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Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History Review

Robert Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts is more than a travel book for most of his experiences in the Balkan's were far from tourism. Rather, like Rebecca West's Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, his book explores time and place with the precision of an anthropologist.

Kaplan points out that this area of the world seems to have a talent for starting wars and once was called `ethnic trash' by Karl Marx. Serbia is the area where Habsburg Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated, an event that sparked World War I. From here come the 20th century's first terrorists. Kaplan points out that the Balkans are not just the area where Communism meets capitalism. It is also the place where Roman Catholic meets Eastern Orthodox, where Christian meets Islam, where Rome meets Constantinople, where Habsburg Austria-Hungarian empire meets the Ottoman empire. Kaplan identifies the principal illness of Balkans which he sees as conflicting dreams of lost imperial glory. Each nation demands that its borders expand to the point at which their empire reached its heights in ancient or medieval times.

Croatia's unique history is explored, its alliance with Hapsburg Austria, and its history of conflict between Catholic and Orthodox Serbs. A fascinating part of the book is the rise of Croatia as a small nation only to become a puppet of the German Nazis. During this time murders against both Orthodox Serbs and Jews occurred. The figure of Catholic Cardinal Stepinac remains controversial to this day, for he appeared to support the fascist nationalists until their murder of Jews and Orthodox Serbs reached terrible proportions. He chastised the fascist around the fall of Nazism in World War II but was later tried as a war criminal by the communist Tito. Tensions remain to this day between Catholic Croatia and the mixed ethnic state of Bosnia where Catholics, Jews, Orthodox Serbs, and Muslims all live in suspicion of each other.

Kaplan repeatedly praises the work of Dame Rebecca West in her Black Lamb Grey Falcon. West indicates that the Turks ruined the Balkans so greatly that it has never been repaired.

Albanians descended from Illyrian tribes and their language bears no similarity to other languages. Kosovo has gone back and forth between Serbian and Albanian control. Enver Hoxha was a young Communist freedom fighter against the Nazis. At the end of World War II, Albania had lost more than 7% of their population.

Macedonia is a mix of ethnic groups. Turks, Albanians, Serbs, Rumanians, Greeks, and Bulgarians live there side by side since the days of St. Paul. Czar Alexander II's war to liberate Bulgaria from Turkey in 1877 was the first spark of modern Great Power conflict. Russians occupied the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and dictated to the defeated Turks the Treaty of San Stefano. The union of Macedonia and Bulgaria created a pro-Russian state. Germany's Bismarck set out to revise the Treaty in the Congress of Berlin. Macedonia was returned to Turkish rule upon pressure by Germany and Great Britain on the Russians. To balance the powers, Turkey got Macedonia, Austria got Bosnia, an arrangement leading to World War I. The Russian forces in Bulgaria drove the Muslims into Macedonia whereas the Austrian advance into Bosnia also drove the Muslims south into Macedonia, where the enraged Turks began terrorizing the Orthodox Christians. The relationship between Bulgaria and Macedonia has been one where Bulgaria wishes to incorporate Macedonia within their borders but has always been on the losing side of world conflicts, never allowing for integration.

Apart from forcing Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid to accept a liberal constitution, the "Young Turks" led by Pasha had no well-defined program. As with Gorbachev, Pasha and the Young Turks were determined to conserve in a loser more liberal form the Empire, which they perceived as threatened primarily by a reactionary Sultanate and near total resistance to change. The Ottoman Empire's disintegration enraged fundamentalists Muslims within Turkey. The increasingly authoritarian Young Turk regime culminated in the 1915 mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians, the century's first holocaust. This genocide was perpetrated because the Armenians demographically threatened the Muslim Turks.

Romania's language is Latinate, closer to ancient Roman. Roman legions conquered this territory in 101 AD. Romanians are closer in appearance to the Latins than to Slavs. In 325 AD Roman Christianity was brought to Romania. However invasion by Bulgarians brought in the Eastern Orthodox religion. Geographically Romania lies vulnerable between the Ukrainians and Russians and Turks. For the 14th century onward the Turks kept Romania in fear. There were uprisings against the Turks, for example Vlad the Impaler (the historical "Dracula") was a rebel against Turkish rule. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Russians invaded over a dozen times. In the 1860's the Romanians elected Karl Hohenzollern as their king. Carol I abdicated to his nephew Ferdinand, who married Princess Marie of Edinburgh, granddaughter to Queen Victoria. Queen Marie was a force behind the throne during World War I and died before her son Carol II caused havoc.

King Carol II is a colorful character, having deserted from the army, eloped with a Romanian aristocrat, then was forced to abdicate since Romanian law requires him to marry a foreigner. He marries Princess Helen of Greece and deserts her for Lupescu, his Jewish mistress. He abdicates a second time rather than return to his wife and leave his mistress. He extorted funds from casinos and deposited million in foreign banks. He declared dictatorship. He supported the Legionnaires of the Archangel Michael until they turned against him because of his Jewish mistress. Hitler also told Carol that he preferred to have Codreanu as dictator of Romania rather than Carol. Carol had Codreanu and the legion leaders killed which angered Hitler. Corneliu Zelea Codreanu formed the Legion around secret nests of 13 men who drank each other's blood and vowing to commit murder if ordered. Carol formed his own Nazi party and repressed his countries 800,000 Jews. Stalin demanded Bessarabia and Hitler demanded Transylvania. Carol tired to play a double game and lost. He left Romania in 1940 in a train full of gold bound for Mexico. His 18 year old son, Michael became king. The Legion struck back, primarily at Romania's Jewish population, killing thousands. Hitler wished to obtain Romania's oil reserves. In 1947 King Michael also abandoned Romania in a train full of treasures as his father had done.

The fall of King Carol II Hohenzollern and the rise of reactionary forces in 1941 in Romania are a frightening tale. The rise of the Legionnaires of the Archangel Michael, a terrorist group that committed murder against the Jews in their country, is a terrible story and helps us realize the degree of anti-Semitism throughout Eastern Europe.

Nicolae Ceausescu ruled Romania for a quarter-century until the army executed him. Ceausescu outlawed abortion and birth control so that the Romanians could outbreed the Hungarians. However poverty and semi-starvation increased infant mortality rates. Badly urbanized peasants worked in factories and lived in dorms where only alcohol and propaganda were readily available. Romania was allowed to fall under Stalin's domain at the peace discussions at Yalta.

In World War II, the Romanians were on the side of the Nazis while the Jews in Romania supported the Russians. The Romanian army killed 4,000 Jews in Jassy and then the army evacuated another 12,000 that dies of thirst and asphyxiation in railroad cars. Then in 1941 and 192 15,000 Jews were deported from Moldavia into Romanian run concentration camps. In 1944 when the Russians invaded Romania, the Romanians switched sides and began fighting the Nazis. The Romanians have always fallen between three empires, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Turkey, and Russia.

The Bulgars were a Tartar tribe. In the medieval period, Bulgaria was among the powerful kingdoms in Europe. Kings carved out empire from Albania to the Black Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains to the Aegean. In 865 Bulgaria became the first of the Slav peoples to embrace Orthodox Christianity. Byzantine Emperor Basil defeated King Samuel and had 14,000 prisoners blinded - the most horrific moment in Bulgarian history. Bulgaria then endured 500 years of Ottoman occupation. Turkish rule was bloodier in Bulgaria than anywhere else. In 1876 Turks encouraged band of Bulgarians converted to Islam to hack to death 5,000 Orthodox Christians. A Russian army swept through Bulgaria in 1877 liberating Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

Kaplan argues that Greece must be understood through the eyes of the Balkans rather than through a Hollywood lens. He tells of Salonika - Thessaloniki in Greek -a community of Spanish Jews. In 53 AD St. Paul preached from the Synagogue. Jews from Hungary and German arrived in 1373. Following the conquest of Salonika by the Ottoman Turks, 20,000 Spanish Jews received permission to move there in 1492. By 1913 half the population of the city was Jews. The Nazis captured the city in 1941 and in five months had sent almost all the Jews to concentration camps. Of all the cities in Nazi-occupied Europe, Salonika ranked first in the number of Jewish victims: out of a population of 56,000, 54,0505 - 96.5%- were exterminated at Auschwitz.

The Greek Church was the mother of all Eastern Orthodox churches, which are treasure houses of their culture that survived the Ottoman rule. Hagia Sophia built in the sixth century AD by Emperor Justinian became the prototype for all Orthodox cathedrals, for St. Marks in Venice, and for mosques throughout Turkey. Byzantium, an empire created in AD 324, as the successor of Rome, and destroyed 1,100 years later by Ottoman Turks in 1453. During these eleven centuries, the Byzantine Empire was a Greek empire. Ottoman Turks ejected the Byzantine Greeks from Constantinople in the fifteenth century but large Greek communities survived in Istanbul and along the western shore of Asia Minor - particularly Smyrna. In 1921 the Greek army advanced into Asia Minor beyond the Greek occupied coastal areas. In 1922 Kemal Ataturk, in the midst of developing a new Turkish republic, drove the Greek army back. Greek dead numbered 30,000. Then 400,000 Turks from Greek Thrace moved into Turkey and 1,250,000 Greeks from Asia Minor went into exile in Greece, increasing the population by 20%. Refuges tripled the size of Athens. The Nazi invasion left 8% of the population dead, followed by the Greek Civil War which saw more destruction than the war against the Nazis.

