Travelogue Books

This was an incredible book for visiting Spain. We should have used it for booking hotels, but didn't buy it until the last minute. But we did use it for sights, meals, getting around, etc. and it was fabulous.

To learn another language, you only need the basics and then you need to practice with native speakers. There is no other way to learn. This is the nicest and one of the best laid out books I have seen and you can also purchase the other books in this series to learn those languages as the layout of the various books are exactly the same.

If you're learning another language, I highly recommend you read How to Learn Any Language first. Once you've done that, you'll see that a book like this is exactly what he recommends for developing proficiency in Spanish.
This book is laid out nicely for finding sections of phrases. If you're about to go into your hotel, check some of the phrases under Accomodations first. If you're about to eat, test yourself on some phrases under Eating and Drinking Out.

The phrases and vocabulary in this little book are accurate, too. They even include a pronunciation guide (Abla oosted in-gles?) of the sort that's moderately understandable.

It's a good buy.

Maybe it's an exaggeration, but I think everyone's secretly got a "Rosebud" - a time and a place in the past where we covertly retreat to for sustenance. For Jim Lukach, it's clear his "Rosebud" is Slovakia after the fall of the Berlin Wall. His book, "Lost Inside the Noise," brilliantly captures his time in Eastern Europe as an American of Slovak ancestry returning to his roots to teach English to a new generation. It's a great premise that delivers: a descendent of ones who left long ago meets the descendents of those who remained. And there's much to talk about. But what makes the book especially interesting, though, is the way he observes and describes life around him down to the minutest detail. Perhaps it's an irony, but as an American writer, he chronicles life in post-communist Eastern Europe with the same soul-searching and longing one is used to reading among Eastern European writers themselves. Did he pick it up there, or was this writer's sensitivity always in him? Hard to say, but his book is definitely worth the trip.

Jim Lukach's book took me far, far away, lost in the moment of his words and stories. Jim has a way of taking the reader to Slovakia with him; I could smell the coal dust in the air and hear the trains rattling past. The crisp fall days were mixed with the warmth of the people. Jim puts a bit of himself in every story, and holds nothing back - I felt his emotions as if he were telling me in person. I was there.

I look forward to his next novel.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of Lost Inside the Happy Noise, and I couldn't put it down until I read the last word. Mr. Lukach has created a world that completely envelops the reader . . . Once you enter his head, you can't (and don't want to) leave it. This (true?) story of a young man's search for happiness in a place and time far removed from the everyday, ordinary life is moving in its ability to make you feel everything all at once--the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, and the just plain surreal. It is simultaneously intoxicating and sobering; bittersweet and deliriously happy. I haven't decided yet whether it's a dreamlike depiction of stark reality, or a stark illustration of the power of a dreamed life. Either way, it touches a basic human chord on many levels, and I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Lukach.

Combining poetry, prose and pictures, Sandra McClinton recounts her and her husband's remarkable journey in an old four-seater Cessna 172-RG flying over tropical locales and craggy Alaskan passes, to meet aviators who had shaped aviation history. The account of the McClinton's journey through North and South America is one of flying across America, the wilds of Canada and Alaska, island-hopping the Caribbean islands, learning about extraordinary people like Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, the Wright Brothers, and others who pioneered the way for modern aviators. Lyrical Aviators: Traveling America's Airways In A Small Plane is fun, informative, engaging reading for students of aviation history, flying enthusiasts, and armchair adventurers from first page to last.

What a wonderful book! I'm not much of a flier, but I enjoy traveling and this book takes you everywhere. From the wilds of Alaska to the treacherous Caribbean, this book allows you to experience the excitement of traveling in a small plane, without leaving the comfort of your armchair. And the tidbits about the different pilots were wonderful. I would definitely recommend.

She was afraid to fly; he had wanted to fly a plane his entire life. Together they took an old plane to the far corners of Alaska, meeting fellow aviators and sharing a remarkable dream in the process. Lyrical Aviators is hard to easily categorize but any interested in travel and small plane adventures will relish this blend of autobiography, travelogue and history.

More than just a glimpse into casual voyages or personal treks of the past, Maiden Voyages delivers fabulous tales of wit, cunning, and creativity through the words of female "adventurists". Their bravery, insight and release from the social impositions of their lives enrich their stories, whether they move across an equatorial desert or through a barren polar landscape.

Sitting in the safety and comfort of my living room while reading "Maiden Voyages" made me to feel alternately happy to be home, and then longing to pack a bag, kiss the family goodbye, and take off on an adventure of my own. Presented in chronological order, beginning with the early 1700's, each exerpt is preceded by a brief description of the author. Only more incredible than the journeys themselves are the women who undertook them. I found myself wanting to read not only the complete texts, but also the biographies of the unique women- enough to keep me safely on the couch for a long time

"Maiden Voyages" is a compilation of writings by women travelers dating as far back as the 1700s and as recently as the late 20th century. Now before you start moaning and saying to yourself "boring," think about women traveling anywhere before the last half of the 20th century. Some of the stories are simply amazing considering all that the women had to overcome simply to go where they wanted. And these women went everywhere, places where, even today, any well prepared traveler would still find the journey challenging--arctic regions, vast deserts, out in the bush, or riding the rails like a hobo.

The women whose stories are collected here also faced unique challenges because of their sex: One story that really struck me was of a woman mountaineer who had to go back up the mountain because she forgot her petticoat and couldn't return to "civilization" without it. The stories of the women collected in this book are enchanting, even inebriating with the allure of the road, for anyone to seeks the world beyond her doorstep. There are lots of excerpts from women whose names you will recognize: Margaret Mead, Joan Didion, Edith Wharton, and others. Even if you are not familiar with the traveler's name, her story is sure to hold your interest. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to travel...or just read about it.

This book is an in depth look at one of the most fascinating regions of Greece. Fermor's knowledge of the Hellenic people seems boundless

MANI ... It is not for nothing that Patrick Leigh Fermor is generally considered the greatest living travel writer in English. Reading any one of his books, always a smooth, elegant and intellectually exciting undertaking, is to accept an invitation to the private world of a master observer of places and manners who is also pretty sharp in such areas of human endeavor as history, architecture, music, theology, psychology, mythology, and languages both classical and modern. He is extremely erudite - an autodidact, he says - and his approach to travel writing is strictly literary and sometimes sublimely so. This book, doubtless conceived as a companion volume to ROUMELI, which deals with Northern Greece, takes us to the southernmost part of the Peloponnesus. Unfortunately, the world of rocks and rustics and supreme beauty it describes is now largely vanished, so it is therefore of great value to have a traveler's vision and memory of it as it was about sixty years ago. Always subtle and elegant, the story takes on a heightened aesthetic and intellectual intensity at certain points and in particular locales. For example, the opening paragraph of the book's final chapter describes the writer's arrival at Gytheio by means of an extended metaphor comparing entrance into a city with the act of coitus, and if any reader should miss this metaphor let me point out the author's use of such words as maidenhead and deflower. A further adornment of the metaphor, conceptual and literary, is provided by the revelation that the little island a few yards off the coast, now named Marathonisi and now connected to Gytheio by a causeway, but called Kranae by Homer, is in fact the island where Paris and Helen spent their fist night after the famous elopement. At another point the reader is invited to watch the dolphins scull down at exactly the imaginary line in the Adriatic where the filioque drops out of the creed. We are allowed to eavesdrop on a group of centaurs on the Pelion Peninsula, and a passing reference to Henry Miller and George Katsimbalis develops into a chain reaction of crowing roosters around the world and back again. There s an excellent chapter on the peculiar little village of Areopolis, the gateway to the Inner Mani, where the author attempts an interpretation of the ancient carvings on churches and houses. This marvelous book will be of interest to anyone who feels attracted to the beauties of Greece and its people, but also to those who enjoy supremely well-written prose.

Patrick Fermor writes about the section of Greece called the Mani (both Inner and Outer) in great detail. There is no better reference for the Mani between the time of the second world war and about 1968. His mastery of both the culture and history of the Mani is second to none.

He is a wonderfull writer, with a story telling style that makes it hard to put the book down. He has a love of the area that shows thorugh in all he writes. (He has now, by the way, made the area his permanent home.)

If you want background on the Mani, this book is a "must have".

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time! Ms. Shalom's book reads like a piece of fast-paced fiction; however, it tells the true story of a middle-aged woman really looking to find herself and rekindle the spark of a long, staid marriage, and she is completely rewarded in the end. I loved hearing about all her travel adventures and wish that I could tag along with her on a trip sometime! One of the amazing things about this memoir is to read how she sets her mind to doing something and then to read about the daring, sometimes scary, sometimes hilarious ways she ends up accomplishing this goal! She does not take "no" for an answer! I truly admire Ms. Shalom; what a feisty, spunky woman - a real dynamo! Her story is simply remarkable, and she delivers it in a totally readable, uplifting and enjoyable way.

There are not enough words to express how much I enjoyed this book. The author was writing from her heart. I truly felt that I was having the experiences and was on the journey with her. She brings you into her book. Cheryl Jarvis' book, The Marriage Sabbatical, does not compare to the wonderful book by Sabina Shalom. I noticed and I think it is unfair that Ms. Jarvis' book gets listed before Ms. Shalom's book especially since Ms. Shalom's book was written prior to Ms. Jarvis.

I wish everyone would buy and have the experience and the joy of reading "A Marriage Sabbatical" by SABINA SHALOM.

This is a book I read a few years ago and have shared it with many of my friends, men and women alike. Without exception, all reviews are 5 stars and more. This vignette of an adventuresome, middle age woman brings surprises at every turn. Describing her trip around the world with nothing more than a backpack and a few hundred dollars, her writing style is exceptional and colorfully descriptive. A must read!

I don't have anything interesting to add so will be brief. What occurred to me when reading this book was simply that it would be a good guide for students who are trying to improve their writing. Durrell knows how to engage his reader: his prose is involving and informed and in no way stilted. It's a marvelous, highly appealing style that conveys very important--and at the same time entertaining--subject matter.

This is a great book for all those who have a special place in their hearts for animals. Gerald Durrell takes us through his experiences in setting up a zoo in Jersey. It is a marvelous book full of humor. It sends out a message about saving wildlife. So, even if you are not the one to start a zoo, this book is a must read for you!

Unlike most other Durrel books which speak of his expeditions to study and work with animals, this one talks of him setting up his own zoo in the Channel island of Jersey. This book overturns a stereotype of the zoo as a humourless place with unhappy animals in poor conditions, at least for Durrell's zoo.

Much of the book deals with the characters he has become fond of - the "celebrity" animals in the zoo and the laughter and tears they have caused. It also speaks of the relationship between the zoo and the Jersey community - the initial reluctance followed by an outpouring of support. It also details many incidents that have occurred in the zoo, whether hilarious or touching.

A great read for all who love animals, as the author's attachment to them is felt in every page - as well as a testimony to what zoos can be within the scientific/community/ecological and environmental scale of things.

-sheds a lot of light on Morocco and on the perspective of the British guy who wrote it at the end of the 19th century. In some ways Morocco at that time was perhaps a bit like Afghanistan today...? --Worth thinking about...

Cunninghame Graham is a superb observer and writer. In Mogreb-el-Acksa, published in 1898, Graham describes his attempt to cross the Atlas Mountains and reach the forbidden city of Tarudant. However, he was detained in the mountains for four months by the Kaid of Kintafi, and ultimately turned back to Marakesh. The places he visits and the people he meets come alive, and a current of humor bubbles throughout the narrative. His observations on western vs. eastern cultures, in many instances unfavorable to both but usually funny and profound, apparently made the book unpopular when it was published. I recommended the book to two friends, one a world traveller, the other a Moroccan. Both loved it.

Cunninghame Graham is a superb observer and writer. In Mogreb-el-Acksa, published in 1898, Graham describes his attempt to cross the Atlas Mountains and reach the forbidden city of Tarudant. However, he was detained in the mountains for four months by the Kaid of Kintafi, and ultimately turned back to Marakesh. The places he visits and the people he meets come alive, and a current of humor bubbles throughout the narrative. His observations on western vs. eastern cultures, in many instances unfavorable to both but usually funny and profound, apparently made the book unpopular when it was published. I recommended the book to two friends, one a world traveller, the other a Moroccan. Both loved it.

Monks and Motorcycles is unlike any other book I've read, before or since. A fascinating account of an unforgettable adventure across Southeast Asia and beyond, Monks and Motorcycles challenges readers to think that breath taking experiences the world over are just a motor cycle ride away. Masterfully written and powerfully affecting, Monks and Motorcycles is a gift to dreamers and travelers alike! Don't let it pass you by.

This book captivates a sense of adventure and transformation from the `every day' life into the enchantment of what can be. Each chapter fits as almost complete stories, which allows the power of events to happen at a timely pace. Normally, I read several hundred pages, for this type of genre, in a few hours. Monk's and Motorcycles is the sort of book that lends itself to reading a chapter at time. The author's ideas leave `food for thought.' This book reflects a sincere person who's able to convey how his life is today as it stands, partly, on the `shoulders of the lessons learned in the time that this story takes place.

When I finished reading Franklin Huffman's travelogue--with a whole section of interesting pictures, albeit a bit faded and just black-and-white--the first thought that came to my mind was: It is hard these days to conceive of a young American traveling as freely through the world, particularly in Asia, as this author (also well-known linguist and accomplished diplomat) did in the fifties. All the more reason to do it vicariously, by reading it, chapter by chapter, one more interestig than the other, and enjoying funny happenings, cross-cultural misunderstandings, lessons in ethnolinguistics, and lots of geography--the last maybe more needed now than ever. The style is direct and highly accessible; the lessons are far-ranging and memorable. For the impatient reader: Each chapter can be read separately, like a short-story taking place in a different place.

What a delightful read. Although I am not a hiker, I enjoy being an armchair explorer and Smith's book brings nature close to hand. The unique and insightful perspectives on hiking makes one believe they are also experiencing his awe of the wilderness. Although many books have been written about nature, Smith is able to see and share the unique in what others would describe as common. His encounters with wild animals are related to the reader in such a way as to impact on all your senses. His book also exposes the reader to the Native American culture in the Southwest, including new vocabulary and traditions. One of the most interesting aspects of Smith's book, for an armchair explorer, is the accessibility of his experiences rather than the exotic, available to the few. It feels as though I could experience everything he has by following in his footsteps.

Throughout Smith's book, there is an underlying theme of camaraderie, showing nature can be shared with others and yet he is able find moments of solitude at the same time. If you wish to explore nature in the Southwest, there is no better guide than Smith. His writing style is very conversational and filled with images you can recreate very easily in your own mind. For those of us who are not ardent hikers, this is a great way to have a very memorable vicarious experience with nature. Do yourself a favor, take some time from your busy schedule and enjoy the outdoors through the eyes of a marvelous writer.

Growing up I traveled frequently to the West and Southwest with my parents (a geologist and an anthropologist) on trips to complete field work. Mountain Harmonies captures the wonderful spirit of the West that I came to know on those many forays. The many fine stories in this book brought back fond memories of those trips with my parents. Of all the rales I really enjoyed the encounters with grizzly and black bears because for me they symbolize natures purity. This is an engaging and enjoyable book.

A sunset, moonrise, early morning at Pine River, a snow-covered
trail to Summerland, rambling along rainforest paths, view
Emerald Lake, places with a magic all their own.
These are true adventures, unforgettable beauty, nature.
Follow as Smith travles the seldon-used trails, experience
Mountain Harmonies.