Best General China Travel Guides
“This is history on a grand scale, with a sweep and ambition that is rare… A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement.” —William Dalrymple, The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world—the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas, cultures and religions. For Frankopan, the brutish West owes its more enlightened traditions to the lands east of Italy and west of China, which were, for centuries, 'the centre of the world'… Frankopan marshals diverse examples to demonstrate the interconnectedness of cultures, showing in vivid detail the economic and social impact of the silk and the slave trades, the Black Death, and the Buddhist influence on Christianity.”. — The New Yorker “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR “This is deeply researched popular history at its most invigorating, primed to dislodge routine preconceptions and to pour in other light. “One of Mr. Frankopan’s gifts as a storyteller is his ability to draw unusual connections across his vast canvas… [he] packs his tale with fascinating trivia… Frankopan has written a rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world.”. —Sadanand Dhume, The Wall Street Journal “Frankopan casts his net widely in this work of dizzying breadth and ambition… Those opening to any page will find fascinating insights that illuminate elusive connections across time and place… Frankopan approaches his craft with an acerbic wit, and his epochal perspective throws the foibles of the modern age into sharp relief”. — Publishers Weekly (starred review). “A glorious read. “In his new book, The Silk Roads , Frankopan has created something that forces us to sit up and reconsider the world and the way we've always thought about it… The book takes us by surprise right from the start.”. —Nishant Dahiya, NPR. “Superb… Peter Frankopan is an exceptional storyteller… The lands of the Silk Roads are of renewed importance, and Frankopan’s book will be indispensable to anyone who wants to make sense of this union of past and present.”. —Philip Seib, The Dallas Morning News. “This is, to put it mildly, an ambitious book… By spinning all these stories into a single thread, Peter Frankopan attempts something bold: A history of the world that shunts the centre of gravity eastward… Mr. Frankopan writes with clarity and memorable detail… Where other histories put the Mediterranean at the centre of the story, under Mr. Frankopan it is important as the western end of a transcontinental trade with Asia in silks, spices, slaves—and ideas.”. — The Economist. “It’s time we recognized the importance of the East to our history, insists this magnificent study… The breadth and ambition of this swashbuckling history by Peter Frankopan should come as no surprise… A book that roves as widely as the geography it describes, encompassing worlds as far removed as those of Herodotus and Saddam Hussein, Hammurabi and Hitler… It is a tribute to Frankopan’s scholarship and mastery of sources in multiple languages that he is as sure-footed on the ancient world as he is on the medieval and modern… Deftly constructed… The Silk Roads is a powerful corrective to parochialism.”. —Justin Marozzi, The Sunday Times (U.K.). Frankopan upends the usual world-history narrative oriented around ancient Rome and Greece and the irrepressible rise of Europe… In a series of brisk chapters—The Road of Faiths, The Road of Furs and so on—studded with state-of-the-art research that is sourced from at least a dozen languages, the author brings wondrous history to vivid life… In The Silk Roads, Peter Frankopan has provided a bracing wake up call.”. —Matthew Price, The National (AE).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Schools teach its students of the Roman Empire, the subsequent Dark Ages, the Norman conquest in 1066, Henry VIII and the Tudors, the American War of Independence, the Industrial Revolution and the First and Second World Wars. As the author states: “For centuries before the early modern era, the intellectual centres of excellence of the world, the Oxfords ad Cambridges, the Harvards and Yales, were not located in Europe or the west, but in Baghdad, and Balkh, Bukhara and Samarkand”. We are seeing the signs of the world’s centre of gravity shifting – back to where it lay for millennia”."
"The author's depth of knowledge and resource access, coupled with his polyglot skills, weave a centuries long tale of intrigue across a region of the world little known or travelled today. The story of the European debacle of the same time is repeatedly narrated, engrossing the reader in its internecine religious wars. Piles of skulls and cities entirely wiped off the face of the earth are ignored in favor of the administrative advantages of Mongol rule. Information is 'quickly transmitted' across the sands, mountains and rivers - this when 30 miles a day was the fastest a horse or man could travel. Other books in the vein of Central Asia would include The Poison King, Balthazar's Odyssey, The Ornament of the World, The Emergence of Modern Islam, Chasing the Sea, The Shied of Achilles and best, Millennium by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The ridicule of Western advances coupled to dictatorial domination and horrific tortures could just as easily describe Islamic, Indian, Chinese or Russian worlds. As for his Palestinian views, well, they are biased, leave it at that... Can't wait to enjoy My Fair Lady, his Mediterranean yacht for charter..."
