The Path to Rome [Hardcover]

Hilaire Belloc (Author), b/w Illus (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Henry Regnery Company; First Edition, Thus edition (1954)
• ASIN: B001YU9ITE
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificently erudite journal of a great journey to Rome., August 15, 1999

By 

Leona Malo (The Golden State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Path to Rome: A Portrait of Western Europe Before the World Wars (Paperback)

Belloc's wonderful book is not for those who only travel to say they have "been there". For those are the tourists. This delightful book is for those who journey and realize that looking at lighted windows and medieval towns built into ancient crags is what makes life worth living. Written at the turn-of-the-century, Belloc's words flow magically and playfully to form a description not only of one writer's determined passage, but of a time already long gone. Simple pleasures are the best, especially when written by an artist with an eye for life itself.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant look at pre-war Europe., January 26, 2003

By 

HappyDaze11 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Path to Rome: A Portrait of Western Europe Before the World Wars (Paperback)

This is surely one of the most delightful reads you will ever find. Belloc is such a good story teller, and, writing from a Catholic viewpoint, paints a picture of Europe before World War 1, before the lights went out for 30 years of constant strife and destruction. Along with various colorful characters along the way, some long forgotten fortresses, and the Italian Alps, Belloc weaves his travels with personal anecdotes and observations. What a book, and it is quite a shame that his journey can not accurately be repeated by another intrepid walker! Enjoy without reservation!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbeatable Fun, May 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Path to Rome (Paperback)

I'd heard about this book for years, but it was out of print and I was not able to locate a copy. I'm happy to report it was worth the wait. It even made me feel young again because it's written with a rare physical energy and youthful exuberance...and humor. In fact, Belloc wrote this in such a fresh and vigorous way he made me laugh out loud 101 years later.

As a young man Belloc took off for a personal pilgrimage from Toul, France to Rome, Italy -- and he didn't want to take an easy way. If he had a choice of going around a mountain or over it, he wanted to go over it. It happened more than once that he walked into an inn and told others what he had just done -- only to find they didn't believe him! I wanted to grab his listener by the arm and say, "I know he did it! I was with him!"

This book is both a time machine and a vicarious adventure.