Over the last several years eleven members of my family have made trips to Poland. Each time, we've visited a different part of the country. Our most recent trip was in April/May 2002. We all have several different travel books about Poland that we've purchased over the years. However, without consulting one another, three of us carried their copies of this book with them, and pulled them out when we met in Warsaw. We all agreed that this is the best book on traveling in Poland. As we toured through the country, we would read about the places that we would be visiting the next day. The book's information was always good and easy to locate. Even now that we've returned, we're still exchanging phone calls with advice to read a certain page in the LONELY PLANET- POLAND book for some information that we'll need for our next trip.

This is the only book you'll need for seeing Poland. By the way, Poland is a wonderful place to visit with gracious people, historical buildings, great restaurants, beautiful cathedrals, and ancient cities with remarakable towns squares.

This book was my primary guide through Poland in January 2002 and was wonderfully up to the task. My personal bias tends to be in favor of Lonely Planet's level of detail and thorough research, but even my long-time Polish friends were amazed at its accuracy, comprehensiveness, and "insider information". When at a loss for places to eat in Warsaw or Krakow, this book provided a wealth of suggestions close to wherever we were at the moment. Some eating establishments and places of interest my friends had forgotten, but they later identified them as "must sees" once the guide brought them back to memory. One such restaurant was found in the back of a courtyard in Krakow which catered mainly to locals but served some of the most hearty, wonderful food I have had in some time. Finding housing in smaller Polish towns in winter can sometimes be a challenge, but I still found plenty of options in this guide. Thanks to this book, I ended up with a cozy private room with bath in the archdiocese of Lublin for $8 a night. Prices in the guide were still accurate and helped me gauge whether or not I was being charged the "tourist fare". Much of my travel involved visiting former concentration camps, and I found plenty of information here to guide me to my destinations. However, things can and have changed in the few years since the publication date (e.g. the Treblinka memorial is no longer accessible by bus from Malkinia). The good news is that Lonely Planet posts updates to their guide books on their website which you can print out and stick in your book. I submitted my own updates to them via email. You may well be able to get around Poland's major destinations sufficiently well with Lonely Planet's guide to Eastern Europe, but for longer jaunts through the country, you'll probably want this one with you.

I'm staying in Poland for three months and the Lonely Planet-book gives me so many suggestions of things to see that I will return in a short time to see more of the country because three months are not enough. It is my first Lonely Planet book, but I am sure I will buy more. The guide never disappointed me. There is information in it for all types of persons! Latest information can be found on Internet so your guide is always up-to-date. You just should buy one when going to Poland.

Last summer I went to Switzerland with my girlfriend. She had this book with her. It was great! It helped us to see interesting places, find affordable hotels, good restaurant. I recommend this book to anyone who is planning on going to Switzerland.

This was by far the most helpful resource that I took to Switzerland--extremely detailed, logically organized, and quite accurate. Walking in Switzerland was extremely helpful in its well-written trail and regional descriptions as well as precise information on surrounding logistics. A must for anybody who intends to hike (seriously or casually) in the region. At the risk of gushing overmuch, this is quite possibly the most useful travel guide I've ever bought.

It took us to places that the locals thought were not available without local knowledge. I highly recommend this book. Please e-mail me with your comments

For the romantic of either sex, this joyous look at love & adventure in Provence shares nine true stories. Each concludes with advice on where to go to experience romance, & for dinner with that special person - a menu "a deux" with simple recipes.

From its style to its authentic-sounding anecdotes ranging from the picturesque to the emotionally charged, to its superb enthusiasm, all is just wonderful. Including recipes was a startlingly good idea. Love in Provence should be proposed as mandatory reading in universities and colleges, for these are times when more windows need to be opened onto the world.

Yvone Lenard has done it again. Reading her books is like being in Provence with her. You can picture the lavender filled fields, and taste the delicious food. These stories are both amusing and touching. I loved it!

"It was the autumn of 1956. That night I had made love to Ann for the first time." Thus the narrative begins in this facsimile edition of the great 1954 fictional story of Geri, Ann, and Manuel on the Left Bank of Paris.

Think of this story as the illustrated version of Kerouac's "On the Road" for the bohemians from abroad living in Paris at the same time.

Anyone who has visited Paris has seen the young people living in cars, sleeping on the Metro and on park benches, and panhandling while enjoying the dubious pleasures of illegal drugs and the inspiration of great jazz. Well, it was like that in the early fifties, too, as this book so brilliantly displays.

