Would never sell this book! Would never loan this book! But you can come to my house and look at it. Every bit of information (and there is a lot) is absolutely accurate!
My friend Joann and I had planned two weeks in Paris, just for Flea Markets, when my "brilliant" friend Annie in California sent me this book. I can't image my "hunt" without it. It made preparing for the trip a blast and the actual running around a breeze. Thank you Sandy. I would buy anything that you wrote. To the rest of you: Don't even think about it. Just buy the book and hop on a plane. Take along Sandy's advice and extra suitcases!

Thank you, Sandy, for this great book! Just returned from Paris where 3 other antique dealers and I visited all the markets listed for Paris that were available in November. The information was accurate and honest and the directions very complete. This is a great time saver for serious shoppers like we are and enabled us to maximize our limited time in Paris. We plan to use the other sections of the book on a future trip (soon we hope!) and recommend it to others we discover that are planning a shopping trip in France. Well worth the modest price!

I roadtested this book on a recent trip to Provence and it was just what I needed. Not only did it tell me about the markets and their wares, but it also directed me to the best meal of my trip. The other big plus was useful French phrases for transactions with vendors who had little English.

I purchased this before taking a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris with my boyfriend, based on its excellent reviews on Amazon. I was not dissapointed!

This guide provided an incredible wealth of information about everything Paris -- from sights to see, places to eat, and things to do. Almost every site is accompanied with a nicely written description, map, and full-color photograph.

Here are a few notes: 1.) The information (allbeit interesting and informative) is about the touristy stuff. If you're interested in going to visit lesser-known sites, you may want to get a supplemental guide. 2.) Make sure to look up every place you go/have gone. I was surprised to found out that many of the seemingly understated little cafes we visited have long, rich histories, which the book very colorfully described. 3.) The restaurant guide, while good, is not entirely complete. If your visit will center on the French culinary experience,you may want to do a little additional research beyond the confines of this book. 4.) This leather bound special addition also contains 4 laminated, easy-reference information cards (menu reference sheet, address finder, Metro map) and a full-size city map, all of which were incredibly helpful and can not be purchased separately. 5.) The section about customs is good, as it contained valuable information on topics such as tipping and using the bathroom. (Interesting Fact: In many restaurants you have to *pay* to use the ladies room -- even if you have already purchased a meal or snack. Make sure to carry a handful of 2 Franc pieces with you at all times.) 6.) The book, though helpful, weighs a ton. Be prepared -- or beg one of your travel mates to carry it for you!

Bon voyage!

This guide is wonderful - I have never flown anywhere before and was very nervous about going to Paris, but after having this book for a week now I feel MUCH more confident! I am always opening it to look up more info - Theres so much in it I can't imagine how all that stuff can be in Paris!! I researched quite a few travel guides to Paris before buying this one and I am SO glad I chose this guide... it has detailed descriptions of each region, each monument, each street! Even comes with a menu card to help you figure out what you're about to order! haha... It gives detailed walking tours, bus routes, best times and price differences for visiting museums,... The very best part of this book though is the PICTURES!! There are pictures of everything and THAT makes it the best for me... What else can I say - if you're going to Paris - BUY THIS BOOK!

Dorling Kindersley makes the best travel guides hands down. They are extremely well illustrated, have extensive and detailed maps (thank god, because I tend to get lost very easily), up to date information on hotels (rates, rooms etc), restaurants (costs and reservation policies), and sites to see.

The travel guides have wonderful pictures, well researched histories and facts about France and more specifically Paris, what wines to look for and taste (not just by region and vineyard but also by year), sample dishes that one should try, detailed walking tours, information on famous art (there is a great section on the Louvre and all how to speed thru if you only have a limited amount of time).

The guide covers customs, money changing, travel information - you name it! Most importantly, it shares with you the best places to shop (and there are SO many in Paris), where to get good deals and SOOO much more. The book give you wonderful ideas on how to see the city in a limited time or really enjoy it if you are there for more than a few days. The book also covers things to do that many tourists might over look as well as telling you what is worth your while and what to skip. The guide also has great ideas for day trips beyond the city itself.

