General Books - Page 17

Rick Steves' Switzerland

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $11.36

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Switzerland
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Opinionated is OK, but... 2 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

I like Rick Steves's approach to travel, and much of this book is helpful. BUT: He purposely, and dismissively, leaves out the entire city of Geneva, calling it "boring." Well, when you're basing your trip in Geneva, that's not really news you can use. I think Steves's success has gone to his head -- this level of opinionated advice is useless at best, irresponsible at worst. If you want a comprehensive guide to Switzerland, try Fodor's.

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to visit Zürich, Gimmelwald, the Berner Oberland, Interlaken, Bern, Murten, Lake Geneva, and French Switzerland? With Rick Steves’ Switzerland, travelers can experience everything Switzerland has to offer—economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes: opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Camino de Santiago Maps / Mapas / Cartes: St. Jean Pied de Port/Roncesvalles - Finisterre via Santiago de Compostela (Camino Guides)

John Brierley

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Findhorn Press Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $11.56

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Subjects -> Reference -> Atlases & Maps -> World
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> New Age -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Spirituality -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Camino de Santiago Maps 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is a very handy and useful little booklet. For my three-week Camino experience I kept the booklet readily accessible in my outside pants pocket. I repeatedly referenced the booklet throughout the day. It's narrow size and the ability to bookmark the page with the flaps on the front and back covers made it easy to retrieve and reference using only one hand. The day-at-a-glance layout, with distance intervals and albergue locations clearly marked plus a profile illustration displaying the changes in altitude along the route make this a very useful reference source. As titled this is a book of maps, there is very little narrative dedicated to recommended sights to see along the way.

Editorial Review:

Spiritual seekers and travelers will find all the resources they need to walk the Way of St. James in this complete set of maps and town plans. Covering the sacred route from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, including the Finisterre extension for modern-day pilgrims who wish to reach the ocean, this portable book of maps makes the perfect companion for adventurers attempting to heed the spiritual calling. Light enough to carry while walking long distances each day, the maps show the location of all pilgrim hostels en route and the distances between all villages and points of interest, as well as alternative routes and accommodations.

Poland (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

DK Publishing

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Poland -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Poland -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This is the guidebook for visually oriented people. 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

I used this book to plan an upcoming trip to Poland. Like most people I know virtually nothing about what there is to see in Poland. This book was indispensable! And best of all it is filled with pictures! So even though Poland is filled with castles I was able to make a judgement as to which castles looked the most interesting. If you are spending only three or four days in Krakov this book contains more than enough information. No need to buy the Krakov book. The book is divided into regions with lots of maps to help orient you. They also spend a page or two giving in-depth highlights of areas of special interest in addition to the usual stuff for each area. If you are visually oriented don't even think about buying any other guidebook.

Editorial Review:

A travel guide to Poland. All the main cities and regions are covered, as well as the key sights, attractions and museums. There are images and illustrations, including three-dimensional maps to help you explore important cities such as Cracow and Gdansk.

Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark

Jane Geniesse

List Price: $27.95 By: Random House Amazon Marketplace: 60 new & used starting at $3.81

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> British -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> British -> General AAS
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

With the publication of The Valley of the Assassins in 1934, a legend was launched. Freya Stark had begun the extraordinary adventures that would glamorize her, though distinctly unglamorous, as the last of the great travelers. Hailed as a classic, the book chronicled her travels in remote and dangerous regions of the Middle East, inspiring Lawrence of Arabia to call the audacious, ambitious Freya "a gallant creature."
        
Her reputation had begun in 1927, when she was captured by French military police after penetrating their cordon around the rebellious Druze. She explored the mountainous territory of the mysterious Assassins of Persia, became the first woman to explore Luristan in western Iran, and followed the ancient frankincense routes to locate a lost city.
        
At first a thorn in the side of the British colonial establishment for consorting with "wogs," Freya was later extravagantly admired by officialdom. Her knowledge of Middle Eastern languages and life aided the military and diplomatic corps, for whom she conceived an effective propaganda network during World War II.
          
Throughout her long life--she died in 1993, over a hundred years old, having been knighted at age eighty-two by the Queen--she rejoiced in the attentions of the press and of her audiences. In private she remarked that she put herself in harm's way in order not to fear death.
          
