textbook description!

A great guide to Germany 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is full of useful information, maps and tips on traveling to Germany. If you are even thinking about visiting Germany this is a good read, and it well organized. It is mostly in black and white and the print is a little small, other then that it is a wonderful guide.

Editorial Review:

Watch the sun drop behind Berlin's Brandenburger Tor while sipping chilled champagne at celebrity fave Hotel Adlon, p. 106. Feel the brisk North Sea breeze pummel your face while 'walking on water' between the islands of Eastern Frisia, p. 637. Chat with locals and sample the latest vintages at a Besenwirtschaft, a seasonal wine tavern, p. 399. Let your cares evaporate in the steam rooms and mineral pools of Baden-Baden, p. 434.

Five expert authors, 143 days of research, 140 maps. Tailored itineraries and tips from locals help you discover Germany's surprises. Content updated daily: visit lonelyplanet.com.

Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford Archaeological Guides)

Amanda Claridge

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Archaeology -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Invaluable 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I used this book for my second trip to Rome and it was absolutely invaluable. I wish that I had it for my first trip. I am a person who only cares about the Ancient Roman artifacts and this book literally has ever one listed by region that you have access to. If you decide to use this book bring along a highlighter and check off the sections that you complete, by the end of the day you will be amazed at how much you have seen. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Editorial Review:

Capital and showcase of the Roman Empire and the center of Christian Europe, the city of Rome is the largest archaeological site in the world. Here, Amanda Claridge presents an indispensable guide to all significant monuments in Rome dating from 800 BC to 600 AD. Included are such breathtaking structures as the Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Mausoleums of Augustus and Hadrian, the Circus Maximus, and the Catacombs. Divided into twelve main archaeological areas in central Rome, and four in Greater Rome, this accessible guide provides a detailed overview of the sites, as well as historical reference tables listing archaeological periods, emperors, and principal surviving buildings. The introduction offers an assessment of Roman achievement along with its status as the capital of the Roman Empire, and explains Rome's survival as the world's most complex archaeological site.