This is one of the best guides available on the market. It is perfect if you are planning to go to a few cities in a limited time or for more in depth information when planning a longer trip. We always lend this out to people before they plan a trip and everyone else has agreed it is top of the line.

Another wonderful travel guide from Dorling Kindersley, this one covering accommodations in fifteen European countries Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Great Places to Stay in Europe entices readers with stunning double-page photos prefacing each country introduction, which is an overview of the different types of accommodations, highlights of some of the most interesting places to see, food and drink suggestions, bedrooms and bathroom arrangements, and pertinent practical information such as tipping, telephoning, and currency.

Country sections are easy to spot: each is identified by its own colored thumb tab, and favorite places to stay are designated with a photo, while short entries offer excellent amenities but are rated slightly lower. Nonetheless, they are still "great places to stay." Photo listings have a description of the premises, telephone number and address, email address, map location, number of rooms, and other amenities, all designated by a symbol for easy usage. Price bands and a country map are also included as is a comprehensive index of hotels listed by name and by area. (Check for prices in Euros.)

As with DK's Eyewitness Travel Guides, Great Places to Stay in Europe is an ideal size for travel. Highly recommended.

If I were to have a few select books on travel, this would be one of them. It is an indispensible tool for finding enjoyable places to stay. It has maps of specific countries with the locations of the hotels it describes on the map. This is really useful when you are travelling (in a car) around as opposed to just staying in one city or two. I agree with another reveiwer that the hotels/inns/palaces with pictures are generally better than entries without a picture. Sometimes the website for the establishment will be listed. One caveat... as many countries in Europe now use the euro for currency, you may have to do some math as the prices listed are in former currencies... but the "star rating" system will give you a rough idea.

Truly outstanding publication. Perfectly organized, realistic photogrtaphs help readers select unique, charming, and exclusive inns of character. My wife wanted to stay in a castle with a moat in France. We used the book to find the perfect inn. A memorable chateau (de Boussec) in the quiet countryside, surrounded by fresh flowers, and fields of cattle. Just perfect. The Marquis (de Boussec) greeted us at the door and entertained us for dinner with his lovely wife. Our mouths watered at the homemade tenderloin and fresh berries (from the garden) served in the formal dining room. Our eyes watered when we realized we ate at a 400 year old table, where French nobility dined before us. All the hosts spoke English, all recommended unique sights. Great inns in Provence, and elsewhere. Get this book, and see a side of Europe once reserved for the aristocracy.

This is one of better historic reseach on faerie tradtion.Evans has been doing his homework by collecting infomation on celtic tradtions which is useful and lots of good infomation and one of best referances on celtic tradtions.

...to what others have said.

There is no book on this subject I have found that equals it.
This is a testament in itself, as this was first published around 1890.

Wentz was an academic, a scholar, yet in early chapters his descriptions of each area of the Isles is breathtaking. It's not dry, it's not stuffy. He spent years collecting encounters, traditions, and beliefs from the most correct source. The people themselves. This contrasts rightfully the tendancy (even more so these days with anything Celtic especially) to project things onto a culture it does not contain. No frilly, watered down, ... little creatures at your beck and call here, which is what other "authors" would have you believe.
For some, the latter chapters of this book will seem a bit dry compared to the first. Regardless of what you think of his theories, they are all intriguing, and well thought out by the author, though I agree he became a bit enchanted himself during the writing. (not a bad thing, IMO, I was enchanted as well) The collection of tales alone is worth the price. I enjoyed every page.

This should be on the shelf of anyone who says they want to learn about Faeries, Celts, and the cultures they came from.
Why read what any old outsider says? Read the words of the people who were born and raised in these cultures. They know themselves better than anyone else, no?

This book was written in the early twentieth century, and my opinion is that no faery book has yet been written to equal it. Evans-Wentz was a sophisticated scholar, and yet treated faery beliefs with the utmost of respect, and even devoted a chapter to scientific and psychological findings that render such beliefs valid. Without looking down his nose on anyone (except maybe stuffy fellow scholars who lost their imagination somewhere along the line), he reports stories of faery encounters in every Celtic nation. He interviewed great numbers of Celtic people in his travels, and collected a vast treasure trove of tales. These range from firsthand accounts to "a friend of a friend" legends to stories handed down through the generations.

After presenting a mass of information on the modern faery faith, he goes on to relate the ancient faery beliefs held by the Celts of old, as recorded in their mythology. Many pages are devoted to the adventures of CuChulainn, Arthur, Bran, and other figures who moved in and out of the Otherworld. He also discusses the Otherworld itself, the misty land where the faeries, the gods, and the dead dwelled. Especially stunning is his assertion that the Celts participated in mysteries much like those of Eleusis. The mythological evidence IS THERE, as Evans-Wentz proves. I only wish someone in those days had written something down to indicate whether or not this is true!

This is the best book ever written on the fae, IMHO. It ought to be on every Celtophile's shelf right next to Squire's _Celtic Myth and Legend_. As a matter of fact, the two books make excellent companions for one another.

This book might be the most widely read among Bloch¡¯s works who is the pioneer of Annal school. This book typifies the methodology of Annal school. History as a science took off in the 19th century. But Bloch argued that it was not history but just chronicles of events and political episodes. Bloch posed the fundamental questions: ¡®What is the history?¡¯ and ¡®What does history serve for?¡¯ To be a science, the object of history should be not the particular but the universal. Bloch did not think the universal law is possible in history. Then, the object of historical research should be the relation which may refer not to the law but to structure. This structure sets the boundary (or in Braudel¡¯s word, the possible and the impossible) on the everyday life, and has the not-so-easily changeable long-term duration (or in Braudel¡¯s term, longue duree). Whereas Braudel¡¯s trilogy, ¡®Civilization and Capitalism¡¯ is about the capitalism as longue duree (for more detail, see my reviews on those volumes), Bloch¡¯s ¡®Feudal Society¡¯ is about the feudalism as longue duree.
Marxists and others maintained the feudalism originated from the sudden and violent collision between Roman society and German society. It¡¯s the child born from the violent and coercive marriage. But Bloch argues that resulting form of feudalism had its origin not directly in German invasion but in subsequent invasions of the Moslem, the Norman, and the Hungarian. These added up to the uncontrollable chaos all over Western Europe, and ended in the collapse of effective ruling of the state. Feudal system as we know emerged in this stalemate which Frank empire and other states of the time faced. State apparatus could not be maintained for state could not pay bureaucrats salary. Frank empire pioneered the alternative system which was later known as feudalism. What characterizes feudalism is the unique social type based on the principle of subordination and custody. The principle is similar to the patron/client relationship of Roman age. But feudal one is based on the principle of contract which is premised on reciprocity. Put another way, feudalism is the network of reciprocal relationship of rights and responsibility from king to serf. Ruling class could not wield power over serf in unilateral way. In this vein, feudal system is both social (between classes) and political (among ruling class) relationships. Bloch maintained this relationship should be called as feudalism. It¡¯s a social type which is not limited to the economic terrain as Marxists argued.

Bloch's work is one of the ten most important and influential books on medieval Europe. Bloch displays true excellence in sholarship and narration. Nothing is stated without factual documentation to support it, and no information is carried beyond its logical conclusions. It is essential to read this two volume work before moving too deeply into medieval studies. Combine this work with Strayer's Feudalism (out of print, unfortunately) and you will have a good understanding of what society was like in a good portion of the Middle Ages.

Marc Bloch's Feudal Society is the most informative and by far the best documented treatise one is likely to encounter among all the books and articles ever written on this subject. Bloch cogently remarked, in effect, that a land without a Lord is a land without a history, and that of course is a land without records - records which document and address not only the daily issues and encounters of classes in feudal society, but which also inform readers of the critical changes over time, in the passing of the first and second feudal age and its dissolution in the rise of capitalist social formations. Hardly a line was written without ample documentation. It is a wonderful companion to Carl Stephenson's slender volume, Mediaeval Feudalism, on feudal social and political institutions.

Having served in the occupation forces in Germany at the end of WW2. it is only now, after having read "German Girl", that I realize how unaware I was of the true extent of the German peoples struggle to survive. German pride and discipline enabled the general population to mask the true picture of how difficult life really was for them. So, it is not surprising that while I lived amongst them, I never was fully aware of their plight. The author Erika Karres paints a very realistic picture of what life was like during the last phases of the war and on into the post war occupation period. She honestly and courageously bares her heart and soul, and in vivid detail describes what she saw and felt. I admired her strength of character, endurance and questioning nature as she faced the hopeless and devastated world in which she found herself. A good example of a German that didn't approve of the depravity and wickedness of the Nazi regime, and risked questioning and speaking out against it.
I highly recommend this exciting and well written book. It tends to remind one that there are decent human beings in this world, and their courage and endurance under seemingly impossible conditions is a source of strength and hope.
Harold Hendler

"All I have ever know is having to scrounge around for food. But that's not so bad if you have the one thing you deperately need." This is not some sentimental or romantic fairy tale. This is an eyes-wide-open look at what life was like for one little girl and her family trying to scrath out a life in Germany from her birth in 1939 through the 1950s. She struggles with her siblings (10 at one point) just to feed and cloth themselves. Her mother dies when she is just 6 years old from blood clots. Her step mother his on a continual slide towards total mental breakdown. Their house is occupied in turn by American and French forces. She eventually begins aromance with an American soldier who is there as part of the occupation force. Through it all she keeps asking what happened to the Jews? What happened to Germany? And she survives. With her mind and soul severely bruised, but intact.

If you want an easy read that won't challenge you, then move on. But, if you would prefer to take a dose of reality and read about a somebody who faced a world gone cruelly insane - and survived to tell us about it, then check out this book. Thank you, Erika, for sharing your story with us. I think we all have to find our own answer to the question you asked your father: "Is apolitical the same as amoral?"

From feigling (coward) to bravour (bravery): A German Tale, where a little girl's memories of flowers, balloons, milk and cookies, childhood adventures, long walks, family vacations, and kisses from a sweetheart take on different meanings. A German Tale, where snails, kitty cats, bunnies, and little bugs bring a feast of delight for the eye of the beholder. A German Tale, a story of truth - and the shame of a country. Life during war as told through the eyes of a little girl, Erika delivers to the world a healing book for the soul of anyone who reads it.

There are historians who still contend the history of the Atlantic began in 1492 with Columbus' crossing. Barry Cunliffe gently unravels such "Christo-centrism" with a sweeping history of the Atlantic littoral peoples and their activities. Using a wealth of archaeological and geological evidence, he traces cultural and likely trade patterns to build a picture of dynamic societies. Unlike the accounts of conquisidor Spain or a globally imperial Britain, Cunliffe focuses on community life, active commerce and cultural exchange. With a descriptive challenge covering nearly ten millenia, florid prose would be an unnecessary luxury. The reading is anything but dry, however. Cunliffe doesn't delve into much ambitious speculation, but he's careful to apply "highly debateable" to issues not clearly resolveable. He combines evidence and logic in building his few speculations. The resulting picture is informed and informative.

Cunliffe begins with the physical structure and changes the Atlantic area underwent after the glacial retreat. As the ice melted, of course, the seas rose. The lost weight of the ice allowed the landforms to "rebound", a process still underway. The result is a lack of uniformity in sea level change and coastal forms. Rivers that once were self-cleansing slowed and silted estuaries and harbours as the land elevated. He provides several maps indicating old and new shorelines to depict the various shifting of shorelines and port locations. These maps and those showing grave sites, settlements, mines and artefact types enhance the worth of this book beyond cavil.

Throughout this account, the Morbihan coast and the Armorican residents remain the pivotal area of activity. Innovations may arise and flourish in various places, but if these failed to pass through what is now Brittany, dissemination was unlikely. The Gironde, Loire and Garonne rivers became the primary trade routes inland, but a lively trade must have flourished along the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic shores to the British Isles using short-hop local carriers. Cunliffe's analysis is chiefly supported by grave and community artefacts of pottery, weaponry and jewelly. While origin points for styles of these items is difficult to locate, their spread over time is more easily traced. What is notably significant is the obvious two-way movement of goods - tin and gold coming into western Europe in exchange for fine pottery and metal goods sent in return. The Armoricans were bypassed by nearly all the waves of invasion, keeping a traditional culture nearly intact until the Carolingian era. "Brittany" resulted from the waves of Irish and western England emigrants settling there in flight from Norman incursions in the British Isles.

Faults with this book are nearly non-existent. His bibliography, while extensive, might have been more detailed. Ten millenia, even in a restricted geographical area, is ambitious coverage and listing even the better sources would likely have doubled the size. A fuller bibliography instead of chapter references would have been a more useful tool, although Cunliffe is careful to note which sources have the best bibliographies of their own. Anyone with an interest in European history should consider this book a "must have".

Barry Cunliffe ties together a comprehensive and detailed chronological description of the archaeological record for the Atlantic coastal areas of present day Spain, Portugal, France, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland with a superb discussion of geography to provide a 9,500 year historical overview of these areas as an integrated cultural milieu whose evolution had more in common with each other than with inland areas or the rest of Europe.

The book is beautifully displayed with numerous and extraordinary photos, maps and illustrations that greatly aid in understanding the textual discussion. But well beyond just describing archaeological material, the author places this material in its geographical and historical context and then explains what this spatial and chronological record has to say, or may have to say, concerning the evolution of the regions' material and social cultures. Along the way, he weaves together a fascinating historical narrative and ties this to the archaeological record.

The book is beautiful to look at, well written, professionally comprehensive, and with a unique perspective on historical development. Yes, there are some editing errors and arguably some factual errors but to my knowledge they are few, insignificant and in no way detract from the quality of this book. My personal opinion is that the greatest strength of the book lies in its treatment of geography as a unifying, connecting or separating force as revealed in the archaeological record and this alone strongly recommends its reading.

If you wish, read it for its historical overview of trade, migration, development and warfare, its up to date and comprehensive discussion of the archaeological record, or simply to discover more places to visit (I have) from studying the maps and photos.

This exceptionally well-illustrated book describes the history and activities of the peoples who lived along Europe's western seaboard between 8,000 B.C. and 1,500 A.D. The author, a professor of archaeology at Oxford, believes that the Atlantic Ocean profoundly influenced the psychology and culture of those who lived on its edge. In many cases, they interacted more with each other than with peoples living in the interior of the continent; the seas became a link rather than a barrier. Maps of trade routes and archaeological finds illustrate these connections. The photographs, many of them in color, are first class. This is a unique and intriguing way to look at Western European history.

Now in a completely updated fourth edition, Louis CasaBianca's First-Time Europe continues to be a premiere, "user friendly" travel guide for the novice traveler to Europe. All aspects of preparing for a trip are covered including getting a passport, securing economical air transportation, selecting rail passes, what to pack, and planning ahead of time on where to go and what to see. While in Europe, readers will have access to invaluable, practical information on best value accommodations, navigating the sights, and traveling from city to city. The informative text is enhanced with eight pages of color maps and all the major rail routes. First-Time Europe is replete with money-saving tips, as well as advice for staying health, keeping out of trouble, staying in touch, itinerary suggestions, and more! If you are planning your first trip to Europe (or a second, third, or fourth!), begin by browsing through Louis CasaBianca's First-Time Europe!

This book is a must for travelers of all ages, first-timers, and old-timers!!! I will be making a trip to Europe this summer, and this book has covered everything, what to do and what not to do, and also has several funny and serious first-hand accounts of things that the author had gone through from his travels to Europe. THIS BOOK IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!