Her indomitable spirit was forged by contradictions. A child of privilege, she grew up in near poverty after her mother rashly allied herself with an Italian count in a rug manufacturing venture. She yearned for a formal education but was largely self-taught, mastering seven languages. She longed for love but consistently focused on the wrong men. She was thirty-four before she extricated herself from her family and embarked on the travels that would make her reputation. Her astonishing career lasted over sixty years, during which she produced twenty-two books unmatched for perception and poetic prose.
          
This is a brilliant, balanced biography, rich in sheikhs, diplomats, nomad warriors and chieftains, generals, would-be lovers, and luminaries, with author Jane Fletcher Geniesse digging beneath the mythology to uncover a complex, quixotic, and controversial woman.

Rick Steves' Portugal

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $10.31

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Portugal -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Portugal -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Spain -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Good at what it does 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Yes, as the prior review mentions, the road info may not be accurate... but there's a lot more to this book. I live in Lisbon and recommend it to all our visitors as it has excellent info on making your way through Sintra, Belém, Tavira, etc. If you're a first-time visitor looking for insider-type tips on the "highlights" of Portugal, this book is worth considering. (It is limited to a few key Portuguese cities/sites, so don't expect an overview of everything in this beautiful country.)

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to visit Lisbon, the Algarve, Salema, Évora, Coimbra, Nazare, and Obidos? With Rick Steves’ Portugal, travelers can experience the best of everything Portugal has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes: opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Athens

Coral Davenport

By: Dorling Kindersley Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $59.12

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Greece -> Athens
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Greece -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Greece -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Awesome!! Worth every penny. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am going to Greece later this year, and I bought this to start getting an idea of what to go see and what to expect. This book is great!! It is a great place to start, especially if you don't have alot of time on the trip and want to hit the "big stuff." I thoroughly enjoyed the overviews on all the different places. It gives you the hours, the prices, best times of day to go to places, best restaurants, etc. It even tells you what to avoid. I bought it with a few other books, which go into more detail, but this is the book you carry around with you as you walk around Athens as a reference material. It also has a laminated map of Athens in a pouch in the back of the book. This is a great resource, and it has got me totally stoked about my trip coming up!

Traveling Book 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book was very helpful. The compactness of the book was great, it was easy to carry and stow in the back pack. The information was very acurate. It was a great benefit to have.

Very thorough guide 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a very thorough guide for when you have only a day or two to visit. It actually has way more in it than we could possibly see or do.
Giving the top ten things to see is great for your first visit. It is also great for probably your second or third.

Very helpful, lots of pictures and maps.

Norway (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Snorre Evensberget

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $9.20

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Norway -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Norway -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Norway (Eyewitness Travel Guides) 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I really like this book. I have many of the DK Eyewitness books, and they are all very good.
Norway" as well as other DK's have wonderful maps, beautiful pictures and valuable information.

A great start to planing a Norway getaway (twice) 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

If you are planning a trip to Norway this book is a must have. It clearly outlines the whole country and does an excellent job with Oslo. There is so much to see and even if you are just doing a cruise of the country this is still worth buying. At the time I was only going to Oslo but on my second trip back I toured the rest of the country and this book was useful on both occasions. While it would be nice if DK made an Oslo book this one will be great in the meantime.

Nice Souvenir, but Not a Useful Guide 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Let me preface this by saying that normally we love the EyeWitness guides, and they are our default choice when it comes to travel guides. Unfortunately, the standard style of the EyeWitness guide breaks down when it comes to covering the entire country of Norway. While this book makes a great overview and introduction to the land and its culture, it doesn't serve as much of a guide once you're there.

One of the big selling points of EyeWitness books is their beautiful hand-drawn maps. Usually these cover interesting neighborhoods, parks, etc. In the Norway book, they use the same system to cover vast regions of the country. Since the advantage of these maps in the other books is the detail, the idea breaks down in such a large scale where they actually end up with less detail (only main roads and towns appear). The illustrating is filled in with uninspiring clip art of animals and rural life, and the maps are nearly useless aside from a general overview.

The beautiful full-color photographs are still there, which admittedly do help us choose and get excited about some of the things we choose to see. And these also make the books a great gift or souvenir. A few sights like the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim do lend themselves to EyeWitness's trademark cut-away visual illustration, but the number of these is very small.

We've owned this book for over a year, and I've been reluctant to write a review until I've given it a fair shot. We've now traveled to quite a few places in Norway, and we found that in all but Oslo and Bergen this book was virtually useless. Oslo and Bergen have enough museums to flesh out the city listings, but the big draw in the rest of the country is the nature and scenery. The important information is less about exhibits and opening hours, and more about how to get around and where to find the most scenic vantage points.

