Product Description
This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies. First published as a lavish colour coffeetable book, this new expanded paperback edition has double the original number of contributions from many celebrities including Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Adie, Kevin Spacey, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Richard Mabey , Simon Jenkins, John Sergeant, Benjamin Zephaniah, Joan Bakewell, Antony Beevor, Libby Purves, Jonathan Dimbleby, and many more: and a new preface by HRH Prince Charles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Bill's Best Work
I'm a huge fan of Bill Bryson and must have read everything he's written at least twice. I bought "Icons of England" purely because it has his name on the cover (and yes, I know it is edited by, rather than written by Bill). Unfortunately it is disappointing - the articles are short on fact and long on reminiscing about the past. As such I suggest they are perhaps only really of interest to their writers.The articles' only saving grace is that each is very short, allowing the reader to quickly skip through each one and on to the next in the increasingly forlorn hope that one of them might be amusing or of interest. This didn't happen though and I got to the end of the book very quickly and with a certain sense of gullibility, based on the fact that this is one book that I erroneously judged by its cover! Sorry Bill, but I expect more from something with your name on it.

Not actually BY Bill Bryson ...
OK, OK.I know it says "Edited by Bill Bryson".Apparently, I just looked at the big name on the cover and made some assumptions.I love reading Bill Bryson.Everything he writes makes me laugh.I wanted to read Bill Bryson humour about icons of England.This book contains short (1-3 page) essays about icons of England, which are lovely and thoughtful and illuminating, but NOT written by Bryson.The best part of the book for me was the short introductory passage written by Bill Bryson, which was only 6 pages.I was disappointed, but you may not be, if you clearly understand what you are buying.

Icons of Englad
This book will make you laugh cry and THINK.Short articles describing places and things in England that are important in ways you would never imaginge.I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought a paper back version for my grandson who had gone to university in York, England.I think I may put it back in my Kindle and read it again.Enjoy. Joan Fowler, Rochester, NH

Could use more Bryson
Wonderful, nostalgic depiction of some things that make Britain, well, British.Some pieces too short and it could have benefited from more comment by Bryson. ... Read more

Product Description
The extraordinary popularity of books and magazines dedicated to travel comes as no surprise, given that more and more Americans are traveling each year for business, pleasure, and especially adventure. Our fascination with travel has never been so well represented as in this new addition to the Best American series: a wide-ranging compendium of the best travel writing published in 1999, culled from more than three hundred magazines, newspapers, and Web sites. This first collection of THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING reads like a good novel. Best-selling author Bill Bryson and series editor Jason Wilson have put together a book that will surprise knowledgeable travelers and entrance newcomers with the glories of new worlds. Articles by such well-loved writers as Bill Buford and Ryszard Kapuscinski are included, as are those by exciting new voices. Ranging across myriad landscapes, from Central Park in New York City to the Ouadane oasis in Saharan Mauritania, THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2000 showcases the diversity and creative power of travel writing today.Amazon.com Review
The world may be getting smaller, but that doesn't mean it'sany less varied, surprising, or exotic--as is made evident by the 25essays collected in the inaugural edition of the Best AmericanTravel Writing series. In search of America's sharpest, mostoriginal, and often, most curious travel writers, editor Bill Brysonand series editor Jason Wilson sifted through hundreds ofstories. What the resulting collection demonstrates is that, as Wilsonwrites, travel stories matter:

Having a travel writerreport on particular things, small things, the specific ways in whichpeople act and interact, is perhaps our best way of getting beyond theclichés that we tell each other about different places andcultures, and about ourselves.

Distance is not aprerequisite for travel writing, though humor is invaluable, as BillBuford shows in his attempt to do what you just don't do--spend thenight in Central Park. When Dave Eggers discovers hitchhiking is whatmakes Cuba move, it becomes the point of his trip to "pick up andmove people, from here to there." Tongue in cheek, he declares, "Soeasy to change the quality, the very direction, of Cubans' lives!" Then again, sometimes humor is just not appropriate, particularly ifyou've been kidnapped by Ugandan rebels (as was Mark Ross) or you'retrying to help the Dalai Lama choose the next Panchen Lama withoutjeopardizing lives (as did Isabel Hilton). In any case, it's allhappening here--golf in Greenland, cheese smuggling from France, evena ride with the Toughest Truck Driver in the World. This collectionproves that travel writing is a genre whose time has come. --LesleyReed ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Cassette edition contains only 10 stories
I bought the audio (cassette) edition of this book partly because the seller advertised it as "unabridged". Hmmmm...

OK, the 10 stories included are unabridged, but I have now become aware that the print edition of this book contains 25 stories. So I'm feeling rather cheated.

