General Books - Page 3

Florence & Tuscany (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

List Price: $20.00 By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $3.00

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Subjects -> History -> Europe -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> Florence
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> Tuscany

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

Nice guidebook 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We enjoyed this guidebook on our recent trip to Florence. It was comprehensive, easy to use, and fun to read. This publisher also offers a companion map and mini-guide book to use on the go.

Good Info for a Trip 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this prior to traveling to Italy. Great info on Tuscany and Florence. And I loved that area!!

Only wish I'd had more time 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Yeah, doesn't everyone? There is so much in this book outside of Florence and I really wanted to make the trek into the Tuscan hills around the city, especially to Pisa and Siena. But alas, I was trapped in Florence...and what a prison it was! Everyone should find themselves thus abused at some point in their life, I believe.

This DK guide made the punishment a lot easier to endure, saving me time and headache by thoroughly breaking down specific areas of the city in detailed maps. From Palazzo and Ponte Vecchio, to the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (il Duomo), and on to Brancacci Chapel and Santa Croce and everything in between. This guide gave me detailed information on each of the sites and helped enrich the experience. The exploded diagrams cover the finer points, giving the reader recognizable visual elements to look for along the way. This is so much better than words alone.

Overall, I highly recommend this book...and the city itself. Florence is a place like no other!

Editorial Review:

Eyewitness Travel Guides are the original illustrated travel guidebooks-and they're still the best. Since 1993, the Eyewitness brand has established itself as one of the industry leaders, with sales of more than 6.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Featuring more than 70 worldwide destinations, new titles are being added to the best-selling Eyewitness Travel Guides series each year. In 2003, to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of Eyewitness Travel Guides, DK is re-launching the entire series, fully updated, and with a brand-new look.

Provence A - Z

Peter Mayle

By: Profile Books Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $9.00

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

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

A 'Dictionary' Full of Love 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 11 people found this review helpful.

Here's a book of a couple of hundred entries, from A to Z of course, about life in the Provence region of France. Each entry then has from a short paragraph to a few pages of description. The author is Peter Mayle who has almost made a careet of writing about Provence. He's a Brit who moved there many years ago. He was going there to write a novel, but instead wrote a book on Provence which to the surprise of many turned into a best seller.

This started a trend with 'A Year in Provence' and 'Toujours Provence' being the best known. Like expats everywhere who have permanently moved from their homeland, Mr. Mayle is in love with his new chosen country. It shows through his selection of words to include in the book and in the dedication with which he has given these words their Provence meaning.

It's almost enough to make people who don't like France ready to go visit.

"Provence4: A to Z 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This is a collection of short essays about the culture of Provence in alphabetical order. I think it is typical Mayle, intelligent, bright, and whimsical without being "cute". It's a writing you can sample in at odd times.

Notes from a Small Island

Bill Bryson

List Price: $25.00 By: William Morrow Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $0.80

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Subjects -> History -> Europe -> England -> 20th Century
Subjects -> History -> Europe -> England -> General
Subjects -> History -> Europe -> England -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 278 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Bless Bill Bryson 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

If there is anyone out there who has never read Bill Bryson I urge you to start. His books will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud....you can't stay blue or depressed when you're engrossed in one of his works. In spite of his penchant for being an Anglophile (no doubt because he's married to an Englishwoman), you realize, after reading between the lines, he's an all-American kid.
What's so delightful about him is that he not only entertains but educates as well.
Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! Bill. There is no one like you. I have one complaint and that is there aren't any new 'travelogues' on the horizon. Come on, Bill. You're not that old!.

Couldn't finish this one.... 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I've read five of Bryson's books so far, but this one has put the nail in the coffin for me-there will be no more Bryson books for a while. I'm about half way through it but am finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate Bryson's mean-spirited remarks about people he's never met. Bryson's comment that an overweight teenager was a, "greedy, fat, pig" wasn't funny at all. It was just mean, plain and simple...and this coming from an author who needs to take a look at himself in the mirror. In the last Bryson book I read, his wife comments that all he does is, "b**ch, b**ch, b**ch. I agree with her. I find this book to be repeatedly filled with whining, and mean-spirited comments about people Bryson has never met and places he doesn't spend enough time in to know anything about. If you want to read good Bryson books try, "A Walk in The Woods" or "A Short History of Nearly Everything". This one will will be going out, half-finished, with our summer tag sale items.

