Customer Reviews

Turkish Odyssey: A Cultural Guide to Turkey (4th Printing)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Turkish Odyssey is a beautifully and extensively illustrated guide to Turkey with visuals on almost every page. Its pictures, maps, graphs and computer graphic reproductions present a visual treasure of what you will discover in Turkey. The graphic reproductions are especially useful when visiting Anatolia's numerous archaeological sites. The writing is clear, crisp, and concise. The cultural format is quite broad discussing everything from calligraphy to camel-wrestling. The author is a knowledgeable professional guide who knows first-hand whereof he writes-many of the photos are the author's. This is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in Turkey.

i am in Turkey, ending a tour of this fascinating country. i had the great, good fortune of having Serif Yenen as my tour director, which i was unaware of beforehand. i brought two travel guides with me from the U.S., but this was not one of them. When i found that our tour leader had written 'Turkish Odyssey', i immediately got a copy and used it exclusively on tour, never referring to the two i brought with me. The latter are fine if you are touring on your own and need hotel, car rental, restaurant info, etc., but 'TO' is a must if you are part of a guided tour. Most of the tour guides here use it. it answers questions tourists typically ask: education system healthcare, military service, politics, etc., besides extensive explanation and pictures of sites on the tour. Example: the guide i brought from home had two pages devoted to Ephesus, 'TO' has nineteen. if you are planning a trip to Turkey, which i highly recommend, drop a copy in your Amazon shopping cart. You will find it invaluable!

TO *** BELOW: I thought I was rating the book, not my review of the book--so lighten up!!

Turkish Odyssey is a fine starting point for a neophyte traveller to Turkey. It gives enough general archeology, history and culture which is well tied in to the various localities to enrich the perceptive voyager.

I used this guide book while traveling in Turkey and it was wonderful! To read about something and then see it was most helpful. It is very well written and covers everything you must see and do. Every traveler to Turkey should have one as well as every library.

THE BOOK WAS EXCELLENT. IT COVERED THE HISTORY OF TURKEY FROM BEGINNING TO THE PRESENT DAY. IT COVERED THE HISTORY, THE POLITICS, THE GEOGRAPHY, THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT TURKEY. THE PHOTOGRAPHS AS WELL AS THE EXPLANATIONS ARE EXCELLENT. IT IS EASY TO FOLLOW AND A JOY TO READ. IT IS A MUST IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE REAL TURKEY.

I join the other reviewers in STRONGLY recommending this book which I bought on my recent trip to Turkey. I don't remember coming up in my search for books on Turkey before we left although I confess I was searching Barnes and Noble and not Amazon. Our tour guide is one of the contributors, so I was a little reticent when he recommended it. I'm so glad I got the book as it is as much a souvenir as it was helpful while we were there. The history Mr. Yenen (who I met in Cappadocia) gives was more than adequate for a casual tourist. This is in contrast to a couple of the books I bought in which I got lost. It is SO much more than a guide book -- it may be a little short on recent historical issues, but it more than makes up for with its key words and phrases in Turkish, its historical information, and its cultural information. BUY THIS BOOK!

Having Sherif Yenen's book at hand is like having access to a first rate tourist guide whenever desired. The book is not your run of the mill guidebook but is, rather, an extensive treatment of Turkish culture and history which is worth reading even by those not contemplating a trip. These sections are followed by discussions of the "sights" in the various parts of the country. The book is embellished by splendid photographs many of which were taken by the author. All in all a Turkish Delight.

My husband and I found this book invaluable preparing for and during our recent trip to Turkey. The historical and cultural perspective provided by this book increased our enjoyment of this extraordinary country. The author's detailed overview of Turkey, past and present, gives the reader first hand knowledge that would be difficult to obtain elsewhere. The book includes many special discoveries (eg.small towns off the beaten track but near often over crowded tourist destinations to capture the essence of the warm and welcoming people). In addition, Serif Yenen is a highly regarded guide of his country (for 18 years), leads an organiztion of 1100 licensed guides, and writes a weekly column for a Turkish newspaper. I also recommend the CD - it's very useful and easy to use.

This book is well written and easy to read with ample photos and documentation. The copy I have does not have the CD. What I like about this book is that it does not cover a lot of info about lodging, transportation, restaurants, etc. It focuses on the history and culture of the primary places visited in Turkey. Great overview/background book.

Serif Yenen has created an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to learn about the history and culture of this fascinating country. While he provides the reader a thorough introduction to the long history of Turkey and an intimate orientation to the life and culture of modern-day Turks, the greatest value the author contributes is his palpable love for his country. The in-depth descriptions of the many interesting sites in Turkey would be an asset to any tourist who wishes to learn as much as possible from a visit to Turkey. Look elsewhere if you want to find a hotel to stay in, but study this book to learn about the country.