I'm awarding four stars for the the product as is, neglecting the fact that it only contains 10 stories and not 25.

The stories that are included in this edition are "From the wonderful people who brought you the killing fields" (Cambodia), "Inside the hidden kingdom" (Bhutan), "Winter rules" (Greenland), "Lard is good for you" (Costa Rica), "Lions and tigers and bears" (Central Park, New York City), "Nantucket on my mind" (Nantucket Island, USA), "Confessions of a cheese smuggler" (Paris, France), "Hitchhiker's Cuba" (Cuba), "Weird Karma" (India) and "Exiled beyond kilometer 101" (Russia).

I liked all of the stories, some better than others, but all of them were interesting.

Three of the stories are read by Bill Bryson, and he does a good job of it. Three are read by the respective authors, and that's a mistake - authors in general are poor readers. The remaining four stories are read by professional readers, which is the way it should be.

Recommended, but be aware that you're getting only 10 stories out of the 25 that the print edition contains.

Rennie Petersen

Travel Stories- A Great Genre
Americans generally care little for the world outside of its borders.And in the rare cases of foreign travel often Americans, "pay large sums to be transported to some distant place and then be shielded from it."This book not only tells of experiences in foreign countries, but it also tells the story of foreign people and their history.This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year.Below are short summaries of each writing with my "rating."

#1- Boat Camp by William Booth.(8) A man gets the urge to race a sailboat to Mexico.Very interesting and very well written."Almost every sailor I know suffers the affliction.We dream the dream of boats on water."

#2- Lions and Tigers and Bears.(8) No, not the land of Oz, much scarier...Central Park (New York City).This writer decides to stay the night in Central Park despite the danger.Why?"Anybody who dnows anything about New York knows the city's essential platitude- that you don't wander around Cenral Park at night- and in that, needless to say, was the appeal: it was the thing you don't do."Not only a suspenseful tale, but it is packed full of Central Park facts.

#3- This Teeming Ark.(4) A writer travels to the African Congo and spends 12 days riding a barge down a river.Written very well and full of humor, the essay provides good insight into African culture, but I felt the author was a bit degrading toward the people.

#4- The Toughest Trucker in the World.(9) The name says it all.This writer rides along with a trucker who delivers fuel to one of the most remote places on Australia.The ride is full of adventure and great insight into Aussie culture and even Aussie vocabulary.

#5- Hitchhiker's Cuba.(7) "Hitchhiking is what makes Cuba move."Several men drive around Cuba giving rides to whoever wants them.It is not only hitchhikers they pick up, they pick up a lot of culture along the way.The author has a lot of interesting social and political insights.

#6- Nantucket On My Mind.(5)"...many of the true pleasures of Nantucket are not easily gained and cannot be purchased on demand, that they have to be, like everything else in life, earned..."This is some interesting insight into the upper class who have swarmed Nantucket Island and the upper-middle class who resent them.

#7- The Nile at Mile One.(6)Like most of the travel writings, this gives good insight into African society.The author attempts to trace Winston Churchill's journey through Africa.Anyone who has visited a third world country can relate to the following quote, "urban Africans seemed caught in a kind of purgatory, somewhere between the seductions of modernity and the habits of tradition."

#8- Spies in the House of Faith.(6) The longest piece in the book, this was the story of one reporters experience with the Dalai Lama and the transitional nation of Tibet.Very interesting (and a bit sad) to see how the government of China handles the faith of the Tibetan people.

#9- The First Drink of the Day.(1)I am not much of a drinker, so this was pure boredom for me.

#10- Lard is Good For You.(10) This short piece had me in constant laughter.The writer, a volunteer teacher, records her experiences in Costa Rica.I especially appreciated her insight into the "two voices in (her) head," referring to the "tourist' and the "traveler."The tourist wanted her comfort and her cute cultural experiences and the traveler wanted to truly experience life with Costa Ricans.

#11- The Truck.(7) Find out how one man almost dies in the Sahara desert in the country of Mauritania."Without water you can survive in the desert for twenty-four hours; with great difficulty, for forty-eight or so."

#12- Confessions of a Cheese Smuggler.(4) "The worse the cheese smells the better it tastes."It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

#13- Inside the Hidden Kingdom.(7) This is a great little report on the country of Bhutan, the last independent Himalayan Buddhist kingdom.

#14- Weird Karma.(7) A summary of the writer's experience in India, I especially enjoyed the section on his observations about driving in India, "India is really magical.How can they drive like this without killing people?"