Constantinople is a Greek word for a historically Greek city. The Cyrillic alphabet, used in Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, and Russia, emerged from the Greek alphabet when two monks, Cyril and Methodius, left Salonika in the ninth century AD to proselytize among the Slavs. The ultimate achievement of Periclean Athens was to breathe humanism - compassion for the individual - into the inhumanity of the East. Classical Greece of the First Millennium BC invented the West by humanizing the East.
This well written book taught me much about the Balkans and gave me an appreciation for these boiling nationalistic forces that run against each other century after century.

Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History Feature

• Good binding.

Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History Overview

This new edition includes six opinion pieces written by Robert Kaplan about the Balkans between l996 and 2000 beginning just after the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and ending after the conclusion of the Kosovo war, with the removal of Slobodan Milosevic from power

Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History Specifications

From the assassination that triggered World War I to the ethnic warfare now sweeping Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, the Balkans have been the crucible of the twentieth century, the place where terrorism and genocide first became tools of policy.

This enthralling and often chilling political travelogue fully deciphers the Balkans' ancient passions and intractable hatreds for outsiders. For as Kaplan travels among the vibrantly-adorned churches and soul-destroying slums of the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece, he allows us to see the region's history as a time warp in which Slobodan Milosevic becomes the reincarnation of a fourteenth-century Serbian martyr; Nicolae Ceaucescu is called "Drac," or "the Devil"; and the one-time Soviet Union turns out to be a continuation of the Ottoman Empire.

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Customer Reviews

Potted history goes east - reader 451 -
Balkan Ghosts is a compete curate's egg: it is neither history nor travel writing, neither political analysis nor journalism, nor is it all these things together.

Its chief merit is in the prologue: a set of articles published in the 90s by Kaplan arguing for Western intervention in the Yugoslav wars. If anything, these articles were not vocal enough, but they act as a vital reminder of the abject failure of judgement and nerves of the US and EU - particularly the EU, supposedly founded to avoid such wars and atrocities reoccurring in Europe ever again. Then Kaplan says that Clinton may have been influenced by his book against intervention because it sounded the note of unsolvable, age-old hatreds. The author wrings his hands. But the paradox is that when one moves on to the section on ex-Yugoslavia, one understands Clinton. It does portray a stereotypically violent, `eternally unfathomable East'. It has either too much or too little history. Kaplan's dubious premise consists in John Reed and Rebecca West: not exactly neutral material, and written decades ago. He never pauses to question why his interlocutors - intellectuals and officials - carry on about historical events of which they have no personal experience. And he makes no attempt, beyond passing mention, to dissect the impact of communism and of the region's peculiar 1970s economic experiment.

Balkan Ghosts improves when it begins to describe Romania and Bulgaria, in which the author spent more time. It becomes more like a travel book, and the historical commentary is more nuanced, relevant, and up-to-date. Kaplan also convinces when he writes on the holocaust in the Balkan region, especially Salonika. Then the book tends to end again in caricature and cultural typecasting on Greece, though the Papandreou story is interesting. Kaplan deserves credit for having raised the alarm on brewing trouble in the Balkans. His sections on Romania and Bulgaria capture the essence of their now (thankfully) vanished post-communist scenes. But history on the Yugoslav states is better found in Noel Malcolm's Bosnia and Kosovo books.



Balkan Ghosts as a travel guide - S. Otte - indianapols, IN
We used the book as a introduction to a trip we were taking to the Balkan countries and it gave us fantastic background information in a readable non-academic format. While it is a bit dated, the information was still pertinent because of the lack of progress in that area. A "must read" if you are thinking of visiting the area.



Great book. Robert D. Kaplan is an excellent writer. - Benoit Stephenson - San Francisco, CA USA
I would definitively recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn more about the Balkans, and related history. The book is very well written, and makes a complex and deep subject a relatively easy read.




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Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China (P.S.) Review

Oracle Bones Book Review
(05-15-2010)

Have just finished reading Oracle Bones after reading River Town in succession I decided to record my impression before Peter Hesslerfs third book of his trilogy of China Journey, and I must congratulate him for a task very well done. Having been a Chinese immigrant for almost 60 years, Peter Hessler would not be surprised that I still consider myself a Chinese and, like so many other first generation Chinese immigrants, I too, would frequently identify him as wai guo ren iŠO`lj, a foreigner in my conversation with other Chinese immigrants. My comments in this article will be marked, however, a review of the Oracle Bones only.

My copy of Oracle Bones was a 2006 paperback edition, and Hessler, already becoming an excellent China observer in his few years in China since 1996 when he arrived at Fuling, Sichuan province, to teach as a Peace Corp volunteer. His view point expressed in River Town was quite clearly that of a foreigner but he is a China expert in this later book.

It is through several people discussed in this book one gets a good idea about China from his visits and friendship with them, including couple of his former students, several Chinese and American scholars and Polat, an Uighure ethnic minority from Xinjiang province, we get some aspects of a very complex country not to forget a movie actor, Jiang Wen, and one excellent movie of his.

One former student of his, Emily, who had gone to the Overnight City Shenzhen to work after her graduation from college had experienced such dark mental picture of that city few of us can imagine but when she, after a few years, finally got accepted by a university in Chongqing doing graduate work to teach handicapped or perhaps retarded students, her life outlook seemed to have totally reversed from hopelessness to a brighter and meaningful future. This reader was caught by surprise not so much by the switch of Emilyfs life, but rather, by the fact that there are concerns for people of that sort of misfortune in China. It was not the China I had lived before 1951. The young people, most of them are young women, going to find work in Shenzhen are facing a life few of us in America can imagine. The Shenzhen I had been to in 1951 was a village of few thousand aboriginals; it is now a megacity of more than 13 million as of 2006.

Chen Mengjia, the archeological scholar whose monumental research on oracle bones was so severely damaged mentally by political persecution, during the late 50s and early 60s, and committed suicide is the backbone of this book. What Hessler had gone through in order to get as much truth to the life of Chen Mengjia is nothing unique in trying to find out any reliable history of just about any event in anywhere around the world but particularly in China where so much deliberate efforts are placed in blocks trying to obscure the real picture. Hesslerfs effort in this regard is simply commendable. He had gone to Seattle, Princeton, Stanford and Berkeley to interview various scholars for their expertise on ancient writing and language, but I respect his own analysis on the significance of Chinese writing, calligraphy in particular, to the Chinese culture and mostly their mind. This reader had to endure the education system during his early schools in China trying to carry out the rigid school regulation practicing the intricacy of calligraphy with both large and small brush pens. The irony is the art form did not become meaningful until after arriving as an immigrant to the U.S. as a college student. I realized the great abstract quality of calligraphy but never thought that calligraphy is taken by Chinese in China actually as ART in the purest sense. And this very nature of Chinese calligraphy plays an important role in the Chinese mind not only in Chinese education but social and civilization aspects. I had so opposed to Dr. Hu Shihfs suggestion and urge to Chinese-American parents not to send their kids to Chinese school in Chinatowns to study Chinese but spending more time on English and mathematics during the late 1950s. I came to understand and appreciate Dr. Hufs idea only in 1998 when I was struggling to learn the Chinese pinyin system in order to use the computer Chinese writing software. And, of course, this leads to Hesslerfs discussion on the highly controversial issue of Chinese writing reform. Again, Hessler brought numerous issues in this regard into this book and I sincerely hope that is will once again ignite a lively discussion among more Chinese scholars. I myself now firmly think that language is principally a communication tool, and as art, only a secondary consideration.

It is also a key point in the book when Hessler presents a very good anthropological discussion on the ancient evolving process of Chinese written language, the words, that it did not develop into an alphabetical system over thousands of years. This is a topic of immense difficulty beyond mere speculation. His effort commands respect.

The young ethnic Uighure Polat hates the Han Chinese and from what I have read about him I wish I can someday meet with him in Washington, D.C. and I think we can establish friendly dialogue and letting him realize that meaningful understanding with the Han Chinese is possible.

At the end of the book Hessler brought in Mr. Wu who had attended Manchester College in 1948 and I too went there in 1951.

Thank you, Mr. Hessler, for Jiang Wenfs movie, Devils on the Doorstep, a rare, far reaching film of Shakespearian drama.

Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China (P.S.) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780060826598
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Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China (P.S.) Overview

A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

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Customer Reviews

Wandering Around China - Patrick Artz - Omaha, NE United States
Think about how you travel on vacation. Do you stick to a schedule and like to plan everything out ahead of time? Or, do you like to wander? If you like to wander, then you'll like Oracle Bones.

The title comes from the earlierst form of Chinese writing uncovered so far by archeologists. Peter Hessler uses this as a thread from which to hang his collection of characters and stories. It is non-fiction, but it reads like fiction. I am glad that I read the 400+ pages. The last few pages present the wisdom gained by the author from his writing, teaching, and traveling in China. I feel wiser for having read this book.

We didn't select it as one of our university book forum selections, but I recommend it for anyone with an interest in China.




Sharp and insightful - Marcus Schuetz - Hong Kong SARm China
I found Peter Hessler's narrative and insight brilliant. The book is a collection of impressions the author describes thoughtfully and sharply from a perspective of a reflecting insider. What he writes resonates a lot with what I have seen, living in China since 2003. And it opens interesting new views, triggers interest on further research and last but not least, I learned a lot of new things which I did not know before. If you are looking for a book on the contemporary China and its making on the level of individual plots and stories, do not miss reading Oracle Bones.



Nice and interesting - Lina Ma -
Really good book to know China. The author gave us a true China he saw, not imagination.



Hessler knows China better than most of the Chinese - C. Zhu - Vienna, VA
Not only every American or people who are interested in China should read this book, but also, in my humble opinions, all the Chinese leaders should read this book. Hessler was a great story teller, his thoughts were well organized and he had a pair of eyes that could see things with all sorts of analogies. As he had said in this book, he had the influence from his parents who is a social worker and a history teacher. He approached this book from the views as a sociologist and a historian would have done. Not just the characters interested me, but the people who he interviewed that truly added his characters' stories another layer of spectrum. Reading this book was like watching a spider weaving its web, across the time from Shang dynasty to modern China, from the west Xingjiang to Beijing and Shenzen. I think Hessler knows China much better than most of the Chinese people. This book should be a required reading material in any high school or college history classes, and any journalism classes. Thank you for writing such an amazing book!

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The Snow Leopard (Penguin Classics) Review

There is not much more I can add to this review that others have not covered. I am not a student of Zen Buddhism, but the author's explanations of the origins, myths, and whatnot of several types of Buddhism is very interesting to read. This book works on several levels, as a spiritual text, travelogue, and naturalist text. I would highly recommend it.

The book did lose one star for it's very wordy descriptions of the Himalayan environment. I suppose the author had a lot of time to minutely explore his surroundings, but it does not make for good reading, especially since he doesn't do a very good job of painting a detailed picture. However, don't let that stop you from reading what is one of the best travel books ever written.

The Snow Leopard (Penguin Classics) Feature

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The Snow Leopard (Penguin Classics) Overview

An unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas— now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary

IN 1973, Peter Matthiessen and field biologist George Schaller traveled high into the remote mountains of Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and possibly glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard. Matthiessen, a student of Z en Buddhism, was also on a spiritual quest—to find the Lama of Shey at the ancient shrine on Crystal Mountain. As the climb proceeds, Matthiessen charts his inner path as well as his outer one, with a deepening Buddhist understanding of reality, suffering, impermanence, and beauty.

The Snow Leopard (Penguin Classics) Specifications

In the autumn of 1973, the writer Peter Matthiessen set out in the company of zoologist George Schaller on a hike that would take them 250 miles into the heart of the Himalayan region of Dolpo, "the last enclave of pure Tibetan culture on earth." Their voyage was in quest of one of the world's most elusive big cats, the snow leopard of high Asia, a creature so rarely spotted as to be nearly mythical; Schaller was one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in the wild since 1950.

Published in 1978, The Snow Leopard is rightly regarded as a classic of modern nature writing. Guiding his readers through steep-walled canyons and over tall mountains, Matthiessen offers a narrative that is shot through with metaphor and mysticism, and his arduous search for the snow leopard becomes a vehicle for reflections on all manner of matters of life and death. In the process, The Snow Leopard evolves from an already exquisite book of natural history and travel into a grand, Buddhist-tinged parable of our search for meaning. By the end of their expedition, having seen wolves, foxes, rare mountain sheep, and other denizens of the Himalayas, and having seen many signs of the snow leopard but not the cat itself, Schaller muses, "We've seen so much, maybe it's better if there are some things that we don't see."

That sentiment, as well as the sense of wonder at the world's beauty that pervades Matthiessen's book, ought to inform any journey into the wild. --Gregory McNamee

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Customer Reviews

Made it to page 80, quit - D.E. Wray - Tokyo
I bought this (a) because I had wanted to read about snow leopards and (b) because the cover of the edition I have indicates it won both the American Book Award and the National Book Award. Well, it's not about snow leopards--at least not in the 80 pages I could manage to slog through--but no one promised me it would be, so fair enough.

What the book seems to be is a series of shallow meditations hung on a metaphoric frame of a journey. The ostensible topic of the writing is Buddhism and sundry "eastern" forms of religious belief and mysticism(s): the things Matthiessen writes about, however, are actually mid-20th century Western translations of or interpretations of "Eastern 'philosophy'." At least in the pages I read, he has nothing interesting to relate about these topics.

The prose is not particularly smooth, but it does not really intrude on the reading experience. What does intrude, however, and annoy, is the overuse of allusions to other literary works and the many attempts buttress poor thinking and analysis with poorly thought out interpretations of results of research in (obviously misunderstood) other areas. (Whenever writers who are not physicists start alluding to developments in 20th century physics, you can be pretty sure they don't know either physics or the topic at hand.)

Now, note well that I quit reading the book: maybe I am completely wrong, and the author's intent was to have the experience of reading the book reproduce a difficult spiritual journey, with the boring, unrewarding, pointless slogging coming first and the payoff later. I skimmed later sections of the book, however, and didn't see any hints of a payoff.

Don't bother with this book.






a lesson in how to use language - Anthony Creswell - Darwin, Australia
This is my favourite book of all time. I am in simple awe of the way Mattheissen uses language in this book. Poetry in a prose form.



Should be on everyone's "life list" - Joshua A. Steinitz - San Francisco, CA USA
I loved this book so much that I selected it as the first choice in our blog post on NileGuide (www.nileguide.com) about Top 50 Adventure Books of All Time (http://blog.nileguide.com/2009/01/21/top-50-adventure-books-of-all-time/). It's one of the few works of literature that has ever inspired me to underline passages and re-read them later. It's a journey of discovery on multiple levels, set against the most inspiring backdrop imaginable --- the Himalayas. The severity of the landscape only serves to amplify the author's message, and in some respects, it's central to the message itself.

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Introduction to Hospitality (3rd Edition) Review

It was my 1st experience purchasing books off of Amazon.This book has all the reading materials for my class. I couldn't believe the pricing for this book was so low. When my other classmates shared how much they paid( over ). It was such a blessing to pay what I did. They have the 5th edition but the information is the same. I will shop more @ amazon.com for reading and other items.

Introduction to Hospitality (3rd Edition) Overview

For undergraduate introductory courses in Hospitality, such as Introduction to Hospitality, Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism, and Introduction to Hotel and Restaurant Management. Tomorrow's managers are off to a strong start with this best-selling comprehensive tour through the fascinating and challenging related fields in the hospitality industry. Written in an upbeat style by an author with substantial industry experience--and supported by one of the most complete instructional packages of its kind--this full-color edition offers an enlightening overview of the industry's many facets--from a welcoming tour of the hospitality industry to tourism, lodging, restaurants, managed services, beverages, conventions and meeting, leisure/recreation, plus examines gaming entertainment, marketing and human resources, leadership and management.

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No.1 - director HMP - florence s.c.
Have used this book through out all the editions. This is the best of its kind. The author has wrapped each subject into a comprehensive chapter. Would be at a loss if this went out of print. For me it is No.1 Intro to Hospitality text.






Fast! - U. Gesla - Clifton, New Jersey
quick shipping, great condition! it is a hard cover but the book is very light and easy to cary around. also came with DVD!

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1,000 Places to See Before You Die, updated ed. (2010) (1,000 Before You Die) Review

It's important to be magnanimous when dealing with a book such as this. Anybody asked to put together a 1000 of anything is always going to come up with a different list to anybody else, even their best buddy. So while there are some issues with the items selected (more on that later) I'm going to start this review by focussing on the positives.

