Lonely Planet Europe ( Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring )

" Europe is a patchwork of more than 40 compulsively individualistic countries and is a dazzling and spectacular place to explore. Jump in almost anywhere and join the party. Inspirational photos plus clear, easy-to-use maps and in-depth background information round out the handy guide."  (Publishers Description)  Check Our Catalog

Central Europe ( Lonely Planet )

"Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovak, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia..: Like a sharp-eyed great uncle, Central Europe tells a gripping story one of east meets west, imperial grandeur, menacing fortresses and forest-cloaked peaks it 's a tale you ll never forget. You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage, and you can rely on us to tell it like we see it.
Inside This Book :
8 passionate authors
105 maps
348 days of vibrant festivals
841km of the mighty Danube
Inspirational photos
Comprehensive planning tools
In-depth background
Easy-to-read layout
Clear, easy-to-use maps
At-a-glance practical info"  (Publisher Description)  Check Our Catalog

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Zagat New York City Restaurants 2012

"2012 New York City Restaurants covers over 2,050 restaurants in all five boroughs. This handy guide contains Zagats trusted Ratings & Reviews for New York City restaurants based on the opinions of 38,000 avid diners like you. The trademark reviews and corresponding ratings for Food, Decor, Service and Cost are organized alphabetically in a user-friendly format. Use the indexes arranged by cuisine, neighborhood and special features, such as Winning Wine Lists, Celebrity Chef or Romantic Places, to find the perfect restaurant for any occasion."  (Publisher Description)  Check Our Catalog

The Best American Travel Writing 2011

Edited By Sloane Crosley
"Crosley, in her introduction to this year's edition of the popular series, notes that the new obstacle of travel in the age of informationand thus, uberpreparednessis the extinction of the unexpected. Crosley sets the hopeful traveler's tone with Andr' Aciman's serendipity-filled adventure to hunt down the ghost of a Monet subjecta villa on the Italian Riviera. Emily Witt's short-attention-span-friendly Miami Party Boom earns points for most creative format, each interlude chronicling a social event and its characters. There's much affection for contributors' subjects to be found herefrom Mischa Berlinski's Haiti, and the young man he befriends there, to T'a Obreht's Serbia, where she reveals a decidedly unique take on American vampire mania. Readers, beware: few may feel courageous enough to attempt their own bird-watching journal after a flight in the tender grip of Annie Proulx's enchanting diary of an aviary Wyoming year. Crosley reminds readers that the nature of the world is that it will provide that valuable introductory course only once, and her selections succeed in piquing the armchair traveler's wanderlust."  (Booklist)  Check Our Catalog

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: India (American REV)

"This lavishly illustrated guide is the perfect accompaniment for your trip to India, with regional coverage stretching from the Great Himalayas of the north to the tropical peninsular of the south. Packed with 3D aerial views, cutaways and floor plans of all the major sights, and now with even more full-color maps of towns and regions, you can get a great visual appetizer wherever you go. Find out all you need to know about sights, beaches, markets and festivals, listed town by town and expert information on India's dizzying variety of highlights from the most magnificent palaces to where to find the best authentic Indian cuisine. And with absorbing sections on temples, shrines and places of worship, walks, scenic routes, thematic tours and an introduction to trekking in the Himalayas, this comprehensive guide is completely indispensable.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Packed with photographs, illustrations, and maps Cutaways and floor plans of all the major sights 3-D aerial views of the city's most interesting districts Huge selection of hotels, restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues Specially devised walking tours."  (Publisher Description)  Check Our Catalog

