Europe Books

This book is fabulous. I grew up watching these stories come to like on the Jim Henson Hour, and I love having these stories at my finger tips. The stories are very intersting and original. The art work in the book is also fabulous!! They match the television portrail of story exactly. I am so glad that I am able to read and share these stories with my friends and family!

The television series was one of the best things ever to be shown on TV, but it's more than worthwhile to pick up this book just to be able to focus on Anthony Minghella's (yep, he of "The English Patient") way with words. Minghella doesn't just write good narration, he writes good, old-fashioned *story-telling* Like, say, Kipling's "Just-So Stories," Minghella's "The Storyteller" captures the language of the very best tale tellers.

Many years ago my family sat around the television, wide eyed and filled with magic; we were watching the Jim Henson Storyteller series. We waited and waited for it to reappear one day- to no avail. But FINALLY, a book! To be able to relive the "hugs and snoodles" of Hans My Hedghog, the stone soup tale of a "Story Short"- all of it beautifully, and creatively written, with illustrations to match- will take you back to your childhood. I find it hard to believe this has yet to be discovered. Don't miss the videos that are now out, at long last!

Perfection is the TV series that preceded this book. Of course, I must gloat and say that I knew all those many years ago that Anthony Minghella was the most exquisite writer I had ever heard/read. His words coupled with the genius of Jim Henson and company made for the best (no exaggeration) thing ever to be broadcast on television. To be able to read the words from these shows and have them readily available on your bookshelf is heaven. I've been recommending the TV series and this book for years. I still recommend it today.

Just so you know, all 9 episodes of The Storyteller are now out on a single DVD - something many of us have been waiting for for years. This book is, I think, the original screenplay of Jim Henson's Storyteller series because it follows *very* closely to the stories and dialogue seen on TV. The illustrations are also taken from the show and are very nice. The written word is different from television, however, and these stories take on a different light often in one versus the other, and there are some expansions here that didn't make the final editing cuts.

My kid and I love "The Storyteller" series, and this book is a pleasant addition for bedtime reading.

Diane Stanley, author of a series of high-quality biographies for children, does it again: Joan of Arc is intelligent and interesting with eye-popping illustrations. Of course the story is tragic, so this is not a good first biography for the young, tender-hearted child. The only thing missing is a real sense of the supernatural, what drove Joan to do what she did in the first place. If you're looking for the miraculous in your retelling of Joan's story, choose instead Josephine Poole's breathtaking "Joan of Arc."

Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc should be recommended for teens 13-16. I thought it was kind of hard to understand because I got 60% on this Accelerated Reader test. I didn't understand the Crowning of the Kings and Princesses very well. I would rate this a 6/10 in a rating.
It taught me about how some people can get so sick of things that you would do anything to save your country. This book is cool because of the pictures of the war.

Not only was this an accurate portrayal of Joan of Arc's story, it was wonderfully written and illustrated. I would recommend it for anyone who is starting out in learning of the saint. It is educational and enjoyable for a child.

Once again, Diane Stanley has brought intriguing facts and interesting tidbits to a book about a well known character, Joan of Arc, which makes the reader interested and excited about the subject, no matter what age he or she might be. Joan was born an illiterate, peasant daughter of a leader in a French village during the time of the Hundred Years War between France and England. She was highly disciplined in Catholicism, and was often teased about it by her friends. At the age of thirteen, Joan began having visions, while in the family garden, of various Catholic Saints giving her distressing messages and that she needed to act in order to save the French Kingdom. Joan was so convinced and moved by these visions that she took on a life long task of saving the French kingdom, although a woman doing this would have been unheard of at the time. She was eventually captured by the Burgundies that occupied Northern France and handed over to the English for a ransom. She was put on trial by the church for dressing in men's clothing and for acting on her voices and visitations which should have only been heard by members of the clergy. She was found guilty, although she gave clever testimony and was not easily disrupted by tricky questioning, and eventually burned at the stake. Charles, the ruler that Joan help restore to the crown, made it his personal mission to have Joan's trial declared a mistrial sixteen years after her death. This act fueled by his guilt for not negotiating for her release from prison helped her to be declared a saint five hundred years later.
This book helps the reader realize that although Joan my have appeared unstable with her visions in modern times, she brought hope and life to a battle that was hopeless leaving many French residents in despair. A note at the end of the book indicates that there have been three theories behind Joan's visions, depending on where one's personal beliefs lie.
Included within the book are pronunciations of French names and places and a map, so the reader can follow the path taken by Joan. This book provides interesting and understandable information for readers of all ages, including adults that want a short but informative look into Joan of Arc's life.