And there are a number of them. The book isn't a massive hardcover tome and it's written by someone who obviously loves the idea of travel itself and much of it is written in a breezy and somewhat gushing style. Now I may have issues with gushing at times but a love of travel is something that is its own best defence. The author has set this book out quite logically via geographic area and further broken down each part of the world into national groupings arranged alphabetically. As such it's easy to just flick through and find nations you are interested in or have already visited to have a look at the authors thoughts or suggestions. Of course as I touched on in my opening paragraph there are always going to be sites that some people will feel were left out unfairly but anyone who buys this book and expects to treat it as some sort of ego stroking checklist is missing the point by a country mile. This book is designed as much to celebrate travel and throw a stack of ideas at the reader (at least 1000 ideas, to be exact). Each entry is admittedly fairly perfunctory and there really is no other way it could be without writing a series of books of Tolkien like proportions.

There are some downsides however. While I am more than happy to admit that there are some signature hotels around the world, the Caledonia, Raffles etc, I found the constant banging on about hotels detracted from the breezy nature of the book by the very monotony of it. And the author is obviously a `foodie' of epic proportions given the gushing over this restaurant or that. It got annoying to be perfectly blunt. Again, there are probably some places that are banner items but name checking chefs is a sure fire way to obsolescence.

The only other main gripe would be the plethora of North American sites. It was a touch unbalanced. I note that there is a 1000 for North America now, and it would be lovely if in future this world edition was remastered - to use musical phraseology.

Despite these quibbles overall I found this a fun read, it was amusing to peruse and mentally tick places off and it certainly will get you and your mates arguing for this or that site and it will also whet your appetite for more travel. Which is kind of the reason your thinking of buying this book isn't it?

1,000 Places to See Before You Die, updated ed. (2010) (1,000 Before You Die) Overview

Introducing the Eighth Wonder of travel books, the New York Times bestseller that's been hailed by CBS-TV as one of the best books of the year and praised by Newsweek as  the "book that tells you what's beautiful, what's inspiring, what's fun and what's just unforgettable everywhere on earth."

Packed with recommendations of the world's best places to visit, on and off the beaten path, 1,000 Places To See Before You Die is a joyous, passionate gift for travelers, an around-the-world, continent-by-continent listing of beaches, museums, monuments, islands, inns, restaurants, mountains, and more. There's Botswana's Okavango Delta, the covered souks of Aleppo, the Tuscan hills surrounding San Gimignano, Canyon de Chelly, the Hassler hotel in Rome, Ipanema Beach, the backwaters of Kerala, Oaxaca's Saturday market, the Buddhas of Borobudur, Ballybunion golf club-all the places guaranteed to give you the shivers.

The prose is gorgeous, seizing on exactly what makes each entry worthy of inclusion. And, following the romance, the nuts and bolts: addresses, phone numbers, websites, costs, and best times to visit—all updated for 2010 with the most current information.

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• 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die: UNESCO Edition

Customer Reviews

Excellent service. - M. Fermoyle - Royal Oak, MI.
The product was as advertised, very satisfied with what I purchased and the sellers service.



SUCH FUN!. - Adrienne M. Rosenthal - Walnut Creek,CA.
Such a fun book to peruse!. In fact, special to write down places to visit when in that country, etc. Of course there are some things that are a bit of a fantasy...but worth having the book. Anyone that truly can afford all the hotel and/or restaurants probably don't need the book because they would have a private tour/driver!. But those of us "common folk" can afford to pick and choose along with a Rick Steves type book!. We took notes on various places and each and every one added to our trip!. A great gift for someone who enjoys traveling. Not necessarily to be used as a substitute for Frommers or Rick Steves etc. But before each trip you will be glad you consulted it!.( a tip: when there is a hotel or restaurant, look in the lobby or have a drink or dessert so you can cross it off your list! (Dubai, however one of the hotels charges 0 per person to look in the lobby if you don't have a restaurant or room reservation ...just skip that one!)



Good Book - E. Kanemoto -
I actually saw German version of this book first (I currently live in Germany) and then became to know there was English version. The book gives my husband and I guidance to choose where we should visit and what we should see amongst millions of great places in the world. We are not hard-core world travelers but do enjoy going on a trip from time to time. I borrowed the book from the library but we've got to get one for ourselves; it is fun to mark the places we have visited.

It may be true that the choice of the 1000 places are not thoroughly or evenly covered all over the world/region. But it is okay for me, if I want to get more information I will research other resources. The usefulness of this reference book for me is to help me pick up places I might want to visit and what to see or experience in the limited amount of time and resources. Yes, the book tells us what to experience as well; I am going to see the Berlin Philharmonie Orchestra next month. I cannot wait!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 16, 2010 04:15:07

Check Out Paris The Ultimate Guide 2010

Paris The Ultimate Guide 2010 Review

This was my third trip to Paris and I thought I knew a lote about the "city of lights" but then I found this guide!
The amount of usable information is far more than any other travel guide I have come across with excellent reference material and entertaining little stories to have on hand while I was there. I followed the suggested itinerary while strolling along the breath taking streets of Paris and found it to be in a very logical order. Many guides have out of date information but this one was dead on and current in all areas but the biggest help was the black and white pictures that made it so easy to find paticular paintings in the Louvre. Making it the first time I have not found myself lost and never locating the paintings I was interested in seeing. Its like having a friend in paris! Take it from someone who has been there, I wish I had this guide all three trips and from now on I will take it because it holds many, many trips worth of information. I absolutley love Paris, its an amazing place and thanks to this guide I realise there is many years worth of new Paris discoveries ahead of me!!!! I would recomend this guide even if it was the most expensive out there, it really made my trip worth every penny!

Paris The Ultimate Guide 2010 Overview

Massive Amounts of Information
This guide is set up to give you the maximum amount of information while visiting Paris. The information, whether it is just a brief description of a famous site or an in-depth study, is right at your fingertips. Over 900 pages of information.

Not just the monuments
Paris the Ultimate Guide also contains information amount significant events in the history of Paris and famous People that helped shape the city.

Excerpt:

Grand Palais

The Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and the Pont Alexandre III were all building projects for the 1900 Universal Exhibition (the precursor to the World’s Fair). The Grand Palais is currently the largest ironwork and glass structure of its kind in the world.
The Grand Palais is a free exhibition hall displaying many different events from car shows to aviation to fashion. There is also a science museum and an event hall in addition to the exposition hall. The main gallery is a permanent contemporary art site.
In June of 1993 a rivet fell from the roof barely missing a visitor. The Grand Palais had suffered foundation problems from the drop in Paris’ ground water, which resulted in the southern part of the Nave to sag by 6 inches…
The great bronze horses that grace the outside were removed and restored as well. Georges Recipon designed the quadrigas. The group on the Seine side represent Harmony Triumphing over Discord and on the Champs-Elysées side Immortality outstripping Time. They were returned to the corners of the Grand Palais in 2003 where they once again leap into the air adding life and vibrance to the building.

Grand Palais in a Nutshell

Built: 1900
Architect: Charles Girault (overall coordinator), Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas
During World War I it was converted to a hospital for soldiers
During World War II the Nazis used it as a truck depot and to exhibit Nazi propaganda
8,500 tons of steel used in its construction
There is a major police station in the basement

Metro Station: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Champs-Elysées, Clemenceau

An interesting story

A first kiss in the Grand Palais
"This goes back to before the 1980s. I was a shy, rather podgy teenager. One evening, my father, who worked in artist copyright protection, took me to the opening of the Fiac at the Grand Palais. There I was, under the glass roof, strolling around proudly, with a glass of champagne, getting an eyeful of some pretty strange exhibits! Stuff I'd never seen before: contemporary art. It was inventive, insolent, colourful, forthright: there were ideas, gaiety and joie de vivre everywhere.
In the middle of one of the aisles, a young woman wearing plenty of make-up but precious little else, was sitting astride a chair and - for a nominal fee - offering passers-by a kiss. This was strictly art of course…
Now that I was a contemporary art cognoscenti, and, probably with help from the champagne, I plucked up the courage and decided there were worse ways to use my pocket money. This turned out to be some experience: no ordinary Hollywood job. This was a proper French kiss, with a deep, enterprising tongue. The whole capped by a gorgeous smile.
It was also my first ever 'real' kiss. Long live art at the Grand Palais!"

Yves Castelain - March 25 2009
Director of the Castel1 agency

Also by JD Clarke: The Eiffel Tower 2010 price: {ItemOverviews}.99

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Customer Reviews

What a PERFECT name for this book! - Alice Jane -
Paris The Ultimate Travel Guide: Wow, what a PERFECT name for this book!! Thank you Mr. Clarke for sharing this wonderful book with the world!! I have been to Paris several times. Each time buying several travel guides (in the book store) because there was not one that would give me all the information I was looking for.... until now!!!! If this book was in print form, it would weigh a ton!! Thank goodness for the kindle book. Oh yes and I would carry my travel guides with me and they did weigh me down. Never before has there been a book that offers everything that I look for all in one book. I also appreciate that this book is for 2010 so pricing for museums and attractions are included. Thank you again and I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to Paris whether it's your first time or you go every year. I promise you will find many things that you never knew before about Paris and the famous people of Paris and so much more!










