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Great books for great ports?


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Can anyone recommend books that make visiting ports more meaningful?

 

I always find that when I have read a book especially Historical Fiction, the port comes alive for me..I want to see the places that are in the books....

 

here is one for Barcelona....Cathedral by the Sea......by Ildefonso Falcones...great book...anyone else read it?

 

so how about for other ports?

Edited by cruisemuse27
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I currently have this one in my "to read" pile. I am thinking of saving it for my Med cruise later this year: Sword and Scimitar, by Simon Scarrow. It is about the siege of Malta in 1565.

 

Bernard Cornwell is also a great historical fiction writer.

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Venice: The World Before Her, Deborah Weisgall and A Stopover in Venice, Kathryn Walker; Venice. Pure City, Peter Akroyd. Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti mysteries.

Malta: Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World. Roger Crowley. History

Rome: City of the Soul: A Walk in Rome, William Murray

Mediterranean: Traveling with Pomegranates, Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor. Memoir (particularly for mother-daughter trips)

Panama: Path Between the Seas, David McCullough

Quebec: Louise Penny's Armand Gamache novels

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Hawaii by Michener. Second the Donna Leon Guido Brunetti mysteries for Venice. If you are into historical fiction with a lot of factual events and characters thrown in, Dorothy Dunnett's two series The Lymond Chronicles (six thick volumes set in 1500's) and the House of Niccolo series (8 fat volumes set in 1400's). Very intricate political intrigue, little romance. EM

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Books we have read in connections with our cruises:

 

Australia: Destiny in Sydney. Gives history of the colony. Was recommended here on CC

 

Amsterdam: rereading Diary of Anne Frank. Before visiting the Anne Frank Haus

 

France: AYear in Provence by Peter Mayle

 

A Greater Journey by David McCullough. Great history of Paris

 

We would have liked something before our TA from Barcelona to Rio. We learned so much on that cruise from the lecturer onboard and our private guides.

 

Great thread!

 

Pearl

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Another high recommendation for the Donna Leon Inspector Brunetti series of books set in Venice. I think I read all 22 of this series in about a year thanks to our public library....oh, I just googled this and see there is a new one...will have to put a hold on it. :)

 

Stockholm - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series

 

Iceland - Detective Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indriðason - mostly set in Reykjavik but give some insight to the rest of the country too.

 

Panama Canal - The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (nonfiction)* this has been mentioned several times already - it is a bit tough going at points but overall it is very interesting.

Edited by sue58
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David McCullough's book "The Path Between the Seas: The creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914"

 

Great choice...very long so start early.

 

Barcelona: Barcelona the Great Enchantress,

Gaudi, An Introduction to His Architecture, Juan -Eduardo Cirlot...Triangle Postals

Gaudi, a Biography, Gijs Van Hensbergen

 

Colombia by Alexandra Rosen

 

Dublin The Book of Kells, Thames & Hudson...

 

thanks for all the ideas posted here

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David McCullough's book "The Path Between the Seas: The creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914"

Ditto, that is a great one.

 

Also, for Ushuaia, Argentina, The Uttermost Part of the Earth.

 

For Normandy, if you go to see the Bayeux Tapestry, the book 1066, http://www.amazon.com/1066-Hidden-History-Bayeux-Tapestry/dp/0802777422

 

For St. Petersburg, Russia, The Russian Chronicles as well as St. Petersburg: Architecture of the Tsars.

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Cruismuse27: I also read "Cathedral by the Sea" several years ago and have had this desire to visit Barcelona ever since. We are going on a Mediterranean cruise this fall, and opted for the Eastern Med instead so we could visit Dubrovnik and Slovenia instead, but Barcelona is still on my bucket list!

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Great suggestions so far! Also....

 

Hawaii - Mark Twain's "Letters From Hawaii", Kianna Davenport "Song of Exile"

 

Michener's "South Pacific" (seems to have a book for just about everywhere!)

 

Australia - Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country"

 

Caribbean - any of the Rick Murcer mysteries, such as "Caribbean Moon"

 

Florida - Any of the Carl Hiassen books - "Skinny Dip", "Bad Monkey", "Nature Girl", many others

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great topic!

3 off the top of my head: Trinity for Ireland posts, Pompeii for Naples, DaVinci Code for Rome.

 

The Da Vinci Code is set in Paris and the UK. Angels & Demons is the one for Rome.

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Alaska: Sue Henry has a series of books. In each there is a different aspect of Alaskan history. The stories of the Iditarod, gold rush, inside passage, year round living, etc are all woven into mysteries. The books are clean and would be appropriate for even a young adult. I learned a lot about Alaska by reading the series and got a murder mystery at the same time. There are about 8 books and they can be read in a couple days each. I recommend reading in order if possible. :)

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Cruismuse27: I also read "Cathedral by the Sea" several years ago and have had this desire to visit Barcelona ever since. We are going on a Mediterranean cruise this fall, and opted for the Eastern Med instead so we could visit Dubrovnik and Slovenia instead, but Barcelona is still on my bucket list!

 

when in barcelona, I had to go to the cathedral and touch the stone blocks...Im sure you understand the reason....and when in the narrow cobblestone streets, I could feel the people trying to run from the danger of their persecutors....great book...

 

tourist type books have their place obviously...but a good historical fiction...ah there is nothing like it...IMHO

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Berlin: In the Garden of Beasts, Erik Larson [nonfiction]

Caribbean: Finding Maubee. A.H.Z. Carr

Colombia [really all of Latin America]: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia *******

England: nearly any Agatha Christie; the Richard Jury series by Martha Grimes

Rome: the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsey Davis [definitely read in order!]; Blood and Beauty: The Borgias, a Novel, Sarah Dunant

Madeira: Past Caring, Robert Goddard

Norway: Death of a Shipowner, Thomas Henege; Death in a Cold Climate, Robert Barnard

Pompei: Pompeii, Robert Harris

South of France: Peter Mayle's Provence books, memoirs plus a few novels

 

 

*** I have no idea why Cruise Critic is censoring the last name of a Nobel-prizewinning author. However, I'm sure y'all can figure out the name.

 

Edited by rdsqrl
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