"I had assumed we would be learning about the history of the silk roads and the many dynasties that rose and fell along the route - the Songdians, the cities of the Tamir Basin for example. I thought this would be an Asian centric book showing the silk roads impact on Han Dynasty China and the steps that had to be taken to keep the route secure. Or perhaps how the silk road brought Buddhism to the west and mixed the artistic sense of the descendants of Alexander's army with the Central Asian Buddhist cave dwellers."
This is history on a grand scale with a sweep and ambition that is rare A proper historical epic of dazzling range and achievement William Dalrymple The Guardian The epic history of the crossroads of the world the meeting place of East and West and the birthplace of civilization It was on the Silk Roads that East and West first encountered each other through trade and conquest leading to the spread of ideas cultures and religions From the rise and fall of empires to the spread of Buddhism and the advent of Christianity and Islam right up to the great wars of the twentieth century this book shows how the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East Peter Frankopan realigns our understanding of the world pointing us eastward He vividly re creates the emergence of the first cities in Mesopotamia and the birth of empires in Persia Rome and Constantinople as well as the depredations by the Mongols the transmission of the Black Death and the violent struggles over Western imperialism Throughout the millennia it was the appetite for foreign goods that brought East and West together driving economies and the growth of nations From the Middle East and its political instability to China and its economic rise the vast region stretching eastward from the Balkans across the steppe and South Asia has been thrust into the global spotlight in recent years Frankopan teaches us that to understand what is at stake for the cities and nations built on these intricate trade routes we must first understand their astounding pasts Far more than a history of the Silk Roads this book is truly a revelatory new history of the world promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where we are headed next From the rise and fall of empires in China Persia and Rome itself to the spread of Buddhism and advent of Christianity and Islam right up to Western imperialism and the great wars of the twentieth century this epic magisteria.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Schools teach its students of the Roman Empire, the subsequent Dark Ages, the Norman conquest in 1066, Henry VIII and the Tudors, the American War of Independence, the Industrial Revolution and the First and Second World Wars. As the author states: “For centuries before the early modern era, the intellectual centres of excellence of the world, the Oxfords ad Cambridges, the Harvards and Yales, were not located in Europe or the west, but in Baghdad, and Balkh, Bukhara and Samarkand”. We are seeing the signs of the world’s centre of gravity shifting – back to where it lay for millennia”."
"The author's depth of knowledge and resource access, coupled with his polyglot skills, weave a centuries long tale of intrigue across a region of the world little known or travelled today. The story of the European debacle of the same time is repeatedly narrated, engrossing the reader in its internecine religious wars. Piles of skulls and cities entirely wiped off the face of the earth are ignored in favor of the administrative advantages of Mongol rule. Information is 'quickly transmitted' across the sands, mountains and rivers - this when 30 miles a day was the fastest a horse or man could travel. Other books in the vein of Central Asia would include The Poison King, Balthazar's Odyssey, The Ornament of the World, The Emergence of Modern Islam, Chasing the Sea, The Shied of Achilles and best, Millennium by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The ridicule of Western advances coupled to dictatorial domination and horrific tortures could just as easily describe Islamic, Indian, Chinese or Russian worlds. As for his Palestinian views, well, they are biased, leave it at that... Can't wait to enjoy My Fair Lady, his Mediterranean yacht for charter..."
"I had assumed we would be learning about the history of the silk roads and the many dynasties that rose and fell along the route - the Songdians, the cities of the Tamir Basin for example. I thought this would be an Asian centric book showing the silk roads impact on Han Dynasty China and the steps that had to be taken to keep the route secure. Or perhaps how the silk road brought Buddhism to the west and mixed the artistic sense of the descendants of Alexander's army with the Central Asian Buddhist cave dwellers."
It provides expert tips for visiting the Great Wall, cruising through the stunning Yangtze Three Gorges, and exploring the ultramodern cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong. Explore China's cultural heritage through richly illustrated features on everything from the Beijing Opera to Confucianism, calligraphy, and the cult of Mao. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: China truly shows you this country as no one else can. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"great tips on historical and other sites."
"i been in china for 31 days."
"Valuable guide to the traveler."
"This book is a nice summary of different cities so it's easy to chose activities by location."
"Cant find better travel guides than DK."
"A lot of good information."
"Book has beautiful pictures and information about food, travel and different locations to go."
"Haven't been to China yet, but I like to read travel guides as entertainment and to decide my future trips."
Best Macau Travel Guides
Cruise Victoria Harbour aboard the Star Ferry, ride on the Peak Tram for amazing views, or explore the Mong Kok markets; all with your trusted travel companion. Full-color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - cuisine, history, arts, cinema, architecture, religion Free, convenient pull-out Hong Kong map (included in print version), plus over 40 color maps Covers Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen & the South, Kowloon, New Territories, Outlying Islands, Macau and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Compared to the Time Out series, the organization of this book makes it much harder to use. The maps in the back don't compare to Time Out series."