*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 14, 2010 13:15:11

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Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City's Best Unusual Attractions Review

I was given this book as a gift from my mother, which I had thought to be odd since I've lived in Manhattan for over 10 years and feel like I've got a pretty good handle on what there is to do in the area. Therefore I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the book was chock full of hidden gems all across New York City. It was a refreshing change from most city guides that focus primarily on well-known tourist spots and mostly stick within Manhattan without venturing out to Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or the Bronx.

Since receiving the book over the holidays I've found myself exploring areas I would never have otherwise found myself. Even for a "hardened New Yorker" such as myself, I've been amazed at what fun, new sites the book has led me to see. Highly recommended - for yourself or as a gift for your favorite NYC resident!

Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City's Best Unusual Attractions Feature

• ISBN13: 9781581826418
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Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City's Best Unusual Attractions Overview

While it may seem that every possible topic about New York City's attractions has been written about, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track is the first book to focus on the hundreds of off-the-beaten-path destinations in the city. Some are small museums, others are historic places long forgotten, some are stores that sell only odd things, and some are distinguished for their claim to fame as the world's largest/smallest whatever. All of them are notable for the passion with which their proprietors and curators care for them, and all can be visited via the subway system as the author directs readers to which of the city's 486 subway stations will get them closest.

These are the types of places and things that fit perfectly with New Yorkers' psyches and egos and satisfy the desire of tourists to see the unusual. For example, New York is home to the world's tallest Doric column, the world's largest armory, the world's largest cathedral, and the world's largest Reform synagogue. It also has a troll museum, a numismatic museum, a skyscraper museum, doll and toy museums, and a museum of comic and cartoon art. In many cases, half the fun of visiting many of these sites is meeting the people behind them.

Organized geographically to help readers explore the culture and diversity of the city's great neighborhoods, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City's Best Unusual Attractions offers venues in Lower, Middle, and Upper Manhattan; Brooklyn; the Bronx; Queens; and Staten Island. Each section features attractions and fascinating sidebars highlighting places that are particularly interesting to explore.

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Customer Reviews

Big deal - ctbill -
Mostly museums, nothing thrilling. If I had looked at it in a bookstore I would have left it on the shelf. That's the test isn't it?






Should be called NY museum guide - Edward J. Boss - NC USA
I was actually looking for places "off the beaten track" but this book had nothing you could not get off the net or regular tourist book. It's basically a listing of museums and churches. Very Very disappointing



Not good for travellers new to New York - Deanne - Bakersfield, CA USA
This book is much more suited to people who live in New York or know the city very well. If you are new to the city is not a good way to get accustomed to the city, as the book doesn't really lay out general information and most of the attractions in the book are very odd.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 13, 2010 19:15:07

Great Price for $1.99

Compact Atlas of the World (Compact World Atlas) Review

Yes, a jewel of a world atlas. It is indeed "compact" with a dense and efficient structure and a voluminous index. As stated on the front cover, it is "invaluable for home, office, or school" and boasts sixty state-of-the-art digital maps. At 8 1/2 by 11 inches it is truly portable. The entire volume is printed in vivid colors.

Map symbols in color designate a large number of physical features that include even water drainage; ice; unusual borders, e.g., cease-fire lines; settlements; and ancient walls. One section deals with geographical comparisons of countries: largest/smallest; richest/poorest; most/least populous, etc., and their attributes, e.g., longest rivers, highest mountains, deepest ocean features, largest deserts, hottest/driest/wettest places, etc.

An almost hidden treasure is the book's "Country Factfile" that lists every country in the world (193 at the time of this reprint in 2005) and features a brief geographic description and location of each country in addition to facts and data on twelve subjects: official name, formation date, name of capital, population, total area, languages, religions, ethnic mix, government, currency, literacy rate, and calorie consumption. All of this in a 3 1/2-inch column block with country's flag included.

Countries unfamiliar to me pop up in the news frequently. Also, I live in a state of mixed populations, and every day I interact with people from different countries, with cultures and ethnicities different from mine. And so, I turn to my Compact Atlas at least once a week. I don't know where else I could find such quick, to-the-point information about the world and its peoples.

Compact Atlas of the World (Compact World Atlas) Overview

An entry-level atlas packed with global facts and statistics, and including more than 60 maps of astonishing clarity, the Compact Atlas of the World is an unparalleled compact reference to all of the world's nations.

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Customer Reviews

The Element - Barbara Livingston - Louisville, KY United States
I ordered two of these books as graduation presents. They were delivered very promptly.



Purchased 03/05/2010 - Roxie S - Kingwood, TX
I bought this atlas for use in working crossword puzzles and for locating places in the news and movies. We've recently begun watching the series "Pacific" and find it interesting to see where all the action was taking place. Maybe I'll become more familiar with my world around me. I'm often embarrassed at how little I know of today's world compared to how much I knew in my youth. This is a start in correcting that.






Cool World Atlas - -
I think that this book will be a good book for my teacher because each year we study Brazil, Kenya, and China and because it has got to be a good book if it is compact.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 10, 2010 05:20:05

Great Price for $7.48

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey Review

In 1912, the Republican President Howard Taft, who had succeeded Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, ran for a second term against the Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt, hoping for a return to office after a four year respite, and up to then a Republican, ran under his own ticket, the Progressive, or Bull Moose, Party. When the tally was in, Roosevelt had received more votes than Taft, but Wilson won the election. Just as in 1884, when Roosevelt had gone to the Dakota Badlands after the death of his mother and wife (they both died on the same day), and just as in 1909, when he had gone to Africa after conclusion of his seven years as President, now after his defeat at the polls in 1913, Roosevelt went to South America. This book is about that trip.

The trip was poorly planned and prepared for and the men that went with Roosevelt were not all up to the rigor the expedition would come to demand of them. In fact, the trip became something else entirely from what it had been planned to be, and most of the original company of men who traveled with Roosevelt to South America didn't accompany him on the impromptu, alternate expedition. The River of Doubt (so named because its character and length were unknown) held no place in the initial itinerary and in the end it became the expedition's sole purpose. This river, a thousand-mile long tributary of the Amazon river was uncharted, unexplored, and turbid with danger deep within the South American frontier of the Amazon jungle. Even getting to the river cost the men over a month of agony and hardship. The South American trip appears to have been a mismanaged bungle from the start, and the unanticipated redirection of the expedition to the scientific charting of a untried river through dangerous unexplored jungle was foolhardy. Theodore Roosevelt, however, was up for it.

"Tell Osborn", Roosevelt wrote in a letter to Frank Chapman before the intentions of the original expedition had changed, "I have already lived and enjoyed as much of life as any nine other men I know; and I have had my full share, and if it is necessary for me to leave my bones in South America, I am quite ready to do so." (62)

The expedition was lead by the Brazilian explorer Colonel Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon who had discovered and named the river without exploring it five years earlier, and he was intent now on a complete survey of the river, no matter how slow the pace of exploration. Roosevelt's twenty-four-year-old son Kermit, who was building bridges with the Anglo Brazilian Iron Company in Brazil, accompanied his father, and out of the original company that had left North America, only one other, naturalist George Cherrie, traveled with the Roosevelts down the River of Doubt. All other members of the twenty-two man expedition were either part of Rondon's contingent or "camaradas", the working crew, rough men who paddled the dugout canoes, portaged them for days when necessary (their weight was "up to twenty-five-hundred pounds apiece"; p. 135), and with machetes hacked into the dense jungle a sufficient clearing for each night's camp.

This was not a relaxing, sunny excursion down a lazy river. The men were low on provisions, they lost canoes and with them more provisions, a camarada was drowned (Kermit nearly drowned in the same accident), they were fearful of attack by a hostile indigenous tribe (the Cinta Larga: Rondon's dog was killed by them), there were poisonous snakes (Roosevelt only avoided being poisoned because the leather of his boot deflected a coral snake's fangs), there were swarming pestilential insects, rapids and waterfalls demanded frequent portaging of the heavy dugout canoes, and it rained and rained and it rained.

It got worse. Roosevelt injured his leg while helping recover a nearly lost canoe and then, weakened by infection, was hit and debilitated by malaria. "No man has any business to go on such a trip as ours unless he will refuse to jeopardize the welfare of his associates by any delay caused by weakness or ailment of his," he wrote [writes Candice Millard]. "It is his duty to go forward, if necessary on all fours, until he drops." (265)

"So determined was Roosevelt not to endanger the life of anyone else in his expedition that he had made a secret provision for a quick death in the Amazon, should it become necessary. Before he even left New York, he had packed in his personal baggage, tucked in among his extra socks and eight pairs of eyeglasses, a small vial that contained a lethal dose of morphine." (266)

They had reached an apparent impasse in the river and it seemed they would have to abandon the canoes in order to survive and go on. Roosevelt, sick with malaria and hobbled by his infected leg, made a decision. He called George Cherrie and Kermit to his tent. "Boys," he said. "I realize that some of us are not going to finish this journey. Cherrie, I want you and Kermit to go on. You can get out. I will stop here." (267) Kermit, resolved to save his father's life, devised a way to transport the canoes over the impasse.