While planning my first time trip to Europe, I bought several guidebooks: Frommer's Europe, Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door, Lonley Planet's Europe While all of these are excellent guides, this one is the best if you are planning your first trip abroad or even to learn new things and gain a better perspective of budget travel. After you read this book, you must read Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door. Rick's book is equally as good with a little more depth and a different perspective. Side note - buy your rail tickets from Rick Steve.(ricksteve.com) He sends you one of his books at no cost and sends a video on how to use your rail tickets. His website is the best for travel to Europe that I have found so far. Anyway, buy this book - it will save you hundreds in Europe or abroad and totally prepare you for your trip!!!

Traquair utilizes a number of contemporary sources--both English and Scottish--to accurately reconstruct Robert Bruce's ambitious grab for the Scottish throne. Traquair also has a fine grasp of politics, the motives of all the key figures, and an understanding of the strategies that worked and the ones that failed. If you want to know not just WHAT happened, but WHY, this is the right book for you.

Yes, it is pure history and a fresh look at it, but done with a readable craft that nearly makes you forget that. Traquair has a firm control of what he wants to impart.

Well researched, loaded with tons of interesting details, maps and pictures - (many colour plates) , I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a better understanding of the rise of Wallace and the Bruce and the conflict that caused England and Scotland to go to war.

Peter Traquair's gift is to make a complex narrative readable and enjoyable whilst he retains scholalry assuredness. This is a barnstorming book that takes no prisoners in the pursuit of the truth behind the wars with a genuine feel for the period and the players. He avoids the mythology that damns so many Scottish books and places the wars in their wider context, whether in the Scottish highlands, the Plantagenet court or in the milieu of European warfare. This is a brilliant and rare study. Read it.

I planned a trip to Ireland for my Mother, 4 sisters and Myself.
I started with "Ireland for Dummies" then read "Frommer's Ireland 2001" and crossed referenced with "Ireland from $60 a Day". I learned more from these books in 2 weeks than in all of my years as a Travel Agent and Airline staff!! Their detailed in-sight and straight-forward advice was right on target. They give prices,times, phones numbers and payment information. They tell you where to go, what to do and who to talk to. I loved their list of on-line addressess for information. Only two things were wrong with my copy. They quoted every price in Irish pounds that were useless after February 2002. I realize that they had to go to print before this change and were unable to adapt in time. The other was lack of detailed mapping. A free map was included inside "Ireland 2001" but only had some of the streets shown for Dublin. I know these will be corrected in future printings. I would recommend these Frommer's books to anyone!! They are written in plain English, yet don't talk down to you(even the "Dummies" book. It was quite humorous)

My family used Frommer's Ireland 12th Ed. extensively before, during ,and after our trip to Ireland in July of 2002. The first two chapters Best of..., and Planning your Trip... were worth the purchase price alone. All of the Best of tips we followed were excellent choices.
The large fold out map that was included served very well during our driving tour of Ireland. Using the county and town maps that were included in the local sections kept us right on track. Distances are deceptive however. It takes longer to get anywhere you go than it would appear from reading the map. The Irish road system is not built for speed ( nor comfort for that matter) so plan accordingly. It takes a long time to drive across the country, or from county to county. More could have been made of this issue in the guide. Our biggest mistake was trying to do too much.
The up to date information on Dublin was very helpful, as were the frequent tips throughout the guide on ways to avoid the summer crowds. I used the web addresses that were included for lodging and found them very helpful for checking availability and booking our rooms quickly. Don't go without it!

My wife and I traveled around Ireland for two weeks this summer, and Frommer's Ireland was an amazingly helpful tool.

Realizing this would probably be the last time we'd be traveling abroad for a while, we decided to mix it up a bit --"inexpensive" to "moderate" accommodations and restaurants in most places, with a few dabbles in the "expensive" (and even one "very expensive") splurges along the way. Across the board, the recommendations in this book were outstanding. What to see and do, where to stay, where to eat and shop.....all were presented in a very down-to-Earth way. The eye for small detail and nuances throughout the book made us feel we were getting advice from a local expert who REALLY knows her stuff.

I can't say enough about how helpful this guide was to us -- it really made our trip a memorable one. The fold-out map got us around most of the country with no trouble....once a nice gentleman in a petrol station showed me how to get my rental car into reverse.

All in all, a terrific book.