Tag Archives: travel history

Venice History Packed with Exciting Stories

Venice History- Grand Canal
Venice Grand Canal

Destination: Venice, Italy

 Book: Venice: A New History by Thomas F. Madden (October 29, 2012)

While there is no question that Venice has a mystique about it, I have made no secret of the fact that I did not  love Venice. Parts of it yes. Some fantastic art, yes.The Venice history, yes. And happily for all lovers of Venice and particularly of Venice’s history, there is a new and entertaining book–Venice: A New History, that fills us in on La Serenissima from how Attila the Hun was a founding father (in a way) to today’s struggles with tourism and acqua alta. Continue reading Venice History Packed with Exciting Stories

Beneath the Surface of Istanbul

A Guidebook Digression

Istanbul Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque, Istanbul . Photo used courtesy of Bob Ramsak, Piran Cafe

Destination: Istanbul, Turkey

Book: Istanbul: A Cultural History (NEW January 2012) by Peter Clark

With this cultural history of Istanbul, the Interlink Books publishing company racks up twenty such guides to cities around the world, from Calcutta to San Francisco.  To see the entire list of Cultural Histories, or to purchase this book or the others in the series, go to the Interlink site. The next book in the series is on Afghanistan rather than a single city. (A few more are listed as Cultural and Literary Companions.) Continue reading Beneath the Surface of Istanbul