Travel Books

Fascinating!!

I only wish more photos, diagrams and website links and/or information (on those specific archeological discoveries and digs) would have been provided, so that we could have researched it a bit more, and tracked any furhter progress.

The listings of the incredible array of artifacts found in these archeoligical digs would have also benefited by some drawings and photos.

That being said, this is a wonderful book that brings the action to life -- I can almost see the ship rise and fall with the waves. The natives (skraalings) and the landscape of the new world is rendered in vivid word pictures. The descriptions of the Viking farms in Greenland and the hazardous trips sometimes needed to be made to reach those farms, gives me a sense of the tremendous resiliency and resourcefulness of those heroic people way back then.

Exceptional -- but would definitely benefit from photos, diagrams, links, -- even a rendering of what Gudrid may have looked like.

This is an extraordinary acheivement. The author follows the character of Gudrid throughout her journeys through in Viking world of the late 900s and early 1000s and, along the way, paints a vivid picture of life at that time. The writing is engaging and apparently effortless, but the research that supports it is massive, as described in 35 pages of footnotes and references at the end of the book. The author's passion is clear throughout, and further evidenced by her having worked as a volunteer archaeologist one summer in Iceland to excavate Gudrid's home. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the Vikings.

This book enlightens a period of history not well known to date. It is very interesting reading, especially for anyone with Scandinavian roots. The research the lies behing this work is remarkable. I highly recommend this book.

Brown gives us a lot of interesting information about Gudrun's life and times in "The Far Traveller." But what is even more interesting is her description of being on archaeological digs in Iceland, describing what archaeologists have to do to torture more information out of the physical remains of the past. Brown's focus on what archaeology has contributed to our knowledge of the Vikings, as well as archaeology's limitations, make this a more fascinating read than the account of what we think we know about Gudrun could have done.

I am just a general reader who happens to enjoy well-written history. I've never read much at all about the Vikings but the NY Times review of THE FAR TRAVELER was enticing and I was not let down by its promise. Nancy Marie Brown has reached back to a place and people obscured by time, doing a decent job of erasing some of the fog and cold desolation that obscure the Dark Ages and Medieval Epoch in Iceland and Greenland. She also succeeds in revealing a lot about contemporary archaeological practice and thought.

Brown turns first to the Sagas, the 10th and 11th century tales of Vikings, for inspiration. Though embroidered, the Sagas, written down some generations later, are regarded as holding historical memories. Brown focuses on one woman who appears in both the Eirik the Red and Greenland Sagas as her guide, Gudrid, who traveled from Iceland to Greenland to Vinland, back to Iceland and remarkably, in later age, on a pilgrimage to Rome. Her son Snorri was very likely the first European child born on North American soil, circa 1005. Her personal story reveals much about religion, economics, gender relations, values, world view and other aspects of her culture. Born late in the 10th century AD, she witnessed the spread of Christianity and the fading of the violent marauding male economy as the domestic textile industry spun by women on the farm began to reposition Iceland in the world trade scene. Brown travels to all of the places Gudrid did, reads scholarship on her topic and participates in archaeological digs and recreation of weaving studios.

The digs at L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, have been reported on before, but Brown brings a fresh fascination to them in the context of Gudrid's life. She provides strong descriptive passages of the places she visits and there is one map in the front of the book. It would have been nice, however, to have had some illustrations. I would also like to have known a little more about Brown's own context and interest in this subject.

This is one of those must have items when you're facing a trip with your grandkids (that's TWO generations away from your own days on any wild ride) and I must say this guide to the park was enormously helpful even before we got there. Thanks a lot! Our trip was a huge success and Ms. Wiley's book gets a lot of the credit.

I first read an earlier version of this book several years ago, and Kim's sound advice has stayed with me, several trips on.

If you want to learn which rides to stay away from with young children, and what the must sees are, this is the book to read. And don't ignore Kim's most important tip of all. If you're travelling to Disney World with children, make sure you take that afternoon nap.