Before going further, let me caution potential readers that the book openly discusses sexual topics (including sexual transmitted diseases), drug use, theft, and other crimes. No one will find this book as an exemplar of "right" living. In addition, some of the photographs are sexually suggestive or involve partial nudity. I have rated this as a five star book for its photographic essay and accompanying text. I would have rated it very low for the lack of morals that it projects if that were the basis of my rating.

Like "On the Road," this fictionalized account is based on real people. The central figure is Australian Ann, an artist who lived with Geri. Mexican Manuel met Ann through Geri, even though Geri eventually fell in love with him. The author followed these young people through Paris for months to capture the brilliant moments of their lives, and added a spare commentary to tie it together.

Ann had orange hair and black around her eyes. "She danced like a negress" in the jazz club where Manuel first saw her. When Manuel told her that she said, "Thank you. I'd like to have a child by a negro. They are so elegant. Gentle and restful, too." Manuel reports, "I fell in love with her."

Over the course of the book, Ann takes many lovers and her relationship comes and goes with Manuel. So he is always on the outside looking in. This is literal as well as figurative, because he was often living on the streets while she had a place with Geri.

The photographs are the heart of the story. And they tell a dynamic story indeed of a vibrant and fascinating young woman who easily drew others to her. You will see the power of her personality and attractiveness in almost every image. Men stand straighter and move in languid circles to match her every twist. You can feel the pounding jazz and the self-confidence that take turns in animating her.

Her power over Manuel is intense. She eventually starts going with an American sailor. When the two of them go for a meal, Manuel is jealous and eats in the same restaurant in order to watch them. Unable to pay, he is arrested and spends two months in jail. He is sure that this has impressed her. The photographs capture the American and the jail where Manuel is sent in equally powerful images.

Ann's artistic work is nicely captured in a series of images that feature her work in progress as well as finished canvases.

Each of the photographs is very dark, often with graininess that suggests seedy surroundings -- which these were. The compositions are both complex and spontaneous. It must have taken remarkable patience to capture both simultaneously.

Part of the book's appeal is that it will make you feel quite young, and remember how intensely you felt at that age. The book is remarkably effective in that way.

After you finish enjoying the book and its noir environment, I suggest that you think about how the energy and intensity of youth can be directed into more constructive pursuits. What challenges can be made to be as much fun as partying nonstop in Paris cellars while great jazz pounds? Obviously, whatever you come up with should be sure to include its own fair share of partying, to celebrate important progress. I wonder if working for Habitat for Humanity abroad or doing missionary work could hold or be made to hold this kind of appeal. What do you think?

Live vividly with every cell of your existence . . . in pursuit of a worthy cause!

Melbourne, Australia, September 2000. I have recently been sitting at Vali Myer's feet, listening to her marvellous stories about the people and places she lived in Europe from the late 40's. She set me straight about some things that appeared in "Love on the Left Bank" Her name was never "Ann" although she was married to Rudy Rappold, her name has always been Vali Myers! So, sorry for my mistake in assuming Ann had been Vali's name, it never was!

This beautiful facsimile edition of "Love on the Left Bank" by Ed van der Elsken, (originally published in 1954) is a photographic narrative of the artists, writers and other creative characters that gave the Left Bank, Paris, its distinctive bohemian flavor. Through Ed van der Elsken's evocative black and white photography we participate in the cafe and street culture of the famous "Latin Quarter."

Ed van der Elsken's photographs have been exhibited in Paris, the Netherlands, London and New York. In "Love on the Left Bank" its impossible not to notice his adoration of Ann, "the girl with orange hair who danced like a negress." She appears throughout the book., with her entourage of men. The camera follows her intimately, like a jealous lover, into the bedroom she shares with a girlfriend, to the bars and cafes where she dances passionately, and glancing over the shoulders of her friends and the many men who swarm around her.

Van der Elsken gives us this rare opportunity to see the young Vali Myers, (formerly Ann Rappold) who is now recognized world wide for her amazing and magically intricate paintings, first begun whilst she was living hand to mouth in Paris in the 1950's. Some of Vali Myer's earlier drawings are also included in this unique book, which is yet another reason why it is a must for collectors of art and photography.

