Pennyworth Books

Having read Michael Levey’s From Giotto to Cezanne and A History of Western Art, I approached Florence – A Portrait thinking I knew what to expect. I did find the attention to detail, the keen critical evaluation and aesthetics that I expected. I did not envisage the book would turn out also to be quite the gargantuan work of scholarship and erudition that it is. Florence – A Portrait is much more than a history of art in the city state. It is almost a biography of the place, replete with historical, economic and political detail. What is missing, of course, is a picture of Florentine life from the point of view of the ordinary citizen, but we cannot criticize Michael Levey for not including what probably does not exist.

I visited Florence thirty years ago and have never returned. At the time, memories of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation were very clear…

“Be careful going in search of adventure – it’s ridiculously easy to find” – William Least Heat Moon

Tilar Mazzeo’s new book – the charming Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma – has made your wine adventures that much easier. This book simply whets one’s appetite for wine travels along the backroads of Sonoma County in search of hard to find, and, yes, adventurous wineries.

The layout of Mazzeo’s Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma is straightforward and easy-to-use. It is divided into five sections (six if you count the Intro/How to Use section) highlighting Sonoma County’s revered wine regions: Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Healdsburg, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley and Carneros. The wines that are written about in this smart little travelogue are the remarkable hand-crafted wines that herald from family-run operations and that, with few exceptions, see only local distribution. (Mazzeo doesn’t spend any time writing about the big dogs of…

While on a recent flight I was able to sit back, relax and read a book from my favorite travel writer – Rick Steves. I have been using his great knowledge and experience on 8 European trips in the last 9 years – his hints and hotel recommendations have been wonderful and we read his books many times prior to departure and while on the trips – some vendors even give discounts by just showing the book.

Even funnier is seeing other travelers with the same book and chatting with them over what was fun and can’t miss locations. His current book Postcards is different, very different, rather than making recommendations Rick is very thoughtful and reflective in his travels (most we have been to as well). For example, Rick talk about his experiences over the years whereby Europe and some locations specifically – Rothenburg – have went from a wonderful…

Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escape is not about food alone. It is a saga of the culture around the Mediterranean, peppered with rich anecdotes about how folks live their lives, what they eat and how and when did they began eating it.

The sun, sea and the sand will lose half its allure if there is no food and drinks before or after. What if there is a cook-book that offers the other grandeurs as well? Those who are aware of Rick Stein are allowed to smirk: for others, this is a lifetime opportunity.

A companion volume to Stein’s five-part television series for BBC2, Mediterranean Escapes comes with sunning visuals of food by Earl Carter and mind-blowing landscapes by Craig-Easton. 11 chapters comprising 216 pages of gastronomic delights and visual extravaganza: it is a treat that you always craved for but never managed.

Tabbouleh, Focaccia, Spiced Octopus Salad, Baked Greek Omelette, Caponata, Imam Bayildi,…

Mickey Thomas decided to join a group of bicycle riders who were planning a trip from Montana to Alaska, a bicycling expedition. Mickey had never been on a bicycle tour of any considerable length and did not own the necessary camping and cycling equipment. But Mickey had just completed two years of graduate school work in North Carolina, and he felt that having imagination and knowing how to ride a bicycle were all the requirements he needed to join the bicycle expedition to Alaska.

Mickey kept a record of his thoughts and experiences while traveling with the group to Alaska, and he relates them extremely well in this book. Mickey and the group of ten riders had numerous funny adventures and a few difficult and even downright scary ones as well. The events of the expedition are presented in chronological order along with photos, quotes, history, facts, and Mickey抯 unique observations.

What…

A Tour Guide for Travelers Through Ancient and Modern Egypt

Dick and Mary Lutz are part of an International Expeditions Tour group, made up of twenty two members. An Egypt Air flight takes them from JFK Airport in New York to Cairo to begin the tour. Books on Egyptology are made up of conjecture, myth, and historical fact. Gifted travel writer Dick Lutz helps the reader understand the important rudiments of Egyptian history in “Exploring Egypt.”

Lutz writes in an informative and informal style which is warm and insightful. I enjoyed the insights from journal like entries which reflected his personal observations, preferences, and opinions. Much of Egyptology is mysterious, sometimes disputed, and often inconclusive. Dick recounts these various assumptions, speculations, and suppositions without bias, or criticism. His excitement in reporting whets the appetite of the reader, making them eager to glean more information from the extensive annotated bibliography included in the…

On planning my first trip to Turkey this past September I initially bought Turkey (Eyewitness Travel Guides). Having bought other books in the series (Egypt, India) I had a general idea of what to expect. The Eyewitness series typically offers a broad overview of a country or area, complete with a lot of pictures, some “cultural awareness” sections, and a little bit less history than I personally like. However, being as I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to see in Istanbul, I figured it was a good place to start.

As expected, Eyewitness: Turkey provided a broad overview of the country complete with gorgeous photos and a nice regional breakdown. The book covered most if not all of the major cities and historical sites and offered a bit of background on the history of the sites themselves. In early vacation planning mode, this book seemed to work well, offering me pictures of…