Catherine Noble
Webmaster
www.mywdwtrip.com

This is a really useful book, tons of tips, saved me a lot $$ and time. The most valuable thing I learn is to rent a multi-family vacation house with my friends, 16 people for $199 a day. We all enjoy the stay at a luxury emerald island resort. check this out: http://www.cyberrentals.com/index.cfm/property/126687

I purchased this book as a guide to help plan a 5 day trip to WDW with my family. We just got back and let me tell you this book saved us a lot of waiting time for the rides, helped us know what to see and where and how to focus our energy. Ms. Wiley is right on the mark in her descriptions of the attractions and her tips about getting around the parks. The book was so helpful, I tore out the sections about each park and took it with us into the park. This version is missing info that wasn't available at the time of printing about some of the newer shows Disney has put in for its 50th anniversary celebration. The Cinderellabration show is wonderful especially if you have a princess lover in your family and the Wishes fireworks display over the castle in the Magic Kingdom. I would highly recommend this book even if you've been to WDW before.

This book is a must read before and during your trip. It has great money saving ideas and is easy to understand. The scare factors are extremely useful if you have children under 10.

Don't expect to read this one over the coarse of a couple of nights- or even a week! You really need to set aside time to savor each tasty morsel, chapter by chapter, tale by spooky tale, to get all the enjoyment out of this book.

Divided into categories like "Military Ghosts," "Restaurant Ghosts," "Animal Ghosts," etc, the book is peppered with actual photos of many of the haunted locales, plus eerie illustrations. Some stories are frightening enough to make the hair on your arms stand up, while others are comforting, in that they'll make you believe that there is an afterlife in which our departed loved ones are still watching over us... and occasionally making mischief!

Another great book by a talented author.

Mr. Pitkin has put together a stylish glossary of ghost stories, taking place in a series of Up State New York (among other places) Villages and Cities. Some hit close to home as I live only a short drive from where many stories are reported to have taken place. I bought two copies (one in a book store) and have lent it out to many friends who love it too. It is a wonderful book to take along on a country drive up and down New York State's open roads. The stories are told with honesty and an open mind, never attempting to capitalize on the "fright" factor, but instead bringing common sense to the stories, although there were one or two that had me sleeping with the night light on a couple of times. Truly one of the BEST books on true hauntings I have read to date. I look forward to more from Mr. Pitkin.

This is one of the best true ghost books that I've ever read, and I've read many. I would rank it high in my top ten. I thrilled to every page and had a terrible time trying to put it down even when my husband begged me to turn off the light and go to sleep. The information was presented concisely and deliciously, and I savored every chilling drop. But it gets better still as this is no book that you're apt to read in a single sitting and wonder what it was that you just ingested. This is a bounty of numerous spooky tales that will hold you enthralled with enough terrifying entertainment for a feast.

Most of the stories are even accompanied by photos, a rarity in ghost books, which helps the reader visualize the haunts.

In all, I can't recommend this book highly enough to ghost story enthusiasts who're looking for a good read and a bedtime chill. You'll gladly devour this book and wish you had more!

I'm an agnostic and a skeptic on the subject of ghosts, yet I found this book to be incredibly enjoyable and I was sorry to reach the end. I disagree with the other reviewer that these stories are Christian sermons in disguise. For starters, while Pitkin is obviously a "spiritual" person, he never indicates that he's a Christian. I do agree that he ends most of the stories on a heartwarming, spiritual note that I suppose could get old for some people; however, I wasn't irked by it--maybe because I took a while to read the book and therefore got it in smaller doses.

I think if you're reading a book of "true" ghost stories authored by folks who believe in ghosts (whether or not you do), you should expect to hear a bit about their spiritual beliefs as well. Are there any books of "true" ghost stories penned by absolute skeptics? I don't think so...

As for the stories, many are quite chilling, and Pitkin obviously knows his history. Most stories have accompanying photos of the houses, etc. in question, which is nice. The illustrations are mostly funny--actually, many of them are downright goofy. I was a little disappointed that there weren't more Massachusetts stories, as I live in MA. New York is well covered--I believe Pitkin lives there, and has written another book exclusively about New York ghosts.

This is one of the two best books of "true" ghost stories I've read. The other is "Haunted Happenings," by Robert Cahill.

I don't usually venture outside New England for my ghosts, but this bone-chilling collection was well worth every step of the journey! This is not a short read by any means. There are 380 pages of stories here, in fairly small print, and still you will wish there were more.

