All Along the Rhine: Recipes, Wine and Lore from Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Holland  •  Kay Shaw Nelson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 211 PAGES A tribute to the Rhine Valley, its history, culture and especially its food. Combining over 130 authentic recipes with small bits of background information, this is a delightful introduction to the culinary traditions of the region. (GER111, $14.95)
The Alps, A Cultural History  •  Andrew Beattie HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 256 PAGES Andrew Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of the Alps, where early pioneers of tourism, mountaineering and scientific research, along with the enduring legacies of historical regimes from the Romans to the Nazis, have all left their mark. (ALP30, $29.95)
Annecy-Lausanne Map 45  •  IGN MAP An excellently detailed map of the Haute-Savoie at a scale of 1:100,000. (FRN390, $11.95)
Baedeker's Austria  •  Baedeker's Travel Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 618 PAGES The much-revised classic with map. (AST56, $25.00)
The Bernese Alps, Switzerland  •  Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES A compact, practical guide to exploring the high mountains, glaciers and valley walks of Interlaken, Grindelwald and Kanderstag. This guide covers not only the Bernese Oberland but also the south side of the Jungfrau. (SWZ39, $22.95)
The Best of the Alps  •  Jay Cowan HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 169 PAGES A tour of 11 well known resorts throughout the Alps, illustrated in full-color photos. With descriptions of popular activities, events and a short history of each resort. (ALP18, $19.95)
Birds of Britain & Europe  •  Hermann Heinzel  •  Richard Fitter  •  John Parslow FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES • COMING IN This masterfully organized Collins Pocket Guide, featuring 3,000 color illustrations covers the birds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Maps, text and illustrations for each species are organized together on facing pages for quick reference in the field. Heinzel contributed all the handsome watercolor illustrations. (EUR49, $27.50)
Bradt Guide Switzerland: Rail, Road, Lake  •  Anthony Lambert GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A practical guide to traveling in Switzerland with a particular focus on the various ways one can get around. Whether driving, walking, biking, riding the rails, or exploring the lakes by steamer, this guide provides ample information on how best to enjoy the scenic landscapes and villages of the region. (SWZ27, $23.95)
Central Alps, Tyrol Map  •  Borch Maps 2006 •  MAP A nicely detailed, full-color laminated map of the Tyrol region at a scale of 1:285,000. Centered on Innsbrook, the double-sided map covers Austria from Salzburg to the west, reaches north to Munich, and south into the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy, including Trento and Lake Garda. (ALP29, $10.95)
Chamonix, Mont Blanc Massif (East)  •  IGN MAP • COMING IN OCTOBER This fabulously detailed topographic map (scale 1:25,000) shows the eastern portion of the Mont Blanc group. In combination with the same publisher's map of the western part of the range (Item FRN315), it's the best map for hikers doing the Mont Blanc circuit. (FRN314, $16.95)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe  •  Glynis Ridley HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
Daisy Miller  •  Henry James LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 126 PAGES This classic story of a young American woman's innocent flirtation and its misinterpretation by a sophisticated European man is set in Lac Leman and Chillon. This is James' first fictional work to gain mass popularity and one of his great American female portraits. Daisy, the young American tourist, baffles her Continental lovers with her ingenuousness and blatant honesty. Misunderstandings ensue when the formal, prim Winterbourne misconstrues her innocent flirtations. (SWZ09, $7.00)
Dolomites Trekking, Alta Via 1 & Alta Via 2  •  Henry Stedman GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 174 PAGES A practical guide to walks and treks in the Dolomites featuring 51 detailed route maps, village plans and concise information on where to go, and what to see and do. The bulk of the book is organized into route descriptions that take the walker refuge-to-refuge. With sketch maps. The covers the Alta Via 1 -- Lago di Braies to Belluno (9-13 days) and Alta Via 2 -- Bressanone to Feltre (10-16 days) in detail. (ITL253, $22.95)