I think DelNegro is a fabulous storyteller. I enjoy reading Lucy Dove to my daughter's friends, especially at sleepovers...and let's not forget about Oct. 31st! The images Gore illustrated are so beautifully errie. You feel like you have stepped right into this Celtic tale. As both an author and illustrator for children's books, I can truly appreciate the craftmanship that went into this wonderful book. I Hope there will be another retold or original tale, soon? I certainly will be the first in line!

I am lucky enough to know Janice and have heard her telling of this story which she has put into print. If you are not so lucky, the book does an excellent job of capturing her haunting, original tale. The ghostly illustrations set the mood for a graveyard trek. Lucy, the elderly and brave heroine, has that look of determination of one who will not be put down.

In almost lyrical prose, inspired by traditional Celtic lore, an elderly woman is the brave heroine who sets out to meet a challenge issued by the laird. The illustrations support, rather than compete, with this tale of a strong woman, but it is the words, imagined in the minds of readers or listeners, that truly cast the spell.

Lucy Dove is up for the challenge of seeing if there really is a ghost in the graveyard. She takes the challenge and succeeds, overcoming the odds and beating the monster. With all of the urban legend hype nowadays, Lucy Dove proves one urban legend in her town true- and lives to tell the tale!

My AP European History students are required to purchase this book - and we basically read it from cover to cover. I have looked at literally hundreds of primary source readers - and can honestly say, this book is the best. The great thing about this book is that it weaves together primary source material with outstanding commentary and interpretation.

The selections are short but normally they contain the basic idea of each thinker. In here you can find all sorts of thinkers; philosophers, artists, scientists, theologians, and literary figures. If they impacted Western civilization - they will probably be included in this volume.

Pretty inexpensive volume - just think about it, you get to converse with some of the greatests minds that have ever lived. Not a bad way to spend an evening. :o)

Baumer crusades to teach us from a historical perspective why we think the way we do -- much as genealogies teach us about the way we look and act. While my interests lie in economics, Baumer's narratives on developments of western thought provide a relevant and thoughtful backdrop. Why not, of course, the study of economics is all about the study of human behavior.

This anthology is a must-have for any student or teacher of Western history. Its impeccably selected collection of excerpts from all fields of study makes it an invaluable resource for capturing the essence of any era in modern history.

This is the brilliant book that made Richard Southern's reputation as one of the finest medieval historians. Everything that the two earlier reviewers have said is true and needn't be repeated. The bottom line is this: if you are very interested in the subject, and have already read about it to some extent, then you must read this book. It is astonishly rich in ideas -- almost too much so; and many of the observations that Southern makes in a seemingly casual way can give such blinding insight that you may find yourself stopping for several minutes at a time just to marvel at what you've read.

One the other hand, this book is for serious students of history (it was originally devised for a college course). Those casually interested in finding out "what happened" in the middle ages will find it boring and useless.