A beautiful book! Diane Stanley carefully traces the life of Joan from her humble beginnings to her tragic end. The book even comes with a pronunciation guide to help those of us who haven't been to France. Although the language is at 8+ year old range, my 5 year old daughter loves it anyway!

LET'S OPEN A BOTTLE: MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE SPANISH WINE REVOLUTION takes readers to Spain along with the English teacher/author, who considers the Spanish wine revolution. Murdock is an expatriate living in Madrid the past fifteen years: his background lends to a blend of memoir and travelogue which brings readers into the heart of Spanish wine country politics and winemaking tradition. Travel tips include listings of regional wineries, specialties, and recommendations for destination-bound wine fans. A wonderful, detail-packed read for any interested in Spanish wines and wine region history.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Books on Spanish wine are difficult to find, good books on Spanish wine are rare and books such as Brian Murdock's are unique. Not only is it up-to-date and thorough but it blends a current knowledge of the Spanish wine industry with insights into Spain's history and culture. Robert Parker (aka God), the world's leading wine critic, has said of Spanish wine that,"Spain has done an outstanding job of maintaining respect for its traditions of the past and also looking forward to the future." This wine revolution is perfectly captured in Murdock's book.
However, this is not just a (well above) average reference book on Spanish wine regions and their wines. This book is far more. It is a personal journey, literally, among the highways and byways- most Spanish wineries are on byways- where the author talks to a wide cross-section of individuals involved in wine-making. This allows the reader to hear the voices of those actually making the wide variety of quality wines which Spain is now producing.
In this personal account the author's acute perceptions, deep knowledge, wit and sheer passiopn of and for Spanish wines burns through. At the end of this excellent read Murdock modestly states that he is no 'expert' but '...after a helluvah lot of work, I also should know what I am talking about.' Indeed he does.
As a wine merchant based in Spain and having visited many of the same places and tasted the same wines as the author I can bear witness to its accuracy and insight. This first-class book will appeal not only to all those who wish to explore Spanish wines but also ita charming people and rich culture.

This is a great read and should not be simply thought of as another boring guide to wine. The author weaves plenty of humor and history into this aptly named "Journey Through the Spanish Wine Revolution". The reader learns how and why the vast history of the Iberian Peninsula has shaped today's Spanish wine industry. The end result is not only do I seek out Spanish wines in restaurants and stores, but I also want to travel to Spain to check out the various regions and their unique cultures and geographies. I should also note that I have given this book as a gift to a few people who have loved it as well.

As someone who's trying to learn more about the "wine culture" after years of clueless intrigue, I finally found the perfect source. While it primarily discusses wines from a lesser known country/producer(Spain), this book provides a firm backbone that's easily translatable across wine regions around the world. Not sure what to expect when I started, I was quickly taken by the extreme detail discussing individual wines and vineyards, and how they vary from region to region. As much as I learned about various "reds" and "whites", I received an equally thorough education on the history of each region. Humor and a lighter tone throughout make this a fun, interesting, and very informative read.

When I see this book, I thought "OK, a modern guide for spanish wines, I'll get it". But it's much more than this! It's a really good landscape of the spanish wine culture, with many facts surrounding the wine and spanish people.

I think Mr. Murdock has done a really good job, and it will be useful for many pepole who loves wine and wants to know more about Spain, its wine and the people who lives there.

5 stars are for all the book if we excepts the part for andalusian wines. They are worth of a full book! :-)

A perfect gift or a perfect self-gift.

