Reviews (1)

Wonderful and comprehensive.
This is incredibly comprehensive coverage of the founding of the present state of Israel and as such, is unique. The correspondents have clearly got their fingers dirty, by digging down to the real issues behind the present state. I read this in conjunction with Richard Patton's incredible "The Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years".Having been brought up in a largely Christian culture, Patton's book about the man we call Jesus was wonderfully enhanced by the political background provided by Brinkley et al. This book should be read by anyone interested in thetroubled Middle East. It is a work that will stand long after its authors have shuffled off their mortal coil! Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Atlases    2. Atlases - General    3. Atlases - Historical    4. Historical Atlases    5. History - General History    6. Israel    7. Maps    8. Middle East - Israel    9. Reference    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history    11. Historical geography    12. Maps, charts & atlases    13. Palestine    14. Reference / Maps   

Editorial Review

West of China, south of Russia, hemmed in by mountains, steppe, and desert, lie the five Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union. Cut loose from Moscow in the early '90s, the five "Stans" (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan) discover that their newly found freedom plays tug-o-war with despair and a nostalgia for the certainties of the Soviet past. It's during this time that author Colin Thubron travels the width of central Asia, asking questions about the past, present, and future. Not content to simply bounce from place to place, Thubron travels from person to person, uncovering their many vibrant stories and developing a deep understanding of the area's lesser-known history. Kyrgyz and Uzbeks debate the place of Islam. Koreans and Germans, descendants from forced migrants, wonder if they know enough of their ethnic tongue to return to their homelands. Russians find themselves left behind, disbelieving, as the tide of Russian power recedes toward Moscow. Read more

Reviews (11)

Talented writing, but with flaws.
From the get go it is abundantly evident that Colin Thubron is an extremely talented writer. He has a way with words that I have not seen in any other travel writing I read; his book is the first I have went through that transcended a quaint, shallow, "Let's Go Travel Guide" type of narrative that storms through cities in a few days, marvels at surface elements, then moves on. There is nothing rushed about Thubron's writing style, his descriptions are thought out, in depth, and delicate. This unique distinction I think is vital for anyone doing travel writing in Central Asia: in the minds of Westerners (who will compose the bulk of people reading this kind of writing), Central Asia is a vacuum, both geographically, culturally, and historically. Few Westerners know much about this area, which is a shame, since geographically, culturally, and historically Central Asia is perhaps one of the most evocative places in the world. It is therefore vital for any travel writing to bring Central Asia to life, which Thubron definitely succeeds at.
Cultural confusion from a traveler's perspective
Colin Thubron, in this extremely interesting and well-written travelogue, has shed a common (or, owing to his previous experiences, uncommon) traveler's light on this amazing region of the world. Set amid the turmoil and confusion of the year following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Thubron portrays the incredible diversity of sentiment displayed by the area's inhabitants. From fatalistic apathy to alcohol-driven nationalism, he finds it all as he makes his way between crumbling ancient cities and Soviet-era apartment blocks. Chronicling the tentative resurfacing of Islam and hesitant steps toward fumbling democracies, the author has described the birth of these fledgling nations, offering a wonderful snapshot of the dynamic countries. Reporting to You from the Edge of Nowhere
In this intriguing book Colin Thubron travels throughout the mysterious lands of Central Asia, the five "Stans" which had just emerged from the yoke of the Soviet Union. Thubron's travels took place in the early 90's just after these new nations were formed from the disintegrating USSR, and were emerging in a confused state toward the "independence" they couldn't manage, after the colonialism they didn't want. Central Asia has been shrouded in mystery since the dawn of time - surrounded either by impenetrable mountains or never-ending deserts, and spawning obscure peoples who periodically burst out in waves of conquest before settling back into obscurity again. These mostly Moslem peoples (with some imported Caucasians mixed in) obviously never meshed well with the rest of the Soviet empire, with their cultures, languages and histories being suppressed for the past 70 years; and Thubron now reveals their confused state. Here you will meet many sadly interesting people in dreary locations, who are ignorant of their own histories (after Soviet revisionism and flat out lies) and have no idea what the future holds. You will find that Thubron's basic writing style is rather depressing, as he tends to focus on the negative aspects of the locations he visits, usually describing them as dreary and soulless, and he concludes that most of the people he meets have hopeless futures in store. However, his attitudes are not that different from the interviewees themselves. In the end, Thubron proves that this region and its myriad peoples will continue to be shrouded in mystery and obscurity, but in the meantime he provides an enjoyable travelogue of an area and people that few outsiders have or ever will see. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1939-    2. Asia - General    3. Asia, Central    4. Central Asia    5. Description    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Journeys    9. Middle East - General    10. Thubron, Colin,    11. Travel    12. Travel - General    13. Travel / General   

