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"A thrilling blend of contemporary travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps from 'a graceful and passionate writer' (Washington Post). For centuries the Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers and the dreams of engineers--and some 14 million people live among their peaks today. In The Alps, Stephen O'Shea takes readers up and down these majestic mountains, journeying through their 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. Along the way, he explores the reality behind Hannibal and his elephants' famous crossing in 218 BCE; he reveals how the Alps have profoundly influenced culture from Frankenstein to Heidi to The Sound of Music; and he visits the spot where Arthur Conan Doyle staged Sherlock Holmes's death scene, the bloody site of the Italians' retreat in World War I, and Hitler's notorious vacation house, the Eagle's Nest. Throughout, O'Shea records his adventures with the watch makers, salt miners, cable-car operators, and yodelers who define the Alps today"--Provided by publisher.… (meer)
Неважно, какой из альпийских курортов вы соберетесь посетить на новогодние каникулы, — это именно та книга, которую стоит взять с собой. Автор снует вдоль заснеженного хребта, как челнок ткацкого станка: к северу — к югу, начав с Женевы и продвигаясь постепенно на восток до Словении. По пути он постоянно пересекает границы миров: Lard line, разделяющую Европу на готовящих на животном жире и на оливковом масле; Рёштиграбен, поделившую Швейцарию на любителей и противников драников рёшти (то есть немецко- и франкоговорящие кантоны); и даже оказывается в гиперреальности — швейцарском Хайдиланде. Если вы, как и я, подумали, что Хайди из названия книги относится к имени любимой овчарки фюрера, то вы ошиблись. Хайди — это девочка, героиня детской книжки и один из крупнейших брендов Швейцарии в Восточной Азии. Китайцев и японцев автобусами привозят в эту декоративную деревню. Путешествие на машине позволяет автору увидеть места, куда автобусами не завезут: потрясающие скалы Тре-Чиме-ди-Лаваредо и перевал Стельвио, названный ведущим передачи Top Gear самым живописным местом в мире для автопоездки. Общение с местными жителями помогает узнать регион лучше и не покупаться на их байки о даху, животном с ногами разной длины для устойчивости на склонах.
Traveling through all the major passes in the Alps, we learn the deeply researched history—human & geographic—of the Alps. Learn what books were written & where, the same for movies made, all with a hilarious wit (but serious when necessary) referencing the most ancient & most modern of events, & the author’s own misadventures on the road. I was endlessly fascinated & learned so many new things. Excellent, 5 stars! Best read of the year! ( )
The Alps has an unfortunately boring title but I took a chance. It's an old fashioned travel book, one person driving alone around the Alps describing the places and peoples he meets along with historical asides kept in a handwritten notebook at sidewalk cafes. O'Shea is a trained journalist and published historian so he has the perfect combination of skills for the job. He's also very funny at times which may seem like a small thing but makes the book IMO. It might be comparable to a Bill Bryson travelogue. I've actually done the same thing, though only for a few days, in the Rhone Valley region, and I thought he did an excellent job conveying what it's like to drive around the Alps. The Alps are of course extremely well known, there are no discoveries, but they are terribly interesting and worth learning about either in person or paper - a key to understanding Europe. I listened to the audiobook and followed along with Google Earth and its pictures which gave an immersive and memorable experience. ( )
"A thrilling blend of contemporary travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps from 'a graceful and passionate writer' (Washington Post). For centuries the Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers and the dreams of engineers--and some 14 million people live among their peaks today. In The Alps, Stephen O'Shea takes readers up and down these majestic mountains, journeying through their 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. Along the way, he explores the reality behind Hannibal and his elephants' famous crossing in 218 BCE; he reveals how the Alps have profoundly influenced culture from Frankenstein to Heidi to The Sound of Music; and he visits the spot where Arthur Conan Doyle staged Sherlock Holmes's death scene, the bloody site of the Italians' retreat in World War I, and Hitler's notorious vacation house, the Eagle's Nest. Throughout, O'Shea records his adventures with the watch makers, salt miners, cable-car operators, and yodelers who define the Alps today"--Provided by publisher.
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