Customer Reviews

The Amateur Historians' Guide to Medieval and Tudor England: Day Trips South of London - Dover, Canterbury, Rochester (Capital Travels)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What I want in a travel guide is what I want in a good traveling companion: one that is passionate and persuasive about the journey, but not pedantic. I want one that is mindful of the economies of time (history) and distances (geography) and what can be comfortably accomplished in traversing both. Moreover, I want a guide with good cheer and that knows just the right way to pick up the pace and energy at any given moment with a touch of wit and memorable wisdom. Kettler & Trimble deliver all this...again. Their first volume of Medieval & Tudor London firmly established their credentials and "Days Trips South of London" proves they are no one-hit wonders. Even if you prefer solitary travel, I cannot imagine a more fitting duo to accompany you. Their real charm lies in that rare balance of being highly organized and efficient, yet deceptively spontaneous in spirit. What a way to go...and come back.

With all due respect to "pink-slipped-arizonian," as far as I'm concerned this guidebook (and the one that preceeded it by the same authors) is a marvelous work -- witty, yes, but I hardly see that as a drawback! I spent quite a bit of time teaching high school history, and believe me, if you can find a high school student who knows 1/3 of what this book imparts, then it is one who has a real fascination with history and has made it a deliberate area of study. This guidebook is intelligent, full of useful practical information, replete with accurate basic knowledge of British history and stuffed with intriguing details and fascinating trivia. I have been studying Tudor history for over 20 years, and this book delves into some of the more obscure bits from that and many other eras. I reviewed this book and its predecessor for Renaissance Magazine (see the upcoming August issue) and stand behind every word I wrote in those reviews. These two books are excellent, and I give them an unalloyed five stars, the highest possible recommendation.

I love the style of this book, as well as the first--the anecdotes and wit keep even a non-history-buff like me interested! We're planning a family trip to London later this year, and we're having great fun picking the sites to see and learning all the fun and interesting facts we didn't cover in history class, as well as brushing up on those we did.

If you are interested in travel sites in England, than this is the book for you. Not meant as a serious treatise on English history, it is a look at sites south of London and what is worth seeing and what you should skip. These two ladies obviously are having a great deal of fun with their writing, and when you pair this with their earlier book on Medieval and Tudor London, you have a fun, light-hearted look at one of the best places to tour on vacation - merry ol' England!

This book is not only exremely well written but, it is also more than helpful when it comes to traveling around England.

If you like to get more out of travel than simply "sightseeing," this book is for you. I'm a big fan of medieval and Tudor English history, but by no means an expert - which is where this book comes in. Kettler and Trimble have done your homework for you. They provide overviews not only of some of the most interesting and historically significant places in English history, but also of the history itself. Far from being a dry "textbook," however, this book is fun and easy to read. It provides enough information to help you understand the significance of the sites, without becoming boring or overly lengthy.

This is a great book to help you plan your itinerary. Kettler and Trimble tell you what's worth a visit - and what's not - and even provide "highlights" corresponding to the amount of time you have available. The book doesn't focus on the usual hotel and restaurant listings (although it does mention some unique spots in each locale), but there are countless books to do that. This book (and the authors' previous book, which focuses on London itself and is also excellent) is one that will help you plan your travel and get the most out of your time in England.

Anyone who has graduated from high school will know as much, if not more, about English history as these two authors. If you are a serious student - skip this book. The authors' "witty" asides become tiresome after the first three and they litter the book. You will know more about them than you will about SE England, much less history, after a quick browse. (This is not a book you can actually read.) A real disappointment!