Travel Books

This book is great as an introspective into the American Cultural Landscape. It opened my eyes on things within our culture I never thought about as being unique or different. Bernard has his own opinions on various topics and they are woven throughout the book, but I was pleasantly surprised that his opinions did not take away from the content. If you like reading about our country with a different set of eyes this book is for you. It is an easy read and one you can put down and take up again after a few days since it is written in a journal style format.

As a French citizen who likes the USA, I am not a supporter of Bags Of Wind. BHL has for a long time decided to stop thinking. "American Vertigo" is another expression of the wind which blows in the brain of this pedantic writer.

I totally agree with the good criticism written by William Grimes "A Modern-Day Tocqueville Finds an Uncertain America", February 4, 2006 in the New-York Times. I quote an extract of this relevant analysis.

"Mr. Lévy is, in some ways, a good traveling companion. He takes a keen interest in American politics, and he loves American literature. His voyage of discovery owes as much to Jack Kerouac or Walt Whitman as it does to Tocqueville, a writer whom, he notes in his preface, he barely knew before setting out. But because he lives almost entirely inside his head, he does a remarkably poor job at communicating the sights, sounds and smells of American life. There are many moments, riding in the car with him, that you want to tell him to shut up for five minutes and take a good look at what's out the window.

He is lazy. Tocqueville, faced with the bewildering logic of American politics and American habits, rolled up his sleeves and tried to account for what he saw. Mr. Lévy dashes off a few lines, shrugs his shoulders and tosses out rhetorical questions. Some are long and involved, others quite brief, like the "Who knows ?" that caps his musings on the inner life of President Bush. At least half of the provocative questions that make up "American Vertigo" should have been written down as homework assignments for the author rather than lobbed in the face of the reader. He does not bother to chase down elusive facts, like who finances Medicaid. Instead, he wraps them in an "I'm told," or "it's said that."

The book is very well written, concise and not not becoming destructed by theoretical excursions. The fact that philosophy ala BHL is not ex cathedra discurse but field research gives freshness and sharp observations to the reader. Avoiding to polarize between "uncivilized americans" and civilized europeans credits BHL with objectivity and wide spectrum of participation from every day life up to intellectuals, politicians and even Hollywood opinions. Good contribution to bridge the gaps of recent years between USA and Europe away from chronical antiamericanism syndrom

For the best review of this one, check the NY Times.

"You meet Sharon Stone and John Kerry and a woman who once weighed 488 pounds and an obese couple carrying rifles, but there's nobody here whom you recognize. In more than 300 pages, nobody tells a joke. Nobody does much work. Nobody sits and eats and enjoys their food. You've lived all your life in America, never attended a megachurch or a brothel, don't own guns, are non-Amish, and it dawns on you that this is a book about the French. There's no reason for it to exist in English, except as evidence that travel need not be broadening and one should be wary of books with Tocqueville in the title."

".... every 10 pages or so, Lévy walks into a wall. About Old Glory, for example. Someone has told him about the rules for proper handling of the flag, and from these (the flag must not be allowed to touch the ground, must be disposed of by burning) he has invented an American flag fetish, a national obsession, a cult of flag worship." MYTimes

As far I can tell, Lévy is a "self-styled" philosopher and a boring writer, except to the French who treat him like a film star. It makes you wonder about the French. I have known some who are fine people; but this man makes me recall the English indictment: "France; a lovely country. Too bad about the people." Too bad their taste in writers isn't as good as their taste in food and fashion!

This was a treadmill book for me but it probably shouldn't have been, it got pretty heavy at the end. The author is a French philosopher who travelled throughout the United States for several months, loosely following in the steps of fellow Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville. He starts in the East and really covers a lot of ground, going all the way to California, then heading south and ending back up on the east coast.

The first part of the book reads like a politically-savvy travelogue and it's the part I liked best. I liked reading about the country from such a different perspective. Levy is struck by all the kitschy museums he finds on his travels, and he seeks out interesting political figures (Tom Daschle, Russell Means) and places (Savannah, Georgia, New Orleans) to visit and write about.

