Reviews for Rick Steves' Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler

The average rating for Rick Steves' Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-10-05 00:00:00 Randall Brant This book should be required reading for all Americans who travel to Europe. (Or for Europeans who are travelling, for that matter). It somehow manages to give you a complete rundown of the history of Western Civilization in a mere 333 pages. Not to mention that it's a very fun book to read. There's no way that either History or Art could be boring, with Rick Steves explaining them to you. He does a good job of somehow summing up 5,000 years of history and manages to be just a bit irreverent throughout. But he also presents all the essential details of history, starting with Ancient Greece and continuing through Modern History. Even without any European trips planned, this is a great armchair book--for anyone who is interested in learning a bit more about European History or Art. I especially enjoyed the little 'tangent' in the book of the book entitled "Whose Story Is History". Before ending this tour of Western Civilization, Steves points out that it's also possible to see history from the point of view of those who are crushed or oppressed by the march of progress.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-11-21 00:00:00 Anthony Thomson If you're traveling to Europe and, like me, were not well schooled in its History and Art... ...then this book is just what the doctor (of philosophy) ordered! This is not some stuffy Art History tome. It presents a light, entertaining, and easily digested helping of background to enhance your European Experience. This was the perfect accompaniment to my first backpacking trip to Europe. It helped me appreciate what I was seeing by orders of magnitude. HIGHLY recommended.