#15- Zoned on Zanzibar.(7) This African island is steeped in folk belief, and the author does an excellent job of showing how a somewhat `modern' nation still follows its own animistic beliefs. "(The witches) walk the streets invisible.They have sacrificed their children to Satan for power...I nod, as if it's a routine warning."

#16- Storming the Beach.(7) A very humorous article about the writer's crazy wish to crash the set of Leonardo DiCaprio's movie, The Beach.Set in Thailand, the writer attempts to sneak through security to get onto the set of the movie.The author is trying to make a point about tourism and the dangers it poses.He writes of the distinction between tourism and `true' travel, "tourists leave home to escape the world, while travelers leave home to experience the world."

#17- The Last Safari.(9) It gets serious here.An American safari guide in Africa writes of his tragic hostage-taking experience where five Western tourists died.It is written excellently and shows the horrible war-torn situation Africa finds itself it.

#18- Winter Rules.(10) This was the best and funniest story in the book.A Sports Illustrated writer goes to the arctic (Greenland) to play golf.A golfer myself, I found the story very amusing, showing the folly (maybe stupidity is a better word) of the true golfer.A good philosophical thought comes at the end of the story, "Life is to often like the stomach of the reindeer, I reflected at dinner: neither delicious nor revolting, but somewhere in between."

#19- From the Wonderful People Who Brought You the Killing Fields.(7) An adventurous tale of two men's journey to the mountains of Cambodia to meet with some of the officials of Khmer Rouge, a rebel group who has killed thousands in Cambodia.

#20- China's Wild West.(6) This is more of an educational piece, but interesting nonetheless.The westernmost province of China seems more like the middle east with a hint of Russian.This makes for an interesting society which is actually ruled by the despised Chinese.

#21- Exiled Beyond Kilometer 101.(6) Russia is a land where the rural areas hardly resemble the urban centers.This piece focuses on the contrast and the hardships that face rural Russians.

#22- Two Faces of Tourism.(6) Tourism and travel are the biggest international product.Bigger than oil, bigger than electronics, people spend trillions on travel and this has had a startling impact on the places that attract these tourists.The article focuses on a relatively unknown tourist spot in Mexico that is on the verge of becoming a major tourist area."..we visitors are woven into the fabric of the places we visit."

#23- The Very Short Story of Nunavut.(2) The author here tries to repel rather than compel people to visit the new Canadian province of Nunavut.I don't really like the attitude of the author and I am glad he doesn't apply his views to America.If he was consistent with his world view, he would say that no outsiders should come to America and spoil our purity.I think this would be racist, but if he says it about a remote area in Canada he is being culturally sensitive.

#24- One Man and His Donkey.(8) This is the humorous retelling of the author's experience in Morocco with a donkey in the Atlas mountains.

#25- Marseille's Monument.(3) I personally found this to be uninteresting, I think I am biased against the writings that take place in Europe.About the French town of Marseille, the author shows the history of this "cool" town.

An Outsanding Collection of Stories
"Best American Travel Writing 2000" is the first edition in yet another outstanding entry in the "Best American" series.It is structured like other "Best American" books, with a series editor and a yearly guest editor putting their heads together and selecting two dozen or so of the best articles to be published in the field during the previous year.Bill Bryson was a very canny choice to be the first guest editor for the travel series, given his recent stature as one of the best selling travel writers around.

The best articeles in the debut 2000 edition include Tom Clynes'saccount of a truck driver in the Australian Outback, a lament by David Halberstam on the yuppie-fication of Nantucket Island, P.J. O'Rourke's amusing piece about driving in India, and Mark Ross's harrowing first person account of the slaying of eco-tourists in Uganda by Interhamwe rebels.Some of the articles are amusing, some are scary, others are full of wonder, but they are all well written and informative.Anyone who enjoys good travel writing, or who simply likes good storytelling, ought to pick up a copy.

Funny how an editor chooses stories written in his style
If you like Bill Bryson's writing (and I do), you'll enjoy this book. The stories are, for the most part, light, entertaining and enjoyable. My favorite was the one about hitchhiking through Cuba! It wasn't until I moved on to the 2001 Best American Travel Writing edited by Paul Thoreau that I realized how much the stories reflect Bill Bryson's writing. As I worked my way through the book, the writing seemed to be uneven, but I did enjoy the book on the whole and do recommend it to anyone who's into travel literature.