We own a copy of 'Little Known Museums in and Around Paris', and after over 18 years of visiting Paris and its many Great museums, we found that we still missed 12 out of the 30 museums listed in her book.Now we can't wait to go back and visit these 12 that Ms. Kaplan has so thoroughly and appealingly described, with the many magnificent photos and well researched text, this is a book to savour in an armchair, or to use to preview your next trip. We have already put 'The Fan Museum' and the 'Maurice Ravel Museum' on our 'MUST SEE', for our upcoming summer trip. Thank you for listening.

Lana & Murray Singer (New York City)

Rachel Kaplan's engaging little book is a fascinating guide to some of the many museums in and around Paris that do NOT make it into the big guidebooks. Everyone has heard of the Louvre, the Orsay, even the Musee Rodin, but what about the others? Some of them are small museums run by devoted individuals; at least one (the Musee de la Marine in the Trocadero complex) is, I believe, run by the French government.

This is a book badly in need of updating. Three years ago, when I used to to visit the Maison de Balzac on Rue Raynouard, the information on transportation, hours, and addresses was of relatively recent vintage and, consequently, more trustworthy.

While Kaplan's contributions are wonderful and the many black and white and color photographs memorable, the publisher did a very mediocre job of presentation. I do not care for the book's alphabetic orientation and deplore the unhelpful single map.

One more negative: There are many other small museums in Paris that are not even mentioned in passing, such as the Musee de la Serrure (locks, keys, and door knockers); Musee de la Poste (mail service); Musee Guimet (Oriental art); the new museum of Jewish history near the Pompidou Center -- to mention just a few.

And yet, I look forward in a couple of weeks to visiting the Musee Delacroix and the Musee Cognac-Jay, neither of which appear in my other guidebooks. This is a very useful book for those who wish to explore lesser-known parts of the City of Lights. I look forward to a new edition which will make it even more useful.

We recently used this guide extensively while in Paris for a week. Having done the usual "big name" tourist stops, we were looking for a convenient way to see Paris in-depth. This book met our needs completely. I am looking forward to more work from this author.

Whether you're on your first trip to Paris, or a regular visitor, Rachel Kaplan's "Little Known Museums in and Around Paris is a gem. Forget the crowds at the Louvre and Orsay! Follow Rachel's advice and seek out Balzac's home, Maillol's or Zadkine's sculptures, Delacroix's paintings ... Rachel's scholarship and lively style make you want to leave the beaten track and head for these less-famous, less-crowded, first-rate museums.

Racheal Kaplan's Little-Known Musemus in and around Paris includes reviews of thirty museums and appealing subjects such as the homes of famous authors (i.e. Dumas and Balzac), museums of science, and the decorative arts. Ms. Kaplan is an exceptional raconteur and brings Paris alive with her use of interesting anecdotes, historical facts, and high quality photographs. For the Paris traveler that wants to put a human face to this beautiful city, I would recommend Little-Known Museums in and around Paris.

I heart this book! It's not your regular Amercian Abe Lincoln Log Cabin type of book... lots of international examples and a great little history in the front. I reference often when scheming about my vacation home I'll someday have!

Received the book in the time limit specified. It arrived packaged well and in excellent condition as stated by the seller. I am very pleased with the book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this seller to my friends, or to do business with them again in the future.

Radek Kurzaj's lovely color photos compliments the first chronological survey of log houses designed in Europe and the U.S. from 1890 to modern times, and covers a vast range of architectural designs and builder innovations in the process. Libraries strong in woodworking or homeowner's titles, especially general-interest public library collections, will find LOG HOUSES OF THE WORLD an eye-catching display title that fulfills its cover attraction and promise with equally compelling interior photos. But don't think it's just a picturebook coffee table addition: it's packed by Architectural Digest magazine editor Richard Olsen's commentary and history as well. The depth and coverage can't be beat.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great insight into the world of the log house. This will shatter your preconceived concept of what a log cabin is, and show you what it can be. Very educational and beautifully photographed. A great addition to anyone's book collection who is interested in log cabins, architecture, or history.

I'm one of the architects whose work is published in this collection. At the risk of sounding preposterously self-serving, I wanted to chime in that I just received my copy of the book and I was very taken with it. It's a diverse collection of projects, nicely photographed, and in particular I found the writing to be refreshingly well done. The author captured the distinct elements of the built works and the narrative behind them very skillfully, and in my case, quite accurately. It's a great volume and I'm honored to be included in it.

