Europe Books

If you're going to buy this book, be prepared to do extra research once you're in Munich. You'll need to call the places recommended in this book to see if they're actually open. We wasted two hours of our time in Munich going to a place recommended in the book only to find it closed! Rick Steves has much better info and is reliable!

The book is a 'must have' for those beer lovers visiting Munich.

I would like the author to include in the next edition, a map of Munich with suggestions on where to drink in the city center. The map could be used as a travel guide to Munich, and listing the beer gardens on the map would make them easier to find (especially if it starts to rain and one must seek shelter).

The guide is accurate and fun to read, but the walking distances are slightly optimistic, especially if you have short legs!

I know Larry Hawthorne as a comptetitive ballplayer who hits a lot better than your average pitcher. Knowing him this way, and being a writer myself, I recommend his book because I know he is honest, a clean player, and would not steer you wrong. Not a good enough reason to buy the book?
I could say, as the old joke goes about politicians, that he has never done a mean, rotten thing that he hasn't been sorry for, but I haven't known Larry long enough to know if he has ever done a mean, rotten thing. I know he is generous with baseball tips and has the best cooler on the sidelines. If you met him on the street he would greet you with a smile. In fact, if I asked him, he would autograph your book for you. That's how nice a guy he is. What more do you want from a book about beer in Munich? Check the excerpt and other reviews and see for yourself. If he is reading this right now, he is slapping his head with his hand and saying, "The next time Steve comes up to bat I'm pitching him a slow fat one right across the plate so he can hit it out of the park for the first time in his life!" That's how nice a guy he is.
I met him in the high deserts of south california, out where Jesus lost his boots, where right field is littered with gopher holes, where the 'Swingin' Steves' try to give him fits by getting line drives, and I'm glad I got the chance to get to know him. He made my first year as a softball player a lot more enjoyable, which was real special to me because I hadn't played since high school and needed all the help I could get. If you are still reading this then you are a serious beer drinker and if you are planning on going anywhere near Munich you need Larry by your side. From the other reviews you can see he is a great guide and knows his stuff (and his hops, he's always talking about the hops) so I will tell you the one flaw I found in Larry. He swings at everything. But he has a respectable batting average so I'm not going to knock what works for him. I'm a little shorter than him so maybe that makes me want to wait for the best pitch because I dont have the strength he does to drive the ball into the gaps. Well, I was kidding about Larry giving me a big fat pitch for this rambling review, in fact he might just hunker down and feed me low inside pitches because he can and he wants his team to win as much as I do. Like I said, a great competitor and if I still drank beer (diabetes) and had an urge to visit my great-great-grandparents homeland (apparently one of us was a king in Denmark around 1000 ad) I would still buy the cheapest version of this book I could find (that's just me, I'm cheap) but I would read it cover to cover because I trust this guy to give me the real deal. Hoist one for Larry, beer and book fans, and just for your information I wrote this cold sober. Honest. Why would I lie? And if any reporters for the National Enquirer or da Globe, etc. want the real inside dope on Larry I would be willing to supply even more colorful anecdotes to prove it.

This book is suprisingly good and gives extended information about various interesting locales in Munich. The beer locales are a kick. One could spend the whole trip visiting these occasionally quite interesting and cozy dispensers of comustibles and brews.

This book more than pays for itself with the coupons for free beer in the back! Great book too. Has directions to a lot of amazing beirgartens!

The author tells us, in a whispered and poetic voice, an intimate story of her search for love and chocolate across continents and years. On the way, we learn how love and chocolate conspire to fuel her odyssey. Bittersweet Journey's end reveals that, at least for Charlotte, you can go home again.

Thank you, thank you for the incredible experience of having a book, in its simplicity, tenderly assault one's senses in so many ways. I feel completely saturated, utterly spiritually fulfilled, and terribly well fed.

Like a fine truffle this book seems best consumed in one or two bites ... marvelous bites. The text is the most poetic prose I have read in some time, and the stunning photographs (also by the author) make the various chocolates as delicious, alive and sensuous as the book's heroine, Charlotte. I found the "journey" hauntingly appealing. It is alternately nostalgic, melancholy, exciting, intriguing, fulfilling ... but always permeated by an atmosphere of longing and the "bittersweet."

It is also a most unique and sophisticated book. The chocolate stands as both metaphor and solid object in the writing, with recipes for some of its delicacies spelled out in an appendix. The design of the book and its pages is beautiful, unusual and clever: a perfect complement to the text. Yet it is one of the rare cases where the whole seems even greater than some very high-quality parts. A delicious book.

Deep questions are looked at and lived .Wisdom gained by walking the razor's edge is on on nearly every page .

I know several people who need these questions explored and I'm glad there is this book to recommend.

There is more than enough chocolate lore and lust for anyone...and who thought there ever COULD be enough?

Fnid Futterman understands .

Also having Ms Futterman's own photos illustrate her journey added, on many levels, a wholeness of vision .

Chocolate is itself... and a metaphor for much.

This book will take you as deep as you want to go and most likely futher than you thought possible

It's deep fun.

The photography, the story, the knowledge of chocolate -- altogether Enid Futterman's Bittersweet Journey is a delight for all the senses. Perhaps the first of its kind, it is a visual novel, and it is just beautiful. In this deliciously rich and psychologically profound piece of work, the photography is every bit as evocative as the narrative.

It is the story of a woman sprung loose from her marriage who begins an obsessive journey to find the right man via the great capitals of chocolate. Sampling love the way she samples truffles, Charlotte scours Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Brussels, London, Paris, Hawaii, New York and New Hapshire (where the most delicious real ganache is housed in the unlikely bodies of chocolate mice) finding bad boys and beautiful chocolates to arouse her.

But most significantly, Bittersweet Journey is the story of journey into the interior of a woman, a dark tour of the female psyche where longing and love are indistinguishable. Enid Futterman writes in a sharp, spare, deeply poetic way that is reminiscent of Jean Rhys and Marguerite Duras, and comes up with something that will resonate in the heart, mind and palate for a long time to come.

This is great trivia for those who already have a basic knowledge of the middle ages. It's filled with gross and gristly bits that will entertain and inform. Don't let the juvenile presentation of the book deter you. A really fun read for teens and adults alike. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Who says history has to be boring and serious? Measly Middle Ages tells the history of the middle ages while completely entertaining the reader. The book itself is filled with lots of interesting information, surprising facts, and insider jokes. It's great fun!

Measly Middle Ages is part of a series of Horrible Histories which teaches history in a interesting, fun, and humorous way. All of these books have great titles like Rotten Romans, Awesome Egyptians, Groovy Greeks, and Vicious Vikings. A copy of these books should be in every local school library.

This great, enchanting, and captivating series attracted me since i was a child. Not only is this an educating experience, this also provides information in a very enjoyable way. Attractive to the most intelligent minds, and interesting to every child, this makes a great gift and also a great reader.
It will make you smile and even laugh out loud as you read book after book. My only question is, why would they ever stop priting? I ask Scholastic to continue print so all who desire a book can recieve one. Thank you.

The book really had no main characters. This book was an informational book covering the Middle ages. The book covered such great people in history as Queen Isabeau, King Richard II, and King Richard III.

The plot of the story is about the middle ages. Also about
how the people changed history and life as it was during the Middle Ages. The history that I learned was a lot different of how it is today. The story also focused on famous kings and Queens and important people who changes history forever and their improtant contributions to the Middle Ages.

The setting of the story is during the Middle Ages which is from 410A.D.-1453A.D.

The Measly Middle Ages is about the people in life that made a diffrence for the people of today. It also tells you about important events and the historic importance of individuals of during the middle ages.

One of the resons I liked this book is because I am realy into history. Another reason that I liked reading this book is because of the awsome illistrations throughout the book. I also enjoyed how the book kept my attention throghtout the story and this is why this was one of best books i have read in a long time.

I came across Terry Deary completely by accident ~ in a gift shop in Scotland, shoved amongst other more "scholarly" hardcovers. As my graduate area of study is the Middle Ages, I was intrigued and bought the book on a whim ~ and haven't stopped buying Terry Deary's books since! Are the books chock-full of historical facts guaranteed to allow someone to walk away thinking they know everything about the Middle Ages, Greece, Rome, France, or any of Deary's other topics? No, of course not. Are the books a wonderfully entertaining (and illustrated!) way of addressing what can admittedly be a bit of a dry topic? Of course! I say any books that can make someone, young or old, become interested in history should be embraced fully. And, hey, I learn something new from every book I read, which is an added bonus! Further, I think these books definitely appeal to adults who have an interest or education in history ~ much as what "The Reduced Shakespeare Company" teaches us about Shakepeare is true about Deary's treatment of history: the better you know the original, the more funny and entertaining the condensed versions are.

Ernie Pyle was truly the soldier's reporter. I have the original wartime copy of "Brave Men," and it's a work of genius. Pyle knows how soldiers feel, Army, Navy, Army Air Corps, from Privates to Sergeants to Lieutenants to Generals, Pyle brings their stories to life with a simple sort of clarity that nonetheless retains every ounce of power that original stories had. Many reporters told the stories of World War II, grand theaters, massive battles, staff meetings, generals, leaders, strategies. Ernie talks about privates, sergeants, lieutenants, the adrenaline highs and sheer terror of close combat or being surrounded by flak, the miseries of mud and rain and the joys of the girl at home and that package of fried chicken that some thoughtful mother sent. All the little things that make soldiers soldiers, and men as well.

Pyle was nothing less than a genius, and his death on Ie Shima resulting from a Japanese sniper's bullet was a loss to journalism. But then, I'm at Indiana University Bloomington, within spitting distance of the Ernie Pyle School of Journalism, so I guess I'm biased. =D

What can I say about Ernie Pyle? One of the most well-known correspondents in WWII, he wrote with an empathy for the common infantryman that transcended his simple, eloquent prose. "Brave Men" is a collection of the articles he wrote while covering the war in Sicily, Italy, England, and France. Exceedingly modest, Pyle always downplayed his role while extolling the infantry fighting on the front lines, his beloved "dogfaces." Pyle may not have thought that he was doing anything of importance, yet his articles served to bring the war home to an American public that was being fed a somewhat sugar coated version of the war by the government; in turn, the GI's loved Pyle as one of their own. He immortalized as many of them as he could in his articles, stating the names of the many men with whom he had contact, and often their full home address for good measure. He shared many of their hardships on the front lines, and now, more than 60 years later, his articles offer an insight into WWII for today's readers that is as poignant now as it was then. He makes the reader feel as if we know these men personally-they are our fathers, grandfathers, brothers, neighbors, friends. Impossible to put down, this book is the enduring legacy of a great man whose life ended much too soon (after surviving the European theater, he traveled to the Pacific at the request of the Navy, where a Japanese sniper took his life on the tiny island of Ie Shima, just off the coast of Okinawa); I would recommend this book to everyone I know with an interest in WWII.

I read many of these stories when I was an infantryman in the ETO during WWII. I just wanted to re-read them again to satisfy the feeling of respect I have always had for Ernie Pyle and what he did for the American soldier during that conflict. It was good to smell the smells and hear the sounds while in a safe environment.
It is an excellent 'Chronicle' that takes one back to a time of long ago.

I have read this book several years ago and was touched by his writing and empathy toward the GI's. I saw a biography about him on the tube and found out how the war torn the man apart inside. That and the burden of his wifes dive into madness and all I can say is there was a man! Rest easy Ernie you did good!

I'm a french reader and I discovered Ernie Pyle through an excerpt of Brave Men published in a french newspaper.
Obviously, this man was a great reporter! I was looking for Brave Men in a French edition but it seems to be impossible to find it, what a pity !.
I was very happy to find it on Amazon.com.
I think that this book is far above all the films or novels you could read on this subject. With Ernie Pyle style, you can catch the real feelings and the fears and the heroism of this men who were caught in this Maelstrom.

It was so good that I couldn't put it down. I was glad that I knew the ending!

Mr. Cheney has that special ability to present detailed history and make it fascinating and compelling. The book is a true page turner. I recommend it to anyone curious about the period just after WWII - or curious about how the US evolved to incorporate foreign aid into its diplomatcy. I must admit that I approached this book with no little amount of dread - it was a "required" selection for our Book Club - but was quickly captivated by Cheney's style; I was sad as I turned the last page. In fact, I have now given several copies as gifts to friends. The book helped me recall a chance meeting 25 years ago on a Zurich-bound plane. I was seated next to an obviously successful and dignified German business man. He told me the great appreciation he felt toward the US because he was a boy in Berlin all during the Airlift. He said he will always remember the reassuring sound and sight of those American planes bringing lifesaving supplies to the Berliners. Cheney's writing is warm, the many reprinted letters from the children of Berlin who received the candy (sent at first on handkerchief parachutes) are to be treasured.

A book that I could not put down! Why? Simply wanted to know who und what will be next to help a downed nation to stay alive with an "enemy" on each side. All in all it shows as well that politicians are only people with faults and their own agendas. Too bad. The outcome was heroic but only because of the "little man" who did the work and not because of the politicians or in spite of them. That could have gone easily the other way. Thank God it did not and I was able to see for myself what became of the once so helpless nation and the real big brother who helped. Not the one who just listened and then pounced.

Reading this book is an emotional and stirring event on many different levels. It offers one of the clearest and most succient histories of the period just after the Second World War. The book also does an excellent job of providing balance between the outsized personalities who helped shape the airlift and the amazing achievement that the airlife in itself was.

One of the most touching aspects however is the human aspect of the story. Besides telling the story of the candy bomber which has already been told many times before, the book gives a great history of how the German people were shown the light and turned their backs on a totalitarian form of government towards one that the democracy that exists today.

All in all this is an epic read from an epic time. The subtitle captures it best when it says that it was America's finest hour.

I am a Korean War veteran and somewhat of a history buff, especially during the period leading up to and including the aftermath of World War II. I cannot praise this book enough. Andrei Cherney has written the absolutely best description I have read of the events and people that resulted in the Berlin Airlift and how close we came to World War III at that time. Of special interest to me is the way he describes our great military leaders of that time, especially Generals Clay, Bedell Smith, Curtis LeMay, Marshall, Tunner and Omar Bradley, along with Secretary Forrestal, Thomas Dewey, John Foster Dulles and President Truman. With the exception of President Truman I have formed through Mr. Cherney's eyes a completely different opinion of these great men, somewhat less stellar giants than I previously supposed them to be.

This book is an extaordinary effort on the part of the author and may very well be the most interesting book I have ever read.

I was fascinated by Huxley's use of this story as a way of trying to explain his thoughts on "man's deep-seated urge to self-transcedence, of his very natural reluctance to take the hard, ascending way, and of his search for some bogus liberation either below or to one side of his personality" - as revealed by our dependecies on religion and in joining mass movements like fascism or communism, as well as sexuality and substance use and abuse.
In Chapter Three he focuses on the religious aspects of these tendencies to "desire - and desire, very often, with irresistable violence - the consciousness of being someone else."
In the Epilogue ["In amplification of material in Chapter Three)"], he expands on these ideas by discussing substance use and abuse: "Alcohol is but one of the many drugs employed by human beings as avenues of escape from the insulated self." He adds to this the use of "From poppy to curare, from Andean coca to Indian hemp and Siberian agaric, every plant or bush or fungus capable, when ingested, of stupifying or exciting or evoking visions....seems to prove that, always and everywhere, human beings have felt the radical inadequacy of their personal existence, the misery of being their insulate selves and not something else.."
He then continues with the "crowd delirium" of mass movements:
"The professional moralists who inveigh against drunkeness are strangely silent about the equally disgusting vice of herd-intoxication - of downward transcendence into subhumanity by the process of getting together in a mob." leading to "The final symptom of herd-intoxication is a manical violence. Instances of crowd-delirium culminating in gratuitous destructiveness, in ferocious self-mutilation, in fratracidal savagery without purpose and against the elementary interests of all concerned, are to be met with on almost every page of the anthropologists'textbooks and - a little less frequently, but still with dismal regularity - in the histories of even the most highly civilized peoples."
His concluding sentence: "Every idol, however exalted, turns out, in the long run, to be a Moloch, hungry for human sacrifice."

This book is not merely an historical essay describing the lurid details of the events at Loudun [other books on the subject do that job], Huxley covers far more ground and delves far deeper into the experience of being human than that; it can be disturbing at times, but also illuminating.
Huxley's own later use of psychedelic drugs [mescaline, and, as has been said, LSD while on his death-bed] - which he describes in "The Doors of Perception" [1954] - indicates that he was still trying to reach an understanding of self-transcendence - in a more positive light.

It is the early 17th century in Loudun, France. The local parish priest, Urbain Grandier, has become embattled in various local rivalries with civic magnates and ecclesiastical officials. He makes powerful enemies among them but they are helpless to action against for the moment. Both sides are determined to see victory and religious sanctity takes a back seat to revenge and personal gain. Against this backdrop an altogether remarkable occurrence takes place; the inhabitants of the local covenant experience an extraordinary case of mass possession by demons. The head of the covenant, Saeur Jeanne des Anges, experiences the worst of the possessions and under an exorcism conducted by Jean-Joseph Surin she, or the demon within her, places the blame squarely on the shoulders of Urbain Grandier. The moment his enemies have waited for has arrived.

For those who are fans of Huxley's fictional and non-fictional works this book is not one to be missed. Although it falls into the category of non-fiction as it tells the story of a historical event in 17th century France, Huxley uses his creative powers and imagination to make the tale come alive. Granted historians may have an issue with taking such liberties in writing about a historical event, but Huxley's goal is not `pure' history, a pretty questionable term in itself, but rather to tell the story of a remarkable event with all the drama and suspense that it deserves.

His account of the mass possession in Loudun is backed up by an admirable amount of research. It is clear that Huxley's knowledge of both the time and place extend far beyond the details of the story and serve to enlighten his account. His understanding of human psychology as plays a prominent role in this book. It goes beyond a simple recounting of historical events, which as interesting as they are does not in itself make the book a unique one. It is Huxley's continual fascination with the human mind that really makes this book special. After setting out the basic historical framework for the story, he attempts to reconstruct the psychological factors that played a large role there. After examining the individual characters from the Loudun saga, Huxley takes the time to reflect and draw conclusions about humanity in general and what drives people to believe themselves possessed and the further implications this has.

Whether one agrees with the validity of conducting a sort of psychological analysis of historical figures hundreds of years removed from us and then in turn using those conclusions to draw wider ones about humanity or a time period in general, this book is an immensely interesting read.

Huxley has written a wonderful study of witchcraft,demonic possession and social commentary that is an historical cornerstone.Both religion and psychiatry are carefully intertwined in this lengthy novel.Set in France, it explores the human condition at that time.Greed,jealousy,revenge and theatrical performances are core themata.The inquisitional pressure coupled with political appeasement on the local,state and national level are explored.Mad nuns teased by repressed sexual needs and the subsequent outcomes are discussed. The careful documentation of the interplay between religious fervor and satanic influence are revealed in this exacting book.The twisted motivations of maladjusted individuals and the harm they can cause,the somatic possibilities and manifestations,coverups and intrigue are deftly and intellectually examined and detailed.The horrors of torture,self mutilation and sexual deviation as viewed as deviate for the times, gives one a sense of being voyeuristically one of the crowd.Watching the nuns perform their tricks,allegedly possessed by devils for the benefit of the church is amusing.Sister Jeanne,Father Grandier and Father Surin are all players in the game of gods love,human sexual needs,demonic possession and rather kinky goings on in the nunnery.It's a regular satanically,sexual soap opera with much guilt, regret and tragedy at the end.Any fan of Huxley needs to read this if they haven't already.Fans of the origins of psychopathology will marvel at the many mechanisms of defense used as justifiers for actions that were over the top for a pre-enlightened world.For witchcraft afficionados this is required reading.Again, it is a long read but worth it for purely historical anaylysis of the crypto religious/sexual linkage that to some degree is still present today.A must read for lovers of this subject matter.

HOW does a book this important come to be out of print?!!

No matter. Used copies can be had here for very little. Buy one and read it.

One of the joys of reading is how one subject can lead to a serendipitous find. Having recently come across a brief reference to the early 17th century barking nuns of Loudon I went in search of a more detailed exploration. In Aldous Huxley's book I found all that I sought and much more.

Urbain Grandier, the local parson of Loudon, is a very naughty cleric who partakes much too much of the sensual world. One morsel happens to be the daughter of his best friend. She becomes pregnant with unhappy consequences for many people. Grandier manages in this way of behavior to alienate nearly every important Catholic in Loudon as well as make an enemey of Richelieu.

When Grandier spurns the local prioress, Sister Jeanne, she claims demonic possession at the hand of Grandier as do 2 of her nuns. Grandier may have been guilty of many sins, but demonic possession was not among them. Exorcists are brought in as much too destroy Grandier as to throw out the devils (7 specific ones inhabit Sister Jeanne alone). The exorcists produce devils in 14 more nuns. The public exorcisms provide great entertainment, reviving the local tourist industry, but eventually produce the trial of Grandier, who in due turn is burned at the stake. The story continues when the Jesuit Surin arrives to finally successfully exorcise Sister Jeanne's demons.

Huxley's 1952 work explores the psychological aspects of demonic possession and exorcism, sometimes brilliantly against the backdrop of the madnesses of his own time. Liberal rationalists had "fondly imagined" an end to persecutions of 'heretics'. Instead, as he observes "from our vantage point on the descending road of modern history, we now see that all the evils of religion can flourish without any belief in the supernatural, that convinced materialists are ready to worship their own jerry-built creations as though they were the Absolute, and that self-styled humanists will persecute their adversaries with all the zeal of Inquisitors exterminating the devotees of a personal and transcendant Satan...In order to justify their behavior, they turn their theories into dogmas, their bylaws into First Principles, their political bosses into Gods and all those who disagree with them into incarnate devils. This idolatrous transformation of the relative into the Absolute and the all too human into the Divine, makes it possible for them to indulge their ugliest passions with a clear conscience and in the certainty that they are working for the Highest Good."

In the last third of the book he explores the nature of Sister Jeanne's possession, the possession of her exorcist Surin, and the manner of her recovery. The modern mind has some difficulty here. Clearly Surin and possibly Jeanne believed in the reality of demonic possessions (it is worth noting that many learned men, including those behind Grandier's fall and most Jesuits did not believe in the authenticity of these possessions). At the same, Jeanne is also play-acting at times as she concedes in her own subsequent writings. They believed in the Devil, they believed in possession, but understood that the Devil could not overcome the will of the possessed. Huxley paints a poignant, if oddly amusing, scene when he describes how Surin ordered Jeanne's devils to discipline themselves - in other words to flagellate Jeanne. Two of the devils lay on the whip with gusto, but Balaam and Isacaaron abhorring pain, would barely swing the whip and yet the possessed Jeanne would scream in agonized suffering.

An absolutlely fascinating read by one of the great minds of the 20th century.

This is an ok effort by Ms. Goldstein but unfortunately the recipes don't quite result in the amazing flavors that Georgian cuisine is known for. Perhaps it is Ms. Goldstein's substitutions of less authentic ingredients as some ingredients in the "real" dish are hard to find. Perhaps it is something else. (Her "adjika" is REALLY bad/wrong for instance....)

OK book if you want an idea of what Georgian cuisine is like. Not good if you REALLY want the real thing...

This is a marvelous, utterly authentic encyclopedia of Georgian cooking. I tried some of the recipes before leaving for Georgia in summer 2006, and they were great, and gave me a good idea of what to expect. Once in Georgia, the book was an invaluable reference that I constantly turned to whenever I tried something new. Just about *everything* I had is in here, along with many things I didn't get around to sampling.

This book also helped me learn the correct Georgian names for the dishes and many of the ingredients. A significant portion of the book is devoted to providing cultural background on Georgia and Georgian food, such the elaborate rules for a _tamada_, or Georgian toastmaster. With its charming photos of representative paintings scattered generously throughout its pages, it also made me a Pirosmani fan, and better able to appreciate the originals when I saw them for myself.

Most importantly, as the other reviewers say, the recipes *work*. We just made the potato salad with walnut paste (p. 172), and it was delectable. Other dishes we have tried and like include tomato soup with walnuts and vermicelli (p. 73) and green beans with egg (p. 130). Pkhali was one of my favorite dishes in Georgia, and I'm glad to have the recipe for when I get around to making it myself. There is a recipe for beets with cherry sauce, a dish a travel companion had tried but that even some of our Georgian hosts weren't familiar with. For the few recipes that seem to be missing from this book, like eggplant with walnut paste, try Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook, another excellent collection of delicious recipes from all the former Soviet republics.

_The Georgian Feast_ is well worth having even if you don't eat meat - many of the recipes are completely vegetarian. This book is a real treasure.

I've already written a review of this great book. I have only one suggestion: the basic khmeli suneli recipe can be augmented further to reach the authentic smell and taste. The wikipedia article on khmeli suneli has additional ingredients that can be added to the recipe. I tried that, about 2 teaspoons of each ingredient that's not already in Darra's recipe (less for black and chili pepper), and it came closer to the authentic smell and taste. I think the author of the wikipedia article might have meant safflower (marigold) instead of saffron though, so I didn't add that.

I gave this book to a Georgian and she loved it. It had all the dishes she had eatten as a child. If your looking for a book to fill in any missing recipes this is the book for you.

As someone who was born and grew up in Tbilisi, I was very happy to find this book -- it captures all of my favorite recipes, and when I prepare them according to this book, they taste just like my grandma's cooking.

More than just a recipe book, this is also an exploration into the rich history and culture of Georgia, and how the history shaped the cuisine. I suggest this book to everyone who would like to add some interesting preparations to their cooking. For vegetarians, Georgians have plenty of healthful and filling ways to prepare veggies and beans, and also some mouth watering sauces that will enliven any dish (veg or not).

I enjoy this book both as a cook book, and as a historical book!

Beautifully written, incredibly descriptive, and by far the most in-depth and honest record of the Romani Gypsies. Jan Yoors' half life as a Gypsy is unlike any other account you'll read about the Rom.

definitive for all the historic reasons but clunky and labored.
Still... the culture of the Roma is brought to life and at times
I found myself wanting to run away with them.

I am of Romani descent, my ancestors were Czech, and as a girl my great-grandmother told me fascinating stories about her family's nomadic lifestyle. For me, Yoors' work was a continuation of my grannies stories. Of all the material I have read on the Romani, I found "The Gypsies" to be the most concise. Yoors had the amazing opportunity to not only observe the Romani society, but also to be absorbed into it. The readers are given the rare gift of seeing dual sides of the story. Because of his young age, he was able to enter into their society with few cultural biases. At the same time, because he was a gaje he was able to appreciate and embrace the cultural differences. This is a wonderful chronicle of a beautiful culture, which unfortunately is fading fast. For infomation on present day Romani, "Bury Me Standing" by Isabel Fonseca is a great resource.

Jan Yoors book on his experience living with the Romani is a vivid and beautiful portrayal of a people group that has been overlooked or stereotyped for the last several hundred years. This book helped fuel a desire in me to learn the truth of "Gypsie" culture beyond the stereotypes. It is well worth reading more than once for anyone interested in countercultural groups still in existence.

I really enjoyed reading about Gypsy life. When traveling I would see gypsy caravans here and there in Europe and have been fascinated by their life. This book having been told through the eyes of someone that lived in their world yet came from ours was really engaging. I was surprised to find out about the culture and many rules for making this life work. Also, it was so different than I expected since Gypsy life is very stereotyped; as with most groups there are good and bad members. Jan Yoors was fortunate to have been attached to this kind and loving group of travelers. I was amazed that his parents allowed him to continue to travel with the Gypsies at such a young age. I would be interested to know more about how they could reason that out. Also, it would have been helpful if the book had a glossary for the many words used to describe the Gypsy customs. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the Gypsies.

I've read many accounts of the holocaust throughout my 68 years ...and thought, perhaps,this particular story might be a good introduction to this time in history for my granddaughter. I read it, prior to giving it to her. It was captivating. She read the book and decided to present the story in her class for her spoken book report. Her teacher borrowed the book and now this little volume has been added the list their 'new' list of required reading for the 3rd grade class. The accompanying photographs, needless to say are precious and in themselves, tell a story.

A suitcase belonging to a Hana Brady gets to the children's Holocaust education centre in Tokyo in the year 2000. It immediately propels students and teachers alike to find out more about this mysterious girl. Thanks to their invaluable work, they are able to retrace Hana's story. This book is the result of their search for the truth.

A clear, simple narrative delivers a vivid picture of what happened. It was touching to see the dedication and interest of the children and of Ms. Ishioka to find out as much information as possible with just a name to start with. Well done.

I believe that this book is also suitable to readers aged 12+.

THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT DELIVERY OF THE BOOK: HANA'S SUITCASE. IT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE BOOK ITSELF WAS WONDERFUL, AND THE PICTURES ADDED SO VERY MUCH TO THE BOOK. I SHALL NEVER FORGET READING THIS LITTLE BOOK. I SENT IT ON TO MY GRANDCHILDREN. THANK YOU.

This was a wonderful book. Hana's Suitcase allowed children to connect the events of the Holocaust with the experiences of a person about their own age who actually was affected by these events. Although sad by definition, the tale ends on a high note, as Hana's older brother travels to Japan to meet with young visitors at a Holocaust Museum. He is able to tell of his young sister who actually carried the suitcase in one of the museum's exibits and who later died while imprisoned by the Nazis.

I have read this book to my fourth grade class for the past two years. They are instantly drawn to Hana, Fumiko, and the story of the Holocaust. The minute they see the picture of Hana's Suitcase, they begin to ask all the questions that the children in Japan asked of Fumiko. They always want me to continue reading and they are so eager to find out about her story. This book has inspired so many deep and thoughtful discussions with my students. They really connect to Hana and her story and the book helps them understand what happened with the Jewish people in WW2 and why it got so out of control. The chapters switch between Hana's story and the story of the children in Japan who are learning about Hana, so it kind of breaks up some of the more difficult parts of the story with the more happier, hopeful parts. I highly recommend this book for anyone- kids and adults.

I have the honor of being one of Dr Feig's students studying Eastern European History. I have read many things she has written, this book, like everything else , is amazing. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I have had the honor, and pleasure, of being Dr. Konnilyn Feig's student at Foothill College, CA. I have read this book, and I think I can say that it reflects the personality of the author. Dr. Feig is a Teacher, first and foremost. She is one of the few, rare, great Academics, a scholar of enormous skill and learning. This is shown in every page of her book, her intelligence, her strong, vibrant personality, and her critical, clear eye of a Historian. This book is possibly one of the best histories of Hitler's death camps that could ever be written, because it is written by an intelligent person who strives to keep this horrifying part of our shared past from being forgotten. She writes with strength, with passion, and with the vitality of a woman who has devoted her life to teaching, to one of the most noble professions of this world. Not only is this book an unsurpassed history of a terrifying time, but it is a monument to the vital, burning mind of a woman who can best be designated by a single word, a word that speaks of intelligence, nobility, and necessity-a Teacher. For the author alone, the book is more than worth reading, for Academics such as this are not often found.

I read this book when I was 16, after FINALLY watching a copy of "Schindler's List". From the moment I began the movie, I was entranced by the Holocaust and immediately wanted to read as much as I could about this dark time in Our History. As I expected, there isn't that much available to a 16 year old (I am 19 now), but this book was enough and then some! It is amazing how the author goes through EACH individual camp (major camp) and illuminates the reader as to what occured and what fate awaited not only the comandants, but the female SS officers. From this book, it is so easy to FEEL what the victims of the Holocaust felt and SEE the horror they witnessed. This is one of my most favorite books!

I'll be brief. A deeply disturbing account of Nazi concentration camps and the activities that took place at such locales. It is truly hard to imagine the abhorrent behavior and actions that were used against Jews, mainly Jews, and other non-sanctioned races designated by the National Socialist Worker's Party in the years before and throughout WWII. Feig guides the reader along a nightmarish tour of grisly death and, what many inhabitants of these camps must of felt, psychological hopelessness.

This book does an admirable job of detailing the horrors inflicted on those victims of the Nazi camps. From Chelmno to Bergen-Belsen, all the major camps are described in unflinching language. The only drawback to the book is some of the critcisms the author levels at the Allies during World War II and before the war. Some examples of this unfair treatment: 1) She berates them for not attacking railroads leading to the camps or bombing the crematoriums. However, she herself admitted that the Germans would have quickly repaired the tracks and the crematoriums. Thus it would have taken multiple raids made against these targets, effectively denying the bombers from use against the Nazi war machine. If there were multiple raids made, it could very well have led to defeat of Allied forces on key fronts. It is doubtful that even if these multiple raids had been made that the Germans would have given up on killing their victims. The author herself stated that the Nazis, beyond any reason, was fervently trying to kill as many concentration camp inmates as possible before Allied troops arrived. Thus it would be unlikely that the Nazi effort to kill Jews would have been dissuaded. 2) She berates the US and Britain for not allowing widespread immigration during the Depression. She ignores the fact that both US and Britain were in the grips of (surprise!) the biggest Depression the world had seen and thus didn't need more people competing with American and British workers for scarce jobs. 3) She attacks Britain for not allowing widespread Jewish immigration into Palestine just before World War II and during it. She obviously doesn't understand that if that thing she wished for was allowed, the Arabs might have revolted against the British (as she even mentioned in the book) and may have sided with Germany. If that had happened, the Suez Canal would have been cut and Britain would have lost a vital source of supplies. Being deprived of that, Great Britain might have actually fallen to Nazi juggernaut and Hitler essentially won the war in Europe. If THAT had happened, I guarantee many more inmates would have died.