A Great Collection of Stories
I really enjoyed reading these stories, especially since it is winter in New England at the moment. This book contains a broad assortment of travel stories--they are all quite amazing. Some are laugh-out-loud funny while others have you petrified for the authors. A beautifully put together book. ... Read more

Product Description
Bill Bryson’s own fascination with science began with a battered old school book he had when he was about ten or eleven years old. It had an illustration that captivated him–a diagram showing Earth’s interior as it would look if you cut into it with a large knife and removed about a quarter of its bulk. The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him: namely that Earth’s interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel,
as hot as the Sun’s surface, according to the caption. And he very clearly remembers thinking: “How do they know that?”

Bill’s storytelling skill makes the “How?” and, just as importantly, the “Who?” of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. He covers the wonder and mystery of time and space, the frequently bizarre and often obsessive scientists and the methods they used, and the mind-boggling fact that, somehow, the universe exists and against all odds, life came to be on this wondrous planet we call home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Another Bryson Hit!
I was awed and amazed when I read the "original" Bryson book from which this is taken.This abbreviated verson is a must for all of my elementary education majors as they learn to humanize science and make it an exciting and enjoyable topic.If I had any children for whom to buy gifts, this would be on the top of my list!

Actually Makes Science Fun -- and Funny
I'm still in the section where some very curious British men are developing the science of geology (it started as an elite good ol' boys club that developed into practically a cult). Who'd of thunk this would be a hilarious topic, but it is when Bryson is telling it. I can't say I understood the chapter on how early scientists came up with the exact weight of the earth, but I certainly laughed a lot at their quirky personalities, which to me is a lot more valuable than how to weigh a planet. I'm excited to read the rest of Bryson's work.

By Jaimal Yogis, author of Saltwater Buddha

Wow!
I had not realized that this book was destined at a young public when I bought it.

I found it enthralling nonetheless since it presents an outstanding synthesis of up to date information about our universe.Its short length makes it very easy to read and allows the reader to link individual topics with others.

Very pedagogically, a summary is included at the end of each chapter.

Throughout, colour illustrations liven up the text (though some of course are a bit juvenile).

Personally, I consider that the bearded author's cartoon portrait appearing on each summary page is a bit narcissist on his part but that is a minor bother and others may think it humanizes the work.

More importantly, greater care should have been taken in reviewing the book.There are quite a few cases of contradicting data from one page to another.For instance, the word «million» is omitted in the summary for chapter two and the earth's age is stated as 4,550 years!

Nevertheless, this is a highly recommended book . . . and not only for children and teenagers.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Bizarre World is Mildly Engaging
This little book (it's the size of an old-fashioned pocket paperback) only held my attention for a minute or so of sustained reading.Maybe the author never intended it to be anything other than something to scan a moment here, a moment there.From cover to cover, the bizarre events and people Bryson relates are presented in what seem to be a random, disorganized manner.I love Bryson's writings as a rule; most of his books have a marvelous, cohesive theme or narrative line.But Bizarre World did not and therefore was something of a disappointment.

Entertaining Weirdness
I will admit that some of the stories in this book are over the top and really hard to believe, but it does have great entertainment value. I don't understand why someone would think the stories had sexual innuendo. The stories are totally strange, and yes some have violence, but not anymore violent than many of the stories you might read in any US newspaper today. Do yourself a favor and get the book if you enjoy strange stories. I liked it.

What a waste of paper!
I love reading Bill Bryson - all his travel books are infused with a wicked wit and are quite informative as well.I don't know if this is the same Bill Bryson or it's his son or someone entirely different.Whomever "wrote" this book, compiled is more like it, didn't do the world any favors.This book is nothing more than a compilation of weird news stories, many involving violence (i.e. shooting of some sort) and sexual innuendo.If that's your thing, you'll love this book... I wish I could have given it a zero star rating. ... Read more

Product Description
"You are very lucky in England. Generation upon generation endowed you with one of the loveliest, most parklike and fetching landscapes the world has ever known." -from the introduction

The English Landscape is a stunning volume of essays and photographs celebrating the breadth, diversity, and delicacy of the English countryside. A distinguished selection of writers such as the Duchess of Devonshire, Richard Mabey, Anna Parord, Christopher Lloyd, Robin Hanbury-Tenbison, Marina Warner, Dame Jennifer Jenkins, and David Bellamy pay homage to their favorite parts of the English landscape. Complete with color photographs and maps, The English Landscape will engage Anglophiles, travel enthusiasts, and literature buffs alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

English Landscape-You just have to be there!
It is a wonderful book telling about all the hills and valleys and walking trails of England. You haven't seen an English country side until you have visited England. Highly recommend this book. Nice pictures and information.

Close, but no...
The English countryside has been divided into numerous districts, based on everything from soil type, landuse, tourist features, history, etc., so their distinctions are sometimes difficult to understand.This book contains dozens of short essays, one per area, and most of the essays are very interesting.