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Egypt    3. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

The master of the hardheaded travelogue, Robert D. Kaplan returns with a book on what he calls "the New Near East," an area stretching from the Balkans to Central Asia that "might become the seismograph of world politics" in the new century. That doesn't sound like good news: "The pitiless history of the Near East [is] dominated by marauding armies and earthquakes while peace treaties have merely formalized temporary stalemates on the ground." Kaplan has made a career of writing about the world's trouble spots "without illusions"--his books Read more

Reviews (41)

Descriptions, no prescriptions
Every author brings some baggage with him when he writes a book. Robert Kaplan brings a caravan. Variously known as "Mr. Anarchy" and "Mr. Chaos," Kaplan is a prolific writer of books on foreign relations and has written many articles for The Atlantic Monthly. He is best-known in foreign policy circles for his 1994 essay and subsequent book entitled "The Coming Anarchy." In them, Kaplan asserts that the world is on the verge of a crackup of Malthusian proportions. A recurring shortcoming of his writings, however, seems to be a lack of solutions for the problems he meticulously details. He has the ability to describe the human condition but has a singular inability to suggest fixes.
Kaplan walks alone......
....literally and figuratively. Robert Kaplan is a brave man. He travels through some of the poorest and most dangerous parts of the world by himself, armed with nothing but his pen. This in itself deserves respect. Add to that his sharp insight into human nature combined with an excellent grasp of history, and you have one fantastic piece of journalism. Kaplan takes us through the Balkans, the Caucasus, and parts of the Middle East and shares his experiences along with the history and political climate of each respective region. His goal is to see what the future may have in store for these historically rich yet impoverished and unstable regions. He points out that many of these "nations" were once part of this or that empire and that there is no reason to believe that they won't again someday. In other words, he sees a lot of shake-ups in the near future of these regions, which very well could have a global impact. This is a compelling read and I take my hat off to Mr. Kaplan.

Solid, historical account of increasingly important places.
The subtitle of this book, "Travels in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucusus" lets you know which countries are covered.It was written in 2000 and misses things like the latest NATO countries.However, these places are showing up more and more often in the news.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Balkan Peninsula    3. Caucasus    4. Description and travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. History    7. Middle East    8. Middle East - General    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. ASIA    12. Journeys    13. Kaplan, Robert D    14. Travel & holiday guides    15. Travel / Middle East / General    16. Travel writing   

Reviews (33)

When in Iran, "expect to suffer from excessive hospitality"
Amazon's "Better Together" recommender worked well here:I read "Searching for Hassan" after reading Firoozeh Dumas' charming memoir "Funny in Farsi."Terence Ward's "Hassan" is a compelling read, especially the chapter "Appointment in Tudeshk" which thrillingly recounts the Ward family's reunion with the Ghasemi family after 29 years apart.I'll sheepishly tell you that I skimmed some of Mr. Ward's erudite sidebars about certain long-ago aspects of Persian history and focused on his more recent accountings of the days of the Shah, the transition to theocratic rule and life since the revolution.But the recounting of the trip itself is pure magic, as are Mr. Ward's remembrances of Hassan and Fatimeh Ghasemi.You can clearly see why these two inspired such devotion from the Ward family.
Appreciation Works Wonders
The best feature of this story is the author's sense of appreciation. Returning to the land of his childhood after 30 years, Ward is filled with appreciation for all places, characters and canundrums he meets. Where suspicion commonly reigns between Americans and Iranians, Ward's infectious appreciation opens door after door -- to enjoyment, insight and friendship.

