Gives the inside story on one of Europe's most touristed and least-known countries, debunking the myth that Switzerland in only for the rich and famous. Full coverage of all three linguistic regions (French, German and Italian) and the ski meccas across the country. Unbiased reviews of accommodation, restaurants nightlife for all budgets. Practical information on hiking, touring by car or public transport.
New title in the Following the Footsteps' series, exploring the lives of famous historical figures through the places they lived and visited.
Presents a cultural history of the Alps, tracing the mountain range's development from a remote, impoverished wilderness to today's tourist playground. This book examines the myths and legends attached to the Alps, as well as their enduring appeal to ideologists, artists and writers.
Since its foundation in the ninth century Prague has punched way above its weight to become a fulcrum of European culture. The city’s most illustrious figures in the fields of music, literature and film are well known: Mozart staged the premiere of his opera Don Giovanni here; in the early twentieth century Franz Kafka was at the forefront of the city’s intellectual life, while later writers such as Milan Kundera and film directors such as Milos Forman chronicled Prague’s fortunes under communism. Yet the city has a cultural heritage that runs far deeper than Kafka museums and Mozart-by- candlelight concerts. It encompasses the avant-garde punk group Plastic People of the Universe, the “new wave” film directors of the 1960s who made their striking movies in the city’s famed Barrandov studios, and artists such as Alfons Mucha and Frantisek Kupka whose revolutionary canvases fomented Art Nouveau and abstract art at the dawn of the twentieth century. Beyond art galleries, concert halls and cinemas the history of Prague has been one of invasion and sometimes brutal oppression. The great German chancellor Otto von Bismarck once commented that “whoever controls Prague, controls mid-Europe” and a succession of imperialist powers have taken this advice to heart, most recently Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Opposition has taken many forms, from the religious reformer Jan Hus in the fifteenth century to playwright and dissident Václav Havel, whose elevation to the Czechoslovak presidency in 1990 made him a symbol of the rebirth of democracy in Eastern Europe. In this book Andrew Beattie also reflects on the modern city, where bold new buildings such as Frank Gehry’s “Dancing House” rub shoulders with monuments from the Gothic and Baroque eras such as the Charles Bridge and St. Vitus’ Cathedral. He considers the suburbs too, home to world-renowned soccer and ice hockey teams, gleaming shopping centers and grim communist-era apartment blocks that are often home to Vietnamese, Romany and Muslim minority groups who live in a city with a growing international outlook. The Prague he reveals is an increasingly confident and diverse city of the new Europe. Andrew Beattie has written for Rough Guides and the journal Contemporary Review , and has contributed to programs on BBC Radio 4. He is the author of books on the Alps, the Danube and Cairo.
"The Rough Guide to Germany is the ultimate travel guide to this dynamic country. Now in full colour throughout, dozens of colour photos illustrate Germany's stylish cities and beautiful landscapes, its meandering rivers and picture-perfect castles."--
This is a concise guide to Prague, a European cultural capital known for its music, literature, film and politics.
The Rough Guide to Syria is the essential guide to this compact but culturally rich Middle Eastern country. Features include: Thorough accounts of all the monuments, from the ancient remains at Palmyra and Ugarit to stately mosques and hilltop crusader castles. Practical advice on shopping in the souks of Damascus and Aleppo and exploring the desert plains. Informed guidance on how to travel independently, and where to eat and sleep, in every price range. Detailed background on the country's history, culture, architecture and politics.
The grim story of the Princes in the Tower has been retold countless times, yet little about their lives is commonly known. Following the Footsteps of the Princes of the Tower tells the story in a way that is wholly new: through the places where the events actually unfolded.
"I awoke to this world on a snowy March afternoon in 1964, thrusted into the bowels of Glenbryn, Ardoyne. It was a peaceful almost tranquil place in those days where religion was never mention. Then in 1969 it was to be in the eye of the storm." For over 30 years the Troubles of Northern Ireland was headline news around the world. Nearly every family in the province was touched by some type of the violence; whether it be bombing, shooting, rioting, kidnapping. Many, many innocent people suffered. In the midst of those children being born into the conflict Andrew (Andy) Beattie was born. Raised in one of the most dangerous areas in Belfast he sought like any other child to stay alive and that norm was... barricades across the street, hooded gunmen, staying away from 'the other side, ' it was safer not to enter that community. In this remarkable book Andrew takes the darkness of yesterdays and brings light through them in his poetry of The Permeation of Tears.
In this collection, Andrew Beattie delves into the complexities of the human psyche, exploring themes of inner turmoil and self-reflection through evocative poetry. His work invites readers to engage with the nuances of thought and emotion, showcasing a deep understanding of the struggles that shape our experiences.