Europe Books

As time approached for my wife and I to take our first "river cruise" through Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, I began searching the web for reviews on recommended field guides for birding that part of the globe. Most strongly suggested the Princeton field guide, Birds of Europe, as their first pick. Following suit, I ordered my copy from Amazon and was not in the least bit disappointed. I used the guide daily and the combined field notes, images and species distribution maps allowed me to identify each species with ease and with confidence. This is an excellent field guide which I strongly recommend to folks heading "across the pond" for some serious birding or simply incidental birding as they enjoy their European vacation.

Very good guide, good pictures, good texts and very logical distribution of info. Lids are something ligth.
If a friend asks me advice, I have no doubt: Mullarney-Svensson guide.

The shipment was packed correctly and within the expected delivery time.

This is just simply a wonderful field guide, and definitely the best bird book for European species. I also own the RSPB guide to British birds which I picked up on the fly in the UK; however, I chose to leave that behind in favor of Mullarney et al. when I relocated to Germany. The descriptions, field marks, and pictures are wonderful. It also has pictures and descriptions of both males, females and juveniles, which my other book didn't have for all species, much to my dismay (at least 1 instance for a sexually dimorphic species). It's also relatively compact making it easier to carry in the field. The ordering of the songbirds is a little different from Sibley, but this is easy to adjust to. This certainly is a must have for all birders that might be traveling to Europe.

It's a wonderful guide, with simple explanations and beautiful images.
For amateurs and ornitologists.

I was going to Europe on a trip where I would be doing some birdwatching, and bought this book based on reviews on Amazon. The book turned out to be great! Each bird has a comprehensive description with details on identification and distinguishing it from other birds with a similar appearance or bird call. Each also has an illustration with the birds in multiple poses, M/F, adult/young, and other features such as common surroundings which was very helpful. There's no quick-key by color - birds are arranged by groups rather than color - but I found this to be a minor inconvenience weighed against the wealth of info in this book.

This book is about a girl who finds out who she truly is through many painful experiences. Cecile, who's humble father never accepts anything from anybody, is very surprised when her father helps a woman who is of French royalty and when she asks for anything to give to Cecile's father, he asks if she might be a servant to the french royalty. Cecile gets whisked away to the palaces of Versaille, which is what "gates of gold" means. She learns proper ediquette, getting a job to tending the woman's 12 dogs. She learns a side of herself that she never thought she had through tending and walking the dogs, also meeting a soon to be "his royal highness" Bretagne, who was about 5-7 years old. Through the dogs, Cecile and Bretagne create a heartwarming relationship, which is tested over the months that Cecile lives at the palace. This book is based on actual history, although the author does a very good job adding her own twist of fiction into the story. This book ends suddenly and heart-breakingly, which I'll warn the emotional readers about. You will love this book.

Cecile is a heartwarming, cheerful and peaceful young girl. Serving at court was one of her most important dreams. However, when she finally got the chance to work there, it was nothing like she had expected. The worst part about working there was being apart from her father. Cecile felt that she had to be there with her father and tend to his growing cold. While at court, she becomes friends with the royal family. This book has many joyful and unfortunalty, some hard times. I would recomend this book to any young girl around the age of 12. This is a very touching book and teaches all a very improtant lesson. Dream big becuase what you dream may come true and change your life forever.

Young 12-year-old Cecile Revel helps save Madame -sister in law to the king- and as a reward, Madame takes Cecile from her poor town of Rileaux to Versailles to work for her Madame's dogs. Cecile is not used to etiquette, and breaks many rules at first. Then she gets into the swing of things and is a great worker. But then an outbreak of measles effect her friends, the king's great grandsons. If you want to know what else happens, you should read the book. I didn't like the ending chapter, so be warned. I would recogmend this book for children 10-15, this being about a French girl with historical hapennings through the book. This was a great book!!

Cecile is a young girl living in 16th Century France. She and her father have little money to support themselves, and are barely getting by. But when she discovers a woman in the middle of the woods, crying for help, her life changes drastically.
The woman turns out to be the queen. Cecile comes to her rescue, and in turn, the queen hires her as a servant. Cecile knows the money will benefit her family, so she gows to work in the palace.
Very well done.