The author writes primarily about his regional area of New York. His writing style is inquisitive, with much information based in fact. I enjoyed his well-researched historical information about the places he visits, and the photos he includes. He then pulls it all together with contemporary stories, including eye-witnesses, credibly told and concisely written. He writes with just enough speculation to make you think, and I also enjoyed his wry sense of humor. Because there are so many well-varied stories, it becomes evident how many common threads run through ghost encounters and hauntings. You will be fascinated by what these people have witnessed!

It is tempting to read for hours once picking up this book. My advice would be to digest these stories slowly, if you can, to appreciate the full impact of each of these fascinating tales. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking substantial goose-bumps.

As fans of the series know, Dr. Zeus Incorporated operates out of the 24th century, combining its time travel capabilities and its legion of cyborg near-slaves scattered through time from the Neanderthal era on, in order to make a small number of plutocratic technocrats very, very, very rich. Besides the novels, which began with the award-winning _In the Garden of Iden_, Baker has written a number of shorter stories set in the same world -- most of which probably will be very confusing for any reader not already familiar with the characters and themes. Baker's work can be somewhat erratic in quality, but the seven short stories and novelettes in this collection are mostly pretty good. "To the Land Beyond the Sunset" is a rather lightweight yarn featuring Mendoza, the flinty-eyed botanist, and Lewis, the literature-preserver who secretly adores her. They go on a short field trip to the Bolivian rain forest where the weather turns around and bites them -- and then they get mixed up with a family of down-at-the-heel deities. "The Catch" is a grim little story of what can happen when the not-yet-perfected attempt to produce a cyborg goes badly wrong. The story's narrator, Security Tech Porfirio, is also the protagonist of "The Angel in the Darkness," probably the best piece in the book. Set forty years later, it's mostly a very true-to-life depiction of the desperation of an older daughter who carries all the burdens of the family by herself, and of the "uncle" who watches over things, or perhaps controls them. The character portraits in this one are extremely good. And it doesn't matter too much if you don't know who Labenius really is. "Standing in His Light" is about the Company's entirely cynical use of Jan Vermeer to produce works to order that will be worth billions a few centuries down the line. "A Night on the Barbary Coast" is a rather lightweight romp that mostly just gives Baker an excuse to describe Mendoza's entry into San Francisco in 1850. "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst," which starts out lighthearted and funny but eventually turns somewhat darker, involves Joseph the Facilitator and Lewis again paying a visit to San Simeon to close a deal on behalf of the Company and discovering that it doesn't pay to underestimate certain mere mortals. "Hellfire at Twilight" features the feckless Lewis again in a somewhat sweet story involving Sir Francis Dashwood and the Hellfire Club, which turns out to be something quite different than its reputation would suggest. As I say, many of the references in these stories will mean nothing to anyone new to the series, but for Baker fans, it's a pretty good collection.

A decent batch of stories, at 3.43. This is more than you can say for the book itself though, being one of those cheesy overwide size for some reason trade paperbacks with flimsy cardboard covers that warp and damage in five seconds, not to mention the cheap paper. Completely not worth close to double your mass market price, these things.

In general, it seems that the Company stories are better when there are actually active field agent types up to stuff in them. The more peripheral variety are just not as interesting, so you end up with too many average tales.

Gods and Pawns : To the Land Beyond the Sunset - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : The Catch - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : The Angel in the Darkness - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : Standing in His Light - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : A Night on the Barbary Coast - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : Welcome to Olympus Mr. Hearst - Kage Baker
Gods and Pawns : Hellfire at Twilight - Kage Baker

Magic poo dirt definitely no fluke.

3.5 out of 5


Broken Bobby ball looper bagged.

3 out of 5


Company cop watch crazy killer compromise.

3.5 out of 5


Flatland picture tech.

3 out of 5


Botany monopoly Frisco misery.

3 out of 5


Media baron longevity.

4 out of 5


Mystery not berry real, but game commences for more than usual fee.