Essential Switzerland  •  Gerry Crawshaw GUIDEBOOK •  1994 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A compact guidebook with background information, regional maps, and practical information on all the major sites. (SWZ16, $8.95)
Eyewitness Guide Austria  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES This superb guide to all of Austria features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (AST59, $25.00)
Eyewitness Guide Switzerland  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES A compact, illustrated guide to Switzerland and the Swiss Alps, featuring over 900 photographs, illustrations and maps, as well as plenty of information on places to eat, stay and visit. (SWZ45, $25.00)
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus  •  Mary Shelley LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Set around Lake Geneva, this classic gothic novel, was written in 1816 when the author and her husband were neighbors of Byron, who suggested writing ghost stories to while away the damp, summer days during their stay. It memorably explores the dual dilemma of the danger of scientists playing God and the corruption of an innocent creature by an immoral society. (SWZ10, $7.95)
French or Foe? Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France  •  Polly Platt CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 292 PAGES With humor, directness and great insight, this little book explains the French and how to get along with them. Whatever your thoughts about cultural stereotypes, her suggestion for how to get out of sticky situations is perfect: "Excusez-moi de vous deranger." It also works! An expanded third edition, which now includes the French romance with cell phones and a short chapter with recent vignettes. (FRN54, $16.95)
French Ways and Their Meaning  •  Edith Wharton CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 151 PAGES A wonderfully readable, elegant look at French civilization by the perceptive mind of Edith Wharton. These impressions were cobbled together by Wharton in 1919 and divided into chapters with titles such as "Taste," "Intellectual Honesty" and, most tellingly, "The New Frenchwoman." This facsimile edition is published in cooperation with the Edith Wharton Restoration at the Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts. Written in Paris during the last two years of WWI, it celebrates what Wharton considers the typically French concern with Glory, Love, Voluptuousness, and Pleasure. (FRN55, $14.95)
Geneva Map  •  ITMB MAP A detailed traveler's map of Geneva, Switzerland at a scale of 1:6,000. (SWZ51, $8.95)
German, A Language Map  •  Kristine K. Kershul LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1999 •  PLASTIC CARD This durable, foldout card, featuring 1,000 words and phrases, works as a quick reference for travelers. (GER165, $7.95)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
Grenoble/Mont Blanc Map  •  IGN MAP A regional, topographic map of eastern France, covering Chamonix, Mont Blanc, Grenoble and Geneva, Switzerland, at a detailed scale of 1:100,000. (FRN256, $11.95)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
I'm Not Stiller  •  Max Frisch LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Now published for the first time in its entirety, this haunting story of a man in prison who claims not to be himself raises disturbing questions of identity and self-acceptance. A masterpiece of post-World War II fiction, it commands attention from the first sentence and explores many layers of meaning as a Swiss who expatriated himself to America returns home under a pseudonym and denies his Swiss origins in an exercise of self-discovery. (SWZ08, $20.00)
The Ice Soldier  •  Paul Watkins LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES William Bromley, after serving as a Royal Marines mountaineer in the Italian Alps in WWII, finally settles down, quietly teaching history at a London boarding school--until an old comrade reappears and calls in a bargain the two struck during the war. The pair set off back to the Alps and face avalanches, lost food and gear, and freezing temperatures. Written in clipped, Hemingway-esque prose, remarkably rich in imagery and detail. (ALP31, $15.00)
Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier  •  Brenda Fowler ARCHAEOLOGY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 313 PAGES The complete story of the 1991 discovery of the frozen corpse of a prehistoric man in the Tyrol. A major archaeological find, the "Iceman" sparked off a media frenzy, and caused a significant stir in the scientific community and much ruckus between Austria and Italy over who actually had the rights. (ALP20, $15.00)