The year is 1711, and 12-year-old Cecile Revel, is a peasant girl living in the French countryside with her Doctor Father. Cecile is stricken by poverty, and her daily life consists of going hungry and facing various hardships. Her one dream is to serve at the court of King Louis the XIV's court, where she will have the opportunity to wear gorgeous gowns, attend balls, and eat her fill of marvelous foods. However, when her dream comes true due to a fluke, Cecile realizes that serving at the court is unlike anything she's ever imagined. Instead of playing, and racing through the lovely gardens, Cecile is forced to spend many long, agonizing hours learning proper etiquette. Then Cecile learns some strange information about her Father, and the short time that he spent at the court, and realizes that maybe court-life isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I have been a fan of the AMERICAN GIRL series for years, and was ecstatic to see the new series PLEASANT COMPANY was publishing for older readers. I received every book in the GIRLS OF MANY LANDS series for Christmas, and while I have only read two, I already know that CECILE: GATES OF GOLD is sure to stay one of my absolute favorites. Cecile is a marvelous character, whose kind nature, and friendly outlook on life are two traits that will have readers wanting to know what will happen to Cecile next. Mary Casanova has done a fabulous job with writing this novel, and her historical information couldn't be better. A must-read!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

The Publishers Weekly editorial review says that this book "was a bestseller when published in Yugoslavia in 1966, but it seems probable that its popularity lay more in its portrayal of a Yugoslavia oppressed than in any intrinsic artistry", but the other reviewers are right to emphasize the universality of this book. The Muslim or Bosnian elements of the setting are purely accidental. The depth of the psychological portrait of the narrator is worthy of Dostoevsky, and the almost surreal sense of alienation and frustration in dealing with a justice system that has no real connection with its ostensible purpose is reminiscent of Kafka. This book deserves to be known as one of the great works of 20th century European literature.

The word masterpiece is too often used for all kinds of material that barely rises above the level of mediocrity. Selimovich is a master of the craft, and this is his great work. As simple as that. It should be apparent to those with a sense of literary merit from the first pages that this is an exceptional piece of writing. If however you don't like challenges I'd recommend lighter fare. Selimovich is intense to a point almost unbearable at times. The book is as internal as they come, but the narrative does move, and the characters that intrude on the tortured protagonist's awareness are well drawn. Which is an understatement. The penetration we get into diverse mentalities and the rendering of their physicality, awe the reader. If you are a writer this is an essential book. This is true for anyone who believes in the art of the novel. This will serve as an example of the highest order.

Mesa Selimovic was a great writer and it's a pitty that he didn't win the Nobel Prize (to my knowledge, he was never even considered). A talent like his is rare. "Dervish and Death" is a book I enjoyed reading very much, for the first time, and each time afterwards I enjoyed it even more. Unfortunatelly, this is not the case with all of Selimovic's works, as some of them are, to put it plainly, boring.
What captivated me about "Dervish..." is Selimovic's sentence, which is so melodic that it almost seems like poetry.
This is a demanding book and not the easiest read in the world. Even though it is a simple story, it takes time and it must be consumed slowly. Recommended but only if you have a lot of time on your hands.

A book I can say I really enjoyed (once I had finished) but I have to say it was HEAVY GOING! The author has the habit of many Eastern European writers in that he likes to go into the most minute detail of his characters which at times is quite pleasant in that it gives you a more detailed picture in your mind of the times he is writing about but at others makes you want to scream out GET ON WITH IT!!! Which is how I felt for the first 40 odd pages of this book after which it does start to get interesting. The character of the dervish is something of a reflection of the author whose own brother was executed by the authorities and he like the dervish in the book failed to to all that he could to prevent his execution. At times you sympathise with the character but at others he can disgust you with his inaction and lack of determination. His encounters with the Islamic judges of the town are wonderful and really give you a picture of life in Ottoman Bosnia and the corruption that had infected (some) of its officials although the author could equally be talking about the Yugoslavia in which he lived in.

I must say I read this book mostly because I was interested in Ottoman history and I seriously doubt that had I not such a strong interest in Ottoman history that I would have finished this book.

This book stands as one of the few translations of Bosnian literature in the English language and though it is an excellent book it can also be a tiresome book.

Imagine that justice flees your homeland. Imagine fair play the faint dream of centuries, a spiritual aspiration carried like low flame into ever-present darkness. What if tending this flame became your inescapable duty? What if you alone held the last bit of light amidst bottomless evil?

