Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series) [Paperback]

Mark Pearson (Editor), Martin Westerman (Editor)

Book Description

Series: From a Backpack | Publication Date: April 1, 2004

If you've ever wanted to backpack in Europe... If you want to relive your adventures... If you love good travel writing... Better than guidebooks, these first-person accounts paint vivid pictures of a traveler's experience in Europe. Like familiar music and favorite scents, they'll awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery and wisdom all bubble through these authors' inviting pieces. At last, a collection of first-person eye-witness adventures that will keep you laughing, wondering, and walking with the well-traveled story tellers who take you inside Europe's must-see places. Billy Anderson stares down death at the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Lisa Cordeiro takes a "will work for food" approach to travel as a waitress at a Paris restaurant. And Mike Riley's desperate search for underwear in a Portuguese market... well, that's another story.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pearson and Westerman's anthology of short essays by young travelers confirms every stereotype about American college students studying and traveling abroad: they are naive, determined to party and reckless. Given the ubiquity of these themes within these 58 pieces, the book's main readership would appear to be any 20-something with wanderlust and a propensity for nightlife. Recent grad Pearson and University of Washington lecturer Westerman organize the often colorful narratives (by novice travel journalists and former students) by country, allowing readers to explore Germany's club life, France's bar world and other social scenes. Tyler Toby, writing of his wild time in Majorca, sums up the tone of many of these tales: "Our mission was to booze up on the way there and dance all night with women from all over Europe. The music was fantastic and the good times were there for the taking." Some pieces, however, offer more cultural and historical meat, with important lessons about travel safety and strategies that will enrich soon-to-be young travelers' ideas of what to expect, including how to best enjoy the running of the bulls in Pamplona, and tips for artists on capturing offbeat Paris on canvas. And the book fills a void in the study-abroad genre, as it isn't a guide book or a how-to. For the thousands of students who make the trek across the ocean in search of adventures, this collection will foreshadow much of what is in store and, when they return, echo their experiences. Maps.
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Review

"An inspiration and a springboard . . . help[s] backpackers put their travel dreams in focus and then turn them into reality." -- Rick Steves, author, Europe Through the Back Door

"The book succeeds at grabbing the attention of the reader and not letting go until the last quest is finished." -- The Hurricane (University of Miami)

"What you learn is that . . . young travelers on limited funds can land in some incredible circumstances." -- Los Angeles Times

"[G]ive a more accurate description and feel of Europe than anything I have ever read or heard before." -- Tiger News (Clemson)

"[I]ntended to go deeper than a typical travel guidebook, to convey the youthful follies of journeying with a backpack." -- Boston Globe

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Venture Group (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974355208
• ISBN-13: 978-0974355207
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #780,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First in a New Travel Series, May 13, 2004

By 

takingadayoff "takingadayoff" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series) (Paperback)

Europe From a Backpack is the first in a series of backpacking anthologies that editor Mark Pearson is planning. The essays in this volume are written mostly by young backpackers who are not professional writers. The lack of polish is somewhat compensated for by the enthusiasm that shines through, though not entirely.

Europe From a Backpack is a bit like the Travelers' Tales books, except that all the writers in the Backpack series are (so far) unknown. A few of the writers rise to the top of this collection, notably Lisa Cordeiro and Mike Riley. Cordeiro's two essays about living in Europe after a hitch in the Marines left me wanting to know more about her adventures. She writes as if telling a story, not just relating her experiences. Riley's essay is a funny, punchy story of how he found himself in desperate need of a restroom, then of new underwear in a small town in Portugal.

Pearson has a website to promote his "From a Backpack" books and to solicit essays. There are instructions for submitting stories, but no mention of payment if your essay is included in one of his anthologies. While most of the authors in Europe From a Backpack might be satisfied by the thrill of seeing their writing in print, I certainly hope Cordeiro and Riley, at least, were paid for their stories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great essay collection, May 29, 2006

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series) (Paperback)

Europe from a Backpack is just plain good travel writing. It is pure nostalgia and is sure to inspire fond memories in anyone who has traveled the country. On the other hand, it can serve as an inspiration to armchair travelers, or an underground guide to places off the beaten track. If nothing else, this collection should inspire any traveler to record their memories in a journal. At the very least, take away the lesson that a few unforgettable travel anecdotes are far superior to a collection of a hundred of photo slides to torture your friends and family with.

The collection is divided into twelve chapters by region--Spain, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and so on. Stories focus on the hazards of a pilgrimage, on fleeting friendships formed in small cafes, on opulent stays with exchange families, and most of all, on the rare chance to fully experience local culture.

Read this with a notepad in hand, because you will not only want to jot down the must-see sights and experiences, but the advice imparted by the book. Reading stories of travelers' sticky situations will provide the reader wisdom that comes only from hindsight.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Missed the mark, March 20, 2006

By 

LauraPal (Waltham, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series) (Paperback)

I bought this book recently because I miss traveling and will not be able to head back over to Europe for a few months. I figured, if I can't go myself, I might as well live vicariously through someone else's travels. Unfortunately I opted out of re-reading Under the Tuscan Sun and sacrificed good writing for tales of American teenagers romping around Europe. I enjoyed about every other essay in this book, mainly because half of them were written by responsible, respectable Americans who had genuinely interesting stories to tell. The other half were tales of Americans criticizing foreign cultures, staying up all night drinking and partying, and being deceitful when faced with law enforcement. I wanted to read about people's experiences with European cultures and how they transformed their lives, not their spring break partying. I can forgive the poor writing, but to be honest, some of the content of this book upset me - do young Americans really behave this way? No wonder we have such a reputation.