Theodore Roosevelt's account of this journey is in his 1914 book "Through the Brazilian Wilderness". Kermit Roosevelt's book, from 1921, is "The Long Trail". Theodore Roosevelt died in 1919. His son Kermit, never having achieved the greatness of his early promise, committed suicide in 1943.

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey Feature

• ISBN13: 9780767913737
• Condition: New
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The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey Overview

At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.

The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.

After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.

Along the way, Roosevelt and his men faced an unbelievable series of hardships, losing their canoes and supplies to punishing whitewater rapids, and enduring starvation, Indian attack, disease, drowning, and a murder within their own ranks. Three men died, and Roosevelt was brought to the brink of suicide. The River of Doubt brings alive these extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived.

From the soaring beauty of the Amazon rain forest to the darkest night of Theodore Roosevelt’s life, here is Candice Millard’s dazzling debut.

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Customer Reviews

Fascsinating study of Roosevelt.. and of the Amazon - Michael Sandman - Brookline, MA United States
Theodore Roosevelt was a larger than life character. He overcame childhood illness, led a regiment in the Spanish-American War, became America's youngest president and brought a strongly progressive point of view to the White House. And on top of that he was a genuine early 20th century explorer.

River of Doubt chronicles Roosevelt's expedition down the river now named after him in Brazil, but it does far more than that. The author puts Roosevelt's rather impulsive decision to make the trip into the context of his earlier loss in the presidential election of 1912, when he tried to launch the Progressive Party. Roosevelt was an early "environmentalist" and is the president who gave up the modern national park system, and he had close ties to the National Geographic Society and the American Museum of Natural History. The book explains the friendships and other linkages between Roosevelt and the sponsors of the trip and it puts trips of exploration into the context of early 20th century American society.

The main line of the story follows Roosevelt and his party, which included his son Kermit, down the unexplored river as they struggle with the rapids, the climate and their thoroughly inadequate equipment. It's a magnificent character study of both Roosevelts and of the Brazilian colonel and supporter of Indian rights who shared command of the expedition. Along the way the book provides excellent vignettes of the others who started out with Roosevelt and it gives us a window into their thinking about race and the rights of the Amazon tribes.

Besides giving us a good story and a superb slice of biography, the author takes the time to describe the hazards, the botany and the beauty of the Amazon She does this by stepping away from the story of the expedition from time to time to explain such topics as the workings of the forest floor, the history of Brazil, the geology of the region and the culture of the Amazon Indians. These tangents are not distracting. They're woven into the story line so well that they break up what would otherwise might be a rather monotonous retelling of the difficulties the expedition had.

I do have one criticism of the writing. The author's favorite adjective is "dangerous" and she uses it about twice as much as necessary in her effort to be sure we understand the hazards Roosevelt and his companions faced. By the middle of the book, the repetitive bits about how dangerous it all was started to feel like overkill. But apart from that, this is a highly informative, well written and eminently readable book that goes far beyond simply telling the story of an exploration down a jungle river.




DOubted they would make it! - Robert R. Kujala -
Theodore Roosevelt lost the election of 1912 and decided to ease his pain as he always had: physical challenge. Roosevelt initially would go down a previously charted river but at the last minute change his plans and decided to chart a river that had never been navigated. Much of the journey was hampered by insects, rain, lack of food, and the Jungle itself. I am sure that none of the adventures knew the price the jungle would exact from the men as they began their journey. The River of Doubt chronicles the journey, teaches the reader about the jungle, and paints stories of the key players. I have read the Lost City of Z as well and in 2010 I have a hard time understanding why these men would want to map a river. The jungle is a place of ruthless and efficient death. Forget, native attacks. Mosquitoes, eye lickers, piranhas, parasites that swim up your urine stream, poisonous snakes, and much more await the poor fellow who thinks the jungle would be a fun place to visit. Roosevelt his son and many and the rest of the expedition had the wrong equipment and were perpetually low on food. Roosevelt and the expedition make the journey but it is safe to say that it killed him in the end. Roosevelt never fully recovered form the infections that he suffered while on the expedition and died shortly after returning to America. Tragically, his son Kermit did not fulfill his promise and eventually met with a tragic fate. Overall, it covers much of the same jungle hardship motif that the Lost City of Z did but I enjoyed it all the same!



I've never been a fan of non-fiction... - C. Yelland - Oakland, CA
...and I'm in love with this book. I'm not even finished with it, and can say with confidence that it's easily one of the most interesting, engaging novels that I've read in years. What an amazing story.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 09, 2010 23:45:06

Check Out A Walk in the Woods for $6.87

A Walk in the Woods Review

A woman at work walked up to me and started talking to me. Never saw this lady before who had the charisma of a zombie and a face that spooked me, so I thought, UGH, How do I escape? Feeling remorseful for this creature I inquired about the book she was holding. A man hiking through the Appalachian Trail and it's funny, she said. Yea, right. How can an entire book about hiking be humorous? Dragon breath. Anyway, she looked like she just crawled out of the grave, no thanks lady! Not taking your recommendation, woman. So, I moved on.

Days later, I photocopied the back of Stephen King's reading recommendations in "How to Write" and I thought I'd take this list to Borders and perform a magical blind finger pick to the photocopy. It landed on "A Walk in the Woods." Kismet.

I'd rather be pokerfaced while reading my books at work on my breaks. However this book made my head jerk back voluntarily and grins of amusement made me stand out like a laughing hyena. I'm now a break room spectacle.

The Zombie Woman was correct. This not only is this an amusing paperback but it's a gentle call to the destruction of nature and a mini lesson (maybe 2 pages) in science, which if Bill Bryson wrote text books for students, well, at least for me, I think I would've gotten a better grade in Science. He wrote about a tree, and maybe it's my interpretation, but it leads one to wonder about---who's the Maker? Maybe it's just me.

The highlight of his paperback is the author's rapport with his hiking buddy. I'm a nature girl, so I trotted along with this odd pair pleasantly engaged to the end of their grueling expedition.

Happy Trails!

A Walk in the Woods Overview

From the author of "Notes from a Small Island" and "The Lost Continent" comes this humorous report on his walk along the Appalachian Trail. The Trail is the longest continuous footpath in the world, and it snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in America.

A Walk in the Woods Specifications

Your initial reaction to Bill Bryson's reading of A Walk in the Woods may well be "Egads! What a bore!" But by sentence three or four, his clearly articulated, slightly adenoidal, British/American-accented speech pattern begins to grow on you and becomes quite engaging. You immediately get a hint of the humor that lies ahead, such as one of the innumerable reasons he longed to walk as many of the 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail as he could. "It would get me fit after years of waddlesome sloth" is delivered with glorious deadpan flair. By the time our storyteller recounts his trip to the Dartmouth Co-op, suffering serious sticker shock over equipment prices, you'll be hooked.

When Bryson speaks for the many Americans he encounters along the way--in various shops, restaurants, airports, and along the trail--he launches into his American accent, which is whiny and full of hard r's. And his southern intonations are a hoot. He's even got a special voice used exclusively when speaking for his somewhat surprising trail partner, Katz. In the 25 years since their school days together, Katz has put on quite a bit of weight. In fact, "he brought to mind Orson Welles after a very bad night. He was limping a little and breathing harder than one ought to after a walk of 20 yards." Katz often speaks in monosyllables, and Bryson brings his limited vocabulary humorously to life. One of Katz's more memorable utterings is "flung," as in flung most of his provisions over the cliff because they were too heavy to carry any farther.

The author has thoroughly researched the history and the making of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson describes the destruction of many parts of the forest and warns of the continuing perils (both natural and man-made) the Trail faces. He speaks of the natural beauty and splendor as he and Katz pass through, and he recalls clearly the serious dangers the two face during their time together on the trail. So, A Walk in the Woods is not simply an out-of-shape, middle-aged man's desire to prove that he can still accomplish a major physical task; it's also a plea for the conservation of America's last wilderness. Bryson's telling is a knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud funny trek through the woods, with a touch of science and history thrown in for good measure. (Running time: 360 minutes, four cassettes) --Colleen Preston

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Customer Reviews

Entertaining and Informative - Samuel J. Carlson -
Bill Bryson is hilarious. A captivating narrative detailing the author's experience on the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz, combined with a detailed history of the trail, the area surrounding it, and the people who made the trail possible. A must-read for anyone with a love for the outdoors.



