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Eastern European Odyssey

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXCEU85. Buy these 5 items as a set for $84 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

Lonely Planet Eastern Europe

by Lonely Planet

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 1028 PAGES

This practical guide includes Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic as well as the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans. (EUR72, $29.99)

The Balkans, A Short History

The Balkans, A Short History

by Mark Mazower

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 188 PAGES

A brief, provocative survey of the complex and often contentious history of the Balkans. With eloquence and insight, Mazower addresses the issues of geography, nationalism and modern nation-building in the region. (BLK28, $13.95)

Between the Woods and the Water

Between the Woods and the Water

by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Fermor continues with youthful adventures in Hungary and Romania, culminating with his arrival at the Iron Gates on the Danube. (CEU31, $15.95)

In Search of Dracula

In Search of Dracula

by Raymond McNally

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 297 PAGES

This history of Vlad Tepes (AKA Vlad the Impaler), the Romanian warrior prince upon whom Bram Stoker based his infamous blood-drinking count, draws on oral histories and archaeological evidence and also examines Dracula's many incarnations in film and literature. (EUR193, $18.95)

Europe Map

Europe Map

by Michelin Travel Publications

  • MAP

A one-sided map of all of Europe, as far east as Russia and western Turkey, at a scale of 1:3,000,000. (EUR74, $11.95)

 
Frommer's Budapest Day by Day

Frommer's Budapest Day by Day


by Robert Smyth

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER

This illustrated pocket guide, ideal for a short visit, features excellent suggestions for everything from food and hotels to sightseeing and shopping. With a separate foldout map of the city center. (HGR65, $12.99)

Frommer's Vienna Day by Day

Frommer's Vienna Day by Day


by Teresa Fisher

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 180 PAGES

With hand-picked recommendations and highlights, this compact guide offers the "must see" attractions of Vienna for a shorter visit. (AST102, $12.99)

A History of Slovakia, The Struggle for Survival

A History of Slovakia, The Struggle for Survival


by Stanislav K. Kirschbaum

  • HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 350 PAGES

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, $20.00)

A Nervous Splendor, Vienna 1888-1889

A Nervous Splendor, Vienna 1888-1889


by Frederic Morton

  • HISTORY
  • 1980
  • PAPER
  • 340 PAGES

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)

Black Sea

Black Sea


by Neal Ascherson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 306 PAGES

In this skillful portrait of a region, Ascherson weaves his own travels and impressions with a fascinating account of the Black Sea's history. From ancient mythology to modern politics, he admirably never loses sight of the sea itself. (RUS46, $19.00)

Budapest 1900

Budapest 1900


by John Lukacs

  • HISTORY
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 255 PAGES

Written by a distinguished historian and native son, this richly detailed portrait of the city at its zenith includes hundreds of illustrations. (HGR01, $16.95)

Bury Me Standing

Bury Me Standing


by Isabel Fonseca

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 322 PAGES

This marvelous portrait of the Roma, also known as the Gypsies, offers insight into their music, foods, religions and folk traditions, and also examines their influential but complex relationship with Eastern Europe. (EUR09, $14.95)

Danube

Danube


by Claudio Magris

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

Mixing history, personalities and literature, Magris traces the course of the Danube from its source in the heart of the Austro-Hungarian empire through the Balkans to the Black Sea in this anything but conventional travelogue, first published in 1986. (EUR58, $17.00)

The Danube, A Cultural History

The Danube, A Cultural History


by Andrew Beattie

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Beattie gives a comprehensive overview of the Danube's role as a vital shipping artery and a uniting thread through the region's turbulent history. (EUR370, $16.95)

The German Way

The German Way


by Hyde Flippo

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 138 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

This clever A-to-Z guide to quirks, attitudes, behavior and customs is a terrific resource for travelers seeking insight into why the Germans, Austrians and Swiss do what they do. (GER12, $17.00)

The Habsburgs, Embodying Empire

The Habsburgs, Embodying Empire


by Andrew Wheatcroft

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

The Habsburgs ruled over more diverse peoples and cultures than any other European dynasty since the Roman period. With skillful scholarship and engaging style, Wheatcroft reveals the history of this family of eccentric monarchs. (AST11, $17.00)

Transylvania

Transylvania


by Bronwen Riley

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES

Riley lovingly explores the mountain villages, history and people of this land steeped in myth and tradition in this superb book, featuring 150 haunting photographs by Dan Dinescu. (EUR316, $50.00)

A Time of Gifts

A Time of Gifts


by Patrick Leigh Fermor

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

Fermor effortlessly interweaves anecdote, history and culture in this exuberant account of a walk from Holland, up the Rhine and down the Danube, through Germany, Prague and Austria in 1933. Written not in the moment, but 40 years later, the accumulation of time and experience give the book particular poignancy. (CEU30, $16.95)

Balkan Ghosts, A Journey through History

Balkan Ghosts, A Journey through History


by Robert D. Kaplan

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 307 PAGES

Kaplan interweaves the history, art and culture of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece with his travels in this portrait of the region. (BLK02, $17.00)

Blue River, Black Sea

Blue River, Black Sea


by Andrew Eames

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

By bicycle, boat and on foot, British adventurer Andrew Eames (The 8:55 to Baghdad, From London to Iraq on the Trail of Agatha Christie) weaves entertaining tales of his travels and the people he meets along the Danube from the Black Forest to Romania and the Ukraine into an insightful contemporary portrait of the region. (EUR353, $16.95)

Mozart

Mozart


by Peter Gay

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 177 PAGES

This concise, entertaining portrait delves into Mozart's complex relationship with his father, his daunting role as a child prodigy and his exploration of new musical territory. (AST43, $14.00)

On Foot to the Golden Horn

On Foot to the Golden Horn


by Jason Goodwin

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 278 PAGES

Goodwin interweaves history, incident and reflection in this excellent portrait of Central Europe. With chapters on Cracow, Slovakia, Budapest, Transylvania, Brasov and Bulgaria. (EUR81, $17.00)

The Improbable Voyage

The Improbable Voyage


by Tristan Jones

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

Jones, an inveterate Welsh sailor, adventurer and storyteller, channels Eastern Europe circa 1985 in his tale of a tough voyage along the Rhine and Danube to the Black Sea. (EUR156, $16.50)

The Third Man and the Fallen Idol

The Third Man and the Fallen Idol


by Graham Greene

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 157 PAGES

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, $14.00)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.