Guides: Alumni Travel Reading: Cruise the Face of Europe

The Waterways

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The Danube by Andrew Beattie
Call Number: Van Pelt Library DB446 .B39 2010
ISBN: 9780199768356
Publication Date: 2011
A detailed look at the various nations and cultures through which the Danube River connects, both in its earliest history and in more recent years.
The Rhine by Mark Cioc; William Cronon (Foreword by)
Call Number: Van Pelt Library GF540 .C56 2002
ISBN: 0295982543
Publication Date: 2006
An eco-biology which spans from 1815 to 2000, this work details the river's influence on the growth of industrialization within Europe, as well as the aftermath of environmental destruction. Numerous efforts have been made to restore the river and its surroundings to one of ecological prosperity.
Danube: A Sentimental Journey from the Source to the Black Sea by Claudio Magris; Patrick Creagh (Translator)
Call Number: Van Pelt Library DB449.2 .M2713 1989
ISBN: 0374134650
Publication Date: 1989
A cohesive collaboration of historical, cultural, religious, and philosophical insight into the Danube River and the many worlds which reside along it.

Travel and Memoir

Amsterdam Canal 4, by albrom

Blue River, Black Sea by Andrew Eames
ISBN: 9780552775076
Publication Date: 2010
Taking a more sociological approach, Blue River, Black Sea is a first-person account of one man's travels down the Danube River in which he delves through European history, and examines cultural discrepancies still present today.
Europe Through the Back Door 2015: The Travel Skills Handbook by Rick Steves
Publication Date: 2015
A travel guide to help readers explore Europe's many captivating natural, historical, and cultural attractions.
A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor; Jan Morris (Introduction by)
Call Number: D923 .F47 2005
ISBN: 1590171659
Publication Date: 2005
A Time of Gifts takes readers through a unique journey. In this account, the author relates his trek up the Rhine and down the Danube River during the time of Hitler's ascendancy. With war having not yet ravaged the continent in its entirety, this work allows the reader to experience, through Fermor's writing, European landscapes and culture as they existed before the war although already in its shadow.
Germany by Andrea Schulte-Peevers; Marc Di Duca; Anthony Haywood; Kerry Christiani; Lonely Planet Publications Staff; Daniel Robinson; Ryan Ver Berkmoes
ISBN: 9781741798449
Publication Date: 2013
A guide specific to all that can be discovered in Germany. Use this to plan your itinerary as you explore Germany's museums, art, and architecture, staples in cuisine, and exciting nightlife.

Cruise the Face of Europe

Budapest, by Marta Michalowska

Bibliographer

Selected and Annotated By:

Alixandra Boucher
Collections Assistant

Rebecca Stuhr
Coordinator for Humanities Collections and
Librarian for European History

For more information, visit the Penn Alumni Travel Website.

Documentary: Amsterdam's Canals

Amsterdam's Canals: A Video Guide, 2013, The Guardian.

A short documentary of the beautiful waterways which flow through the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands.

For more from The Guardian, check out their Youtube channel.

Fiction and Non-Fiction Works

Mission at Nuremberg by Tim Townsend
Call Number: Van Pelt Library BV4596.W37 T69 2014
ISBN: 9780061997198
Publication Date: 2014
The story of U.S. Army Chaplain Henry Gerecke, who was assigned to act as minister to twenty-one Nazi soldiers who awaited trial at Nuremberg after the end of World War II. Ethically, morally, and existentially challenging, Mission at Nuremberg explores both the capacities, and the limitations, of human compassion.
Europe on Trial by Istvan Deak; Norman M. Naimark (Foreword by)
Call Number: Van Pelt Library D802.E8 D43 2015
ISBN: 9780813347899
Publication Date: 2015
A detailed history of the moral, ethical, and philosophical dilemmas faced by European countries under the fascist and violent rule of Germany, Soviet Union, and Italy. This lauded work by historian Istvan Deak explores the trauma of the war and its aftermath.
Murder in Amsterdam by Ian Buruma
Call Number: DJ91 .B87 2006
ISBN: 1594201080
Publication Date: 2006
An investigative piece on the murder of lauded, yet controversial, filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was murded in November 2004 by an Islamic extremist who acted out of anger when van Gogh "insulted prophet Mohammed" within one of his movies. Author Ian Buruma sets out to explore the motives behind the murder, and what such an event signifies on a grand scale.
Caught: Surviving the Turbulent River of Life by Uta Christensen
Publication Date: 2015
An emotional, moving tale of a young teenager in World War II who is forcibly taken from his home in Germany and subsequently thrown into a Russian war camp. While the young man appears to lose all hope and belief in a future of his own choosing, author Uta Christensen's narration follows the protagonist as he finds the strength to battle for the life that was taken from him.
Billiards at Half-Past Nine by Heinrich Böll
Call Number: Van Pelt Library PT2603.O394 B513 1994
ISBN: 0140187243
Publication Date: 1994
A poignant tale of a Cologne man's struggle to return to traditional lifestyle, despite a wounded psyche, after fighting as a German solider in the second world war.

Cultural History

Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto
Call Number: Van Pelt Library DJ411.A55 S56 2013
ISBN: 9780385534574
Publication Date: 2013
Amsterdam, in recent years, has shocked populations of other nations with their laws which allow expression and freedom in ways many cannot conceive. Through a historical and sociological lens, author Russel Shorto examines how the cultural and political stance of this city has fluxed and flowed through history.
The German Genius: Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution, and the Twentieth Century by Peter Watson
Call Number: Van Pelt Library DD61 .W39 2010
ISBN: 9780060760229
Publication Date: 2010
A look at German history from 1750 to modern day, examining numerous cultural and intellectual leaders, the devastation of World War II, and how the nation has rebuilt itself in recent years.
Budapest 1900 by John Lukacs
Call Number: Van Pelt Library DB988 .L84 1988
ISBN: 1555840604
Publication Date: 1989
Written by Hungarian-born John Lukacs, this book illuminates the world of Budapest in the 1900's with a cultural, historical, and socioeconomic account of all that Hungary was, and strove to become.
The Undutchables by Colin White; Laurie Boucke; Rusty Haller (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781888580471
Publication Date: 2013
Through use of both satire and historical detail, author Colin White examines Dutch culture from every angle; an essential read for those wishing to learn more about the nation, both its idiosyncrasies and its beauty.

Art and Architecture

Melk Abbey Staircase, Melk Austria, by Shawn Harquail

Melk Abbey by Dr. Burkhard; Ernst Bruckmuller; P. Martin Rogheneder; Katherine Poppe Stumpfer Ellegast (Translator)
Publication Date: 1998
A guide that walks readers through the history, complexity and inspiring beauty of the Melk Abbey, with text and illustrations included.
Schloss: The Fascinating Royal History of 25 German Castles by Susan Symons
ISBN: 9780992801403
Publication Date: 2014
A look at the architecture and historical prominence of twenty-five castles throughout Germany.

Rhine River in Mythology

Legends of the Rhine, 1895, H. A. Guerber.

A compilation of some of the most legendary myths and folklore in German culture, many of which take place along the Rhine River.

Full text provided by HathiTrust.