As a London Underground enthusiast, I just couldn't resist what this book had to offer. The sections on the history of the Underground were very informative and easy to read.
But there's more to the book than that. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. The author's conversational (and often amusing) tone lend a lightness to a subject that could otherwise be very dull. The book runs the gamut of subjects--from the underground and now mostly mysterious Fleet to the high-speed cables of British Telecom. It's all there.
This book is an excellent resource for anyone doing research, and a great read if you're fascinated by things beneath the surface.

Except for Anglophiles and London Buffs most people's knowledge of the London Underground is limited to its use as a bomb shelter during the World War II Blitz. However, the Underground existed for centuries before WWII. Chapter 1 succinctly narrates the Underground during the Blitz, and concludes stating "....to understand the full complexity of what lies under London, we must begin with her subterranean rivers."

Chapter 2 notes "There are over a hundred miles of rivers in London, fed by over a hundred springs and wells....Hidden from view, recalled only in street names...." As early as 1463 a Royal Act ordered "The covering-in of the Walbook's middle and lower reaches" vaulting and paving it over. These rivers were covered over or diverted into tunnels. Many of the rivers underground became more sewers than rivers. The text also notes "There are several lost rivers under London referred to by London's chroniclers but impossible to trace."

The text devotes several chapters to the development of underground sewers, water systems, gas pipes, trains, and later telegraph, telephone and electricity systems. The text gives captivating accounts of several engineering problems that were confronted, how they were resolved together with thumbnail sketches of the engineers and managers involved. . Tunneling under the Thames River was a major venture taking fifteen years to complete. Most intriguing is the account of The London Hydraulic Power Company founded in 1871where "Raw water (untreated) water was pumped at a pressure of 400 pounds per square inch through the miles of pipes running beneath London, and was used to raise and lower cranes, operated lifts.... theatre safety curtains, wagon hoists, even hat hat-blocking presses...." Amazingly the company survived until the mid-1970s.

As telegraph lines were developed underground, the Post Office gained control of the telegraph system and later gained control of the telephone system which they tried to suppress. As electricity developed around a national grid, distribution moved underground and by WWII was operating as a national industry. After the dropping of the first atomic bomb, the British government considered operating from the underground but by the 1960s gave up plans to fighting and surviving a nuclear war from under London. The text notes that new water and electricity tunnels characterized the 1980s and early 1990s with "The biggest capital project under London in the last ten years has been the completion of the London Ring Water Main"

This is a fascinating book and the reader will be amazed by the extensive underground systems under London that are still in use today.

This is a fantastic history of what's underneath the ground of today's London. Blending history, geography, and engineering, this book describes the smothered streams and covered rivers, the water pipes and sewers, and the tunnels under the Thames.

A major section is devoted to the London Underground - the "Tube" - and its history. The Post Office's automated mail-handling railway is briefly touched on as well.

The role of London's underground spaces during wartime is reviewed including the underground factories and the Cabinet War Rooms of the Second World War.

The book is profusely illustrated with a heavy emphasis on contemporary cut-away and explanatory drawings. The pictures make the text come alive.

A really great book for the Anglophile or London-buff.

Having spent some time in London, and being a card-carrying historian, I was already aware of the hidden Fleet River, and the government bunkers from World War II, and (of course) the Underground itself. But I'd never heard of the Little Conduit beside St. Paul's, or the pneumatic postal railway, and the 1,500-mile network of 19th-century sewers (on which the metropolitan area still depends) never entered my mind. And I don't know how safe the pedestrian tunnels under the Thames would be these days, in any case. But the authors have done an amazing job tracing a number of "lost" rivers, and scores of independent water company pipelines, and assorted arsenals and crypts and tramways. And now I have a list for my next visit to London!

It's a great book if you're interested in this sort of thing. From the early beginnings of London's sewers to the modern day tube and postal networks, this book covers it all in a remarkably easy to read fashion. Of particular interest to me were the sections on Londons 'lost' rivers as well as the Underground, both covered in this book. Highly recommended.