4 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

The beauty of the universe created by Baker is that the characters may appear in any place and any time (after their own birth). In these seven stories we see Literary Preservationist Lewis, Botanist Mendoza, Facilitator Joseph and others in a range of times and locales. A recurring theme is that they carry out the will of the Company without always knowing the reasons for the assignments and often with any particular joy. Such is the life of these immortal cyborgs, serving the entity that created them.

Personally, I think the short form is Kage's strongest area and this is some of her best.


To The Land Beyond The Sunset.
Mendoza and Lewis in the New World of the seventeenth century

The Catch
Concerning the Company's early and imperfect efforts to create an immortal

The Angel In The Darkness
Set in 1990s Los Angeles - a cyborg watches over family members

Standing In His Light
The life of the painter Vermeer - and the desires of a cyborg for something different

A Night On The Barbary Coast
Set in early San Francisco Joseph and Mendoza on an errand for the company

Welcome To Olympus, Mr. Hearst
Set in 1933 at Hearst Castle. Joseph and Lewis on an errand for the company

Hellfire At Twilight
Lewis on an errand for the company


Does it sound like the cyborgs spend a lot of time running errands for the Company? You are correct.

For those of you who read "The Company" novels, but avoid "The Company" short story collections because you dislike short stories, I highly recommend that you read ALL of the books. The short stories have many important clues that flesh out the many sub-plots, characters, their backstories and motivations in the novels. Without the short stories, you are missing out on a much richer experience.

For instance, in this last collection, I wonder about Mr. Hearst! (Intriguing, isn't it?)

As always, I can't wait for the next installment!

The most recent couple of novels in the "Company" universe have been a little bit disappointing to me - in fact, in my review of one of them, I stated that it would have been a better book had it been short stories. Well, in this book, Baker proves she is still really good at the stories! I was much happier with these than I had been with the "Machine" books.

The stories in this one mostly involve Lewis. There are references in the stories to things that have happened in the earlier novels; the stories are best enjoyed if you've already read "In the Garden of Iden" although you don't have to have read the rest of the novels - that one will provide enough background. That's not to say you shouldn't read the rest of the earlier novels - all four of the first four Company novels are great!

The first story, "To the Land Beyond the Sunset," contains allusions to a particular disaster that happened to Lewis in another book. The indigenes in this story are very funny. (The dust jacket illustration is probably supposed to refer to this story, but it's not accurate.)

The third story, "Angel in the Darkness," is the one that will provide you with some background about how the Company universe works and who are these cyborgs, anyway?, if you haven't read the novels.

The last story, "Hellfire at Twilight," may particularly appeal to readers of Georgian and Regency romances, who will be familiar with the idea of Hellfire clubs.

Several of the stories have already appeared in magazines, particularly Asimov's, but I didn't mind; I enjoyed re-reading them.

All in all, her best in a while!

This book may not be best for a first book on speaking Latin American Spanish, however, it has been extremely helpful in helping me with pronunciation and local usage of words.

I bought this for a couple I was tutoring (Spanish lessons) because they are moving to CR. I found it helpful and even though I already speak Spanish, I had no idea how differently the Ticos do it!

When I came to Costa Rica I quickly discovered the vast majority of Costa Ricans DIDN'T speak English. Since I only had a limited Spanish vocabulary, I had a lot of problems in daily situations. Then I bought this handy little book and it virtually helped me survive the first couple of years. I still refer to it now and then for important phrases.

This is a great, well organized and efficient book. You do not want to go to CR without it... and it will be the only book you need while you are there! I suggest picking it up months before your trip so you can start practicing the most common sayings. Buen Viaje!

I spoke Spanish before coming to Costa Rica, but found the people in San Jose spoke with more slang and pachuco. Chris Howard's book helped me to communicate better and with more credibility. When I moved to the coast, the dialect was even more different. People considered me snobby when I spoke like I did originally. His information was even applicable in the countryside. I give this book as a gift to new clients and friends visiting Costa Rica.

I happened on this book in the library and thought it was the best travel book I have ever used. This is nothing missed in this handbook. Great maps and advise.

Most of the "name brand" travel guides are for fly-by tourists (though I do appreciate Frommer's guides much more than the rest of the big names). Well, if those books are for tourists, then Moon's handbooks (along with Lonely Planet's guides) are for TRAVELERS. And Moon's Wyoming Handbook is, as others here have said, one of their best. It's thick, it's juicy, it's meaty, it's expansive, it's authoritative and wry. So wherever you are in that great big "empty" terrain, it's got some practical information for and historical and cultural insight into places all around.

Wyoming has fewer people than any other state (yes, fewer than Rhode Island and Alaska). But it's places of interest are many and varied, though scattered far and wide. You need a good guide and a GOOD READ to cover the miles and the days. I admire author Don Pitcher's efforts here.

If you choose one guidebook, make it Moon's Wyoming Handbook. If you'd like to get a second general guide to the region for comparison and cross-reference (including more descriptive listings of selected accommodations), I'd add Frommer's guide to Wyoming, which includes Montana as well.

By far the best guidebook to the entire state of Wyoming, with excellent detailed sections on Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The book, which is superior to some others in the Moon series, is a labor of love by the author for the land, people, and small towns of the state. Pitcher provides great detail on what to see everywhere; colorful local and regional histories; and affectionate, slightly tongue-in-cheek descriptions of small towns. Sure to enhance a visit of any length.

In preparation for our two-week trip to Wyoming, I purchased this book and read as much as I had time for beforehand. During our trip, I found it to be a handy reference for whatever area we were in (mostly Yellowstone/Grand Tetons). The detail is great and some of our lodging choices and attraction choices were made with reference to the book and it was always accurate. I highly recommend it for those heading to Wyoming.

An outstanding guide to a wonderful state. One book, of course, cannot cover all there is about any area this big, but this book does an outstanding job for Wyoming's history, lodging, attractions, background information, etc.

As for any area, it's good to supplement with other specialized topic and / or area guides, but for a general guide to a large state, this one does a great job.

Logically arranged, well-written, and very readable, you can almost read it straight through; it's one of the better travel guides available.

This book is one of two Henri's books I have and the best one. The book to go through again and again. Then go shoot some pictures and go through it again. You'll be surprized how many fresh impressions you'll get every time. Very inspiring book. Highly recommended for practicing fotographers.

As my favourite photographer, Cartier-Bresson has some kind of impayable discernment. His gallery of Paris is his magnum opus. His Leica, his 50mm lens, his mysterious face... all made him a monumental legend. I bought this gallery (hardcover) in 1995 for the price of $US 50 in Hong Kong. What are you waiting for? Just click it and buy it immediately, you will never regret buying this book.

As my favourite photographer, Cartier-Bresson has some kind of impayable discernment. His gallery of Paris is his magnum opus. His Leica, his 50mm lens, his mysterious face... all made him a monumental legend. I bought this gallery (hardcover) in 1995 for the price of $US 50 in Hong Kong. What are you waiting for? Just click it and buy it immediately, you will never regret buying this book.

I have many of Cartier-Bresson's books, but this is the one I find myself drawn to.

Time and again I thumb its pages and find something in the photographs that I never before noticed.

This isn't some book full of "pretty" pictures in the conventional sense. One has to look at each picture to understand what inspired HCB to capture it.

I have a few favorites photos from this book, but those that stand out in my mind are of the picnic by the Marne and of the little boy carrying two large bottles of wine.

The Marne photo is so well layed out that, if one didn't know better, it would seem staged. That simply wasn't Cartier-Bresson's way. Although their faces are not seen, I "know" what each of the people look like.

The opposite is true of the little boy. His face is there for all to see and interpret. What is he thinking? Is he happy? Is he proud to be showing off for the little girls in the background?

Many of HCB's photos force us to read his mind and the minds of his subjects. These seemingly impromptu snapshots not only depict what HCB saw, but also depict it geometrically.

To someone like myself who has dabbled in "street photography", HCB epitomizes the genre.

As my favourite photographer, Cartier-Bresson has some kind of impayable discernment. His gallery of Paris is his magnum opus. His Leica, his 50mm lens, his mysterious face... all made him a monumental legend. I bought this gallery (hardcover) in 1995 for the price of $US 50 in Hong Kong. What are you waiting for? Just click it and buy it immediately, you will never regret buying this book.

We were in the Grand Canyon in August 2008 and must concur with the other reviewers - this is an excellent guide that gives you all the information you need to hike the North and South Kaibab or Bright Angel Trails. The maps are well done, the elevation map / trail profile is invaluable (distance and altitude cross-section), and the description of each section of each trail (including facilities or lack thereof) is precisely what we experienced.

The book is easy to carry along in the backpack or fanny-pack - my only suggestion would be to make the actual binding and paper a bit more pliable / fold-able (a minor nit).

I had also purchased the Grand Canyon Trail Map (Schulte) but did not use it (actually gave it away to a group we ran into on the trail). There is nothing wrong with the map - it was easy to read, seemed accurate on the primary trails, had a useful elevation guide, and was printed on excellent paper - but we found the Hikernut guide more insightful on the 3 trails it covers. Note the map was much more thorough and included several trails not mentioned by Lane in Hikernut though we did not explore any of these other trails. If you do not plan to go beyond either of the two Kaibab trails or the Bright Angel Trail, hard to go wrong with this book.

Highly recommended.

The book is just what I was looking for. Basic, concise, to the point. Ready to put the information to the test!

Brian Lane presents clear and concise information on hiking in the Grand Canyon. The fact that he has focused on the Bright Angel, South Kaibab, and North Kaibab trails--the popular trails to Phantom Ranch--is a boon to anyone going on their first backpacking trip in the Canyon. With his book you learn the necessary info to have an enjoyable and successful journey into the mile-deep gorge. His detailed and easy-to-read text provides info from his years of experience about your drinking water requirements, protection from the sun, conditioning prior to the hike, and desert safety. Lane's beautiful photographs of many of the scenes along way is a pleasant bonus--his fine art quality photos are stunning. Lane has created a classic backpacking guide book with the specific aim to get people into the Canyon--and back out again--while having fun.
Grand Canyon: The Vault of HeavenThe Fun Guide to Exploring Grand Canyon National Park (Grand Canyon Association)Grand Canyon Map and Guide[[ASIN:189386099X

Excellent book, answers lots of questions ranging from temperatures, sunrise/sunset times, elevation gain, appropriate equipment and trail conditions to what to eat (and avoid eating) and how to avoid health problems and how to treat them if they occur. Although for a trip to Phantom Ranch (our plan) one wants to consult a number of sources, this is the best I've seen so far at answering questions. Practical, easy reading and worth more than the price.

This little book is packed full of useful information for anyone planning to hike the Bright Angel Trail (as we are) or other Grand Canyon trails. It is well written, has some great pictures, and provides excellent advice. I really liked this book!

I must say that this is one of the greatest books I've read. At first I thought " thousand pages,that's too much, I don't have the energy to do this". So I sat down and started to read, This is quite good, I thought. Ten hours later I just had to admit it, the book had had me mesmerized, I just couldn't put it down ! For those who haven't read this book, I highly recommend you do ! I say: Giddyup !

Douglas Adams once said that he liked dead lines, 'I like the whooshing noise they make as they go by.'

Thankfully he managed to get himself out of the bath enough times to write this gem.

Thanks Douglas

The Hitch Hikers Guide is an amazing book; it ensnares the mind and doesn't let go. The book takes you all the way from the last seconds of earth to the end of the universe, and all in a strange and humors way. The book uses backwards logic and at some points makes so little sense that it makes perfect sense. I loved the variety of characters, the detail, and the abstract thoughts. The book takes and explains the secrets of the universe and even better how to travel it. In this book you will find the answer to the meaning of life, how to get a lift from a space ship, and why no hitchhiker should ever be without a towel.

I recommend this book to anyone who thinks of the abstract or abnormal, or for that matter anyone who has an inkling of creativity in their minds. Recommended to ages 15 and up.

Ok, First off this is the first time I've done this so hang with me. The Reason I read this book was, pretty much, because the movie was comeing out, and I didn't want to see it with out reading the Book first. I'm Glad I did beacause if i had seen the movie first it would have ruined the book for me. The one thing that I noticed about this book was it's so great that you read it really fast, and when u finish you wish you hadn't read it as fast as you did.Anyway I've never Read anything like this book and probably never will again. I recomend this book to any one who likes to read good books.

