 | | |
| Israel & the Palestinian Territories (Country Guide) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Kohn
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Category: Book
List Price: $21.99
Buy New: $13.78
You Save: $8.21 (37%)
Buy New/Used from $12.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  (12 reviews)
Sales Rank: 88064
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 5
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 0.8
ISBN: 1864502770
Dewey Decimal Number: 915
EAN: 9781864502770
ASIN: 1864502770
Publication Date: March 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Poor quality as a guide. Plus one long political sell April 6, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forget this book, even if you're going into the territories.
Compared to Fodor's and Fromer's, very few attractions listed for anywhere (1-2 for every 5-6 in the other guides). Descriptions are paultry and mostly political commentary, and have substantial logistical errors in it.
The book is written with distain towards Israel at every corner. Not a mindset I want for anyplace I'm traveling though. People regularly come back from Israel reporting how much they loved it, so this book is missing what almost every tourist can spot! The only time the distain lifts is in the terroritories where it glows. Even there though the glaring inaccuracies and errors made it a no-go. I had plans to go into the territories and wound up borrowing an internet connection to get the details I needed.
Essentially the book is written as one long political statement. I would enjoy the "facts" from a "different" view - except that they are as inaccurate as the attraction descriptions...often even contradicting and illogical within their own wording. Then if you know any history it gets totally strange.
Their description of why it's safe to go into the territories is - to make sure you look like a tourist because tourists aren't targeted. This is true, but they should have expanded beyond one very short paragraph for this third of their book so people could decide for themselves.
It's not a tourguide book and to the extent it pretends to add any guide info, one'd be better off getting the info elsewhere.
 Reliable, as always April 6, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Preparing a ten days trip to Isarael I find this guide very useful and plenty with living tips.
 Disappointing March 29, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
As a center for Judaism, Christianity, & Islam I was really excited about reading up on the section on Jerusalem. I'm planning to visit in May but after reading this guidebook, I'm left disheartened. This is the first time I've been disappointed by LP. This book doesn't do a good job of representing the 'Holy Land' traveler. The attitude that the best reason to visit sites with religious significance like the Church of the Ascension & The Mount of Olives are their 'spectacular views' is a let-down. Give me a break! The "Haram Ash-Sharif/Temple Mount" is covered very poorly. And forget about The Dome of the Rock which they didn't cover because it was only open to Muslims that day (probably because it was Friday- so SMART). I was expecting a guidebook on the 'Holy Land' to be a little more sensitive to the religious significance of the sites & would not try to serve as a reader on history tinged with political bias. I was expecting useful info like: what time to go, what is the best entrance, tips & shortcuts. For GOD'S SAKE get a Jewish, Christian, & Muslim correspondent to cover their respective sites so that they're adequately & accurately represented. This way pilgrim will find useful & relevant information. We don't need cut & paste history lessons.
Too little information, too much commentary March 10, 2008
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
I am generally a fan of lonely planet books, and have used them as a guide on other trips. This particular lonely planet guide disappoints. I found this book to provide precious few details about important Jewish sites. Significant space in the book is devoted to the authors' (one-sided) political commentary. The Let's Go guide is more comprehensive and informative (with less political fluff). I recommend skipping this particular lonely planet guide.
Reviews of palestinian lands not accurate March 6, 2008
15 out of 20 found this review helpful
I have been to Israel many times, and know what is correct, and what is not. For unknown reasons the book's reviews of the former Israeli areas, that were turned over to the palestinian arabs are not very accurate. It is almost as if the authors used a double-standard for Israeli and non-Israeli areas.
In Israel, the travel was generally great. Clean hotels, great food, welcoming people. In most of the palestinain areas, the places were filthy, the food substandard, and the attitudes horrible. There are many places that are of religious and historic significance, that were turned over to palestinain arabs. Sadly, many of them have been trashed, vandalized, defaced and even burned down. Your guide virtually covered up the abject filth and hostility of these areas. If I had know more, I might not have ventured into these no-man's land.
My next trip, I will ignore your rosy but inaccurate analysis of the palestinain arab areas, and stay where I am welcome, and where the level of cleanliness and care are MUCH higher. Bethlehem, for example, exists to fleece Christians of their money, by muslims that act with a nasty attitude toward us. No wonder why tourism is way down, since Israel turned this area over to the PA.
The next time you write a book about palestinain arabs, PLEASE stick to objective reports and NOT report things the way that you wished they were. These areas are nasty, and the people aren't much better.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |