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, $35.00)
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 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)
Chamonix to Zermatt, The Walker's Haute Route  •  Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 187 PAGES A comprehensive, practical guide to the classic Haute Route (with suggested alternatives). Apart from covering each segment of the long-distance walk, the book features a 30-page introduction to the region and good information on preparation. With photographs and sketch maps. The author, Kev Reynolds, has written a series of walking guides in Switzerland and the Alps published by Cicerone Press in Great Britain. (ALP21, $19.95)
Chamonix, Mont Blanc Massif (East)  •  IGN MAP 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Insight Guide Switzerland  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated overview of Switzerland, featuring concise essays by well-regarded authors on history, politics and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, and some practical information. (SWZ15, $32.20)
La Place de la Concorde Suisse  •  John McPhee CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1994 •  PAPER  • 150 PAGES In the company of a Swiss patrol leader on a training mission, McPhee deploys his usual insight and wonderful prose on the phenomenon of the army of Switzerland -- a country twice the size of New Jersey with a much smaller population and an army of 650,000. What unfolds is an irreverent portrait of Switzerland and the Swiss mindset. (SWZ14, $15.00)
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)
The Lonely Empress, A Biography of Elisabeth of Austria  •  Joan Haslip BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 462 PAGES An authoritative biography of the free spirited empress consort of Austria who presided over the Habsburg court from 1854 until her assassination in 1898. An avid traveler and lover of sport, Elisabeth, also known as Sisi, was wife to emperor Franz Joseph and mother to Crown Prince Rudolph. Originally published in 1965. (AST81, $19.95)
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)
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)
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)
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 DECEMBER 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)
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)
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)
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)