Everybody's in search of something. For some it's meaning, for others it's a place in the universe, and for the rest of us, it's a digital watch. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy really illustrates that unsure feeling that we all have. Arthur Dent was lost enough on Earth, but after it's demolished, he in desperate need of finding a speck of understanding throughout the rest of the Galaxy. Good luck without your towel there, buddy boy.

I really dug this book. It didn't take you straight from point A to point B, as some novels do. It had twisty unpredictable swerves that gave you a glimpse of points X, Q and H, along the way, even though Q and H had nothing to do with anything. They were there for appreciation. For example, a nuclear bomb makes a quick transformation to a sperm whale before any damage is done. The reader is fully exposed to the Sperm whales thoughts and inner ramblings... all thirty seconds of them. It's beautifully absurd, and I loved it.

I fully enjoyed the nonsense and the silliness of the book. Little details, especially. An incredibly depressed robot, the hailing of digital watches, eager to please doors; all these things didn't necessarily prove incredibly important on the character's quest, but amusing, nonetheless. Without the silliness, this may have been another book about post-Earth days and the last thing we need is just another book about post-Earth days. Have no fear, this is not just another book.

While Sir Martin Gilbert is known mostly for his detailed histories of Winston Churchill, WWI, WWII, the Holocaust and so on, his book, "Holocaust Journey," which documents his two-week trip with graduate students to major sites of the Holocaust (starting in Berlin) is gripping and wrenching. He provides both historical commentary for many of the stops, while his colleagues bring first-person stories that add detail. I would recommend it for students of the Holocaust -- and for those considering following his itinerary.

This moving and fascinating book describes the fourteen day journey of historian Sir Martin Gilbert and a group of his students of the holocaust , exploring sites associated with Jewish history both before and during the Second World War.

The group moves through France and Belgium and then on through Germany , onto Berlin , where at Wannsee plans where made , in 1942 , for the anihilation of Euope's 11 million Jews.
Moving south and then east the group moves on to the sites where the diabolical 'Final Solution' was actually put into practise - the death camps themselves - Auschwitz , Chelmno , Belzec , Majadanek , Sobibor and Teblinkla.

Gilbert fills this volume with both horrifying eyewitness accounts and details with his own phenomenal knowledge of Jewish and holocaust history , in this geographic pilgrimage and historical excavation.

We learn about the ancient and mediaeval roots of Jewish communities in Europe and about the rich Jewish life and culture that flourished in thousands of cities , towns and villages before the Nazi inferno destroyed European Jewry. Gilbert details the attacks on Jewish communities in Germany and elsewhere during the crusades and the pogroms , and blood libels through the ages. Gilbert details the specific horrors of the holocaust associated with each location.

We learn interesting and little known historical facts , such as that Spanish leader Francisco Franco protected the Jews , refusing Hitler's demmands to deport the Jews of Spain , who had been marked out for mass murder at the Wannsee conference , and how Franco also gave shelter to thousands of Jews from France who had managed to cross the Pyrenees.

We learn of the plans Stalin devised before his death to mass murder the Jews of Russia and deport the remainder to Siberia.

The horrors in the book which are recounted are inumerable and at times very graphic-sensitive readers should be careful. These are horrific and bloodchilling accounts of demonic inhumanity and cruelty , of unbelievable suffering.
We also read of heroism and survival against the odds.

It is difficult to believe that such a rich Jewish life existed in places where today there are no or very few Jews.
Holocaust survivor Rachael Fraenkel speaks of what for her was the most 'painful reminder' of the Holocaust "was an exhibition in the building in Prague. Burial Society of paintings by children in Terezin. In the majority of cases the only reminder of the child's life seems to be the paintings they had produced. The mixture of subjects from beautiful countryside scenes wretched and and tormented faces was painful to see. To see such horrific scenes from the minds of such young people , must surely reflect their mental anguish. All that went through my mind was "so young , so innocent , so dead."

The origins where in a village in Poland of the Israeli National Anthem-Hatikvah-The Hope.
Israel is the country that arose out of the ashes of the holocaust - the reborn life of the Jewish people.
The international fury against the collective Jewish presence in Israel certainly mirrors the rise of Nazism.
If we can learn anything from the holocaust it is to defend Israel and her people from the hatred that inievitably leads to mass murder.

