- Does not follow the standard mold; a unique approach to travel writing
- Gripping photography and easy-to-read descriptions
- Great gift for the experienced traveler and novice alike
- Strictly a coffee table book; impractical for travelers on the go
- You'll still need a guidebook for the destinations you choose
- Relatively high cost: $26-$40 USD
- Not all of the pictures are pretty, but that's what makes this book so descriptive. The focus is on everyday life.
- The authors: Europe is "rather like an onion" because "its multiple layers make it simply impossible to digest in one bite."
- The "Great Journeys" section proposes six dream itineraries with maps and pictures.
- The editor's boundaries for Europe might make some geographers cringe. Example: All of Turkey is included as part of Europe.
- Full color, 256 pages, published by Lonely Planet Publications, 2008
The average budget travel library doesn't include many coffee table books. Most of us want travel books that we can throw in a bag and consult on the fly as we navigate subways and byways, cobblestones and autobahns.
Why would a budget traveler want to buy The Europe Book?
This collection of essays and photographs captures the essence of why you should travel to Europe.
Within familiar countries, it shows the road less traveled. It also reveals the wonders of Montenegro and Belarus that are largely unknown to most of us.
Every good budget trip begins with careful planning. Knowing precisely what you want to see is the first step toward saving money on travel. After paging through this book, your definition of "must see" might change.
The essays follow a rigid format, and while they are refreshingly atypical of travelogues, they tend to be a bit compressed and flowery at times.
Each chapter includes a section called "history in a nutshell." For countries with centuries of colorful history, why the "nutshell" approach?
You won't find much direction to the places and people described, so you'll also need to invest in another guidebook. But there are few places to start your research that will be more rewarding than The Europe Book.
Within each entry is a feature called "essential experiences." Many are free or inexpensive: watching the sunset from the cliffs near Sagres, Portugal; seeing the city shrink as you climb the zigzag staircase to the medieval clock tower in Graz, Austria; finding infinity in the soaring dome of Istanbul's Aya Sofya.
The most powerful messages are delivered in stunning images so riveting that even people with no interest in Europe or travel will find the book difficult to put down.
Lovers of travel will find The Europe Book is a nice addition to the coffee table -- when it's not on the planning desk.