Ugh... - Chance Margheim - blacksburg, va
My parents raved about this book for years, and so I finally decided to pick it up to see what all the fuss was about. A Walk in the Woods chronicles the misadventures of the author, Bill Bryson and his trusty sidekick, Katz (who apparently appears in other novels of Bryson's, as well), as they embark on an epic quest to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.
This book has its charm, and the writing is very smart. I had a few laugh out loud moments. However, when it becomes apparent well before book's end that the author will not even attempt to reach the end of the AT, my interest started to wane. This should have been foreshadowed well before this point, but I digress.
The interactions between the characters and some of those they encounter along the way were enough to get me started, but not enough to keep that fire lit. Where the book goes wrong, is it's incessant need to teach the reader copious amounts of history on points Bryson finds to be fascinating, but the reader may not. Additionally, I was disheartened to learn that both Bryson and Katz made frequent side trips by car, hitch hiked, and partook of many other modern conveniences that cheapened the reading experience.
I was looking for a hilarious and interesting, possibly enlightening journey, sprinkled with adventure and comedy, and what I got was a classic bore. I would pass on this book if you're not a history buff, or if you have a short attention span.



If Laughter is the Best Medicine, than this is the cure for everything - Marcy Casterline O'Rourke - Bellingham, Washington
I majored in Environmental Science many years ago. One of my professors had hiked a southern section of the Appalachian trail for his honeymoon in spring when the whole trail was in glorious bloom. It had been a spectacular experience which I had always envied, but never gotten the chance to copy. I'm afraid my Environmental Science Professor and his wife were ten times the outdoor people I would ever be. So this book was perhaps my vicarious trip on the Appalachian trail. I'm sure my adventures would have been similarly hilariously disastrous. I laughed so hard at almost every page of this book, that I probably got as much exercise as I would have had I hiked the trail. If you've ever harbored the seductive notion that getting back to nature is an easy trip, this book will riotously disabuse you of that misconception. If you like to laugh, get this book and read it often. And be sure to keep for those days when laughter is hard to come by.



Laugh out loud funny! - Indian Prairie Public Library - Darien, IL
An unlikely duo attempts to tackle the over 2000 mile hike that is the Appalachian Trail. Laugh out loud as they trudge through the wilderness toward a very distant goal.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 09, 2010 19:43:05

Great Price Michelin for $4.76

Michelin Map France: Provence French Riviera 527 (Michelin Maps) Review

This is a very helpful map and the price is not bad either. Provence is an easy area to drive around in, but there are many smaller roads and smaller towns with varying levels of signage, so it is very helpful to have an idea of where you're going.

I used this map to drive from Nice to the Luberon region of Provence, from the Luberon to Vaison la Romaine, and finally from Vaison to Arles with many stops and day trips in between, so it was nice to have for reference and planning. Also note that Google Maps has nice maps and I believe it even gives driving directions for France now too, which is nice for advance planning. But once you're on the ground, there's still nothing like a good old-fashioned paper map to help get you to where you're headed.

Bon voyage!

Michelin Map France: Provence French Riviera 527 (Michelin Maps) Overview

Michelin regional maps each contain practical road and route information. Special Michelin reads-like-a-book format for easy use in folding and unfolding. Useful information for planning trips, including gas stations, 24-hour service stations, toll gates, rest areas and service plazas. Clear, precise cartography. Icons pinpoint important travel information.

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Customer Reviews

Michelin Map - elicote -
This map was an invaluble resource on our recent trip to Provence. We were able to get around very easily. We used a Michelin Map for our last trip with the same great results.



Provence Touring - Jon -
If you plan to tour in France, Michelin regional maps are a must. There is no alternative supplier and the road signs suck.



Very useful map - Lalita Malik - Mid Hudson, NY
I purchased this map to plan my trip around Provence. I already had multiple guidebooks with maps, but the maps included in the books did not include small villages where we plan to hike and secondary roads. With the Michelin map, I could easily see the places we will hike and the areas we plan to drive around. I have used the map to locate Bed and Breakfast in the area for overnight stays. The map will be used for navigating while we drive around Provence. I recommend it for anyone who plans to drive or travel around Provence on their own.




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 09, 2010 13:20:06

Great Price for $15.09

Oxford Bible Atlas Review

I was just browsing the "Oxford Bible Atlas" on Amazon.com where I came across a description of the "Fertile Crescent" on page 15 where it is said to extend from the Euphrates/Tigris river valley through the Nile valley.

The "Fertile Crescent" is not an ancient description. The term was coined by James Henry Breasted (about 100 years ago) in the introduction to each of his volumes of translations of Egyptian inscriptions. For Breasted, the "Fertile Crescent" was limited to the Euphrates/Tigris, Orontes and Jordan river valleys. Breasted contrasted the "Fertile Crescent" with the Nile valley. Ipso facto, for Breasted, Egypt formed no part of the "Fertile Crescent".

The "Oxford Bible Atlas" also refers to the "Fertile Crescent" as if it included Egypt on pages 120 and 192. The "Holman Bible Atlas" correctly describes the "Fertile Crescent" on page 3 and attributes its definition to Breasted. (Wikipedia incorrectly describes and maps the "Fertile Crescent" to include Egypt.)

The only map showing up in Amazon's "LOOK INSIDE" section is that spread over pages 16 and 17. The List of Maps is on page ix but this doesn't show up using "LOOK INSIDE". As the book is an atlas one would expect to be able to see a list of maps if not a few sample maps. I have browsed some of the other biblical atlases on-line. Where they are shown, the other atlases have very wishy-washy maps. It would be nice to know what the "Oxford" maps look like before buying the book. The "Oxford" text is certainly better - in both font and content - than that of the other atlases.

I have rated this book based on the "LOOK INSIDE" excerpts and the comments of others with the hope that the poor scholarship in relation to the "Fertile Crescent" does not extend elsewhere.

Oxford Bible Atlas Feature

• ISBN13: 9780199560462
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Oxford Bible Atlas Overview

This new fourth edition of the Oxford Bible Atlas, now with twenty-seven full-color maps and eighty-one color illustrations, has been thoroughly revised to bring it up to date with both the most recent biblical scholarship and the most modern discoveries in archaeology and topography.
This authoritative Atlas illuminates the landscape of the biblical world, allowing readers to better understand the geographical context in which the Bible emerged and which formed its background. The colorful, highly accurate maps capture the many ancient locales of the Bible's stories and carefully reflect the successive stages of the Bible's accounts, while specially chosen full-color illustrations bring the countries and their peoples to life. The Atlas covers everything from Genesis to the stories of David and Solomon, the trade routes of the ancient world, the vast empires of Alexander the Great and Rome, and the ministry of Jesus and the formation of the early Church. The accompanying text describes the land of Palestine, and its wider ancient Near Eastern and east Mediterranean settings. It outlines the successive historical periods, and describes the major civilizations with which Israelites, Jews, and early Christians came into contact. There is also an illustrated survey of the relevance of archaeology for the study of the Bible. Finally, the book includes a full chronology, suggestions for further reading, an index of place names, and a general index.
An essential resource for all students of the Bible, the Atlas provides a superb guide to the geography of the Holy Land throughout history, from the Exodus to New Testament times.

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Customer Reviews

This is the Best! - Col H. G. Baker - Yakima, WA
For those of us interested in biblical history and the latest archeological perspective, this Atlas is the best source of illustrated information. Use it with the bible and you get a real insight into the history of the holy land. Recommended for all -- whether you are religious or just interested in world history.



Great Atlas For the Money - Kimberly N. Miracle - Louisville, KY
A Bible atlas is essential for any student of Scripture. While there are numerous such books available, the Oxford Bible Atlas is superb for the price. The atlas is full of information and photos of outstanding quality. This atlas is a perfect option for those looking to purchase an excellent resource without having to break the bank.



What a book ! ! ! ! ! ! - Vivian Dewitt - EArie , PA
This book is beautiful, pictures are stunning, the maps are beautiful to see but the content is great. Beside all this there are written sections that contain much useful information.




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 09, 2010 08:16:05

Great Price for $14.46

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life Review

Frances Mayes provides a welcome assault on the senses with her poetic and lyrical descriptions of every day life in Tuscany . Her words create unforgettable visual, gustatory, cultural and aural imagery making the reader desire to experience the author's lifestyle firsthand. For those who are unfamiliar with her books, about twenty years ago this author bought an aging house that was in disrepair on an Etruscan mountainside overlooking the town of Cortona in Italy . The house had originally been built and owned by Francescan monks in the 1200s. She wrote her first book. "Under the Tuscan Sun" which was about the adventure of remodeling this house which she named "Bramasole" and getting used to living in Italy. It became a bestseller and was made into a film (by the same title) which starred academy award nominee Diane Lane . All of her books stand alone and can be read without knowing the contents of previous ones. Each is a "must read" for anyone interested in travelogues and the joys and challenges of living in a different culture.