Thomas B. Costain is one of the most readable of historians because he firstly draws on an awareness, gained in his years as a novelist, of the necessity on the part of a writer to above all reach out to his reader. An even greater praise might be this: Costain is also one of the most intelligent historians I've ever had the good fortune to read.

This is Costain's second volume in his well-rounded four-book history of England during the rule of its most storied dynasty, the Plantagenets. Here, in just under four-hundred pages, Costain concentrates on the events of the thirteenth-century reign of Henry III, who came to the throne in 1216, and who passed away forty-six years later in the autumn of 1272. Beginning his story during the regency of the great and good William Marshal, "right hand man" of four monarchs, and ending it shortly after Prince Edward's crushing of the baronial revolt led by Simon de Montfort, Costain makes the interesting case that the thirteenth-century was perhaps the grandest and most glorious if not in the whole of English history, then undeniably that in the era of the Plantagenets.

This was the first volume I've read so far in the quartet, but it won't be the last.

Costain gives his usual rousing treatment to a period not widely treated.

Costain's entire four-volume history of the Plantagenets, "The Pageant of England," is the reason I became a historian and history teacher. I had liked history before, but I'd never before read history that read like a novel. He brought these figures to life in a way that lit a fire that still burns brightly. In short, an excellent history, which I re-read every few years--especially The Magnificent Century!

I have read this book so many times I have worn out my copy, in paperback. I would and do recommend the book to anyone anyone who wants to start learning the history of England and the Middle Ages. The Late Mr Costain brought the people to life, which was a rare gift, he also being a novelist knew how to tell a tale, both are great for generating an interest in history. He leaves a great foundation for a student to build a knowledge of history on.

I first read these books 20 years ago, and the opportunity to purchase them in a new edition is the thrill of the year for me. Costain makes the period come alive, with all its heroes, villains, and bystanders. While many of Costain's opinions and conclusions are somewhat dated by more recent research, there is no more delightful reading experience amongst modern histories of the middle ages.

The Making of the Middle Ages by RW Southern
When I asked for suggestions as to what I should read to expand my knowledge of the social history of the Middle Ages, a friend with a degree in Medieval History suggested Richard Southern's The Making of the Middle Ages. I was hoping for a fairly straightforward book about women, warfare, technology, medicine, what it was like to live in a Medieval town and so forth, and The Making of the Middle Ages is not that book. It is, nevertheless, a fascinating and well written volume, and well worth the time and money.
Southern limits his discussion to the period from the end of the 10th century to the beginning of the 13th century--from 972 to 1204 to be exact. The book is divided into five chapters: the first discusses the relationship between Europe and its neighbors--the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic countries. The general European perception of these countries, trade, the Crusades, and the transmission of knowledge all form parts of this chapter. The second chapter is on "The Bonds of Society"; in this chapter Southern treats the emergence of centralized government, serfdom, and the idea of knighthood. The third chapter deals with Christianity and society--the mingling of secular and sacred in the medieval church, the growth of power of the papacy, and monasticism. The fourth chapter is about intellectual and literary changes which took place during Southern's period, and the final chapter "From Epic to Romance" concerns the growing interest in mysticism, in the cult of the Virgin, and in more personal forms of piety. One of the most charming aspects of The Making of the Middle Ages is the astonishing diversity of the anecdotes that Southern relates to illustrate his points. Southern introduces us to a host of interesting and esoteric historical figures: the "nameless traveller" who carried the news of the death of Count Wilfred of Cerdana from Spain through France and into Germany; the elusive Prester John; the heroic Boethius who undertook the Herculean task of saving the entire corpus of Greek scholarship; and the virtually unknown Peter of Blois--poet, archdeacon, and correspondent--whose letters give us a glimpse into the life of a high-ranking ecclesiastical official, to list only a few. Southern also relates, with vigor and style, the history of the bloody and cynical Counts of Anjou and how they slowly and strategically consolidated and expanded their territorial holdings.
Southern's language is also amusing. This is not a dry textbook-style introduction to Medieval history--Southern allows himself to indulge in the colorful turns of phrase which impart so much pleasure to reading, but which have been so rigorously winnowed out of most scholarly and academic writing. My copy of The Making of the Middle Ages is full of underlined passages which are interesting for their writing as much as for their content. In the final chapter of the book ("From Epic to Romance"), Southern observes that "Chretien probes the heart, but it is the enamelled heart of the twelfth-century secular world, not yet made tender by the penetration of strong religious feeling." I don't know if I will ever have occasion to refer to the "enamelled heart of the twelfth century secular world," but I hope I will.
However, from the point of view of an interested layperson, The Making of the Middle Ages is a challenging read. Southern assumes a great deal of knowledge on the part of his reader, and many of the connections he draws are difficult to appreciate for someone who has only a tenuous grasp on Medieval history and who is struggling to assimilate the mass of information on which the author is drawing to support his points. Also, Southern's book has something in common with another book that I continue to enjoy each time I read it: Peter Brown's The World of Late Antiquity. Each time I open The World of Late Antiquity, I am again charmed by Brown's style and by the subtle connections that he draws. Yet as soon as I put it down, the details begin to slip away from me. I am afraid that The Making of the Middle Ages may have the same ephemeral effect on my understanding of the late 10th to the early 13th centuries, but I would nonetheless recommend it to anyone who has at least a Western-civ level of background knowledge to provide a jumping-off point from which to appreciate this book.

In just over 400 pages Mr. Southern manages to cover crucial 700 years of European history. What makes this book a standout study is the author's ability to integrate the demographic, economics, societal, artistic and pholosophic/religious development in a comprehensive picture, which is easy to follow and comprehend. While the book may be a little too narrowly focused for the casual reader, it is an excellent, rich in detail and perspective introduction to pre-Renaissance Europe.

The Making of the Middle Ages is a study of the period 972 to 1204. Before Southern wrote this book in 1952, the period has traditionally been called the High Middle Ages or the "Renaissance of the 12th Century". However Southern sees it as more than a Renaissance (usually thought of as a period of *re* discovery of classical texts and ideas), but also a period of *new* and original ideas and institutions. Southern says the period "had been overtaken by a creative spirit, which was not derived from the past, but nourished by a medley of influences both past and present." What is the "creative spirit"? According to Southern, it is Romanticism, which can be defined as a heightened sense of self-consciousness in perceiving the physical and natural world, both in the secular and spiritual.

It was with the publication of "Making" that decades of subsequent research into the period has focused on Romanticism as the primary creative movement that helped propel European culture from a backwater throughout the early middle ages to a leading civilization by 1500. The Virgin Cult, courtly love, the Arthurian tradition, the origins of Gothic architecture, are just a few of the peculiar institutions and ideas that have been re-examined from a Romantic viewpoint. And it is for that reason "Making" is so often classified as one of the most important medieval history books of the 20th century. Further, it was groundbreaking stylistically because it legitimized speculative and imaginative cultural history, which has found many imitators, such as Peter Brown (The World of Late Antiquity) and Robin Lane Fox (Pagans and Christians). It's influence on generation or two of Medieval scholars can not be over-estimated and it still remains one of those classic books every medieval student is familiar with.

Although "Making" is accessible and readable by anyone, the books intent as described above is subtle and nuanced, in particular outside of the "state of the art" of medievalism in 1952 which saw the 12th century as a Renaissance at best, or a "dark age" at worst. This was a revolutionary and groundbreaking book for its day and is as interesting today for historiographical reasons, some of the actual content has since been refuted. Literary speaking, it is well written and delightful. It does contain interesting anecdotes about the period, but this is not a survey text and those looking for a introduction to the Middle Ages may be disappointed if not bedazzled.

An acknolwedged classic of european history, R.W. Southern's "The Middle Ages" focuses on the period between 900 and 1200 A.D. His geopgraphic focus is mostly northern france, with some asides to Germany, Italy, Southern France and England. His main thesis is the idea that this period saw the emergence of a personal devotion to faith via monasticism that in turn prefigured the rise of invdividual identity in western culture.