"I was staying on Lantau (outlying island, connected by speed rail that takes 11 min to Kowloon and 20 minutes to Hong Kong) for business for six days, and this book helped me target which parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong I wanted to hit when I went on in. Big ol' Buddha statue (50 feet tall) built on top of a lush jungle peak on Lantau, accessible by bus or cable car. Cable car was fantastic, offering views of HK, hilly jungle landscape, and the Buddha as you approach it. And if you thought that transforming religious or cultural icons into moneymaking ventures was only an American tradition, then you were wrong! Crossing from Kowloon to downtown Hong Kong, it is a great experience to take in the cityscape in either direction. Shout out to the dudes at the basketball court across the street that let me join their game and then didn't respect my jump shot ('MURICA!). Although the art leaves something to be desired, the casually dismissive and ridiculously critical plaques accompanying the artwork is high comedy. -Hong Kong Museum of History was closed for a special event when I tried to go there, which is unfortunate as I was really hoping to see if the government redwashed anything."
"I've been to Macau before, but a lot has changed in Macau in the last ten years, so I bought this book in the hopes that it would contain some info about the newly formed Cotai Strip portion of Macau. Thankfully Macau has a pretty good tourist bureau, and we were able to find some good walking tour maps as well as maps of Taipa and Coloane at one of their local offices."
"By that I mean that if you wanted to learn as much as possible about Hong Kong it is a good source for information but if you want a suggested tour for a 2-day or 4-day or other period of time to be in Hong Kong and with a focus on the sights, food, outdoor activities, museums or other area of focus, the book is of no real help."
"The reason I'm giving this two stars is because of the misleading maps. Well no, the temple is actually not next to the park at all, but feel free to wander around for half an hour trying to find it up and down steep stairs, only to find it a block away from where the map suggests."
Best Guangzhou Travel Guides
It provides many insider tips to save you time and money, the result of expert knowledge that can only come from twenty years experience living in the beating economic heart of Southern China. Section one provides detailed listings and honest reviews that will guide you to hotels, restaurants, and bars that are suitable for all budgets, as well as practical transportation information will help you to find your way around this huge metropolis. It also details many of the lesser known areas such as the second-hand catering equipment markets of Tanwei and the drug dealer's supply shops of Renmin Road. Occasionally he is hired as a translator and tour guide and has even led tour groups on trekking expeditions in some of the more remote western reaches of the country.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is very well organized with hundreds of listings in categories such as pet supplies, auto parts, electronics and over twenty more. Finally, the last section is about books and videos about Guangzhou, both fiction and non-fiction and recommendations about using guides and interpreters."
"Having been to Guangzhou many times on business, I was impressed at the depth and accuracy of this innovative travel guide book."
"Glad to see tips about security and other advice for business travelers."
Best Shanghai Travel Guides
Discover details on how and why the domestic and international parks have changed over time, and enjoy six decades worth of skillful creativity. Kevin Neary has coauthored The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World (2016) with his wife Susan and four Disney trivia books (1992 2000) with Dave Smith for The Walt Disney Company as well as two baseball books ( Major League Dads: Baseball's Best Players Reflect on the Fathers Who Inspired Them to Love the Game , 2012, and Closer: Major League Players Reveal the Inside Pitch on Saving the Game , 2013) with Leigh A. Tobin for Running Press.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"30% of the book is filled with one-off "novelty" maps, like the cartoon-ified, caricature map of Disney California Adventure produced solely to hang on construction walls during its rebirth; delicate, elegant "souvenir" maps of DisneySea meant to be purchased in a gift shop in large format. A further 15% is populated by a lot (maybe too many) of the "in-universe" maps: the "map" of the Hundred Acre Wood that serves as the backdrop to the loading area in Tokyo's Hunny Hunt ride; the exaggerated cartoon "map" of your "sailing route" in DisneySea's Sinbad's Storybook Voyage; the "map" of Vulcania that hangs in the Nautilus' map room in Disneyland Paris' walkthrough attraction; the elegant map of the world in the ceiling of Tokyo's Teddy Roosevelt lounge. And I suspect *most* people who pre-ordered this book a year in advance like I did were expecting it to be a comprehensive collection of those guide maps for each Disney Park through its history. Chapter 1 - Disneyland Park. Chapter 2 - Magic Kingdom. Chapter 3 - Epcot. Chapter 4 - Tokyo DisneySea. ... What you and I were looking for was to trace these parks via their guide maps. Pages 82 - 83, Tokyo Disneyland "fine art" souvenir map; 84 - 85, Blizzard Beach map; 86 - 87, Animal Kingdom aerial concept art; 88 - 89, Tom Sawyer Island Explorer's Map... Is this book worth having in your collection? And *if* this book were called "Aerial Concept Art of the Disney Parks," people would've known what they were getting and this would be 5-stars across the board as a well-curated collection of art with minimal text."