Arctic Obsession: The Lure of the Far North

By Alexis Troubetzkov
"A boisterous survey of those answering the Siren call of the North Pole.
Troubetzkoy (A Brief History of the Crimean War, 2006, etc.) proceeds roughly chronologically as he follows dozens of explorers making their way to the Arctic in search of fame, fortune, discovery, adventure or territory. He starts with the Greek Pytheas, who claimed to have gazed upon Ultima Thule in 325 BCE, though the only account burned with the Library of Alexandria. The author tenders much cultural, historical, political and geographical detail, but not at the expense of drama, romance and manliness. Of the Vikings: "Drink, women, and song were embraced with the same fervor as war, pillage, and slaughter." Of Dutch navigator William Barents: "One wonders at the mould from which these early Arctic intrepids were formed—exceptional people they were." Then there was Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen sleeping off the Arctic night: "We carried this art to a high pitch of perfection...sometimes as much as 20 hours' sleep in 24." Troubetzkoy makes excellent use of diaries and notebooks to convey period flavor and a sense of immediacy, as well as to showcase some dazzling writing, of which George Kennan's description of the aurora borealis is a real gem. But the author wisely lets the extraordinary adventures speak for themselves, ushering along Sebastian Cabot seeking a northeast trade route to Cathay and Martin Frobisher looking to the northwest. There are the great tragedies of Henry Hudson, John Franklin, Jens Munk and a worshipful company of others, as well as the endless, ruinous attempts to discover a Northwest Passage. Troubetzkoy also intelligently discusses the effects of global warming on the fauna and flora, as well as modernization on the indigenous peoples. Bickering over mineral and oil rights is now standard fare at international conferences.
Colorful enthusiasm draped over a thorough treatment of Arctic exploration."  (Kirkus Reviews)  Check Our Catalog

Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships (2012)

By Douglas Ward

"Part 1 combines authoritative text and evocative color photography to define the cruising experience, helping readers decide on which type of cruise, which cruise line and which size of ship is best for them. There is lively background information on the burgeoning cruise industry and what makes it so enjoyable and popular with travelers, along with things the cruise lines won't always tell you, and plenty of snippets of fascinating information gleaned from Douglas Ward's many years of cruising. Part 2 consists of comprehensive reviews of every major cruise vessel, from large to small, from unabashed luxury and exclusivity to ships for the budget-minded and youth-oriented. Details include precise specifications on size and facilities, number of cabins, etc, as well as an overview of what to expect on board and useful information for families. Part 3 provides practical information on booking, budgeting, cruise etiquette and safety at sea, plus website contacts for every major cruise line."  Check Our Catalog

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks

By Ken Jennings
"
Map geek and celebrated Jeopardy! winner Jennings (Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 8,888 Questions in 365 Days, 2008, etc.) tells the engaging story of maps and the people who love them.
At age 7, while friends obsessed over He-Man and Knight Rider, the author succumbed to the names and shapes of remote places and began collecting atlases. "You see that first map, and your mind is rewired, probably forever," he writes. Determined to better understand his cartophilia, he offers a wide-ranging history of maps (which predate writing) and visits many present-day "mapheads" who make, use, collect, buy and sell or steal maps. Most Americans remain ignorant of geography, he writes. Once deemed a pillar of a good education, the subject has vanished from most U.S. schools, and few of even the best colleges now have a geography department. Still, Jennings discovered a thriving community of map freaks—many "gifted spatially"—who spend much of their time around visual representations of places. Among the Library of Congress' 5.5 million maps, he found several that played key roles in the D-Day invasion and the moon landing. At the annual London Map Fair, he observed insular collectors of antique maps. Map collecting began in the Renaissance, he writes, and soaring prices have made it a hobby for the affluent. Thefts have increased dramatically, as thieves armed with X-Acto knives easily pilfer treasures from libraries. Today's map geeks often pursue such hobbies as traveling abroad with checklists in hand to "collect" countries; riding U.S. roads to "clinch" routes; and using GPS or other navigational devices to hide and seek containers ("geocaches") around the world. Paper maps are losing ground in the digital map revolution, but the lure of place continues to beckon through Google Earth and other digital technologies.
Fun and informative."  (Kirkus Reviews)  Check Our Catalog