Europe Books

This book is wonderful... I couldn't put it down, it was such a compelling read. Anyone who has any interest in the Emerald Isle must read this detailed, comprehensive account of the most important moment in Irish history. It is well-written, entertaining, enlightening, and will deepen the outsider's understanding of the Irish struggle throughout its history with Britain. It is told in an informative tone, yet brings history to life with all the fine details that surround the lives of the Irish heroes. It is by far the best book I have ever read, and I will read it again and again! I also agree that it is a screenplay waiting to be made!

The Easter Rebellion is the subject of this engrossing book. What makes the tale more interesting than so much of the patriotic gloss that has been so often repeated is the fact that the rising was so poorly planned that it was nothing short of a miracle that it proved to be ultimately successful in many of its long term aims.

Apart from the seizure of the General Post Office in Dublin, the rebels were unable to secure most of their objectives. British forces were able to suppress the revolt within a week. Due to disputes and internal squabbles between competing factions, many Irish militias simply refused to take any active role in the rising and the rebels in the GPO were hopelessly outnumbered from the start.

The revolt may have proven to have been unnecessary had Britain not chosen to suspend Irish Home Rule for the duration of World War One. John Redmond's long awaited legislation was enacted and then immediately placed on indefinite hold. Had Home Rule been permitted, it is quite possible that Ireland might be a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations today. Britain's refusal to implement Home Rule, despite its Parliamentary approval, gave rebel leaders the opportunity to plot a course for independence.

With British Army fully engaged on the Western Front, it was thought that assistance could be readily obtained from the Central Powers to arm the rebels. Roger Casement spent months in Berlin where he took part in a series of unproductive meetings with skeptical representatives of the Kaiser. An open revolt in Dublin would be a useful diversion, but the Germans were wary about committing significant resources to such a plan and to a motley crew of disorganized and impoverished revolutionaries.

Casement's efforts to raise a revolutionary brigade composed of captured Irish colonials who were being held as British prisoners of war in German camps proved to be futile as these soldiers overwhelmingly refused to defect. The promised weapons offered by Imperial Germany turned out to be a cargo of antiquated army surplus, including some obsolete cannons and mortars that probably dated back to the Franco-Prussian War. A single ship was provided to deliver the arms to the Irish coast.

After the disguised ship skillfully evaded the British naval blockade, the entire shipment was captured on the beach within mere minutes of its unloading. Casement, himself, was placed under arrest almost as soon as he arrived on shore. His betrayal was the work of a paid informer, a homosexual renter, who had been communicating with the English about Casement's activities and the shipment of arms for weeks.

Initially, many Dubliners had been enraged at the rebels both for the disruption of their daily lives and the destruction that had been visited upon their city. When the British imposed a brutal state of martial law, which included the summary execution of most of the captured rebels, Irish public sentiment changed abruptly. The rebels were no longer reviled as damned fools, but considered as martyrs to the cause of Irish freedom. Padraic Pearse had been vindicated. Out of the blood sacrifice of the rising on Easter Monday came heavy handed British reprisals which reignited the spirit of revolt on the part of the Irish people.

While not a historical novel, the book does contain some fictionalized dialogue mixed with actual quotations. This does not detract from fascinating and sometimes hilarious account of cowardice, heroism, idealism and stupidity that attended the birth of the Republic of Ireland.

We all realize the book is a bit fictionalized, but it's a better read that way, I think, and I've been studying the Easter Rising for 2 years now. All the information is accurate, and it gives you a good sense of the times. We can never truly know what these men were thinking, but this gives you a fairly good idea. I have a question though, there were two things I could not verify and since I'm researching this, it's quite important: does anyone know about the authenticity of Moira and Agna Connolly's existance? Most places say Connolly only had 6 children, but then they never give names, and the names of all his other children are accurate.

Rebels is wonderful book, encompassing the years leading up to the Rising, the events of the Rising, and the executions after the failed Rising. The book is rich in the characters of the major figures involved in the events of the Easter Rising. Pearse, the fatal idealistic, to the hard-nosed general Maxwell are beautifully protrayed. Rosa encompasses the whole view of what the rebellion meant the leaders, the British, and the people of Ireland. Also, Rosa shows the changing attitudes of the Irish people after the Rising. If you love Irish history, this book is a must read.

This is one of the most emotional, powerful books I have ever read. I felt I was I there and that I knew these people personally. The author did some incredible research or else is the ghostly embodiment of all the men of high spirit involved.

The Spy Wore Red is one of three books written by Aline Griffith Romanos who worked as an undercover spy during WW II. I discovered this book in a used book store in 25 years ago, read it several times, bought her other two books, The Spy Wore Silk and The Spy Went Dancing, gave them to my family to read; then went out and purchased them in again! I have read them more times than I can count over the years, and they are definitely in my top ten list of favorite books. This is not a book that will take you days to read, and, one you will recommend to your friends!

I don't buy any of it, not for a minute. But, this is a much more enjoyable read than several of the so-called "thrillers" I've read recently. Just suspend your disbelief, dive right in, and be swept away!

Aline, Countess of Romanos has written a spectacular book. I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading an autobiography and not a work of fiction. Aline is an agent for the OSS during World War II. She blends into Spanish high society and manages to complete her mission and introduce the reader to the thrills and chills of being an undercover agent. She also gives us a glimpse of Spanish Aristocracy, bull fighting and the inner workings of a nineteen year olds dilemma of befriending people who may be targets of her investigation. I have read all of her books but like this one the best. It is full of action, drama, and even a touch of romance. I have recommended it to all of my friends.

I have purchased 4 books by Aline Romanos. I absolutely love them. The fact that there is truth behind the story and that she really was an upper-class lady as well as a spy excites me. I find myself wishing I lived an adventurous life. She has a talent when it comes to recreating her life and exploits. I could not put it down!

The most respected historian in the field of espionage, Nigel West, studied all of Aline's spy books marketed as nonfiction and concluded "...all four of Aline's books should be regarded as fiction, and nothing more..." Read "Counterfeit Spies, Chapter 3, by Nigel West, 1998.

William Manchester's "The Arms of Krupp" is an epic look at the company, personalities, dynasty, and the nation that formed one of the world's most infamous armaments manufacturers.

From the earliest records of a Krupp in the late 16th century, the Krupp family profited off the suffering an misery of others when Arndt Krupp bought land in Essen for a bargain following an outbreak of bubonic plague. It was a pattern that played out again and again up to the Second World War; but the later tragedies the family profited off was human conflict rather than disease.

Throughout the narrative, the reader is introduced to a long list of eccentric and sometimes brutal 'Cannon Kings': from manure-loving Alfred whose genius launched die Firma into its infamous glory, the scandalous Fritz, the robotic Gustav, to the WWII-era slaveholder Alfried. At times, readers will envy the early Krupps for their dedication to die Firma, while in other instances the audience will be appalled by the Krupps' cold-blooded arms dealings that led to the deaths of so many of their own countrymen.

Manchester is keen on casting the house of Krupp as a symbol of modern Germany; as their trials and boons both seemed to coincide in recent history. Furthermore, "The Arms of Krupp" is an excellent source for insight on the pre-WWI arms race and the post-Versailles rearmament that other histories of the period overlook. Over all, it is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the history of Germany and the barons of modern warfare.

The ultimate story of the KanonenKonig. I highly recommend this book to anyone intersted in the industrial history of the Ruhr. The best work on the rise of Germany available.

It covers a lengthy span of time in Krupp saga. Its 900 pages have space for all kinds of detail, from the purely familiar and personal to the more general of German customs and idiosyncrasies, and finally -to me the most relevant and interesting- the historical. The historical from the ground perspective, is what I mean, not the ideological or political.

There's a lot of merit in this author to keep the interest along so many pages. Some of these pages are of great style, elsewhere the interest plummets a little, which is totally understandable.

One paradox in the book that can summarize the story of Krupp is the difference between the way the greatest Krupp (Alfred) treated a poor and foreign woman appealing for help, and the way his great-grandson, would treat people like her in his not-known-well-enough private concentration camps. For Alfred it was: "Necessity knows no law", a fitting motto. Exactly the opposite would be during the Nazi times. Here's a sample of great writing: "Yet there was a time when Alfred's great-grandson not only abandoned helpless women from abroad, but exploited them, and then left them to a doom far more unspeakable than the turbid gray waters of the Rhine. The bonfire of the Third Reich was rapidly being reduced to embers. No sources of manpower were left and so, necessity knowing no law, Krupp turned to girls, to mothers, and, in the end, to the construction of a private concentration camp for children."

A must read, for the fine style in which it describes important historical subjects that must be known, the day-to-day lives of the people who lived those turbulent -to say something- times. Let's not forget those horrors. And don't try to understand them, just beware how low the human race can fall.

This book is excellent for all the reasons mentioned in the other reviews. What I found REALLY annoying was the author's use of German quotes. He provides quotes, in German, usually somewhat abbreviated as shown by the use of ellipses, and then provides the translation of the entire quote in English. Since most of his readers can't read German, and the entire quote is NOT in the German version, why include them? More frustrating are the German phrases that he quotes and doesn't translate, leaving us to guess at their meanings.

William Manchester squeezes yet another masterpiece into just under a thousand pages (not counting index!) For four centuries one name was associated with the armaments that were utilized in four major wars, creating the richest family in Europe; Krupp. Each leader of the dynasty had peculiar quirks that Manchester delights over, some were involved in sex scandals, and another ran his day to the second with pure Prussian obsessive-compulsion. Krupp innovations included the steel cannon and railroad wheel; they designed the notorious 88mm of WW II, and the descendant of that gun, the 120mm hypervelocity cannon, may be seen on U.S. tanks to this day. The driving force behind the industrialization of the Ruhr, it would be legitimate to ask if Germany were responsible for the rise of Krupp, or Krupp responsible for the rise of Germany. Like so many others, Alfried Krupp fell under Hitler's spell, spurring him to run private concentration camps in order to produce more weapons. Intrafirm Krupp memoranda from this period begin to use terms such as Sklavenarbeiter (slave labor), Sklavenmarkt (the slave market), Sklavenhalter (the slave-holder, Alfried Krupps), and Judenmaterial (Jewish livestock.) The Nuremberg Trials follow, and Krupp walks away almost unscathed, to continue in business until the company foundered in the 1960s. German history and the Krupp lineage is inextricable, and there is no better writer to bring such a unique saga to life.

Au Contraire is more than a book on France, the French language, or a trifle on French "something." This book touches the essence of what it means to be French. The behind-the-scene look at the history, symbols, language, and customs is truly intriguing. The analyzation of such things as interpersonal relations, socialism, education, and other elements of French life is a treasure for the person who desires to live in France, if for only a short time. One of the most remarkable things about the book is the emphasis showing the inseperability between the language and the land: Being French is speaking the langauge, and don't forget it! It's a must for expats of any sort. I read the hefty book in a matter of days. It's just that good.

This book was insightful, rich, honest, and interesting. I could not put it down! This book is definetly worth buying, even if you are not interested in the french particularly. As someone with a french background, and french grandparents, this book makes me appreciate my heritage just a little more.

Although this book was written before the current political crisis that strained relations between France and the United States, it provides excellent general advice for everyone traveling between the two countries. It gives a fair assessment of both cultures and urges the visiter to adopt an open mind and leave cultural baggage and prejudice at home. I spent almost two years planning our recent 3 week trip throughout France and studying the language (which as the authors say is a must). It is arrogant to expect that people in any other country will automatically speak your language. Why should they? Everywhere we went people were reserved, as we expected, but courteous and helpful and sometimes quite friendly. I agree with the authors that the key to good relations and living, working or vacationing in another country, France in this case, is to learn "their" history, culture and language and embrace the differences. I recommend this book highly.

This book was used in my french business class as a cultural aspect. Its easy to follow and tries to help us American's step out of our own ideas of culture. I would recommend this book if you want to read for fun but like to learn something new as well

Anyone who visits France will enjoy this well written book. It explains much of the french culture, and relates it to the history of France. For someone who has a business, and sells products or services, this book is a textbook. Thank you for your clear, concise book. It will help you enjoy and understand your French friends and associates.

A young boy wanders from one vivid experience to another to another, just like kids do. His childhood had unique exposures to Nazi terror and horror, to be sure. But throughout those grim days, there remained that irrepressible insouciance of youth. There was even hero worship when he became involved with the French underground. He brings us right along with him as he becomes a man.

This author described what was, more than anything else, a normal, adventuresome boyhood. Although I was expecting something more like "The Diary of Anne Frank", this book was more reminiscent of "Huckleberry Finn".

Seeped into the depths of war and dispair of mankind, Dr. Burnell takes us on a journey through Nazi-occupied France during WWII. As opposed to the atrocities of holocaust victims in that same era, we are instead introduced into the lives of the common citizenry as they struggle through each day not knowing who is friend or foe. Dr. Burnell's family must decide when to run and when to stay; while knowing their decisions set them at risk to lose everything, including their lives. Balanced with historical facts, Dr. Burnell tells a tale that has us turning the pages, immersing us into the joys and sorrows of a family that in the end prevails despite their losses and succeeds in spite of the tragedy brought by war.

Dr. Burnell tells a story of fear, brutality, resourcefulness, courage, and sensitivity. These emotions are the backdrop to his autobiographical tale of growing from just-past-childhood to near-adulthood in Nazi-occupied France during WW 2. Burnell describes how he and his mother survived the relentless threat of the Nazis as they fled from city to city in France just barely ahead of the Nazi persecution. From Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country to Paris to Bordeaux and finally to Lyon in the south. Along the way his stepfather was consumed by the Holocaust and by the end Burnell was fighting back by working for the French Resistance. The writing is clear, personal, and carries the read along swiftly. I could barely put it down- thus I read it in just a few nights.

This is a well written, interesting memoir of a Holocaust survivor in France. The sections on political events are well placed and provide appropriate historic background to contents of the book.
Myself a Holocaust survivor, I learned from it a lot about life in France during those years and enjoyed reading it.

"Beating the Odds" by George Burnell is the exciting autobiography of a youngster growing up in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In 369 action packed pages, the author traces his journey from Strasbourg, France in 1939 until the end of WWII in May, 1945. "Beating the Odds" is a real page turner that reads like a novel full of twists and turns. As an adolescent French Jew, George with his family lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis and moved frequently to ellude them. Despite these risks, he manages to join his Uncle David, a Dentist, and others in the French Resistance and narrowly escapes with his life. This fascinating memoir gives the reader an interesting and unique perspective on WWII in France and I highly recommend it to you.

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!

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.