Europe is overwhelmingly rich in history, art and culture. Any preliminary reading, viewing or listening you do will help you get the most from your trip. Here are some sources we've found helpful. For more information on any of these books, visit your favorite bookstore or check out amazon.com; for video information, go to imdb.com. Rick Steves guidebooks are available at our Travel Center in Edmonds and also on our website's Travel Store.
Recommended Reading
Kid's Reading List
Pick up books at the library and rent videos.
- Watch or read the Madeline stories by Ludwig Bemelmans
- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame — Victor Hugo
- The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, or Dumas' The Man in the Iron Mask
- Anni's Diary of France, by Anni Axworthy, is a fun, picture-filled book about a young girl's trip — it could inspire your children.
- How Would You Survive in the Middle Ages? by Fiona MacDonald, is an appealing "guide" for kids.
- Serious kid-historians will devour The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia.
- If your children are interested in art, get your hands on The History of Art for Young People by Anthony Janson and Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters by MaryAnn Kohl.
General Europe, Non-Fiction
- Europe 101 — Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw: History and art overview for the traveler; humorous and easy to read.
- Travelers' Tales (various countries) — Anthology series by noted travel writers.
- Marling Menu-Masters (for France, Italy, Germany) — What to eat!
- Culture Shock! (various countries) — Practical guides on European etiquette.
- A World Lit Only by Fire — William Manchester's vivid account of Europe's transition from the Roman Empire to the Reformation and the Renaissance.
- Innocents Abroad — Mark Twain's account of an American group's 1867 "Grand Tour" through Europe and the Holy Land.
- Cathedral; Castle; City — David MacAulay: Superb drawings explain medieval construction stone-by-stone; aimed at kids but fascinating for all ages (three separate books).
- Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages — Frances & Joseph Gies: the Dark Ages really weren't that dark.
- Civilisation — Kenneth Clark: BBC-TV series and book that teaches European art and civilization like nothing else.
- Connections — James Burke: Fascinating book and TV series that links historical events and scientific discoveries across the centuries.
More Non-Fiction
- Germany: Inside the Third Reich — Albert Speer; Germany: A New History — Hagen Schulze
- Italy: Italian Neighbors; Italian Education — Tim Parks; Under the Tuscan Sun; Bella Tuscany — Frances Mayes; Stones of Florence; Venice Observed — Mary McCarthy
- Switzerland: La Place de la Concorde Suisse — John McPhee
- France: Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong — Nadeau and Barlow; Is Paris Burning? Larry Collins; A Year in Provence et al. — Peter Mayle; French or Foe?; Savoir Flair — Polly Platt
Fiction
- Italy: The First Man in Rome — Colleen McCullough; A Soldier of the Great War — Mark Helprin; The Passion of Artemisia — Susan Vreeland; Galileo's Daughter — Dava Sobel
- Switzerland: Heidi — Johanna Spyri
- France: Versailles — Kathryn Davis; City of Darkness, City of Light — Marge Piercy; The Hunchback of Notre-Dame — Victor Hugo; Chocolat — Joanne Harris; Birdsong — Sebastian Faulks; Inspector Maigret — Georges Simenon
Rick Steves' Travel DVDs
For a fun, informative preview of your next tour destination, watch a DVD from our "Rick Steves' Europe" TV series! Our online Travel Store has 80 shows available on 12 DVDs (a generous four to eight shows per disc).
Films with a European Accent
Teutonic: Heidi (1937); Wings of Desire (1987); Schindler's List (1995); Run, Lola, Run (1998)
French: The Red Balloon (1956); The 400 Blows (1959); Jules et Jim (1962); Amélie (2001); Marie Antoinette (2006)
Italian: Thieves (1949); Roman Holiday (1953); Cinema Paradiso (1990); Il Postino (1995); Life is Beautiful (1997); Gladiator (2000); Bicycle Bread and Tulips (2000)
Mood Music
Teutonic: Wagner, Strauss, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart (classical)
French: Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Trenet, French Kiss, Gigi, or Amélie soundtracks (pop); Francis Cabrel (folk); Paris Combo (jazz/swing)
Italian: Three Tenors, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Puccini's Tosca, Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, Verdi's Rigoletto, Ezio Pinza, Claudio Villa (opera); Andrea Bocelli (operatic pop); Zucchero, Pino Daniele (rock); Big Night (soundtrack)
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