An extraordinary work of art
This book was given to me by my daughter as a present last Norouz.I wanted to read it when I had enough time and could concentrate on the details of this journey to Iran.My husband and I decided to go on a short vacation last week and I took the book with me.I read it once and started to read it again. I have been away from Iran for the past 20 years and miss it so very much. This book made me cry and made me laugh.I followed the family's steps in Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd. I could touch the land, smell the flowers at the Hafizieh and taste Hassan's rice with saffron.Immigration to Canada has taught me a painful lesson. I found out that not many people knew who Iranians are, what their language is, are they Arabs?I volunteered for many different organizations hoping to be recognized as an Iranian human being. It did not take me very far, so I joined the Iranian Canadian Cultural Assiciation and worked very hard to introduce Iran and the Iranian culture over the last 5 years. It has been amazing, now everyone knows about the Chaharshanbe souri celebration on the last Tuesday of the Persian year and 10,000 people attended our festival in the park this year.Norouz is celebrated every year with many dignitaries in attendance; and we arrange different lectures by scholars from around the world.I am grateful that Terence Ward has written this book, and introduced our culture in detail with his heart. Coming from someone like him will make a world of difference for us, making the hard work we have to undertake to introduce our culture so much easier.We thank Terence for this extraordinary work of art and his passionate portrait of my homeland! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Iran    3. Middle East - Iran    4. Personal Memoirs    5. Social life and customs    6. Travel    7. Travelers    8. Ward, Terence    9. Biography & Autobiography / General    10. Journeys   

Reviews (5)

A must have for pilgrim travel to Israel
This is a wonderful little book that contains scriptural references for virtually all of the traditional Christian sites in Israel. It is invaluable to take along when viewing the various religious sites so that their biblical mention can be easily found and read. When I lead tours to the Holy Land, this book is one of three that I advise visitors to consider taking with them (the others are, "Holy Land" by Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, and "The Millennium Guide for Pilgrims to the Holy Land", by James H. Charlesworth.

AN OUTSTANDING WORK
As a traveller to the land of Israel twelve times I have been privileged to see first rate the expertise that went into the pages of this book and I have had many positve comments from those I have shared the book with. Apreacher's son describes the part on the "Ark of The Covenant" asan exceptional writing done by an expert in her field. The book is a mustfor anyone going to the Holyland.

Great Guide
This is a handy little guide book that could travel with you as you visit the sites mentioned.It lists the history of each place and other interesting facts.It has several useful lists of information at the backof the book. Mrs. Crown-Tamir knows her stuff and has put together auseful, inexpensive guide. I found myself wishing for a large foldout mapto see all the places named, however that would probably make the book tooexpensive. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Biography - New Testament    2. Bible - Topical Studies    3. Description and travel    4. Gazetteers    5. Israel    6. Jordan    7. Middle East - Israel    8. Palestine    9. Reference    10. Religion - Biblical Studies    11. Travel / Middle East / General    12. ASIA    13. Guidebooks    14. Jesus Christ    15. Journeys    16. Middle East    17. Middle East - General    18. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    19. Travel    20. Travel - Foreign   

Reviews (16)

A classic of travel litterature that still raises enthusiasm
How did I come to read this book? It is a period that I am interested in Central Asia history and else, because I became aware that European culture has long ignored this part of the world. I was talking with my father who has an encyclopedic knowledge on almost every topic (sic!) and he asked me if I had read this book. After a long search we found it in his library in an italian translation and a Bruce Chatwin presentation. He had read it because interested in Islamic architecture and art. This breif introduction is to underline how this book is not only a great travel book in the line of those written by foreign travelers in the 1930's, but also an original, well-documented and researched book on islamic architecture of the medieval and modern period. Actually, the author who was an amatuer historian of the arts (read his other books on Mount Athos and Byzantine art) intended this book to be a first-hand report on islamic architecture that had not been seen and described as a whole in those times at least in european countries. The english had a "great game" vision of Central Asia that consisted essentially of folklore, customs, a little history and much adventure with the fiend represented by the russians. What Byron went looking for instead was the the expression of the concept of space that had taken place in the east. He identifies the subtle transitions from roman-greek architecture to the islamic revolution, that will be successivelly reimported to Europe years later in the Romanic period. He is particularly fascinated by the arch and the dome and their evolution, and he is probably the first to identify the "iwan" as an architectural feature. As to tiles, that are the other main feature of islamic decoration, he captures the hues of the blues and turquoises, yellows and browns and the way they respond to light and mesmerizes the reader with their description.
Great writing, great landscape, great characters - read it!
This wonderful account by Robert Byron of his travels through Persia and Afghanistan is spare when it should be spare: "Lifar came to dinner. Bertie mentioned that all whales have syphilis" (a complete paragraph from page 19) and effusive when it should be effusive: "Here the green resolved, not into ordinary grass, but into wild corn, barley, and oats, which accounted for that vivid fire, as of a life within the green. And among these myriad bearded alleys lived a population of flowers, buttercup and poppies, pale purple irises and dark purple campanulas, and countless others..." (from a paragraph on page 200). Never mind the country he was traveling through, I just love his prose. They are never trite, never clich�. It's almost as if when a hackneyed phrase would have done, he sought hard for something bright, fresh, new.
Interesting View of an Area Now in the Spotlight
In the 1930's this part of the world was far, far away from Britain and the United States. Recent events have placed these countries and people in the forefront. In some ways, Byron's experiences are not much different than those of today. Some of his observations seem quite prescient, but really just help give us a clear picture of an area that has seen a lot of history, and is the stage for more of the same today.
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Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Byron, Robert,    3. Description And Travel    4. Education    5. General    6. History - General    7. Iran    8. Middle East    9. Middle East - General    10. Travel    11. Travel - United States    12. United States - General    13. Byron, Robert    14. Literature/English | British Literature | 20th C    15. Travel / Middle East / General    16. Travel writing   

Reviews (4)

Good but outdated
This book is does an OK job describing activities for kids, but it is VERY outdated.Israel is changing rapidly and this book is in need of a new revised edition.It lists places like the Dolphinarium as a place to take kids.The Dolphinarium was turned in to a disco years ago.
An outstanding guidebook to a remarkable land
Barbara Sofer is one of the most knowledgable writers on everyday life in the land of Israel. In this outstanding guide she pays special attention to the attractions which will be especially appealing to families.
Excellent guide for parents taking their children to Israel
We used this book every day of our 2 week trip to Israel with 3 children aged 1-8.Our friends then borrowed the book for a 3 week trip with 5children aged 6-16.The sections of the book are broken down by geography,with handy maps to assist you in setting up your schedule, whether yourhotel is in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Tiberias or Eilat.The greatest benefitsof the book include the phone numbers of the tourist sites as well as thehours which each location is open.The author even recommends ideal hotelsand activities based on your children's ages. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family & Relationships / Activities    2. Guidebooks    3. Israel    4. Middle East - Israel    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel / Asia / General    8. Activities    9. Family    10. Family Travel    11. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (3)

not the best choice,perhaps
When my sister, and neice and myself went to Egypt in 1997, we took three guide books. The Fodors, Lets Go, and the Rough Guide. We threw the Fodors, and Lets Go out in Luxor, and used the Rough guide. We loved Egypt, and are planning another trip, Culture Shock would have been a good book to have read first. If you go to Luxor, go stay at Abul Kassem's place, just show up, its always empty. We also loved the Three Corners on the beach at Hurgada. Now i am dreaming again .......

Worth the money
In true Fodor's style this book is worth the money.It doesn't contain everything you need to know, but it definitely gives you a good idea what to go see and what not to see.If you are looking for a great pocket reference while you are in Egypt, this is the way to go.I investigated a lot of different books and this was by far the best one.

A perfect travel companion for a 1st time traveler to Egypt!
Fodor's Pockeet Egypt, 1999 is a perfect travel companion for the first time visitor as well as return travelers.The illustrations, maps, critical advice and information about going to the middle east is easilyunderstood and helpful.I actually felt much more comfortable going on mytrip after reading Fodor's detailed guide on customs, food, culturaldifferences, hotels, and tour information.It helped me plan the timing inCairo, Luxor, and especially venturing south to less traveled areas. Fodoralso helped prepared me for the costs of the tours, times to go onexcursions as well as food and lodging."This book was my littlebible" while touring this country full of history.I teach the 6thgrade.My social studies curriculum "came to life" with Fodor'shelp while exploring the splendors of "Egypt"! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Egypt    2. Guidebooks    3. Middle East - Egypt    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Travel / Middle East / Egypt   

Reviews (3)

Really added perspective to my trip!
This book DID give me lots of insight into the culture and people of Israel.I read it on the plane before I arrived, and felt it made my trip much more insightful.The book tells you things that don't often come up in conversation that really shed light on Israel.
Very Dark....
I bought this book recently and sent it back immediately!There was a lot of unappropriate information (not to mention pictures) enclosed within the pages.I am going to Isreal with a group and was looking for something a little bit more biblically based.This was not what I was looking for.

Narrative heavy, less detail than others
Though I'm familiar with the subject, it's been a while since I visited Israel, so I decided a couple of tour books were in order.This one, though full of nice pictures and descriptions, has less detail than I was looking for.The sights covered are cherry-picked with no info on a lot of places.The places chosen for description have a lot of info.A good first guide, but don't expect the depth needed for a return trip. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Israel    3. Middle East - Israel    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides   

Reviews (5)

An Excellent Guidebook, Now in an Updated Version
The new (2005)edition of this guide brings the story up to 2004 and contains ample documentation regarding the struggling new democracy of Afghanistan.The writing is rich in colorful, touching, scary, revealing details that tend to get filtered out of official and semi-official reports.I found the discussions of deforestation, landmines, and security particularly helpful.Written from a European perspective, the book provides many useful suggestions for travel in Afghanistan that usefully complement advice from American sources.

Best book on Afghanistan
This is an excellent guide to Afghanistan. Both for the expert and the newcomer. Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, I would recommend the Essential Field Guide as a must to all US and Coalition soldiers and peacekeepers. It could save their lives and US policy. Afghanistan fieldguide tells the full story
Crosslines Essential Field Guide to Afghanistan tells the full story about Afghanistan in a way I can't find in any other book. Whether it's politics, culture or humanitarian information you're after - it's all in there. I never realised how big those Buddhas were that the Taliban blew up until I saw a picture in this book! If you want to understand more about the country at the centre of world news, this is the book to buy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History: World    4. Middle East - General    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Sociology - General    7. Afghanistan    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Sociology, Social Studies    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / Middle East / General   

Reviews (3)

Truly Spectacular!
I find this book to be different from the traditional coffee table books about Ancient Egypt. The photography of Mr. El-Dakhakhny is exquisite and his fondness for Egypt is revealed through his camera. This book depicts Ancient Egypt with beautiful pictures of the pyramids, sphinx, and different temples. In addition, it covers other areas of Egypt and Egyptian life in its different chapters. In the chapter on nature, El-Dakhakhny shows some breath-taking shots of the desert and the Oases; the religion chapter covers Coptic Egypt including the Coptic Pope, monks, ancient monasteries and churches, and in Islamic Egypt it shows beautiful Islamic architecture and mosques. The chapter on traditional Egyptian life is very interesting demonstrating its traditional artisans, the camel market, among other photographs with beautiful color combinations. The last two chapters on modern Egypt and its cities include Cairo, the Nile, Alexandria, the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, among other Egyptian cities. Finally the book ends with a beautiful shot of the pyramids at sunset. All in all, this book is an excellent overview of the treasures of Egypt and some aspects of Egyptian life. Therefore, I believe it can be very informative for tourists. I have several coffee table books about Ancient Egypt, but this one is certainly different and worth acquiring!
Spectacular Egypt by El-Dakhakhny
This book has splendid full-color pictures of important tourist
A different book about Egypt
This book is a fresh look at Egypt of today as well as great pictorial of Egypt of yesterday, Ancient Egypt. Beyond the realm of travel books, there aren't a lot of pictorials out there about Egypt that combine past and present, this is one of them, and probably the only one. I like it just for that. It has great pictures and some not so great pictures. The spreads are fantastic especially the one of the great pyramids, one of the largest I have seen published. I would buy it just for that picture. One downside of this book is its size, it is hard to fit it among other books due to its unusual landscape layout. Apart from that, if you can afford the hefty price get it. If you have other photo books on Egypt that you're really happy with, you can do without being US$60-75 short. I got to have a signed copy by the author so it was worth it. The author is one of Egypt's most established photographers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Middle East - Egypt    3. Pictorials    4. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign   

Editorial Review

Horwitz has the touch, the ability to astutely capture the ludicrous essence of an experience while filling in all the pertinent socio-historic details. He chews qat with the Yemenis, plays soccer with the Sudanese Dinka refugees and listens to an endless refrain of "You are the perfume of Iraq, oh Saddam" in Baghdad. Horwitz' eye and wit are equally sharp, and his book is an exceptionally good read. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

One of the funniest books I have ever read. The Middle East with all its craziness.
As someone who has lived and worked in several of the countries described in this book, I cannot say enough good things about it. Mr Horrowitz captured the essence of what it's like to live in countries where time has no value and common sense is on a break. In our UN compound in Sudan, we tried to read the chapters about Sudan aloud, but we were laughing so hard, tears came down our eyes. His attempt to travel from Cyprus to Beirut was so honest and poignant. I have made that same journey myself and I can tell you that there was no exaggeration in the frustration and helplessness one feels trying to make it to Beirut, a city that can be so beautiful, yet so leathel. You also have to read his account of his meeting with Khaddafi, a meeting that turned into a circus, again quite typical of the crazy colonel who rules Lybia. Those who have been to the Middle East will just looove this book and find it hilarious. Those who are unfamiliar with this region ought to purchase a copy, fasten their seat belt and prepare for an unforgettable ride, filled with humor and contradiction. The Middle East is a crazy place and this book truly captured that, with no judgment and a lot of heart.

Fabulous
Tony Horwitz' adventures in the Arab countries are told with such humor that it is impossible to put the book down. He describes customs through the eyes of someone who has no idea what's coming his way and takes all his misadventures in stride. Everyone who has - or doesn't have - interest in that part of the world should read this book and learn from it, especially now that the United States is entrenched in war and reconstruction in several countries. Generally, we think we can understand the Arab cultures by acknowledging that there are different ways of dressing and different foods. Most people don't grasp the very fundamental differences that set us at odds with people from that part of the world.Horwitz bridges that gap with humor and insight. My favorite chapters are those about Yemen, the birthland of Osama Bin Laden. No one should ever be tempted to measure that beautiful land by the standards of the Western world.
Top journalist of our time writes an enthralling book
I strongly believe that Tony Horwitz is the best journalist of our time.His detailed descriptions bring to life foreign scenes in a way few others can.He dialogue and rapport with people all over the world make for great anecdotes and deeply moving stories.He provides a rich and powerful account of life pre-Gulf War in the Arab world.Although much of this information is probably outdated today, I would love to read a follow-up by Horwitz about how it has changed.I highly recommend everything he's written for a better look at the world around us and a better understanding of ourselves. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1958-    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Description    4. Description and travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Horwitz, Tony,    7. Middle East    8. Reference - General    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Arabian peninsula    12. Horwitz, Tony    13. Journeys    14. Travel / Middle East / General    15. Travel writing   

Reviews (1)

Fairly Good
I used Lonely Planet Cyprus a week after it became available (June 2006) and appreciated its compact size, Highlights section, Itinerary suggestions, up-to-date prices, and organizational format.Having said that, I only used it about 5% of the time while my wife and I drove throughout the entire island.Carrying 3 other guidebooks (Rough Guide, DK, and DK Top 10), I found Lonely Planet to be far too brief in explaining the sites, falling well short of Rough Guide's more insightful and intelligent writing.I used Rough Guide 75% of the time and found that to be much better.Still, if someone only had Lonely Planet, they would have a fairly good tool to get around Cyprus to the main sites.It is only half the size of Rough Guide(272 pages vs. 550), which could be handy for travelers seeking to minimize their load.For in-depth understanding and off-the-beaten track exploration, however, Rough Guide would be the better choice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Middle East - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. Cyprus    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History: World    3. Middle East - General    4. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Photographs: collections    7. Places & peoples: general interest    8. Travel / Middle East / General    9. United Arab Emirates   

Reviews (17)

Important issue, shallow observations
It's a shame that this is the only widely known book about the Israeli-Arab population. It's a shame that Nathan thinks she has to turn her back on Israeli society and slander it to get a truthful image of the so-called "Other Side." It's a shame that she takes her personal experience as universal, whilst remaining unaware of her own exoticising and condescending views towards both Israeli-Arabs and Israeli-Jews, at times appearing to mimic Dian Fossey's "Gorillas in the Mist." It's a shame she resorts to such gross generalizations as: "Individualism is highly prized in many societies, but not in Israel, where the instinct of the herd prevails"(pg. 56). It's a shame that all her good intentions amount to a shallow, biased book and it's a shame I spent my hard-earned money on it.

Living uninvited in someone else's house
Susan Nathan is a British Jew, once a ardent supporter of Zionism. She was brought up believing in the Israeli dream, but when she decides to actually move to Israel and finally connect with "her roots", she discovers to her great dismay that her country is built on a pack of lies.
In depth, and realistic
Susan Nathan does a great job at simply reaching out to the Palestinian population of Israel and lending an ear. Most of the book is not actually her story, but the retelling of the surreal stories of her palestinian neighbors. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the conflict on a sociological level. The Palestinians have a lot to say, and it's about time they were voiced.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Ethnic Sociology    5. Israel    6. Middle East - Israel    7. Multiculturalism    8. Palestinian Arabs    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Pluralism (Social sciences)    11. Political    12. Social Situations And Conditions    13. Social conditions    14. Tamra    15. Tamra (Israel)    16. Travelers    17. Biography & Autobiography / Political   

Reviews (6)

Beautifully Written and Provocative
Coming Together is a vast improvement over Home to Stay. The writing is absolutely beautiful, the ideas provocative. The heart of the book is Gordis's account of his family's adjustment to life in Israel, beginning at the tail end of the Second Intifada, when the Gordis family is kept awake in its Jerusalem home by gunfire at night, and terrified by suicide murders that take place in their favorite haunts, and ending with mild optimism when the evil Arafat finally passes.
A Must-Read for Jews Inside & Outside of Israel!
"Coming Together, Coming Apart" is a must-read for Jews both inside and outside of Israel. An American family who makes the big decision to take their commitment to the ultimate level by making Aliyah finds their pre-conceived notions, idealistic concepts and religious faith tested by terror in their own backyard. How they cope with fear, how they learn to live with the uncomfortable ambiguity that is life in Israel, how their own internal family dynamics are strained and strengthened is a story that should not be missed.
Must read book
I have read all of Daniel Gordis' books.Each one is extremely meaningful and thought provoking.The latest one, Coming Together, Coming Apart is a must read for anyone who cares about Israel,anyone who cares about humanity anyone who is a parent, or anyone who is a child.Very few books, that I will openly laugh, cry and make you think.It covers the period of two years, ending in October 2005 and is essentially the memoirs of Gordis, who emigrated to Israel from Los Angeles with his children.Especially in light of the current events, it helps one understand the day to day life that Israelies face, the challenges they face, and their love of life and their hope.Once you pick the book up, it is difficult to put it down.I cannot recommend it enough. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1993-    2. Arab-Israeli conflict    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Influence    8. Israel    9. Jews    10. Jews, American    11. Middle East - Israel    12. Personal Memoirs    13. Social life and customs    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    16. Biography: historical