An Illustrated History of the First World War  •  John Keegan HISTORY •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 448 PAGES • COMING IN An illustrated edition of Keegan's outstanding history of the Great War, considerably enhanced by his selection of almost 500 photographs, maps, drawings and illustrations. The visuals clarify and augment his wide-ranging narrative of the origins, battles and consequences of WWI. (WAR16, $50.00)
Karen Brown's Switzerland, Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries  •  Karen Brown GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES A survey of inns, castles and other lodging of character, along with suggested itineraries and highlights of each region. (SWZ28, $19.95)
Lac d'Annecy Map  •  IGN 2003 •  MAP This detailed walking map shows Lake d'Annecy and the immediate surroundings in the French Alps at a scale 1:25,000. The topographic map, which covers an area of approximately 12 x 9 miles, shows footpaths, huts and refuges, contour lines, GPS coordinates and attractions of local interest. (FRN489, $12.95)
A Life of Her Own  •  Emilie Carles BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 271 PAGES This memoir of life in the French Alps was a French bestseller when first published in 1977. Born in 1900, Carnes tells of her childhood, her life on the farm, her career as a teacher and her involvement in political and feminist movements, including a popular campaign to stop a highway proposed for her Alpine valley. (FRN468, $16.00)
Lonely Planet Central Europe  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 640 PAGES A comprehensive guide to Central Europe, including Austria, 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 Switzerland  •  Damien Simonis GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series. (SWZ43, $19.99)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
The Man Who Planted Trees  •  Jean Giono  •  Michael McMurdy LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES • FAMILY The inspiring story of Elzeard Bouffier, a shepherd turned tree-planter who single-handedly reforested a desolate region of southern France in now-towering oak and beech. Told with affection and lyrical simplicity by novelist Giono, the story was first published by "Vogue" magazine in 1954 as "The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness." (ALP12, $10.00)
Matterhorn Map  •  Swiss Government MAP A detailed topographic map of the Matterhorn, published by the Swiss government at a scale of 1:25,000. (SWZ50, $16.95)
The Measure of Her Powers, An M.F.K. Fisher Reader  •  M. F. K. Fisher LITERATURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES A fat, judicious selection of M.F.K. Fisher's writings, which spanned a lifetime and chronicled adventures (culinary and otherwise) in France, Switzerland and Italy, on shipboard and in her native California. A supremely wise woman and an unsurpassed prose stylist, M.F.K. is here represented in all her witty, sad and celebratory incarnations. Edited with minimal interference by Dominique Gioia, this volume also includes a brief introductory memoir of Fisher by her acolyte Ruth Reichl, who once went on a pilgrimage to Fisher's Sonoma cottage -- only to find that Fisher herself cooked simply, not extravagantly at all. (CUL01, $22.00)
Michelin Green Guide French Alps  •  Michelin Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 450 PAGES A compact, practical guide to the region in the classic Michelin style, organized alphabetically by town and featuring brief descriptions of all the major attractions. The dozens of local maps are especially useful. Not just a driving guide, it includes footpaths and suggested hikes from Mount Blanc to the Grand Canyon du Verdon. With a brief section of practical travel information. (FRN197, $21.95)
Michelin Green Guide Switzerland  •  Michelin Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 319 PAGES A survey of the cities, villages and sites of Switzerland in the classic Michelin style, featuring brief descriptions of all the major attractions, and with excellent full-color city maps. Organized alphabetically for easy reference, (SWZ17, $21.95)
Monte Rosa Map  •  MapLink 1998 •  MAP A Swiss-produced topographic map of the Monte Rosa massif, at a scale of 1:100,000. (SWZ41, $14.00)
