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Danube: Germany to Budapest   |   READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Lonely Planet Central Europe  •  Krzysztof Dydnski  •  Steve Fallon  •  Anthony Haywood  •  Mark Honan
GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 640 PAGES
A comprehensive guide to Central Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. It is a compact overview of the region, especially appropriate for the independent-minded traveler visiting several countries. With local and regional maps, a section of color photographs, and information on history, culture and attractions. (EUR94, $28.99)
  Lonely Planet Central Europe
The German Way  •  Hyde Flippo
CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 138 PAGES
A slim volume on the German-speaking cultural psyche, this highly readable, often humorous account of the cultural quirks and social etiquette of the German-speaking nations is a great resource for anyone seeking insight into why the Germans do what they do. Separate chapters, arranged alphabetically by topic, make for a quick study on the complexities of Teutonic customs. (GER12, $15.95)
  The German Way
A Time of Gifts  •  Patrick Leigh Fermor
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES
Fermor effortlessly interweaves anecdote, history and culture in this exuberant account of a walk as a young man in 1933 across Europe. This first volume chronicles his trip from the Hook of Holland, up the Rhine and down the Danube. The adventure continues in Between the Woods and Water, thankfully also reissued by NYRB. The books were written not by the young adventurer but the accomplished author 40 years later, adding perspective and a sweet nostalgia. (CEU30, $16.95)
  A Time of Gifts
Mozart  •  Peter Gay
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES
In this compact book, historian and biographer Peter Gay paints a portrait of the musical genius based on factual details rather than long-established myths. He delves into Mozart's complex relationship with his father, the daunting role of being born a child prodigy, and his exploration of new musical territory, particularly opera. A volume in the excellent "Penguin Lives" series. (AST43, $13.00)
  Mozart
Czech and Slovak Republics Map  •   Michelin Travel Publications
2005 •  MAP
A shaded relief map of the two nations at a scale of 1:600,000, with insets of Prague and Bratislava. It also covers the route of the Danube between Regensburg and Budapest. (CEU17, $11.95)
  Czech and Slovak Republics Map
 

Related Categories
Budapest Map  •   Borch Maps    •  A convenient map of the city center at a scale of 1:11,000. (HGR34, $7.95)
 
 
Salzburg Map  •   Borch Maps    •  A convenient, detailed laminated map of Salzburg and surroundings. (AST75, $7.95)
 
 
Vienna Map  •   Borch Maps    •  A handy laminated map of the city center. (AST31, $7.95)
 
 
Fodor's Prague's 25 Best  •   Citypack   • GUIDEBOOK  •  This pocket-size booklet includes an outstanding map of the city as well as a brief overview of its museums, grand buildings and other attractions. (CZH02, $11.95)
 
 
Frommer's Vienna & the Danube Valley  •  Darwin Porter   • GUIDEBOOK  •  This compact guide includes sections on sidetrips from Vienna and cruising the Danube. (AST92, $16.99)
 
 
All Along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, & Bulgaria  •  Marina Polvay   • FOOD  •  A cookbook full of classic recipes from Central Europe. It includes some thoughtful comments on culture. (EUR42, $14.95)
 
 
A Concise History of Hungary  •  Miklos Molnar  •  Anna Magyar   • HISTORY  •  The author, a Hungarian historian, narrates the history of Hungary from little-known origins to 1988, encompassing the Magyars, the Austro-Hungarian empire and the Soviet era. (HGR30, $26.99)
 
 
A History of Slovakia, The Struggle for Survival  •  Stanislav K. Kirschbaum   • HISTORY  •  A historian from Bratislava traces his nation's roots from the first arrival on the Danubian Plain to Slovakia's declaration of independence in 1993. A particularly solid discussion of the Communist period and the nation's relationship with the Czechs and Hungary. (EUR93, $19.95)
 
 
A Nervous Splendor, Vienna 1888-1889  •  Frederic Morton   • HISTORY  •  A portrait of Vienna at the end of the 19th century, this book focuses on Crown Prince Rudolph, his devastating suicide and the rich texture of gossip and daily life at the Habsburg court. It captures the political ferment, intellectual creativity, gaiety and despair of fin-de-siecle Austria. (AST16, $16.00)
 
 
Budapest 1900, A Historical Portrait of the City and its Culture  •  John Lukacs   • HISTORY  •  Written by a distinguished historian and native son, this excellent book is a richly detailed cultural portrait of the city at its zenith. With maps and archival photographs. (HGR01, $14.00)
 
 
Bury Me Standing  •  Isabel Fonseca   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT  •  This marvelous portrait of the Roma, also known as the Gypsies, offers insight into their music, foods, religions, folk traditions, and examines their influential but complex relationship with Eastern Europe. (EUR09, $14.95)
 
 
Danube  •  Claudio Magris   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT • COMING IN OCTOBER  •  A new edition of the gifted novelist's classic account of a Danube journey from its source in the heart of what once was the Austro-Hungarian Empire through the Balkans to the Black Sea. The book is an intellectually charged, evocative portrait of the places and personalities of Central Europe. (EUR58, $16.00)
 
 
The Austrians, A Thousand-Year Odyssey  •  Gordon Brook-Shepherd   • HISTORY  •  Detailed, impressively researched and readable, this book is a wide-ranging narrative history of the last 1,000 years of Austria and the Austrian character. (AST10, $23.00)
 