Editorial Review:

The author of Made in America combines social commentary and travel notes, irreverent wit and fond appreciation, in an account of life in and the land of Great Britain, his adopted home for the past two decades. Tour.

This is London

M Sasek

By: MacMillan Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $14.95

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Great Britain -> England -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Great Britain -> England -> London
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> General

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

Editorial Review:

Following on the runaway success of This is New York, Universe is thrilled to reissue two more titles from M. Sasek's beloved children's travel series: This is London and This is Paris.
Like This is New York and This is San Francisco, This is London and This is Paris are facsimile editions of Sasek's original titles. His brilliant, vibrant illustrations have been meticulously preserved and remain true to his vision. With the passing of time facts have been updated where applicable in the back of each book. Perfect souvenirs with timely and nostalgic appeal, the books have an elegant, classic look and delightful narrative that will charm both children and their parents, many of whom will remember them from their own childhood.

This is London, first published in 1959, presents impressions of London with its beautiful buildings, historic monuments, bridges, parks, shops and Piccadilly Circus, black cabs, Horse Guards, and famed Underground.

This is Paris, first published in 1959, brings Paris, one of the most exciting cities in the world, to life. There are famous buildings, beautiful gardens, cafés, and the Parisians-artists, concierges, flower girls, and even thousands of cats. Take a tour along the banks of the Seine, through the galleries of the Louvre, and to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

My French Life

Vicki Archer

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Studio Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $14.69

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Interior Design -> Decorating
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> France -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> France -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A beautifully photographed romantic book about French style and culture—and making a new home in Provence

In 1999, Vicki Archer, with her husband and three children, made a lifelong dream a reality when she bought a seventeenth-century property in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. She spent three years lovingly restoring the farmhouse, bringing back to life the abandoned apple and pear orchards, and planting an olive grove of more than two thousand trees. In My French Life, Vicki shares an insider’s view of life in France— from its landscapes, delicious food, and scents to its charming people. And she offers an intimate portrait of what it’s like to adopt a new home on the other side of the globe. It’s a personal tale of taking risks, facing challenges, and the joyous experience of falling in love with all things French.

With lavish four-color photography that captures the essence of French style, My French Life is a book to cherish. It is the perfect gift for the holidays.

Everything but the Squeal: Eating the Whole Hog in Northern Spain

John Barlow

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $10.14

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Gastronomy -> General
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Gastronomy -> General AAS
Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> European -> European

Editorial Review:

John Barlow, self-confessed glutton, found himself in a tricky situation: living in one of the most meat-loving places on earth, married to a vegetarian.  The Barlows live in Galicia, the misty-green northwest corner of Spain, and home to a population that reveres and consumes every part of the pig. This gets Barlow thinking about the nature of our relationship with food—what’s delicious, what’s nasty, and what sort of obligation we have to the animals we eat. Over the course of one glorious, bilious year, Barlow vows to eat everything but the squeal.  In his travels, Barlow takes part in the thousand-year-old antthrowing festival of Laza. He makes pig-bladder puddings for carnival. He washes down lots of pork with lots of wine.

In the tradition of Calvin Trillin and Anthony Bourdain, Everything but the Squeal is an adventure in extreme eating, a hilariously quirky travel book, and a perceptive look at how what we eat makes us who we are.

Spain (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $15.45

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

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

Spain, Eyewitness 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

great product...but a bit heavy to tote around Spain! Read it before you go.

Its General Information 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Very Practical, though its bits of information..if you are planning in to visit a particular city, you should buy the book of that particular city. This book its like a run-through of Spain. But it has the most important guides and tips (Survival Guide). A really good value. It has really great pictures and drawings, great maps, a phrase book with translations and how to pronounce it. It has the maps of the metros in Barcelona and Madrid. It has a street finder, which is also very practical. Its a great book for "on your own trips", for it has the opening hours and its schedules.