While I've yet to find a truly great guidebook for Norway, we have had better luck with Lonely Planet Norway. In most cases, we've carried both, and even when something interesting appears in the EyeWitness, we counted on the town maps in Lonely Planet to get us there.

Editorial Review:

See the best Norway has to offer, from stunning fjords and solitary mountains to the cosmopolitan city of Oslo and small fishing villages, in this inspiring guide. Includes practical advice on hiking, skiing, night life and local culinary specialties.

Features over 850 full-color photographs, maps and illustrations.

Fodor's Rome, 7th Edition (Full-Color Gold Guides)

Fodor's

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Fodor's Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $9.75

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> Rome
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Rome is one of Europe's most resplendent cities, so it is no wonder that Fodor's selected it to be published in full color. The Eternal City now shines with newly unleashed vitality, and here to reveal it all is Fodor's Rome 2008---packed with photos that vividly capture the whole scenic festa Italiana.

● An all-new, illustrated, "Experience Rome" chapter is loaded with valuable advice, including tips on exploring Rome like a local and getting the most for your money

● In-focus features use graphics and photos to cover Rome's top sights, including "Heaven's Above: The Sistine Ceiling" and "Campo dei Fiori: 24 Hours in the Life of a Roman Square"

● Expanded coverage of the "new Rome"---the hot locales and avant-garde sites popping up are proof that Romans are switching gears into the fast lane, along with maintaining their incredible heritage

● "Roaming Holiday" is Fodor's first step-by-step chapter, immersing the reader through three especially evocative stretches of the city

● A revamped dining chapter provides a sampling of Rome's culinary flavors through detailed portraits of the neighborhood restaurant scene

Madrid (Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Guides)

Christopher Rice, Melanie Rice

Amazon Price: $10.23 List Price: $10.15 Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks By: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $9.02

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Spain -> Madrid
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Spain -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Spain -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

good book, slow delivery 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I like these Eyewittness Travel Gides and byu them when I plan to travel. However this time the delivery was delayed.

so-so 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not as good as some of the other guides I used. The page numbers mentioned next to sights in the intro sections are often incorrect. Lots of pretty pictures though.

Nice guide, hotel/restaurant locations are very inaccurate 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was a nice guide for a 2 day trip to madrid -- the monument descriptions & photos were enjoyable & the walking tours were fun. It was very nice to have pictures of each key sight next to it's description so we could be sure were were looking at the right place.
However, we also used this book to navigate to our hotel. Big, big mistake. In this guide, hotels are not marked on the map, they are located by quadrant (e.g. Map5 D-3). But our hotel was very far from where the book said it was; it was 3-4 map-quadrants away, which we found only by using the address & after a 30 minute walk with our luggage. FYI: unlike in the US, addresses do not go up by 100 per block. Going from 85 Gran Via in the old quarter to 15 Gran Via is about a 2 mile walk.

Editorial Review:

Save time and find the 10 best of everything to see, buy, do, taste and avoid - don't miss a thing! 'Thank goodness for "Top 10" guides' - "Mail on Sunday". Whatever you plan to do - whether you are travelling first class or on a limited budget - make sure you experience the best. With this easy to use, quick reference guide that slips into your bag, you can instantly find the top 10 leading attractions. Discover where to enjoy fashion, football or the art of Goya, bullfighting festivals, fun places for kids, top nightspots, finest tapas bars and local delicacies, best hotels for every budget and much more.

Frommer's Paris 2008 (Frommer's Complete)

Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Frommers Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $1.04

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> France -> Paris
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> France -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> France -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

So Much Great Informaton! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book is full of great information about the City of Lights! It includes everything from the top sites to see, hints about how to save on your trip,great places to eat, stay and watch Parisian life! It also includes three self guided walking tours, a quick history of Paris, and a Glossary of useful French words, including food, menu and cooking terms. The back flap has a handy Paris metro map, the front flap has a metric conversion chart.Of course, many datailed maps so that you know exactly where to go, includes a large pull out map of the entire city of Paris! Complete, accurate, easy to read and a must have companion for your trip to Paris!

Editorial Review:

Frommer's. The best trips start here.

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.

• Detailed reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions, plus side trips to Temecula's wineries, Disneyland, Tijuana, and more.

• Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.

• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.

• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com