 
The European Union, A Very Short Introduction  •  John Pinder   • HISTORY  •  A brief primer on the development of the European Union, its history, policies, governance and impact. (EUR231, $11.95)
 
 
The Germans  •  Gordon A. Craig   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT  •  A gifted historian, Craig explores the complex paradoxes of German identity in this masterly portrait of German life, past and present, with chapters on religion, money, Jews, women, literature and society, Berlin and language. (GER10, $18.00)
 
 
The Habsburgs, Embodying Empire  •  Andrew Wheatcroft   • HISTORY  •  The Habsburgs ruled over more diverse peoples and cultures than any other European dynasty since the Roman period. In this book, Wheatcroft's skillful scholarship and engaging style fully reveal the history of this family and its eccentric monarchs. (AST11, $17.00)
 
 
Twilight of the Habsburgs, The Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph  •  Alan Palmer   • HISTORY  •  A vivid tale of the emperor of Austria-Hungary and king of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and Slavonia who ruled until the fall of the empire during World War I. (AST14, $15.00)
 
 
Baroque and Rococo Art  •  Germain Bazin   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  An excellent illustrated survey of Baroque and Rococo art and architecture, this volume in the acclaimed "World of Art" series is a good companion to the golden age of Middle Europe. (EUR53, $16.95)
 
 
Beethoven, The Music and The Life  •  Lewis Lockwood   • MUSIC  •  An insightful, engaging portrait of the man and especially his musical development, by a leading Beethoven scholar. (MUS40, $21.95)
 
 
Cathedrals and Castles, Building in the Middle Ages  •  Alain Erlande-Brandenburg   • ART & ARCHITECTURE • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE  •  A pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages. It features hundreds of drawings and color illustrations, a brief chronology and plenty more information. (MED07, $12.95)
 
 
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  An accessible overview of the medieval cathedral, its history, design and architecture with black-and-white photographs. (EUR190, $17.95)
 
 
Between the Woods and the Water  •  Patrick Leigh Fermor   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  This sequel to A Time of Gifts (CEU30), Fermor's classic account of walking across Europe in 1933, continues with his youthful adventures in Hungary and Romania. The book ends at the Iron Gates, which divide the Carpathian mountains from the Balkans. (CEU31, $15.95)
 
 
Budapest Diary, In Search of the Motherbook  •  Susan Rubin Suleiman   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  A lovely and affecting memoir of a childhood in 1940s Budapest and a return trip in 1993 as an academic fellow. Suleiman is now a professor at Harvard. (HGR37, $14.95)
 
 
Mozart, A Life  •  Maynard Solomon   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  Solomon here tears down the myth of Mozart as the "eternal child," while adding great depth to the psychological and artistic development of the musical genius. The book also illustrates life in 18th-century Salzburg. (AST06, $22.95)
 
 
Mozart, His Life and Works  •  Julian Rushton   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  This marvelous, well-informed account of Mozart, his life and work, published in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his birth, is a volume on Oxford's masterful Master Musicians series. (EUR215, $30.00)
 
 
On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul  •  Jason Goodwin   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  A marvelous account of Goodwin's pilgrimage on foot from Gdansk to Constantinople in the early 1990s in the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor, interweaving history, incident and reflection. (EUR81, $15.00)
 
 
The Improbable Voyage  •  Tristan Jones   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  A personable sailor's yarn of a tough trip by water across Europe along the Rhine and Danube to the Black Sea. Jones, an inveterate Welsh sailor, adventurer and storyteller, tackles not only sailing, but also the people, politics and flavor of Eastern Europe circa 1985. (EUR156, $16.50)
 
 
Prague, A Traveler's Literary Companion  •  Paul Wilson   • ANTHOLOGY  •  This anthology of 24 vivid stories by Prague writers, contemporary and well known, brings the city to life and includes a helpful map for the traveler. (CZH08, $14.95)
 
 
Prague  •  Arthur Phillips   • LITERATURE  •  Don't be fooled by the title -- this engaging novel is set in Budapest. Five young American expats have settled themselves in what they consider the "second-best" eastern European city, where chance encounters and interactions determine how their lives will -- or won't -- be changed. (HGR29, $13.95)
 
 
The Blue Flower  •  Penelope Fitzgerald   • LITERATURE  •  Set in the Age of Goethe, this exquisitely written short novel is a fictional account of the life of the Romantic poet Novalis. It paints a vivid picture of German intellectual and mercantile life in the late 1700s. (GER21, $13.00)
 
 
The Glance of Countess Hahn-Hahn (Down the Danube)  •  Peter Esterhazy   • LITERATURE  •  A confounding, postmodern novel, this meditation on travel, the Danube, and its history is great fun for those with an appreciation for wordplay and intellectual games. (HGR11, $19.00)
 
 
The Radetzky March  •  Joseph Roth  •  Joachim Neugroschel   • LITERATURE  •  This is perhaps the best-known and best-loved novel of the Habsburg Empire. First published in 1932, it spins a tale of three generations of the Trotta family, set against the waning days of the empire. (AST17, $16.95)
 
 
The Third Man and the Fallen Idol  •  Graham Greene   • LITERATURE  •  A haunting tale and penetrating portrait of Vienna after World War II, "The Third Man" is the result of Greene's collaboration with Carol Reed on the classic movie. "The Fallen Idol" is a separate tale of intrigue set in Britain. (AST30, $13.00)
 
 


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