"Disney's previous efforts celebrating the art of its theme parks' concept art and attraction posters seemed to bode well for this new book, which tackled a less obvious but very interesting aspect of theme park design. In fact, in a book dedicated to the artistry of Disney theme park cartography, no mention is made of artistic styles, illustrators and their inspirations and strengths, or comment on the growing sophistication of design in the graphics themselves or parks in a larger sense, or of the progression of individual pieces (although several iterative versions of some illustrations are offered). Another gripe: although there is much merit to the use and display of the wonderful archival images of various maps and aerial renderings of parks, lands, and attractions, there is no mention or imagery of arguably the best-known and most approachable of all Disney theme park maps, the ones given free to guests on entering the parks (and are often kept as souvenirs)."
"Based on the product description, I was expecting to get tons of actual park maps from 1955 to today. Also, the other obviously had a huge fascination with Tom Sawyer's Island because he includes more renderings of it than he does for some of the actual parks. Seriously, if I had paid the full $30 retail price, I'd be mad and sending the book right back to Amazon."
"I was expecting maps that are given out in the parks from over the years."
Best Russian Travel Guides
With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Morocco truly shows you this country as no one else can. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love every DK book that I get - they are the best."
"Pricey, but beautiful pictures await inside."
"as advertised, excellent photography and maps."
"it is a fantastic country to visit and the Travel Guide does it justice."
"Love Eyewitness Books!!"
"Great guide for planning your safaris!"
"I'm always a fan of the KT guides, and this one is particularly impressive."
Best Tibet Travel Guides
From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by Jessica Hische It all begins with a letter. X is for Xinran . Inspired by a brief 1994 interview with an aged Chinese woman named Shu Wen, Beijing-born, London-based journalist Xinran ( The Good Women of. China ) offers a delicately wrought account of Wen's 30-year search for her husband in Tibet, where he disappeared in 1958.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the third book I've read by Xinran and I just ordered two more because this author writes like an angel."
"To me it was quite interesting reading something that had a plot but so packed full of information and how it was written you can't help but to learn something new every time you read it, that is something I never experienced before outside of a textbook."
"I have been an avid reader since a child, and I would put this book in the top 5 of the best books I have read."
"Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet is told in simply lyrical language that will stir women's hearts & souls... & make you want to find what else this author has written."
"Reading about Tibet and its people, the animals, and the family traditions is both educational and gives new understandings."
"One of the most beautiful and heart wrenching stories I have ever read."
"As though time itself stops in a world of mountain and air and space and the search for a beautiful ever lasting love becomes the most important thing to Shen Wu."
"If your going to the Chinese Tibet border and want to learn about that area through reading a fictional story this is a wonderful way to do it."
Best Beijing Travel Guides
Take in the major sights, from the breathtaking Great Wall of China to the imperial splendor of the Forbidden City; go on a canal cruise for your chance to contrast the old and new sides of Shanghai; or simply wander the cities' seemingly endless markets. Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Beijing and Shanghai. • Free color pull-out map (print edition) marked with sights, a selected sight and street index, public transit map, practical information on getting around, and a distance chart for measuring walking distances. "Known… for its four-color maps, photos and illustrations, the [DK] Eyewitness Guides are extremely user-friendly for travelers who want their information delivered in a concise, visual way."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My wife and I just got back from a trip to Beijing and Shanghai and not only did this book provide a ton of useful information in it's own right it also gave the perfect amount of background to help us sort through everything we were reading on the internet.I had looked at a lot of lists of things to do in the two cities but it can get a little overwhelming sorting through a ton of different web sites. They were super detailed and took you to a lot of awesome sights that you might not realize are so close together. Later when we were down in the Forbidden City we could see the heights of the park in the distance and it looked overrun with people. A couple days later we went back to that area a little later in the morning to have tea in the Huxinting Teahouse and Yu Gardens was a mad house."
"This guide is good if you want to have a general idea of what to see in Shanghai (I didn't go to Beijing so I cannot comment)."
"This would be fine if we were staying close to the middle of the city, but we will be north west, out by 3rd ring road, in Haidian(still well within Beijing and right on two major subway lines)."
"Travel guide had great information on historical sites and the history as well as solid tourist information about weather and such."
"I purchased this guide because there was not a "Top 10" guide by DK Eyewitness Travel for Shanghai that I could find."
"Useful information for two major cities with a lot of history and tourist attractions."
"We also took day trips to Hangzhou and Suzhou on recommendations from our Chinese coworkers and this book also happened to have maps and suggestions of where to go while there."
"Would have liked some more content and detail but it is certainly enough to fulfil the role it was purchased form."