And what of your loved ones? What if they were carried off to hopeless incarceration for the mere whiff of fortuitous knowledge, (knowledge obtained by proximity, not involvement)? If you lived in a place wholly unacquainted with anything resembling justice and all was pervasively corrupt, diffident autocracy, would you, could you be . . .Courageous? Ethical? Forgiving?

Would you carry The Flame?

What if the tables turned and you suddenly, inexplicably were granted powers you assumed would always escape your grasp? How would you use them?

"Death and the Dervish" takes place in 17th century Bosnia, in the cruel, clumsy colonialism of an Ottoman "kasaba," a provincial outpost of enervated empire. The story's events occur in the ethical vacuum invariably created by over-extended empire.

Not enough has been said about the deep spiritual nuance of Sheikh Ahmed, light of this sensitive novel, wan keeper of a pale flame. His character is articulated beautifully, full of devotion to the loftiness (and sorrow) born of Muslim education, Sufi training and worldly experience. The Sheikh endures the greatest of human tests; unanticipated access to power. The price exacted is ultimate, but the inner contest is somehow affirming.

The Sheikh is at his finest facing the neglected avenues of public expression, a thing unknown in his lethargic town. The episode at the mosque after the Sheikh's brother is murdered in prison is a stunning, close examination of human conscience and its furious power. Sheikh Ahmed's struggle is a constant dialogue with conscience, containing deeply held arguments directed at finding expression for the outrage he naturally shares with those around him. Unlike others, the Sheikh neither deflects nor suborns when facing the exertions of tyranny.

Should you wish to find exquisite writing, a moving story containing a view to Muslim belief (a humane belief, after all), this book is a fine portrayal of a man's struggle for justice; for The Lit Flame. "Death and the Dervish" broadens understanding of what is not actually so foreign. . . I say this because the book's Muslim characters are Europeans and keenly aware of the Christian West.

I will remain attached to Sheikh Ahmed, missing the weight of his inner beauty. Author Mesa Selimovic has reached into the stream of human consciousness to find a good man caught in horrible circumstances. As the Sheik moves forward to face the temptations of power and the seduction of revenge, we are treated to the workings of an artfully-drawn psyche and its lonely power.

There but for grace . . . .

I read this book after spending 6+ months in Europe. The "Real Testimonies" are frighteningly accurate, and reading them in hindsight from the good ol' USA made me laugh until I cried.

Highly entertaining -- a must-read for those who have ridden the rails with "Let's Go Europe" as their guide.

One of the funniest books that gets the least credit. My entire family and I regularly consult this book when in need of a good laugh. This book has shaped my opinion of every part of Europe I've never been to, because it is absoutely correct about every part I have been to!

If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, do so. You'll read it over and over again.

I have to say that people who have been to Europe (esp. multiple times) will get the most out of this book. It's hilarious! And it's even funnier because it's true. Why isn't this book in print anymore? I think it would make a great gift for anyone who's been to Europe, plans to go to Europe, is from Europe, can spell "Europe"...if you can get your hands on a copy, don't let go!

Includes all the important, more frequented countries. Rife with useful (and useless) information.

Don't go to Europe. Never go there, under any circumstances. To know why, read this book. It explains in graphic detail the horror of the Uglius Americanus' visits to that ghastly place, Europe. It is hilarious. More than Hilarious. And the best thing; it's true.

This book is an intelligent conversion story. The author, Etty Hillesum, begins writing at a time when her life was repugnant; and yet, she is obviously very intelligent and so reading what she wrote during that period is not a waste of time.

Towards the middle of the book, Etty begins to change, and by the end, she is an admirable person - not just because she is intelligent, but also because she is good. It seems that her will changed, which is the definition of conversion.

I would compare this book favorably with "Surprised by Joy", which is the autobiography of C.S. Lewis. "Surprised by Joy" is a great book for Christians. "Etty Hillesum" is a great book for anyone.


Shawn T. Miller

This book would be one of the five. Its not about the Holocaust, not really. It is about one of the most soulful women who we all could learn so much from about how to approach our days. I cherish this book with all my heart. It came to me in a very weird way however! My parents were viisting me in Seattle when I lived there and while browsing in Elliott Bay Books, my mom handed me this book and said, "When I die I want this book buried with me!" I know, thats kind of a weird sell but she bought me my own copy (along with a separate one for her future plans) and I read it in one evening. I couldn't put it down. While she lived just a short distance from Anne Frank and was writing her journals at the same time, they are equally moving but worlds apart. Etty was in her late twenties while she wrote and her outlook on life is simply among the most remarkable I have ever encountered. I don't think I need to be buried with it but that doesn't mean I don't recommend it extremely highly for both men and women. Its a privilege to be able to recommend it, to know that even while her life was so tragically cut short at Auschwitz, that her journals survived and that maybe just one person more will come to her journals as a result of this review. You know what? I'd like to be buried with this book too. Also include a cupcake.