The end of the book is Levy's philosophical and political analysis of the state of the U.S. as he sees it, and whether he feels anything can be done to change the negative things that are going on here and the negative way the country is being viewed at this time. This was the part I shouldn't have read on the treadmill, a lot of it was pretty deep and over my head. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend the first section of it.

I wish I had had this book in hand the first time I visited Florence. This guide lists everything from art supplies to vintage clothing, organized by walks and located on tiny maps. On my next trip this tiny volume will be in my carry-on baggage--I don't want to risk its not getting off the plane with me. I wish there were volumes for Venice, Edinburgh, London, and all my other favorite cities. The Civilized Shopper's Guide is a treasure of a book.

This little book made the difference between a great trip to Florence and an "off-the-charts" fabulous adventure. It's filled with descriptions of tiny shops of every imaginable kind that you might never find on your own -- the best of the best, unique items, real craftsmen. There's 90 year old glove shop where they simply take one look at your hand, immediately know your size and can make the perfect recommendation (and they did!) We met a 3rd generation leather craftsman who makes exquisite polished boxes and other items, and just as the book described, he works alone, and is more that happy to stop his work, greet guests and tell them all about his work. Every restaurant that we went to listed in this book was out of this world, and didn't break the bank. Oh, and Grom gelato is reason enough to hop a plane right this minute. This book got us off the tourist track and into a wonderful world we might have otherwise missed. Literally 4 inches square, the book fits into any civilized purse or jacket pocket. I don't even like to shop, and this book made be excited to get out of bed (despite the jet lag) and see as much as I could see. If you've been to Florence before, then this is the ONLY guidebook you'll need on your return trip. The author has apparently written a companion book on Rome. I can't wait for her to take on other great cities of the world. Ciao!

Makes you want to hop on a plane (with a tasteful wallet full of crisp Euros) and explore the art of shopping or even just window shopping in this city with already so much to please the eye. A lovely guide with just the right tone of voice and beautiful images. The handsome package and handy size make it a must-have for a stay of any length in Firenze.

These maps are laminated for protection. They are quite large, so be aware of that if you want to hang them on your walls.

These maps were exactly what I was looking for. They are large and readable with colors to set apart each state or country. You will enjoy these maps and your children will learn easily from them.

These maps were just what I was looking for. The maps are large enough to actually read. And although they are not laminated cardstock (like what some of the other reviewers were expecting), it is still laminated and serves its purpose. I have one up in my 7 year old's bedroom and he absolutely loves it. And I have the other up in the closet. For the price, I think this was a great buy.

These were two fully laminated 50"x38" beautiful maps shipped in a long skinny rectangular box.
My 2 1/2 yr old loves to put stickers on the map to show where we and our relatives live.
A great value!

I wanted something that didn't cost alot, and that the kids (ages 7&5) could use. These maps are a little bit big, but the kids thought they were great. They are laminated so I didn't have to worry about them tearing while I put them on the wall. I would recommend these maps.

I travelled the Mother Road in September 1960 in a 1956 Ford from Chicago to LA. The book refreshed many memories of this trip. I was quite happy to go through the pages and I will continue to do so.

I have really enjoyed this book, Route 66: The Mother Road..." It is very interesting and full of information that you probably have never known before. Also pictures of people along the way. I am not a collector of Route 66 things but we needed something for a Painting Reception and this fit in with our theme. I ordererd it and I'm so glad I did. I am planning to read it from cover to cover when our Show is over. The book was sent on time and packaged very well. All-in-all it was an excellent experience.

As a child my family traveled between Tucson and NW Missouri over a number of years to visit relatives. I vividly remember neon signs, interesting signs, gas stations and diners along the way. This book made those memories come alive. The author brings in the history behind place names and the stories of the colorful and interesting people who created the various attractions along Route 66. I don't know when I have enjoyed reading a book more than this one. Michael Wallis, thank you.