No small accomplishment, that thesis, and no small accomplishment this book. Southern's style of writing is charming and concise. You don't get the thesis till the last chapter, but the preceding chapters are entertaining, enjoyable reading.

The author who turned me on to this book was the recently deceased Norman F. Cantor in his dishy "The Making of the Middle Ages", which I also recommend for any one who is reading on this subject outside the academy. Cantor's main point was to show how the empire building mind set of the "Annales" school of the history of the middle ages (which concentrates its focus on the role of the peasant in the society of the middle ages), had deprived other "schools" of much needed oxygen. Well, he didn't put it that way exactly, but that's what he said.

Cantor, of course, studied under Southern, so the bias is there. None the less, having read several books from the Annales school and none from Southern and his progeny, I would have to say that the two compliment one another (and Southern cites Marc Bloch, the much revered founder of Annales school).

So read this book if you want to learn more about the history of the middle ages and the growth of invdividualism in the west. You won't be dissapointed.

This is the brilliant book that made Richard Southern's reputation as one of the finest medieval historians. Everything that the two earlier reviewers have said is true and needn't be repeated. The bottom line is this: if you are very interested in the subject, and have already read about it to some extent, then you must read this book. It is astonishly rich in ideas -- almost too much so; and many of the observations that Southern makes in a seemingly casual way can give such blinding insight that you may find yourself stopping for several minutes at a time just to marvel at what you've read.

One the other hand, this book is for serious students of history (it was originally devised for a college course). Those casually interested in finding out "what happened" in the middle ages will find it boring and useless.

You need to have been an apprentice historian in the mid-sixties to appreciate the impact this book had on Europeanists. I was thirty-one years old in 1967. I had taught history in high school for eight years and picked up a master's in history at NYU, and I was starting my Ph. D. program in history at Yale, concentrating on early modern European history, and within that specialty, on medieval and early modern political theory. (Later, when I taught college, my specialty course was on Machiavelli, More, Erasmus and Guicciardini.)

Braudel had just published the second edition of his masterpiece. The book had been significantly rewritten and was about a third longer than the original edition. But it was available only in French, which I read well but exceedingly slowly. The first edition --but not the second-- had been translated into Spanish, my preferred second language, so I swotted the Spanish first edition for orals. Reading it in a foreign language, it was too much in a limited amount of time to absorb and integrate with what I already knew about the times. I more or less flubbed the Braudel question in my orals. (In contrast, I did a killer job responding to a question about Ernst Kantorowicz's The King's Two Bodies: A Study in Medieval Political Liturgy.)

Later, teaching a winter term course in college, I assigned the by-then-published English translation of Braudel's second edition to my students, giving myself --at long last-- an opportunity to read it in my native tongue. I was floored! The masterful use of maps and graphs to show hitherto unnoticed trends in history, the wealth of illustrative detail, the scope of his view! Of all the masterworks of the first two generations of Annales historians --Bloch and Febvre, Braudel's other works, Le Roy Ladurie, Aries, Duby, etc.-- Mediterranean is still the undisputed masterpiece on early modern European economic and social history.

I have been keenly interested in world history for nearly 20 years. I read, on average, 30 non-fiction historical accounts per annum. With rare exception, I have always felt up to the task of both completion and comprehension. Braudel is an entirely different animal. What Braudel has presented in the form of 16th-century Mediterranean history is formidable, innovative, and exhausting.

Braudel's narrative weaves itself through overlays of historical strata that demand as much from the reader as any contemporary written history available. His is not a mere linear schedule of cause and effect, but a finely crafted history of regional parallels which render the methodology as thought provoking as the content.

Fully one-fourth of the book is devoted to economics in such painstaking detail that, while the specialist may revel, the layman may grow foggy, uninterested, and, unfortunately, bored. But, this does not detract from the overall value of Braudel's effort. The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World is a singular achievement in written history which offers the reader a vantage point that I have yet to find elsewhere. 5 stars.

This book is a very detailed starting point for Renaisance fans. At its heart this is a socio-economic history. The clever inclusion of climate and geographic conditions presuasively explained why prosperous Capitalism grew in some regions while others remained stagnant. Chapter 5-"The Human Unit" was the most informative. Most facets of history are here for the reader to absorb. This is the type of book we all wished we had in school.