Until reading this book, I really didn't understand the true scope of the Holocaust. As a kid, I learned about Anne Frank and the Jews who were required to wear yellow stars; later on, in high school, when we were deemed able to handle such things, we watched "Night and Fog" with its graphic images of those murdered by the Nazis. These experiences were all somewhat clinical, really. The true human cost of the Shoah takes a while for one to fathom.

Gilbert's book does that through his readings of eyewitness accounts, usually on the scenes of their occurrences, of the unspeakable horrors which the Nazis committed. (Readers who are easily shocked should be warned that many of the stories are indescribably gruesome and will haunt one's dreams, as they did mine.)

But apart from the toll in human flesh which the Shoah exacted, the spiritual cost becomes clear through this book. Gilbert, through his readings and observations, paints a portrait of a country which was literally raped of its vitality and life by the Nazis through the indiscriminate murder of Jews and Gentiles alike. Especially poignant are the descriptions of the pre-war Jewish neighborhoods, alive with activity, commerce, and religion, all completely decimated.

It's fashionable for one to claim they are against anti-Semitism and radical nationalism; it's a much more complicated affair for one to understand why these are bad things. This book goes a long way towards reaching that understanding.

I took this book with me on the same trip thoughout Eastern Europe in November. This was the second visit to Eastern Europe with American Jewish Congress. This is the book to read before the trip, and then to take with you when you visit these horrible places. Nothing can prepare one to see what was once full of Jewish life, and is now empty of Jewish life. However the personal comments and views of Martin Gilbert explain what was once full of a Jewish life, and is now no more.

This is a book that one must read to understand the Holocaust.

Although reading Martin Gilbert's book will do no harm if you are just beginning to study the Holocaust, it will certainly be more difficult to appreciate. What you are buying in this book is a detailed travel journal, not meat-and-potatoes Holocaust history. It is a rich vitamin supplement of insights and prepared readings delivered during a 1996 excursion which Gilbert and his students took to former sites of Jewish deportation, genocide, and Nazi occupation. Roughly outlined, the journey starts in London and passes through Brussels, Berlin, Theresienstadt, Prague, Auschwitz, Krakow, Belzec, Sobibor, Lublin, Majdanek, Treblinka, Warsaw, and Chelmno. The travel entries, while thoughtful and considered, do not lack spontaneity and can even be startlingly raw.

While this book has much to offer, how to most benefit from it is something of a conundrum. It is likely best to refer to "Holocaust Journey" after having read about or visited a particular site mentioned in the travelogue. Basic background and history should be gotten elsewhere, as what Gilbert largely documents here are impressions, feelings, and observations. Reading Gilbert prior to confronting these geographic locales ourselves, either in person or via the printed word, may well taint our own first impressions and rob us of a more pristine emotional state from which to experience our own responses. My now-dilapidated hardcover copy of "Holocaust Journey" traveled with me to the Jewish quarters of Warsaw, Lublin, and Krakow, and to the concentration camps and memorials of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, and Treblinka in early 2002. When I read Gilbert's book prior to my arrival at a site, I found myself wanting to experience what Gilbert experienced, as impossible as that clearly is. Our responses to the Holocaust are as different as the individual stories which comprise it. On the other hand, having traveled alone much of the way, I found this book a comforting companion and empathetic sounding board after I had visited a site, sometimes even expressing my own feelings, thoughts, questions, or fears.

The readings and brief background notes which Gilbert supplies at each location are extremely well researched, relevant, and poignant. While there are too many to mention in a review, I will remark that those providing insight into the mind and heart of educator and orphanage director Janusz Korczack proved particularly moving. Rather than allow them to meet their fate alone, Korczack chose to be deported along with his orphans to the extermination camp at Treblinka. "Holocaust Journey" directed me to Korczack's memorial stone at Treblinka and the courtyard of the still-present orphanage in Warsaw. For me, a handful of words in Korzac's diary aptly captured the grotesquely distorted existence under Nazi rule. For Korzac daily life had become "a stock exchange quoting the weight of conscience."