However, I found the book as a whole extremely difficult to use because there is no coordination between the maps at each end of the book, showing and numbering each land use area, and the text or the smaller detailed maps included with each short essay.Those essays, with area maps for each, are impossible to relate to other areas of the country using the end-page maps.It is very frustrating to try to find specific areas of interest to the reader, and then to further find adjacent areas, or similar areas of interest.

The essays are interesting as discreet little descriptions of an area in England, but as a whole, I find the book just a series of essays.The index is sketchy; so many, many towns mentioned in the essays, or of independent interest to the reader, aren't in the index.And, believe it or not, with the detailed maps containing numbered areas, in front and back, absolutely no use is made of those numbers in the essays, either in the text or individuals maps!So when you read an essay that interests the reader, you can't find that area in the end-paper maps, so you can't relate essays to the larger, overall picture of England.

And, if for further example, you read of an area, and you want to read about a neighboring area, there is no way tolook up anything and just turn to it.All you can do is start thumbing through the whole book, or keep reading at length, hoping you can put together areas of interest on your own.

This book needs a considerably better index, and the absence of a relationship between the individual essays and thelarger maps showing numbered areas is an astounding failure. Some editor did a terrible job of making this book readable and useable in relationship to an interest in England.

I have detailed AA maps of English roads and attractions, and even with those, this book was difficult to use in relationship to actual places to visit.

I found the book terribly uncoordinated, and the relationship between the maps and essays, and the overall maps of England, is non-existent.

That said, the individual essays are interesting, and there are numerous good photos of places, but it is nearly impossible to relate individual efforts to the whole.

With this book, I keep thinking of those old, hackneyed phrases: "close, but no cigar,""so near, yet so far," etc., but they are quite apt in this case.A better index and some use of the areas numbered in the maps of England with each essay would have turned this book into a winner.It just doesn't make it. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the worlds best-selling writers takes his ultimate journey into the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. Its a dazzling quest, to understand what that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. Or, as the author puts it, "how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also what happened in between and since."

Description in Spanish:
Bill Bryson se describe como un viajero renuente, pero ni siquiera cuando esta en su casa, en la seguridad de su estudio, puede contener esa curiosidad que siente por el mundo que le rodea. En Una breve historia de casi todo intenta entender que ocurrio entre la Gran Explosion y el surgimiento de la civilizacion, como pasamos de la nada a lo ahora somos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Interesante y riguroso
Es difícil que una obra divulgativa sea a la vez rigurosa y amena; ésta lo consigue. Aún no he visto en detalle cómo la complementan las imágenes (sólo he leído la versión de bolsillo). Lástima que la obra esté agotada.

great book
it's a very interesting book. Since Spanish is my mother language, I thought reading this kind of book in spanish, would be easier. But it's true, that a book is always best read in it's original language.
This is a clear example of it. Translations are great, but it always looses it's original beauty. So for bi lingual people, I do recommend to read it in English.

Muy interesante
Si te gusta la ciencia el libro te va a atrapar desde el principio hasta el fin. En algunas partes te puede marear un poco con muchos nombres y números, pero nunca deja de ser interesante. El autor escribe muy bien y hasta con un sarcasmo gracioso, además toca los temas con la profundidad justa para un libro de ciencias tan general. Muy recomendable para mi gusto.

Muy buen libro
Es un libro que de una forma muy clara cuenta los hechos relevantes de la vida cientifica, a demas es de una lectura muy ligera ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This cries to be reprinted, & better yet, to be updated
When I first read about The Palace Under The Alps, I was shocked to see the prices some people were attempting to charge for it(all over $100) and figured I'd have to wait until I made a score in a second-hand store. But when I requested an inter-library loan, I was overjoyed when it came after only a few weeks.
Saying that, The Palace Under The Alps is definitely a 1980's style travel book("Oh, cool, West Germany"), but what I really like is that Bill Bryson's sense of humor and writing style was still maturing(well, maybe developing would be a better term than maturing). In this book, Bryson does the back roads thing, not visiting every place in a country, but visiting interesting, and mostly offbeat places.
The one thing I found odd(as in "Where's Bryson, and what have you done with him?")was when Bryson glowingly reviews golfing in Ireland, and in Sweden. I don't know about you, but Bill Bryson has never seemed like a goof. Hey, that's OK, it's not a character fault, I was glad to see it. If he golfs, God knows he must have humility, since it's a humbling kind of game.
This was published in 1985, which was the year of my first visit to the UK, and I wish I'd had it along. My only tour book was a Let's Go, which served me well, but there are so many choices, so much to see, that something like this would have been a godsend.
I'm constantly planning my next trip overseas, and I would love to take this along, and use it while visiting the continent. But there's a couple of problems: an outdated book like this could prove to be a hindrance(unless you research exhaustively, which I do, thanks to the 'Net) since I know of at least one museum is no longer in existance(and I know that at least in the UK, the city codes have changed), and the other, more serious thing would be that I'd hate to be wandering down some Bahnhofstrasse or some such place, and have some Yob spot my copy of The Palace Under The Alps, and hold me up for an incredibly overpriced, semi-rare book.
There must be some sort of problem with the publisher holding the rights, since I've never read or heard of Bryson mentioning this tome, or possibly he's embarrassed by it, although self conciousness has never seemed to be a problem for The Thunderbolt Kid.
I'd love to see him update it, but I'm happy I was able to read this Lost Gospel from the Book of Bryson.