Etty Hillessum's diaries and her letters from Westerbork serve as an outstanding testament to the human spirit and the ability to find the sacred in the most horrific of situations. Although she was not a saint in the sense that Teresa of Avila or Juan de la Cruz were saints, she could properly be considered a mystic and a good example of a modern who had 'enlightened' insights. I find her diaries at once humane and modern in the sense of a liberated 'bohemian' who explored her sexuality and her psyche. As her diaries progress, her inner life (and oneness with God) deepens as the horrors of the realities of being Jewish in Europe during the Second World War becomes more apparent. I highly recommend this book! It will change your life!

This is one of the most profound documents ever written. Etty Hillesum was truly a person who had reached transforming union and had the ability to be able to share her experience through journaling and letters. She was unwaivering in her desire to see the beauty and meaning of life in one of the most difficult situations ever experienced on this planet. There are no words to express how deeply this work has influenced my life, except to say that I go back to her writing over and over again. She is a bright light for anyone seeking spiritual growth.

In nearly all of our nation's middle and high schools the Diary of Anne Frank is required reading. This present volume ought to be a required follow-up reading for the older student.

This Owl Books publication includes excellent photographs and commentary to bring alive holistically the full presentation of this intelligent and searching young woman's life and vision, whose eight well-preserved copy books reveal to us her soul, supplemented by personal, surprisingly joyful and hopeful and positive do-not-lose-heart letters from a way station on the road to Auschwitz. Together this corpus of writing presents bright light in the deepest darkness and locus of despair. One cannot read these living words on the way to certain death without weeping, and reflecting, at the unreasonable cruelty and inexorable deadly fruit of any total war. One cannot read this without a cry for the end of all war.

Please read this book in a prayerful way. Consider the promising and peaceful lives which were lost, whose voice rings out truly here in this thick volume of her writings, and resolve to work for peace, that we may never study war, no more. Let us work for peace, and pray with the prophet that our swords may soon be beat into plowshares, that all may live in peace to their fullest promise.

This book brings to us the reality of the horror of hateful war, through Etty's human and hopeful and joyous and beautiful voice, ever encouraging those in the deepest despair until she herself is also placed on the road to Auschwitz, a road from which so very few ever returned.

Winner of the 2008 Newberry Medal, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! was actually written to be performed. Laura Amy Schlitz has written here a series of interconnected monologues and dialogues which, taken together, depict the life of kids of all kinds in a medieval village. There's the Falconer's Son, the Blacksmith's Daughter, the runaway villein, the Young Lord, The Pilgrim and The Sniggler, all of whom help complete the picture.

The reviewers have covered it all, but such a truly great book deserves ongoing praise. How nice to see that this jewel of a book won the Newbery! Standing ovation from this reader.

A wonderful book from a wonderful person. This is especially good for lower- and middle-schoolers. Quite usable for in-school performances.

I didn't really realize it would be a children's book when I placed the item on hold at my library. I just knew that I wanted to read the latest Newberry award winning book. I guess I figured that if it fell into the same category as "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle then it must be good.

I was a little surpised at how thin it was. I was also surprised at how it is not just one coherent story (or even a story in the general prose form).
They are monologue and dialogue plays written by a librarian for the children in her school classes. She wrote them so that each child would have a starring role for three minutes.

They are poetic and easy to read with nice large print. The tone and vocabulary is all medieval - let's face it, I learned a few new words. Large colorful pictures are on every page and even the margins are colored and have text that explain certain words or aspects of the medieval culture/life. A large colorful map is on the first or second page and instead of locations being labeled the specific characters in the story are shown and labeled.

The tempo of the words is good and interesting -- I was particularly impressed with the two monologues done by the sisters talking about the apprentice boy their father has taken and how one of them must marry the apprentice for the apprentice to inherit the shop. The older daughter likes the boy and wouldn't mind marrying him but thinks the boy would want her sister (younger, prettier) instead. The younger sister thinks the boy will want her older sister (so he doesn't have to wait to inherit) but thinks that it's terrible that one of them will have to marry the boy in the end. The dialogues are completely different but manage to come together for a chorus type of refrain.

Another one that does this is the dialogue between the Jewish boy and the Catholic girl. They are able to put aside their differences for a little while and just be children playing together. The dialogue ends with the children saying together "Almost like she's a Jew;" "Almost like he's a Catholic."

The one down spot I can see - if I were the one performing the plays - would be having to play the role of the beggar child or the child of the villein where you obviously are not well-cared for and have to scrimp to survive. Or maybe that's just me being a girl and wanting the character I embody to be noble somehow...

All in all, it was a beautiful book and very easy to read. It took me maybe forty minutes of carefully thumbing through and looking at the pictures to complete it.

The fact that the book is made up of monologues by villagers, like "Spoon River Anthology's" poetry, makes it a natural for dramatic presentations in experiencing life in a medieval village in a social studies class -- middle school, or high school. When students "live" a character first hand, in costume, they experience a different life, and they remember much more of the information. MTL

This book not only captures the true meaning of friendship; it defines how friendships are formed and enhanced by the great game of golf. Add Konik's deep appreciation for the Scots' gift of golf to the world and you have a work that is a great read and a must for all golfers from duffers to scratch players.

I have played played most of the courses mentioned in this very readable book. Their experiences brought back many fine memories.... To go to Scotland with good 'buds' and to see how golf is part of the basic fabic of everyday life there, really sums up the trips I have taken. It is the next best thing to actually going there. Also true to fact, is that there are really no bad links courses, just lesser known ones....

This read compares very favorably with books such as 'A season in Dornock' and should be read prior to any first time trip to Scotland / Ireland.

Magnificent. Personally, I have never played a round of golf, however, I was encouraged by a golfing buddy to read this book. When I finished the book, I called to thank him. This journey takes you beyond the beautiful courses of Scotland and into your own heart. Author Konik does a masterful job of conveying an introspective look into himself, his relationship with his friend, Don and ultimately an examination into the reader's own being. Incredible.

I'm a tennis man myself and only procured this fine book because I was so impressed by the author's other book, "Ella in Europe," which had me weeping tears of joy. Even though I didn't appreciate the golf descriptions in "In Search of Burningbush," I found the author's perspective on friendship and spiritualism to be a revelation. Before I read Mr. Konik's dog book, I was not aware of this man's writing talent. After reading "In Search of Burningbush," I feel confident in saying that he is one of the great writers working today.

What a fascinating, captivating read. Konik certainly has the gift of a talented wordsmith. Passion exudes from these pages of his desire for a true golf buddy, and it comes in form of physically strapped Don. Through this buddy, life in whole new dimensions is opened for Mike through golf excursion to Golf's Holy Ground.

Connections ensue about lovers, Shivas Irons, bravery, betting and many more.

The whirlwind tour that they have leaves one energized and somewhat mystically partaking in their great turf adventure fortnight in Scotland itself. So much remembered here connects with us readers. For this reviewer, golfing buddies habits which set one off, ala Don's smoking habits. One of my links buds, a psychologist takes his whole bag off the cart to hit a shot which couldn't require more than two, max three club choice. Or those encanted moments after multi-round experiences huddling and going through the scorecards as if they were travel slide shows.

This is just exceptional work. One I'll cherish and turn to again over time to make those connections again. Play on!

i loved this book, very accurate and insightful, great read for all anne boleyn fans.

This is a must-read for any Anne Boleyn fan, who wants to learn more about her life. This book lists many intricate details about Anne's life at court, which I found fascinating!

Anne Boleyn continues to fascinate. A woman of wit, intelligence and a feminist in her time. She won a king's heart but incurred his wrath. A life cut short, a child deprived of her mother. A true tale of intrigue, corruption and manipulation. A cast of interesting characters vieing for power, wealth and fame.

If you are interested in historical content as well as an interesting read then this book is for you. If you were lucky enough to watch Showtime's "The Tudors" it makes the book even more enjoyable. While Showtime took certain historical liberties with the series, the book does not. It is a definite page turner. Mr. Ives has managed to help the reader appreciate this particular period of history that comes alive with the cast of characters, intrigue, love and death. Well done Mr. Ives.

Anne Boleyn was undoubtedly one history's most fascinating woman. She was not conventionally beautiful, she had a sharp-tongued, acidic personality, and she engendered both obsessive love and implacable hatred in the people around her. She also was caught in the middle of a bitter, bloody war between the traditional Catholics and the Reform Protestants. As a result, trying to know the "real" Anne Boleyn is a hard task indeed, as contemporary accounts are extremely biased. In the end, we don't even really know which drawings or portraits are accurate.
But Eric Ives has taken up this enormously difficult task of finding the woman behind the legend, and his book will probably be the standard for years to come. He has carefully considered all his sources, including the ones that are obviously extremely biased, and weighed what is probably true and what is not. He has started from scratch, using only contemporary (meaning, Tudor era) sources, and spends an entire chapter weighing which sources can be trusted, and which cannot. For instance, Eustace Chapuys's accounts are heavily biased towards Katherine of Aragon, but they also give a great timeline of the divorce proceedings. He spends anther chapter devoted to which portraits or images of Anne is likely to be the most accurate. His conclusion: a ring that Anne's daughter Elizabeth wore that had a cameo of herself and her mother. Little details like that make the book more human, for while Henry tried the best he could to erase Anne from history, it is clear that Elizabeth never forgot her mother. Ives also uses the poetry of Thomas Wyatt, an early admirer of Anne who seems to have always carried a torch for her, to great effect.
Ives' tone is that of a detached scholar, and while he is obviously fascinated by Anne, and eager to dispel the more vicious myths about her, this is no hagiography. He reports the ugly side of Anne's personality -- her imperiousness, her tendency to kick people while they were down. Of Katherine of Aragon, Anne once coldly remarked that she "wished all Spaniards were at the bottom of the sea." Yet the overall picture of Anne is that of a remarkable woman. Intelligent, independent, radical in her belief of the Protestant Reform movement, a mover and shaker.
That such an intelligent woman could fall so fast in fortune speaks volumes both of the cruelty of Henry VIII, the machinations of Thomas Cromwell (the book's villain), and the status of women in Anne's time. Henry loved Anne because she was outspoken, witty, elusive, and cultured (she spent her adolescence in the French royal court). But once they were married, she was expected to start bearing sons, and to tolerate infidelity. She was also expected to keep her nose out of political and religious affairs. She could not do any of the above. Her fall (three weeks from arrest to execution) is documented with astonishing detail.
Warning: although Ives' book is extremely well-written, it is not an "easy" read. It is extremely scholarly in tone, and if you want a more general overview of Henry VIII's wives, then Alison Weir, Antonia Fraser, and David Starkey have all written excellent books on the subject. The middle section, which goes into rather arcane detail about Anne's interest in arts, culture, court life, interior decorating and religious reform is on the dry side.
My other criticism of Ives is that in his eagerness to paint a picture of a larger conspiracy to dethrone Anne by Thomas Cromwell, the religious conservatives, and the ever-ambitious Seymour clan, he almost lets Henry VIII off the hook. In the end, one person could have stopped Anne the "beloved wife" from such a cruel fate and that was her husband. But despite these flaws, Ives' level of research goes above and beyond the call of duty. Anne finally had her fair day in court, and no doubt she would have been very proud.

To those who are either considering moving to Italy or just going for vacation, this is the book for you. It provides not only the basic information, but also answers questions that you would not normally consider or even think of. It also provides valuable information about embassies/consulates, education, and every day life. Even as a seasoned traveler, I found this book very useful, as I plan my relocation to Italy. It is an asset to any traveler's library.

This book is great because it gives you things from an American perspective. I've lived in Italy before on a study abroad program, so I was familiar with some things, but the lists of contact information alone are enough reason to buy this book. It covers everything from student visas to getting dual citizenship and from teaching ESL to starting your own business. A must read for anyone thinking about moving to Italy.

I moved to Italy to live, study and work, taking with me this book as the ultimate resource for an American looking to make a life there. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be the exhaustive guide I had hoped.
Not only did it brush the surface on important questions any American moving abroad would have (such as those addressing legal requirements, getting proper paperwork and visas to stay, finding work, etc.), I found it to actually contradict itself in the discussion of some important subjects.

I am afraid that whole-heartedly trusting this book to help you navigate through some of the legal implications of moving to Italy may result in much frustration. I also found the helpful lists (compilations of schools and universities, English-speaking organizations, etc.) to be less-than-comprehensive. These lists mainly focus on the big cities and American-draws (Rome, Florence and Milan).

This book is fine as a starter guide to help you to begin to plan, but it is not "everything you need to know."

