Overview

The Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers and the dreams of engineers—and some 14 million people live among their peaks today. In The Alps, Stephen O'Shea takes readers up and down these majestic mountains, journeying through their 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. He explores the reality behind Hannibal's crossing; he reveals how the Alps have influenced culture from Frankenstein to Heidi and The Sound of Music; and he visits the spot of Sherlock Holmes's death scene, the bloody site of the Italians' retreat in the First World War and Hitler's notorious Eagle's Nest. Throughout, O'Shea records his adventures with the watch makers, salt miners, cable-car operators and yodelers who define the Alps today.

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9780393355697

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Reviews

Stephen O'Shea's sardonic, science-rich travelogue... -- Nature His [Stephen O'Shea's] account of his journey, all 500 miles and seven countries of it, is a soaring success, erudite, entertaining and human... the Alps cry out to be explored. Start with this book. -- i paper Veteran traveller Stephen O'Shea takes the reader on a delightful 500-mile historical romp through the Alps... It is well worth making space in the rucksack for this on your next Alpine holiday. -- Geographical

[O'Shea] is an amiable guide to the riches of this vast mountain range-culinary, linguistic, literary, cultural and geologic. -- Matthew Price - Newsday I would follow Stephen O'Shea anywhere he travels, and this book is a real adventure, both geographically and intellectually-an eloquent and engaging exploration that shows how and why these dizzy peaks have for centuries been at the forefront of the European cultural imagination. -- Ross King, best-selling author of Brunelleschi's Dome Chock-full of colorful facts. . . . O'Shea is at his best when describing the architectural marvels of the places he visits, it's literary trivia . . . and such folk-ways as yodeling. [He] comes across as a charming, ever-curious, and knowledgeable raconteur. -- Publishers Weekly With [O'Shea's] playful approach to language and a willingness to put himself in uncomfortable situations . . . this clever meeting of history, literature, and travelogue is a treat for readers of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz. -- Library Journal An ebulllient narrative. . . . This spirited jaunt into the peaks of Europe may inspire readers to pack their bags. -- Kirkus The combination of a contemporary first-person travelogue in which we motor along with O'Shea, traversing peaks and peeking into crevasses, and a time-tripping riffle through Alpine history's greatest hits proves an ideal mix. -- Passport An entertaining, turbocharged race among the high mountain passes of six alpine countries. -- Liesl Schillinger - New York Times Book Review

Author Information

Stephen O’Shea is the author of several books about European history, including the acclaimed Back to the Front and Sea of Faith. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

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