Editorial Review:

The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Spain provides detailed, practical information and expert recommendations. It has information about Spain's country, historical, and cultural sides and includes features about food, wine, beaches and festivals. Check the Traveler's Needs section for restaurant and hotel recommendations and the Survival Guide has tips on everything from transport to using the telephone system. The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Spainhelps you to get the most out of your visit

Under the Tuscan Sun

Frances Mayes

List Price: $16.50 By: Bantam Books Amazon Marketplace: 68 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Reference -> Writing -> Travel
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Italy -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 433 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Disappointed 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I was so looking forward to reading, "Under The Tuscan Sun". An avid traveler, I love to explore various places through books since having 3 kids doesn't allow me to travel as much as I used to. I assumed the book would be good considering it was a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

Maybe my expectations were too high. I found the book to be monotonous, laborious and rather self-indulgent. The relationships Mayes appears to have developed seem superficial at best and imagery of the old, deep south conjured in my mind as I read about her cook "Wille Bell" and her seamstress as a child in Georgia. I thought I would relate to this part of Mayes' life as I too grew up in Georgia, but, again, the absence of any emotional impact left me wanting just to finish the book and be done with it.

Aside from the rehabilitation of her home in Tuscany which was written about mostly at the beginning of the book, I found the book to have a lack of continunity and really any depth. The self-proclamed pagan describes churches and locations, but doesn't capture the romance, innocence and intrigue that will keep you flipping pages.

Mayes does appear to be a fabulous cook and I would probably like a cookbook by her. However, if you are looking for a novel with a plot to sink your teeth into, this is definitely NOT it. I much prefered "Eat, Pray and Love" and the first chapter (which I am now reading) of "Almost French" is wildly more clever and intriguing.

Editorial Review:

Frances Mayes - widely published poet, gourmet cook and travel writer - opens the door on a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. She finds faded frescoes beneath the whitewash in the dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles - and even a wayward scorpion under her pillow. And from her traditional kitchen and simple garden, she creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, all included in this book. In the vibrant local markets and neighbouring hill towns, the author explores the nuances of the Italian landscape, history and cuisine. Each adventure yields delightful surprises - the perfect panettone, an unforgettable wine, or painted Etruscan tombs. Doing for Tuscany what Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, "Under The Tuscan Sun" is a feast for all the senses.

Fodor's Italy 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides)

Fodor's

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Fodor's Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $15.31

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

Editorial Review:

Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.

Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Italy!

•Your vacation never looked better. This Fodor’s full-color guide paints an unforgettable picture of Italy with vibrant maps, vividly illustrated features, and stunning color photos.

•Updated annually, Fodor’s Italy provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.

•Fodor’s Italy features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.

•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Italy.

•Experience Italy like a local! Fodor’s Italy includes Rome, Florence, Venice, and much more!

•Fodor’s Italy includes unique photo-features that impart the country’s culture, covering Ancient Rome, Venice’s Grand Canal, the Cinque Terre, and much more!

•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.

•Full-color pullout map.

Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.

Inside the Vatican (National Geographic)

Bart Mcdowell

Amazon Price: $12.24 List Price: $18.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $8.01

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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photojournalism

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This lavishly illustrated guide through the Vatican captures the people, the treasures, and the inner workings of the center of the Roman Catholic Church. Bart McDowell takes readers through centuries of Vatican history, describing the days of the Roman Empire, the glorious years of the Renaissance, the power struggle between Church and State that endured from the late 7th century until 1929, and much more. Since the center of the Roman Catholic Church is also the world's smallest nation, McDowell explains religious matters, such as the process of canonization, and governmental operations of the Vatican-highlighted by a visit with Pope John Paul II as he attends to his many daily duties. Photographer James L. Stanfield spent nearly a year inside the Vatican with unprecedented access to its museums, ceremonies, and people. His full-color photographs show art that few visitors to the Vatican have the chance to see-works of such masters as Michelangelo and Raphael-and provide private viewings of Pope John Paul II's quarters, the necropolis beneath St. Peter's Basilica, and world-renowned libraries. Through these beautiful and exclusive photographs and the revealing text that accompanies them, Inside the Vatican celebrates a small, dynamic community unique in the world.