Braudel's text on the Mediterranean is considered one of the contemporary classics of historical writing, and I can see why. It sets out to convey a total history of the Mediterranean world in the latter half of the 16th century, but ranges over so much more territory in order to achieve this objective. Just as Jared Diamond builds a foundation on geography, climate, and local flora and fauna in _Guns, Germs , and Steel_, so does Braudel begin his history. However, he does not stop there, and moves on to cover social and economic history, and, in the second volume, deals with the more standard "history of events" typical of most historical literature. Do not skip the second volume, as the tapestry Braudel weaves is not complete without it. The text is very detailed, too detailed at points, but I believe this gives the reader confidence in the authority of the writer. Clearly Braudel has done exhaustive research. You, too, will be exhausted by the time you finish this magnum opus.

I have written a review of the first volume of Braudel's history of the Mediterranean, and here will only say that it is necessary to read this second volume in order to appreciate what Braudel began in the first volume. The second volume is the more typical "history of events", but as Braudel concludes -- and correctly so in my opinion -- the history of events is founded on geography, demographics, and social and economic history. Braudel builds this foundation in the first volume, and the two volumes must be read jointly in order to fully appreciate Braudel's astounding accomplishment.

It was late, raining and we were starved. We had just checked into our hotel in Verona and needed a good meal to put our spirits back on track. That's when we dug out our little red guide and found a 4 star restaurant within walking distance. Don't let the fact that it's all written in Italian put you off. I have no language skills and found it easy to use and quite indispensable. While it's difficult to have a truly bad meal in Italy, with this book it's amazingly simple to have a positively great one.

Although I am French, I have traveled extensively in Italy. I can say without a doubt say that the Michelin Red Guide Italia is absolutely the best guidebook available. The information is so extensive that even native Italians will find a wealth of information!

All aspects of a trip are covered including hotels, restaurants tourist attractions, road and city maps and suggested traveling routes, among other things.

Michelin didn't get its superior reputation for nothing! It is the most trusted name in travel guides. This guide is just another addition to its superb library.

If you want to stay in lovely out of the way places and eat in good restaurants, here's your book. Instead of relying on the canned list of chain hotels a travel agent has, and taking pot luck at tourist dining places, get a Michelin, make your reservations in advance (figure 4-6 weeks to be safe for any restaurant with a star rating), and you'll do very well for yourself. In my experience, anyplace that's listed at all is quite decent, at least; if a restaurant or hotel is highly rated it is superb. Vacationers looking for hotels should look for places marked in red, which means especially pleasant and peaceful; you'll arrive and say to yourself: "Oh, how lovely."

Hotel and restaurant listings are very extensive and very reliable, and the guide has maps of lots of cities and small towns you won't find anywhere else , with all of the places listed marked on them. Indispensable if you want to travel around and plan your own trip.

The Michelin tourist and motoring atlases (also excellent) mark all of the towns which are mentioned in the Red Guides, so when you're planning your trip once you know where you want to go you can look for places nearby to stay and dine.

Be AWARE that this guide is "written" in Italian -- but do NOT be intimidated by that fact. The essential information is (as in the case of all Michelin texts) conveyed by ideograms or other diagrams (maps, etc.), and the meanings are clearly explained in the multilingual bookmark which accompanies the guide. The information itself is the most accurate -- and most respected -- in the world. Consider that when deciding on how you're going to spend the thousands of US$ that your Italian vacation will cost.

I travel all over the continent and have always taken my Michelin guides with me. There is no better way to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated. I like to travel in Italia since I have a home off the Amalfi Coast on the Isle of Capri, even though I am French. I live in Provence, the most spectacular place on this very earth, but I do like to see other wonderful places and dine on foreign foods. Italia is good for doing both of those pleasures.I like to fly most of the time, but then you do not get to see the sites close up. Flying is really for getting some place fast. But if you want to take your time and really see Italia, then you must have this Michelin guides in your possession. Since I am French, I don't know every place to go, so this guide always comes in very handy for me.