Mountaineering, The Freedom of the Hills  •  The Mountaineers GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES The essential handbook for mountaineers, in a seventh revised edition. With chapters on outdoor fundamentals, rock, snow, ice, and alpine climbing, emergency prevention and response, the mountain environment, and gear. (GEN267, $29.95)
The Mountains of My Life  •  Walter Bonatti BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER  • 442 PAGES The candid memoir of the great Italian climber and his adventures in the Alps, the Himalayas, and South America, including Bonatti's account of what happened on the summit of K2 in 1954 (which caused a ruckus in the Italian press, libel suits and other bad behavior). Many would agree Bonatti was treated badly by the press and Italian mountaineering community. Bonatti includes the 1986 report on the K2 affair by Robert Marshall, who also translated the book and provides an introduction. (ALP25, $16.95)
The Night Manager  •  John Le Carre LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 473 PAGES This best-selling, post-Cold War thriller about ruthless arms dealers in Geneva is a gripping read. Carrying on the great Le Carre tradition of espionage, a man who essentially gave up living after a tremendous failure is given a costly shot at redemption. In the new world order, spies have become their own worst enemies. (SWZ06, $7.99)
Pilgrimages, The Great Adventure of the Middle Ages  •  John Ure HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES (EUR202, $15.95)
The Railfan Guide to Switzerland  •  George H. Drury GUIDEBOOK •  1998 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES A guide to the trains of Switzerland and the destinations along their tracks, from a writer and avid traveler on the rails of America and Europe. Filled with recommendations for lodging and day trips, as well as information on the trains themselves. (SWZ25, $17.95)
Rhone-Alpes Map 523  •  Michelin Travel Publications MAP An up-to-date regional map at a scale of 1:200,000 published by Michelin. The double-sided map covers the region from Montreux and Geneve south to Chaminox, Mount Blanc, Grenoble and west to the Rhone from Lyon, St-Etienne and Valence. (FRN255, $11.95)
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. French, German and Italian phrases are side-by-side on the page so that you can pick and choose depending on the situation. This is no dry litany but instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (EUR142, $9.95)
Rick Steves' Switzerland Guide  •  Rick Steves GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A personable, practical guide in the growing series by travel guru Rick Steves. (SWZ46, $19.95)
Rough Guide Switzerland  •  Matthew Teller GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 552 PAGES This comprehensive guide in the British series includes an excellent historical and cultural overview of Switzerland, detailed travel information, and dozens of sketch maps. It's an excellent choice for the independent traveler. (SWZ24, $20.99)
Schlepping Through the Alps, My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd  •  Sam Apple TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES A hilarious and touching exploration of history, tradition and sheep. This is a young New Yorker's account of his travels in Austria with Hans Breuer, a "peripatetic philosopher" who sings Yiddish folk songs to his sheep as he wanders. Admittedly a comic quest, Apple nonetheless delves into some of the darker corners of Austria's history -- its anti-Semitism and role in World War II. (AST74, $14.95)
Seven Summits  •  Dick Bass  •  Frank Wells  •  Rick Ridgeway EXPLORATION •  1988 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES They were both in their 50s, one of them doesn't even make it to all seven peaks. This book -- as told to climber and writer Rick Ridgeway -- is nonetheless pretty amazing, a testimony to the power of money and determination. For those heading to Africa, it includes a detailed description of the (non-techinal) Machame route on Kilimanjaro. They tackled the peaks (some with Ridgeway) in the following order, culminating on the third try with a successful Everest Summit by Bass, then the oldest man to ever stand on top of the world's highest mountain: Aconcagua, McKinley, Kilimanjaro , Elbrus, Kosciusko, Vinson and Everest. (EXP48, $15.99)
St Gervais les Bains, Mont Blanc (West)  •  IGN MAP • COMING IN OCTOBER This fabulously detailed topographic map (scale 1:25,000) shows the western portion of the Mont Blanc group. In combination with the same publisher's map of the eastern part of the range (Item FRN314), it's the best map for hikers doing the Mont Blanc circuit. (FRN315, $14.95)