A jewel of a travel book
I picked up this book at a used booksale, along with about 2 dozen othertravel books.It was by far the best of any of them!I had read Mr.Bryson's Neither Here Nor There prior to diving into Palace, and enjoyedfinding in this text a few more detailed summaries of the sights in histravelogue. Set up by country, Palace describes anywhere from one to 25little-known sights for each country with enchanting, humorous detail.Iam about to spend a year in Europe, and will certainly be investigatingmany of his "secrets".His descriptions were extroadinary, and Ifell in love with some of the places just reading about them;I can't waitto actually experience them.As I searched through the 2 guidebooks that Iam taking with me (a Let's Go and a Lonely Planet), I was thoroughlyastounded at the number of places in Palace which weren't even mentioned ineither of these.And if they were mentioned, 9 times out of 10, what Mr.Bryson wrote was infinitely more valuable.It is an insightful, enjoyableread, with characteristic brutal honesty from Bryson. A note of caution,though:This book was written about 15 years ago, and Europe has changedquite a bit since then.For example, Bryson lists the Algarve as one ofPortugal's most beautiful, non-touristed spots, and it has since become amajor tourist destination.There are several other extremely unique sightsthat probably no longer are in existence, but I am looking forward tosearching them out anyway!I would certainly enjoy a more recent edition,should Mr. Bryson care to do all that careful research over again!Heck,I'd love to help! For anyone traveling through Europe with a "BackDoor" philosophy, or for someone who likes the idea but can't stomachRick Steves, this book is a jewel. ... Read more

Product Description
"The Road Less Travelled" is a guide to the world's unspoilt sights and experiences. Presenting 1,000 fresh and fascinating alternatives to hundreds of well-known tourist destinations and sights; including alternatives to the Carnival in Rio and the beaches of Thailand, the most-visited national parks, over-rated restaurants and holiday cliches. Written by a team of travel experts, and with a foreword by Bill Bryson, this book brings vibrant cities, enchanting sights, breathtaking natural wonders and unforgettable experiences to life with informative narrative and stunning photography. Choose your destination by theme - Ancient and Historical Sights, Festivals and Parties, Great Journeys, Architectural Marvels, Natural Wonders, Beaches, Sports and Activities, Art and Culture, and Cities - or simply flick through this sumptuous guide and be inspired. Rely on practical advice on where to stay, where to eat and when to go, as well as useful 'Need to Know' facts, ensure that you get the most out of your time away.Less crowded, generally less expensive and often more spectacular and rewarding, these lesser-known wonders of the world remind travelers what real travel is all about - escaping the everyday and embracing the new. Holidays will never be the same again when you choose "The Road Less Travelled". ... Read more

Product Description
About the Author: Jim Chambers was born in 1946, nine months and five days after his father returned from serving with the U.S. 8th Air Force in England during World War II. After earning two engineering degrees at Georgia Tech, he spent the next 40 years designing highways in Georgia. Besides writing, Chambers is an avid amateur photographer and scuba diver. His land and underwater photography has been published in such prestigious publications as National Geographic, Popular Photography, and Parade Magazine.

About the Book: As one of the first post-WWII Baby Boomers, the author's childhood and early teenage years were in the 1950s, a remarkable decade for the United States that saw enormous political, technological, and cultural changes. Although many books have covered the headline-making events of the era in great detail, few of these books give the reader a real feel for what daily life was like for Americans living in that decade, especially for kids growing up then. The author remembers the little nuts and bolts things of daily life for families during the fascinating decade known as the Fabulous Fifties. "Recollections" perfectly blends paying homage to the little day-to-day rituals with a larger scale examination of social issues and mores of the times, and it’s equally entertaining on either level. "Recollections" is a warm, lovingly honest, and fascinating portrait of America in the mid-20th Century.