This book arrived today, and I have read most of it already-- absolutely wonderful! It addresses answers to 98% of my questions, as well as issues I hadn't even thought about. There are also useful addresses and resources, as well as basic, but necessary tips, including how to convert measurements (for butter, sugar and clothing!), saints' days, and everyday etiquette (don't walk around your hosts' house barefoot!). How can someone who doesn't speak much Italian find a job? Which visa is actually right for you and what's the process? How do you prepare for your Italian job interview/write your resume? What's the garbage tax? What if you need emergency medical care? How do you get covered by Italy's public health care system? What is the proper way to go shopping in Italy? I've spent several months living/studying/traveling in Europe before, and I wish I had access to this book earlier. Full of tips, tricks, and tools to make you a successful individual in Italy (and beyond). Go eat some pasta and read up!

This book is literally a goldmine of useful information. I had no idea that the university system began at different times then the university system in the States... no wonder I didn't meet any cute Italian boys until two months into my stay! Hehe. But beyond that, I would recommend this book to anyone who, like myself, dreams of one day calling Italia home. I went through some of the avenues listed in the book (i.e., post-graduate study abroad, mingling with the locals, etc.) before even knowing this book existed, so the authors must be doing something right!

Gorky's childhood memories brush a very outspoken picture of `that close-knit, suffocating little world of pain and suffering, where the Russian man of the street used to live.'
It is a world full of brutal violence: husbands beating savagely their wives, severely and intensively flogging of children, gamblers becoming totally destitute, alcoholism, dangerous diseases (smallpox, ulcers) and cruel street games (cock and dog fighting, cat torturing, making fun of drunken beggars). Socially, there is a big chasm between the haves and have-nots: their children cannot play together. The poor cannot feed all their new born babies and expose them.
On the other hand, this bunch of `wild animals' is deeply, but primitively religious. They ask God constantly to forgive their sins.

Despite this barbarous environment, Gorky considers his childhood as `a beehive to which various single obscure people brought the honey of their knowledge and thoughts on life; often their honey was dirty and bitter, but every scrap of knowledge was honey all the same.'
There is also another reason why he put these painful memories on paper: `It is the truth and the truth must be known. The Russian man in the street is sufficiently healthy and young in spirit to overcome the horrors.'

Although he lost his love for his family and was thrown out of their home, he remains highly optimistic for mankind: `Life is always surprising us by the bright, healthy and creative human powers of goodness. It is those powers that awaken our indestructible hope that a better and more human life will once again be reborn.'

Gorky was received with open arms by the communists, but that love story ended in total personal disaster.

This brutal picture of the man in the street should remind us from where we all come from.
Not to be missed.

"Childhood" starts out like many Russian novels; we visit the funeral of a young man. In the midst of all the grief, the young widow suffers a miscarriage and the young orphan is sent to the rather disfunctional home of his grandparents. There the temperment of the patriarch is measured by the severity of the beatings he administers. In the midst of all of this, a young boy grows into adolescence.

Maxim Gorky earns our respect as a writer (and as a survivor). It is hard to fathom such a life but Gorky has used the genre of autobiography to paint as visual a portrait as any novel could create. There may not be action taking place on every page but there are always recollections by a man rediscovering who he is by recreating the influential events of his early life. In sharing this insight, Gorky gives us portraits of many interesting individuals. I hedged away from rating "Childhood" with 5 stars because I didn't mind setting it aside from time to time. It is very good but it is not compelling.

I first read this book as a college freshman and think it must be read by all young adults. Gorky is, after all, the "father of Russian literature" -- yet most people have never heard of this writer par excellence. His storytelling is smooth, intense, and warms the heart like a swig of vodka on a nippy night in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky's birthplace). Wilk's translation is clear and quite excellent. Gorky's vivid memories of childhood will inspire one to recollect their own experiences growing up.

The finest memoir of chilhood that I have ever read. I never felt like I was reading a translation. Gorky captures the wonder of a remarkable and sensitive soul.

This is the 1st past of the trilogy of Maxim Gorky's autobiography. This is a really good and entertaining book, but contains at times morbid and depressing subject material, especially the unbelievable cruelty of some of the characters. There are some light moments though and if you enjoy realism and a brutal peek at what life was like in early 20th century Russian life for poor folks and enjoy Dostoevsky, you will like this book.

I personally think that Gorky belongs at the top of elite Russian writers.