Burma (Myanmar, Odyssey Guides) [Paperback]

Caroline Courtauld (Author), Martin Morland (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998

This fully revised and well illustrated 2nd edition of Burma intelligently evokes the magic and mystery of what was once the richest nation in Asia. Practical information on visas, customs, food and shopping is included.'

Editorial Reviews

Review

These handsome, well-edited books from a Hong Kong-based publisher cover places few other guidebooks go.... The writers are particularly well-chosen....Odyssey fans tend to be adventurous travelers with a literary bent. If you're lucky enough to find an Odyssey Guide to where you're going, grab it. -- National Geographic Traveler, February 2000

About the Author

Caroline Courtauld is a writer specializing in Burma and China, a published photographer and a documentary film producer and researcher. Her publications have focused on Asian travel, history and culture, including books on Burma (In Search of Burma, Shangri-La Press, Hong Kong and Frederick Muller, London), Hong Kong and China. She has worked with Jonathan Dimbleby and Francis Gerard on a BBC documentary project about Hong Kong in the period up to the transfer of sovereignty to China. Together with May Holdsworth, she wrote The Hong Kong Story (Oxford University Press), covering the history of the former colony, and The Forbidden City (Odyssey).

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Odyssey Publications, Ltd.; 2 edition (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9622176089
• ISBN-13: 978-9622176089
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,328,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Travel > Asia > Myanmar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Quality Book, March 26, 2000

By 

Roger Jobson (Alameda, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burma (Myanmar, Odyssey Guides) (Paperback)

Having recently returned from my third visit to Burma in three years, I looked forward to the publication of this new guide. Information for the traveler is current and accurate. The historical and literary references greatly add to ones appreciation and perception of the country. The photographs are wonderful and plentiful. This book is a pleasure to read and more importantly it has added to my knowledge of that country which is Burma.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good guide book with beautiful pictures, December 30, 2002

By 

A. Lam (Grimsby, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Burma (Myanmar, Odyssey Guides) (Paperback)

Having just returned from a 10 day trip to this beautiful, exotic country, I found the Odyssey guide book which I brought along helpful but it is likely an insufficient source of information for most travellers. The book provides detailed background on the history, politics, culture of the people of Burma. There are also boxes containing interesting snippets of people like Aung Sang, the drug lord Kung Sa, as well as other interesting topics like the making of lacquerware. Unlike most guide books I have used in the past, this one is filled with beautiful, colourful snapshots of the places and people of Burma.

The major shortcoming is the lack of detailed information about the attractions, i.e., details regarding times of operation, location, costs of admission, as well as details about the sites
themselves. Also I believe many of the lesser known attractions in each destination were not covered by the author. Overall I think the target audience for this book is the traveller who has signed up with a packaged tour. Such an individual is likely to visit only the major destinations covered by the text, namely Yangon, Bagan, Manderlay and Isle Lake. This individual also is unlikely to require the details mentioned above.

In summary if I had to buy a guide book again for a visit to Burma, I would choose the Lonely Planet book which I believe remains the gold standard of guide books to relatively obscure destinations of the world.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overall Guide to Burma & Major Sites, November 18, 2001

By 

"krchicago" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burma (Myanmar, Odyssey Guides) (Paperback)

Excellent background sections covering basic history, the religious lives of the Burmese, festivals, theater and music. Guide emphasizes Yangon (Rangoon), Mandalay and Bagan (Pagan), and their immediate environs -- if you are traveling more off the beaten path, you need the Insight Guide, which also has more and better pictures. Strong on the "flavor" of the country, particularly the last Burmese empire and the colonial years.