Everything you would like to know about Route 66. This book and it's author served as the main source of infromation & inspiration for the Disney/Pixar classic animated movie "Cars". A must have for the motoring history buff.

As we get older we appreciate memories from our youth more and more. I can remember riding in my parents car on trips along Route 66. This book is full of memories and interesting information about this historic road. We plan to take the Lincoln Highway from California to New York and come home on Route 66. We bought this book as our travel guide home and plan to visit many of the places listed in its pages. We also bought The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast for our guide book east. Both books are a must for the adventure we are planning; a cross country trip in our 1941 Oldsmobile street rod.

Arizona is a spectacular state. There is so much to explore, from the Grand Canyon to old mining town of Bisbee. North to south, east to west, this atlas will get you where you want to go. Even in you have a GPS, it helps to have a broader visual back-up. Get yourself an atlas and hit the road. Happy Trails!

We are snowbirds and we kept getting "misplaced" with the regular maps. This one is complete and accurate. Thanks

These Delorme Atlas & Gazetters are wondeful. They show you many features not available through GPS, maps or other atlases. It is a great feature to have the BLM lands marked as well as the back roads. Good resources are also included in each states atlas. A good addition to anyone's travel tools.

I purchased the maps so I could see the elevation contours. I have a Tennessee maps and it gives the elevation changes by 100 foot. The map gives some elevation but not the contours.

Great Product! Nearly as good as having a seperate map for every county in the whole state.
I like it best because I can read the text much easier than a state map, especially in low light. My bifocals are OK for reading but not the fine details of most maps.

A very remarkable book written in the 13th century. Many secrets were reviled when Marco returned. And may interesting explanations of things like the origin of cinnamon.

Marco writes well enough of his travels and you feel that you are there. You can actually follow the trail if you have a map. He describes the flora and fauna of each region and describes the economics and industry of the region.

Example: "The women of the superior class are in like manner free from superfluous hairs; their skins are fare, and they are well formed."

It is interesting to see how little has changed from Marco Polo's 13th century and now.

Marco Polo purportedly spent 17 years travelling to the courts of Kublai Khan and, as an emissary for Kublai Khan, then throughout the Far East. Whether it actually happened or not is up for debate. I went into this text with an open mindset and have accepted that Marco Polo did indeed go on this trip with his father and uncle, but not to the extent as surmised. Instead he travelled and added stories he collected from traders and others to fill in gaps or points of interest to him. The book is broken into four sections now. Part One is his trip to the Great Khan's courts in Cathay (China). Part Two is his travels throughout the provinces of Cathay. Part Three concerns going to Japan, Southern India, and the Islands of the Indian Sea (Java, etc). Part Four is travelling into the 'northern countries' (Russia, etc).

In general, Polo gives very brief descriptions of most regions, accounting for their religious beliefs, money used, fealty to the Great Khan Kublai. There's some intriguing customs (visitors will be taken into a home and the man of the house leaves until they are gone but the visitor has full access to the household including the wives, daughters, sisters, nieces), talks of cannibalism, dress, unfamiliar animals they encountered, and contributes to the whole messy history of Prestor John. It does get repetitive and dry after a while. Polo's talk of Kublai Khan is almost obsessive and he was obviously completely enamoured of this new culture. Overall, it was fascinating to read although I had to push myself through some parts due to repetitive descriptions. Any history buff should read this story about one of the purported most well-travelled explorers ever, not to mention he was possibly the biggest best-selling authors before the printing press was invented.

Imagine a very boring person went through something fascinating. This person came up to you, started to talk about this incredible journey of theirs, but talking in this monotonous voice without changing pitch or showing excitement at any moment.

That's essentially what "Travels of Marco Polo" is. It's an INCREDIBLY interesting book and a fascinating tale, but can it possible be said in a more dry and flat way? There is no energetic spark that makes this adventure jump off the page. Perhaps this is due to the times, but I suspect the translation is a bit literal and bland as well. The writing never changes tone, even in parts that are clearly exciting and amazing. All the facts are there, but the reader is forced to put too much energy just to make it interesting.