Praise for "Recollections":
Remembering these times fondly, Chambers gives readers a charming read and something to lift the spirits of a happier time. "Recollections" is well worth considering.-Midwest Book Review

From scene to scene, I found myself caught up in images that Norman Rockwell could have painted.-Richard Kenyada, author of "The Apology" and "Reflections in the Dark room: The Black Essays"

From the clothes drying on the line in the backyard to Leave It To Beaver playing on the black and white TV set, "Recollections" is a fantastic journey down memory lane for the baby boomers and a trivia filled, historical reference for the younger generations.-Shannon Yarbrough, The LL Book Review

The engaging, conversational style of this book made it very difficult to put down. And it was almost like a treasure hunt -- as I'd be reading an account of popular candies or toys of the day, I'd think of one myself and eagerly wait to see if it was mentioned. Unfailingly, it was.-Melanie Frazier

Reading his book reminded me of how much I miss watching Tim Russert on MEET THE PRESS every Sunday: they both share an easy-going charm and natural humor that is rarely found in any corner of the world.-Russell Atwood, author of "East Village Noir"

"Recollections" was selected by The Kindle Review as the 25th best book by an independent author in the Kindle store.

"Recollections" was given five stars by Maria Schneider at Bear Mountain Books.

"Recollections" received a 5-star review at Red Adept Reviews by guest reviewer Christopher Meeks.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Well worth considering
After the war, there was a relative peace on the home front. "Recollections: A Baby Boomer's Memoirs of the Fabulous Fifties" is a memoir of Jim Chambers as he remembers his childhood of the 1950s, a time where America was booming after a decade of war and a decade of depression. Remembering these times fondly, Chambers gives readers a charming read and something to lift the spirits of a happier time. "Recollections" is well worth considering.

a real Blast from the Past
This was the one book that I could not put down. Any "Boomer" that doesn't read this is really missing out. I just wish that there were more books like it...

Great start - OK finish
Being a baby-boomer, when I starting reading this book I thought it was going to really bring back the memories.It did for the first 2/3 of the book and then it went off into what appeared to be Mr. Chamber's politics and political correctness views. This took the book totally away from what the 50's and early 60's were about as seen then and not as viewed from today's world.It was almost like the author was trying to apologize for the South's actions while he was growing up.
Still, like I said it did re-introduce me to my growing years!

Reminiscing the 50's is fun!
I enjoyed this book tremendously due to the fact that I am a fellow Boomer--born one year after the author.

Recollections is absolutely spot on.I thoroughly enjoyed re-living my childhood as I read it!I grew up in the Midwest--not the South--but very few things differed from the author's memories.Just the grocery stores and that type of thing.

I loved the way Jim sorted through different categories--TV and entertainment, school, etc.It made for such entertaining and organized reading.

And I have to say that I learned some things about the 50's that I didn't know.When I took history in high school, we didn't make it any further than the Civil War.Therefore, Jim gave me an interesting history lesson as I read.

I highly recommend it to all my Boomer friends!I wish my grandchildren could grow up during that time.

Wonderful Walk Down Memory Lane
This book showed me that growing up in the Midwest in the 50s was not so different from growing up in the South.People who grew up later than the 50s will find it an interesting "history" lesson to better understand their parents and grandparents. ... Read more

Product Description
This BBC Radio 4 series is written and presented by Bill Bryson and based on his best-selling book "Mother Tongue". In it he romps through the history of Britain to reveal how English became such an infuriatingly complex - but ultimately world-beating - language. The subject areas covered in the course of the programme (which was originally broadcast in 6 episodes) include the arrival of the Angles and the Saxons, the rules which brought order to a disorderly language, the million and one ways to have fun with the English language, the struggle with phrasal verbs (and the way things often get lost in the translation) and the future of English - does Estuary English Rule OK? ... Read more

Product Description
Off the Tourist Trail is a guide to the world's unspoiled sights and experiences. It takes a hundred clichéd tourist destinations - everything from over-visited national parks to overrated museums - and reveal 1,000 fresh and fascinating alternative options. Written by a team of travel experts, and with a foreword by Bill Bryson, this book brings vibrant cities, enchanting sights, breathtaking natural wonders and unforgettable experiences to life with informative narrative and stunning photography.

Choose your destination by theme - Ancient and Historical Sights, Festivals and Parties, Great Journeys, Architectural Marvels, Natural Wonders, Beaches, Sports and Activities, Art and Culture, and Cities - or simply flick through this sumptuous guide and be inspired. Practical advice on getting there and around, where to stay, where to eat and when to go, as well as useful 'Need to Know' facts, ensure that you get the most out of your time away.