Swiss Bernese Oberland  •  Philip & Loretta Alspach GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 112 PAGES A brief, illustrated guide to mountains, lakes and villages of the Bernese Oberland, especially valuable for the independent traveler. With 50 color pictures, maps and good information on food, drink, and the mountain villages of Interlaken, Grindelwald, Wengen, Murren and Kandersteg. (SWZ38, $18.95)
Switzerland Map  •  HEMA Maps MAP A colorful, shaded relief map of Switzerland at a scale of 1:303,000. With city plans of Basel Bern, Geneva and Zurich. Printed in Germany, the crisp, bright cartography is by Falk Verlag. (SWZ11, $12.95)
Switzerland North Map  •  Michelin Travel Publications 2003 •  MAP A detailed regional map of Switzerland and neighboring Germany at a scale of 1:200,000. With city plans of Basel, Bern and Zurich. More detailed topographical maps are available in Switzerland. (SWZ40, $8.95)
Switzerland Southeast Map  •  Michelin Travel Publications 2007 •  MAP A detailed regional map covering southern Switzerland and neighboring areas of Italy and Austria at a scale of 1,200,000. With city plans of St-Moritz and Lugano. The map covers from Zug and Stans across to St-Moritz and south to Milan. More detailed topographical maps are available in Switzerland. (SWZ36, $8.95)
Tour of Mont Blanc, Complete Trekking Guide  •  Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 243 PAGES A compact guide to the 11-day, 120-mile classic walk encircling Mont Blanc. With color and black-and-white photos, maps and elevations. The heart of the book is a detailed kilometer-by-kilometer guide to each section of the tour including timings, distances and the author's encouraging, personable remarks on the route. Revised. (ALP24, $19.95)
Tour of the Matterhorn  •  Hilary Sharp GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A compact guide to the 8-10 day hike around the Matterhorn, as well as shorter variants and peak ascents. With color and black-and-white photos, maps and elevations. (SWZ49, $19.95)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
Trentino Alto-Adige Map  •  Touring Club Italiano MAP A colorful regional map of the Italian Dolomites at a scale of 1:200,000, with shaded relief and excellent coverage of local towns and landmarks. (ITL42, $12.95)
The Walker's Literary Companion  •  Robert Gilbert  •  Anne Wallace  •  Jeffrey Robinson ANTHOLOGY •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 352 PAGES A diverse sampling of literature on the pleasures of walking, representing philosophers, naturalists, outcasts, athletes and intellectuals from Plato to Frank O'Hara. (WLK08, $24.00)
Walking  •  Henry David Thoreau REFERENCE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 92 PAGES You may want to carry this small volume in your daypack for inspiration. In it, Thoreau offers his meditations on the spiritual benefits of this most civilized form of travel. (WLK04, $9.95)
Walking in the Valais  •  Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES A comprehensive walking guide to Switzerland's Pennine Alps, which include such peaks as the Matterhorn, Zinal Rothorn, Dent Blanche, Grand Combin, and Mont Rosa. A compact guide in the British series, it features 95 recommended valley and mountain hikes, illustrations, photos and sketch maps. (SWZ29, $22.95)
Walking Switzerland, The Swiss Way: From Vacation Apartments, Hotels, Mountain Inns, and Huts  •  Marcia Lieberman GUIDEBOOK •  1997 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES This guide includes all the information you need to plan your own Swiss walking tour including renting an apartment, trails, maps, descriptions of terrain, scenery, the alpine environment, and 102 tailored walks in 11 different regions. With 25 years of Swiss walking and hiking experience, the authors know their territory. Each walk is rated for strenuousness and includes the distance, the highest point above sea level, ascent/descent time, recommended transportation and a map. Travel tips include information on clothing, equipment, food, safety, and hazards. (SWZ03, $16.95)
Western Austria Tyrol Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A regional map of western Austria, including the Tyrolean region, Innsbruck and bordering regions of Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The map, which features excellent full-color shaded relief, is at the very good scale of 1:200,000. With an index. (AST05, $10.95)
Zurich Map  •  ITMB MAP A map of Zurich at a scale of 1:8,000. (SWZ47, $8.95)