The Making of the Middle Ages by RW Southern
When I asked for suggestions as to what I should read to expand my knowledge of the social history of the Middle Ages, a friend with a degree in Medieval History suggested Richard Southern's The Making of the Middle Ages. I was hoping for a fairly straightforward book about women, warfare, technology, medicine, what it was like to live in a Medieval town and so forth, and The Making of the Middle Ages is not that book. It is, nevertheless, a fascinating and well written volume, and well worth the time and money.
Southern limits his discussion to the period from the end of the 10th century to the beginning of the 13th century--from 972 to 1204 to be exact. The book is divided into five chapters: the first discusses the relationship between Europe and its neighbors--the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic countries. The general European perception of these countries, trade, the Crusades, and the transmission of knowledge all form parts of this chapter. The second chapter is on "The Bonds of Society"; in this chapter Southern treats the emergence of centralized government, serfdom, and the idea of knighthood. The third chapter deals with Christianity and society--the mingling of secular and sacred in the medieval church, the growth of power of the papacy, and monasticism. The fourth chapter is about intellectual and literary changes which took place during Southern's period, and the final chapter "From Epic to Romance" concerns the growing interest in mysticism, in the cult of the Virgin, and in more personal forms of piety. One of the most charming aspects of The Making of the Middle Ages is the astonishing diversity of the anecdotes that Southern relates to illustrate his points. Southern introduces us to a host of interesting and esoteric historical figures: the "nameless traveller" who carried the news of the death of Count Wilfred of Cerdana from Spain through France and into Germany; the elusive Prester John; the heroic Boethius who undertook the Herculean task of saving the entire corpus of Greek scholarship; and the virtually unknown Peter of Blois--poet, archdeacon, and correspondent--whose letters give us a glimpse into the life of a high-ranking ecclesiastical official, to list only a few. Southern also relates, with vigor and style, the history of the bloody and cynical Counts of Anjou and how they slowly and strategically consolidated and expanded their territorial holdings.
Southern's language is also amusing. This is not a dry textbook-style introduction to Medieval history--Southern allows himself to indulge in the colorful turns of phrase which impart so much pleasure to reading, but which have been so rigorously winnowed out of most scholarly and academic writing. My copy of The Making of the Middle Ages is full of underlined passages which are interesting for their writing as much as for their content. In the final chapter of the book ("From Epic to Romance"), Southern observes that "Chretien probes the heart, but it is the enamelled heart of the twelfth-century secular world, not yet made tender by the penetration of strong religious feeling." I don't know if I will ever have occasion to refer to the "enamelled heart of the twelfth century secular world," but I hope I will.
However, from the point of view of an interested layperson, The Making of the Middle Ages is a challenging read. Southern assumes a great deal of knowledge on the part of his reader, and many of the connections he draws are difficult to appreciate for someone who has only a tenuous grasp on Medieval history and who is struggling to assimilate the mass of information on which the author is drawing to support his points. Also, Southern's book has something in common with another book that I continue to enjoy each time I read it: Peter Brown's The World of Late Antiquity. Each time I open The World of Late Antiquity, I am again charmed by Brown's style and by the subtle connections that he draws. Yet as soon as I put it down, the details begin to slip away from me. I am afraid that The Making of the Middle Ages may have the same ephemeral effect on my understanding of the late 10th to the early 13th centuries, but I would nonetheless recommend it to anyone who has at least a Western-civ level of background knowledge to provide a jumping-off point from which to appreciate this book.

This seminal book is required reading for any serious student of medieval history. The writer seems to have an almost uncanny sense of the psychology of Europe in medieval times, a true creator of the Middle Ages is he. Very well written, one of the best books i ever read on Medieval Europe.

I found this to be a detailed look at just about every theory that has been expounded about the Iron Mask. The great part was reading each new guess, agreeing with the author on the possibilities, then realizing that it couldn't possibly be that person because Noone then demolishes the theory. Highly enjoyable, and a read that hopefully will put away the tiresome "Twin Brother of Louis XIV" theory for good.

This is one of the most complete compendia of theories as to who was the Man in the Iron Mask. However, at the end, Noone totally negates all theories in favor of his own: that the MITIM was...well I will let you find out for yourselves. It is a silly end to a great book.

The MITIM is one of the enduring mysteries of French History, in itself fascinating even without the secret that has been hidden for 350 years. Will someone ever solve it? Perhaps.

Excellent! This book is a must for anyone interested in the "Man in the Iron Mask". Mr. Noone reveals some very interesting theories and possibilities as to who the MITIM really is. I STRONGLY recommend it!

The information coupled with the detailed, amazing illustrations make this book a must when wanting to learn the lifestyle of a feudal knight. The book shows aerial and cut-away illustrations of a castle. It also shows detailed illustrations and information on how the knights armor was put together and put on with assistance. The World of the Medieval Knight also explained the process in which a noble man's son would become a knight. This information alone makes this book a useful book while learning about the Middle Ages, but it also covers customs and feasts and town life. This book exceeded my expectations.

This is a great book not only for young people who want to learn about castles and the medieval lifestyle but also adults who are first learning about the period.

It's one thing to read text but it's even better to see pictures which bring it to life.

In this picture book, we get information about castle life, manors and towns, armor, leg defenses, the cuirass, arm defenses, gauntlets, helmets, arming a knight, weapons, making armor, horses, retainers, siege warfare, tournaments, battle, foot combat, crusades, hunting, food and banquets, ladies and the decline of knights.

Invigorating to read. Also, check out CASTLE AT WAR by Andrew Langley (another illustrated book).

This was a wonderfully written book on the knights world. This book goes into many interesting details of the medieval knights world and is both entertaining and informative. There is even interspersed humor. My 8 year old son has taken it out of the library twice and has asked for it for Christmas. It has also inspired him to try and make his own knights helmet.