Marco Polo had a most fascinating journey. Any history buff should snatch this book off the shelves (unless they decide to read the even longer, more annoying records that I'm sure can be found floating around), and anyone interesting in Marco Polo should as well. It may be dull at times, but it's still incredible, fascinating, and a riveting tale.

Recommended to heavier, more able readers.

I believe I got what I paid for. There were much better books of great detail, but they cost much more. I would suggest saving your money until you can buy a much more comprehensive book. The reading and information provided in the book was light and was gone over very fast. I question some of the facts contained there in.

It has been a pleasure to revisit the travels of Marco Polo. I was transfixed by these stories of travel and adventure when I was a child, and never questioned the veracity of the narrative. I know today that the narrative has been corrupted over the centuries, that "The Travels" can scarcely be used as an historical reference, and that a more tantalizing and complete manuscript has probably been lost to the ages. Still, there are glimpses and insights within the narrative that could only have come from first-hand experience, and these describe an enormous, exotic world that titillates even today, while readers in the 13th and 14th centuries must have been enthralled.

I was most keen this time around to Polo's descriptions of the cultures and wildlife he encountered, of the whales and lions and leopards and bears--he even describes a white bear, and the people who hunted it were surely of the group often called Eskimos. He describes dog-sledding in the far north and the cannibalistic practices of the people of Java far to the south, both of which are extant in our current era. There are also the fascinating observations of the Mongol Empire, of that group of nomadic people who somehow rose up, like an event in an Isaac Asimov novel, to conquer much of the known world.

Somewhat depressingly, though, are Polo's observations of the tensions that existed between the Islamic and Christian worlds, tensions rooted in the competition for hegemony over trade in the Far East. Seven hundred years later, these tensions are still acting themselves out.

This translation by Ronald Latham from 1958 includes an introduction that puts Marco Polo's life in context with events and includes footnotes to help the reader make sense of the myriad manuscripts that make up the travels of Marco Polo. This is a somewhat dry read; even Latham comments on the paucity of skill employed by Polo's chronicler. Once I put my mind in context with the narrative, however, I was able to roll with the repetition and sycophancy and enjoy the text.

I so enjoyed this book that I've ordered more. Lynn Kurland's books are romantic yet action packed. A great read

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. It was a little slow in some spots. I still cried and laughed, so it wasn't a complete loss. However, I just finished reading When I Fall in Love, before this one. Now, that book received a lower rating from the average reader, but I thought it was more romantic than this one. That one would definitely get more stars than this one, still a good story though...add it to your collection.

This was okay. I've read better time travel novels. But when you've got nothing else to do, this will kill time and will make the time passable.

This is the story of Patrick MacLeod, who was the first of the MacLeod's to discover the time traveling portals that has spawned several books based on their clan's travels. Patrick lives in present day but lives in an ancestoral castle. Patrick was married once, but his wife Lisa was pregnant by another man and when her lover abandoned her, she killed herself. Lisa's father Gilbert believes Patrick murdered her because Patrick never told them the details of Lisa's death in the attempt to save them pain. Patrick has shielded his heart since then and can't believe it when he feels a connection with the American he sees on Culloden field. They seem to share the time lapse experience of seeing the real Culloden battle but Patrick runs her off with his rudeness. He decides to track her down and apologize because he can't shake the feeling they are somehow connected.