This most current book provides new insights into living in a foreign land. It is filled with descriptions of neighbors, the local habit of passing time drinking coffee in the piazza and catching up with the latest gossip and news and other everyday happenings, such as what vegetables are growing in the garden, plus there are road trips to nearby towns and seaports along with some outstanding recipes, for example, a mouth watering kale, white bean and sausage soup and an out-of-this world delicious sounding seafood stew. The reader becomes fascinated by the personalities of the neighbors and the seasonal changes which bring new culinary delights to the table. Additionally, the author delights in trying out local wines and describes trips to wineries of the region. Of note, the author shares a unique clash of cultures when she started a petition against building a swimming pool at the end of a historical road that led to a mountainside. To her surprise, few locals supported her publicly in this endeavor although they privately and personally shared her viewpoint on the subject. The author discovered an uniquely Italian way of handling conflict which resulted in a personal threat to her and her family. It nearly made her rethink her decision to live in Italy but fortunately, the matter was not as serious as it originally appeared. This story adds a dimension of reality to the book which makes it all the more palpable and honest.

Frances Mayes and her husband Ed are now well established residents of Italy and are welcomed by both local Italians and many part-time residents who come from such places as the US , Britain and France to enjoy the dramatic landscapes and unrivaled culinary and cultural delights of the region. They return to Italy several times a year for 3 - 4 months at a time from North Carolina where they live in the US. I was pleased to learn the author has friends from Tampa, FL who also own homes in her Italian locale and that the author had contemplated retiring to Sarasota, FL, both cities with which I am familiar.

In this book, the author does an excellent job of introducing the reader to Luca Signorelli a Renaissance painter who was born in Cortona , Italy . She enjoys discovering his paintings in churches on her many excursions to local cities and towns. She describes his most famous paintings and style of art in such a manner that the reader wants to view them in the original setting, the churches where they are displayed. This book is a gem on so many levels that it is impossible to describe the enormous impact it leaves on the reader who is given a view into the rich historical, artistic, culinary, vinticulture and every day life of modern Italy where the old and new live intertwined side by side with minimal conflict. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life Feature

• ISBN13: 9780767929820
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life Overview

In this sequel to her New York Times bestsellers Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany, the celebrated "bard of Tuscany" (New York Times) lyrically chronicles her continuing, two decades-long love affair with Tuscany's people, art, cuisine, and lifestyle.
 
Frances Mayes offers her readers a deeply personal memoir of her present-day life in Tuscany, encompassing both the changes she has experienced since Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany appeared, and sensuous, evocative reflections on the timeless beauty and vivid pleasures of Italian life. Among the themes Mayes explores are how her experience of Tuscany dramatically expanded when she renovated and became a part-time resident of a 13th century house with a stone roof in the mountains above Cortona, how life in the mountains introduced her to a "wilder" side of Tuscany--and with it a lively  engagement with Tuscany's mountain people. Throughout, she reveals the concrete joys of life in her adopted hill town, with particular attention to life in the piazza, the art of Luca Signorelli (Renaissance painter from Cortona), and the pastoral pleasures of feasting from her garden.  Moving always toward a deeper engagement, Mayes writes of Tuscan icons that have become for her storehouses of memory, of crucible moments from which bigger ideas emerged, and of the writing life she has enjoyed in the room where Under the Tuscan Sun began.
 
With more on the pleasures of life at Bramasole, the delights and challenges of living in Italy day-to-day and favorite recipes, Every Day in Tuscany is a passionate and inviting account of the richness and complexity of Italian life.

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life Specifications

Kim Sunée Reviews Every Day in Tuscany

Kim Sunée is the author of Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home.

"The Bard of Tuscany" (New York Times) is back and better than ever. Two decades have passed since the purchase of Bramasole, Frances Mayes’s first Italian adventure into the meaning of home, made famous in Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany. In Every Day in Tuscany, her third beautifully rendered memoir, Mayes generously serves up another delicious helping. She continues to contemplate the satisfaction of a life created by one’s own hard work, but also celebrates the joys of the piazza, reminisces on her South Georgia roots, reveals her love of architecture and painting, and is especially hungry to follow the trail (which she has generously mapped out for us) of Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli.

After transforming Bramasole, you’d think that Mayes would have had enough of repairs and renovations, but she expands the idea of belonging with the purchase of a mountainside cottage. One day, as she and husband, Ed, are picking blackberries on a rugged slope above Cortona, Mayes writes of being "fatally attracted" to a "lonesome beauty," a partially collapsed stone-roof cottage. This new home becomes a place of comfort, especially when something shifts, when "one glorious summer evening at Bramasole," Mayes writes, "something unexpected intruded on this paradise."

Enchanted by the simple life, a life lived in accordance with the cycles of the sun and moon, Mayes tells her story through the seasons of a country and those of the heart. Winter is about restoring privacy, summer for reading, moonlight swims, watermelon and plum crostata. Mostly, though, the seasons are made up of days meant for being. She admires the Italians for their ease and grace of pure existence. "How do Italian friends naturally keep the jouissance they were born with?" she wonders.

Since Mayes is a poet first, her prose is infused with startling and indelible moments, and she will always inspire you to cook something. Luckily, there are recipes for everything from Melva’s Peach Pie to Risotto with White Truffles, as well as mouthwatering menus, including Roasted Garlic with Walnuts and Guinea Hen with Pancetta. Of the choreography of the kitchen, she writes, "meat glistens, lettuces float, you sneeze, I sing oh, my love, my darling, and dough rises in soft moons the size of my cupped hand as planet earth tilts us toward dinner."

People are always eating in Mayes’s world, and eating well. But good food is essential for a good life, which includes travel and the private discovery of something no less significant than a new star. On watching a couple from Milan eat a midday meal consisting of a full antipasto platter, risotto, then steaks, she writes, "Those are delicious moments for the traveler--a fine lunch with someone you love, poring over the The Blue Guide and Gambero Rosso, a weekend to explore a new place and each other."

More than anything, Every Day in Tuscany is a book for all travelers, those hungry hearts craving a lesson in living life to the fullest, whether at home or on the road. "It is paradoxical but true," she tells us, "that something that takes you out of yourself also restores you to yourself with a greater freedom.... The excitement of exploration sprang me from a life I knew how to live into a challenging space where I was forced--and overjoyed--to invent each new day."

With Mayes as our luminous North Star, we can navigate our way to a place where--if we are lucky--we will choose the road less-traveled, find our own rugged mountainside, and become part of the landscape, perhaps even find a sense of self, if not a place to call home.

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Customer Reviews

not worth reading - jemtown -
I have read all of Frances Mayes books about Italy and in particular Cortona. This book just fell flat. She seemed to be rambling and had no focus except for the chapters about the Luca Signorella trail. The writing itself is not at all comparable to Under the Tuscan Sun. I would never had wanted to go to Italy if I had read this book. She knows a lot of people in Cortona, but we never find out anything really important about them. I did finish the book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I borrowed it from a friend.



More Tuscany: the Piazza, Recipes, and Art - Keith E. Webb - Singapore
Like many people, Tuscany captured my heart and imagination years ago. Frances Mayes is one of a thousand expatriates who bought an old farmhouse, restored it and lived to write about it. With one exception, she's by far the most popular contemporary writer on Tuscany.

Her first book on the subject, Under the Tuscan Sun, was a big hit, which she followed up with other "Tuscany" books. Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life is her latest offering. Filled with vivid imagery of life in Tuscany, Mayes takes the commonplace flower, grassy field, and loaf of bread and turns it into something magical. In this book Mayes tells of chance encounters, shopping in the piazza, and dinner parties. She shares her recipes for a dozen Italian dishes, some of which I recreated at home. All was not rosebuds and vino for Mayes in her twenty years in Tuscany, as she relates in a darker tale first revealed here.

The book follows life in Tuscany through each season of the year. Built around the quirky country folk, day trips outside Cortona to track down the under-appreciated art of Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli, and challenges of rebuilding an ancient farmhouse.

If you appreciate gardens, Italian cooking, and Tuscan scenery, then stop and smell the roses with Every Day in Tuscany. I came away with a renewed appreciation of the simple pleasures and beauty that surrounds me, where I live. Although, in my mind's eye I see another trip to Tuscany on the horizon.



Seasonings lacked pizzazz - J. Offenbach - N VA
It's been years since I visited Tuscany and unfortunately, my travel taste buds were not stimulated much by Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life. Perhaps it is the season of my own life that taints my perspective, but Mayes' love affair with Tuscany has left me wanting. Although the highlight for me was the recipes, it's far from the top of my culinary list. As it was rather rambling in format, perhaps the book would be appealing to blog followers.




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 08, 2010 17:07:07