Less crowded, generally less expensive, and often more spectacular and rewarding, these lesser-known wonders of the world encourage readers to ditch the famous but well-worn choices, reminding them what real travel is all about - escaping the everyday and embracing the new.

Vacations will never be the same again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Truly useful travel book
This book is meant for the serious traveler or dreamer.Want to see amphitheaters?This guide will direct you away from the Colosseum in Rome to Pula Arena in Croatia with historical details, how to get there and when to go in the typical DK format.However, it explains both what makes the Colosseum the lesser choice and a good choice.Should you still decide to go, tips are given on how best to do that.For many of the topics (like amphitheaters), more than the one main option is presented.Alternative amphitheaters in Lybia, Tunisia, Germany, Spain, Italy (Verona) and France are shown.It is the richness of the choices which are global and inclusive which delights me, but may frustrate the less serious or impoverished traveler.

I bought 5 travel books around the same time.This is the one that I come back to time and again. While the premise of the book is to avoid the more touristed sites, ignore that, after all, that is what the off-season is for.This volume is my candy shop window.
I invite you to share the plentyful delights.

Not for Frequent Travelers
We are retired and are fortunate to take about 6 trips a year.We've been to the major tourist destinatons and hoped this book would provide some new ideas.This book has absolutely no new ideas in terms of destinations.And they really don't give alternatives.They give places the ordinary tour companies don't go to.But if you read up and plan your tours everywhere, you will definitely find the places they talk about.Save your money and don't get this book!!!

If you like to travel off the tourist trail, buy this book!
After perusing this book, I'm ready to pack my bags and head off to almost anywhere in the book! The book takes one hundred cliched destinations and gives you over a thousand alternatives. The book itself is presented in a large coffee table format and is full of wonderfully colorful pictures that make you feel like you are there in the middle of the scene as well as suggestions and advice on what to do when you get there.

You can flip through the book looking for interesting places to visit or read about or you can approach the process more scientifically and search by theme. They include ancient and historical sights, festivals/parties, journeys, architectural marvels, natural wonders, beaches, sports, art and culture and cities.

For instance, I love the city of New York and when I go there I tend to revisit the same attractions which are generally right smack dab in the middle of the tourist path. The book contains a couple of pages on "Less Explored New York City." I can't wait until my next visit to go exploring. There are also some great suggestions for other well known cities.

If you enjoy travel and like the unexpected, this book will give you a lush presentation and lots of ideas for exploration no matter what you like--ancient ruins, modern cities, festivals or just beach combing.

Tourist book - not suitable for tourists?
Lovely book with wonderful pictures and colours and, for the most part, good tips on alternative tourist tours. But know one thing, you have to memorize what the book says, before you pack your bags and head off to the airport, because it is a half meter times 30 cm huge, massive, mega-heavy piece of art, that won't fit in any light baggage whatsoever. In other words, it's not your average Lonely Planet pocket book, that you can keep in your back pocket.

As for good alternative tours "for the most part", it is not exactly realistic when it might suggest a beach on a far away never heard of island in the Atlantic Ocean, instead of Bondi Beach in central Sydney...

Other than that, the book is a joy for the mind and for the eye!

Best gift for a world traveling friend...
A dear friend has very itchy feet and loves to travel to interesting places...this book will provide her with hours of planning for upcoming trips.The visuals are outstanding and the reviews short and sweet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must Read!
Great book. I am reading it to my high school chemistry class and they are enjoying it too. ... Read more

Product Description
"Not long after I moved with my family to a small town in New Hampshire, I happened upon a path that vanished into a wood on the edge of town."So begins Bill Bryson's hilarious book A Walk in the Woods. Following his return to America after twenty years in Britain, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The AT, as it's affectionately known to thousands of hikers, offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to test his own powers of ineptitude, and to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.For a start, there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa who accompanies the similarly unfit Bryson on the trail. Once Bryson and Katz settle into their stride, it's not long before they come across the fabulously annoying Mary Ellen, whose disappearance ruins a perfectly good slice of pie, a gang of Ralph Lauren-attired yuppies from whom Katz appropriates a key piece of equipment, and a security guard in Pennsylvania who, for no ascertainable reason, impounds Bryson's car. Mile by arduous mile these latter-day pioneers walk America, along the way surviving the threat of bear attacks, the loss of key provisions, and everything else this awe-inspiring country can throw at them.But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this fragile and beautiful trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, a lament, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature. ... Read more

Product Description
This dictionary is aimed specifically at those working with words and phrases on a daily basis. It provides details of spelling for commonly misspelt words and explanation of abbreviations used in everyday language. ... Read more