Madelyn Phillips is an out of work attorney who was dumped six weeks before her wedding. Her ex fiance Bentley has gotten her fired, and ruined her finances. Madelyn decides to go on their honeymoon trip to Scotland by herself since it was prepaid and she has dreamed of going to Scotland all her life. When Madelyn arrives at the Bed and Breakfast in Scotland run by Robby MacLeod it is to find Bentley has arrived before her and stolen the reservation. Robby is offended by the arrogant Bentley and offers Madelyn another room free of charge. Determined to have Madelyn under his thumb, Bentley steals her suitcase, then has her credit card cancelled and her rental car taken away. When Robby helps her with transportation, Madelyn goes to Culloden field and is stunned to find herself in the middle of a real battle, when her mind clears she is back in present time and she sees a gorgeous Scotsman (Patrick) standing in the middle of the field. Madelyn approaches him determined that he is her soulmate but his rudeness changes her mind. When Patrick tracks Madelyn down and finds out what Bentley has done he offers his services as a tour guide. Patrick finds himself drawn to Madelyn like no other woman and starts fantasizing about a future with her. Madelyn hates being a charity case, but she finds herself drawn to Patrick. She fantasizes about him being her Scottish Laird hero but knows real life will soon step in and she must find a job and pay off her student loans. When Bentley continues to pursue them, Madelyn attempts to run away and finds herself transported back in time. She is captured by the enemies of the MacLeods, the Fergussons. Patrick knows he must go back in time and rescue Madeline and wishes he would have pledged his love beforehand. These two must face several obstacles, the Fergussons, Gilbert, Bentley and both families in order to find happiness. This is an interesting story with ghosts, history and intrigue. If you're looking for a lot of sex scenes, you will be disappointed. Lynn Kurland is not much for the sexual details found in most romances, she leaves more to the imagination. She does however, take great pains to develop the characters and their relationship to where you don't miss the physicalness of the relationship. Great job Miss Kurland. I would love to see a story about Madelyn's sister Sunny.

While I am a fan of Lynn Kurland's writing, I am also getting tired of reading the same book over and over, just with different characters. That feeling of sameness is heightened by the similarity to Devereaux's KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR. As reviewer N. Hall of Chicago noted, the heroine's predicament here is awfully similar to that of Douglass in that book.

Another problem is Bentley. It's one thing to have an obnoxious character to stand in counterpoint to the hero but it's another to have his actions make no sense whatsoever in terms of human motivation or reality. In what universe would stealing your former fiancee's violin make her want to get back with you? And I'd second the point that, for a supposedly competent lawyer, Madelyn is awfully incompetent at taking care of herself.

These aspects - the copying of Devereaux's set-up, the inexplicable actions of Bentley, the incredible weakness of the heroine and the similarity to prior Kurland books - really undercut my enjoyment of this book. On the other hand, I did like Patrick, especially his love of fast cars (a legacy of his love of fast horses), even if six years did seem too long to keep grieving.

For an original time travel romance, give me Linda Howard's SON OF THE MORNING.

bought this before our trip and it was well worth it - saves you ALOT of time!

I worked for Disney in "the Park," selling skulls and snakes in Adventureland-- right next to the Jungle Cruise at the palm-roofed hut that was once called "Tropical Imports." This was during my undergrad years at the University of California (translation: I worked at Disneyland, and I'm smart). I was born in Santa Monica, my parents met during a dance night at Carnation Gardens in Disneyland, and my dad and his wife still have annual passes to the park (translation: in case there was any doubt, I know what I'm taking about), yet I still learned many valuable things from this book; it rocks.

This book is such a contribution! I recommend it to every person who's headed to the park. Buy it and take it with you-- follow the advice. The only time-honored recommendations this book somehow misses are:

1. Grab a few mini bourbon bottles on the plane ride to California - they're perfect for spiking mint juleps at the Blue Bayou (no alcohol is served at the Magic Kingdom - DCA across the street is the closest supplier).

2. Bran muffins, power bars, and canned coffee drinks are the breakfast of Disney champions. Throw a few in your backpack and gnaw on them at 7:45am when you're waiting for the ropes to drop.

3. Bring a water bottle

4. Wash your hands - ask park employees and they'll tell you they wash their hands BEFORE and after using the facilities. You don't know who grabbed that _______ just before you did.

5. Load up everything you'll carry with you to the park, wear the shoes you're planning on, get junior in the stroller, put on the sunscreen, and take a 5+ mile walk every Saturday the three weekends prior to your departure. Either that or run 10Ks every weekend - one way or the other you'll remember to bring the ibuprofen.

Enjoy!

Love it, love it! I actually just purchased my second one - this one as a gift. Being raised in California, I had been to Disneyland more times than I could count. But someone suggested this book to me to plan a seamless first time trip for my best friend. I would not have done the trip without it! I reccomend this to anyone planning a first time trip, if you have never been it can be quite overwhelming: you will waste most of your trip wandering around and waiting in queues. Families will especially find the ratings guide handy when planning which rides would best keep the kiddies entertained.

A number of friends told me about the book before our trip and being a single mom to a 6 year old I thought it was just good planning.... This guide was so helpful and wouldn't go on another Disneyland trip without it. Yes it is a little heavy and cumbersome to lug around with you but it saved us time and frustration more than once. The guide was right on about rating of the rides, particularly for a younger child. Next trip this book will be the first thing in the suitcase.

We took 4 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 21; a 72 year old and I am 51; the advice was spot-on; our only disappointment was no fireworks because the weather was too windy; otherwise, we did both parks in a three day driving turnaround from Phoenix during a quick fly-in Spring Break for the teenagers! A great time was had by all. Grandma DID get to celebrate her birthday in STYLE! Thank GOD for the motorized wheelchairs! They were a real lifesaver! -and worth every penny!

If you don't have a guide book on Spain yet, this is a good one. If you have a previous edition of rough guide, though, it seems like not much has changed to warrant a new purchase.

Have been using this book, along with Rick Steve's Spain book, to plan a trip to Spain. Rough Guide includes an amazing amount of information about many, many places in Spain. Rough Guide covers many more places than Steve's book, although they complement each other. Rough Guide gives a great feel for the breadth of places to explore.

The Rough Guides rarely disappoint. They are thorough and interesting. My only complaint is that Murcia, as usual in guidebooks like this, just doesn't get the treatment it deserves. I always buy the most recent edition, but suggest you can probably skip an edition now and then!

Rough Guides never let me down. This one from Spain is very detailed, has many accomodation reviews, good for sightseeing scheduling, and alternative sites for tourism. The only thing I miss is a way to help me to organize trips between the different cities (from "somewhere" to "other where" is best by plane or by train, and so on).

My husband and I just got back from a 2-week trip to Spain where we covered about 1000 miles by car. This was the guide that we depended on when we traveled through the Pyrenees, Rioja and Basque regions. The other guidebooks have maybe one or two sentences on the picturesque little medieval towns that we passed through, where this one had recommendations for meals and places to stay off the beaten path. I was so glad to have this book or we would have missed out on many great experiences, including our stays at some small "casas rurales" (like bed and breakfasts) where we got to really speak to the locals and take in the day to day life in Spain. It's a big book to drag around, so I ended up tearing out the pages with the maps we would need each day and carried those around with me instead of the whole book. The best travel book purchase that I have ever made!

If you need to locate a remote village or river anywhere in Alaska this will do it. Great detail, clear and well organized to find places quickly. To big for travel but great for the office.

the map has every detail that we need for planning a trip to Alasks. With this map, you don't need the 1x1 USGS map. However, this map book is kind of too big to carry on a light hiking.

This Atlas & Gazetteer is excellent. It is highly usable and the right scale for my use.

I have used this product in two trips to Alaska. One was by cruise ship up the Inside Passage. It helped me understand the elevations and contours of the land we went through and explored.

Our second trip was by road up the Alcan Highway. Again this product was helpful and educational. The retreat of glaciers are distinct compared to the date the map section dates. Combining this with our GPS made our trip much more interesting.

Anyone driving to Alaska is well advised to buy this product.

We have used our first copy until it is ragged. Because we travel a lot within our state of Alaska, this is a perfect resource to have in the house. A must for tourists expecting to travel in our state.

Other than the fact that the scale is way to small at 1:250,000 this is a valuable resource that is very useful. I carry one of these for every location that I go.
Go idea to tape the pages because the stable binding falls apart with use