- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications (Oct 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0864427476
- ISBN-13: 978-0864427472
- Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 13.1 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,123,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #29 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Middle East > Syria
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Product details |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Product Description
Provides in-depth information on Syria's fabulous souqs, mosques and Crusader castles; full coverage of the major archaeological sites; extensive political, historical and cultural notes; detailed recommendations on where to stay, eat and drink; and a convenient and useful language chapter and glossary.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Writing a history of the modern Syrian state is difficult because it only came into being little more than 50 years ago. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Writing a history of the modern Syrian state is difficult because it only came into being little more than 50 years ago. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Useful - but limited,
By DAJ Barnard (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Syria and Lebanon (Lonely Planet) (Paperback)
This guide was very useful to me while in the country - to tell me a bit about what I was looking at, allow me to plan along the way etc. The maps were generally pretty accurate (except for the location of the post office in Hama - it must simply have moved location, 'cause they were way out!)
However, some of the opinions and judgements were highly subjective. This impression was further reinforced when one of the authors announced on the Thorntree forum that she now prefered Homs to Hama - despite a strong feeling the other way being expressed in the current edition. Granted, cities change - but this example does highlight the necessity of going by your own judgement and feeling as much as anything else (I personally love Hama). Of course this is true of any guidebook, but is particularly the case with this one, as I am unimpressed by the bit about the authors in the front. They both seem well travelled and at least have a fondness for Lebanon (Syria doens't get a specific mention, being lumped with the rest of the countries under "middle east"!) but they live in UAE. It seems a great shame that someone with more experience of living in the two countries, and more fondness for Syria, couldn't have written the guide. This leads to the final criticism - the lumping together of two sometimes very different countries, when each easily warrants its own guidebook. I would very much like to see an LP guide to Syria, written by someone who has both travelled and lived there. Until then, this guide is helpful but more flawed than even the average travel guide.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lonely planets have changed,
By
This review is from: Syria and Lebanon (Lonely Planet Multi Country Guide) (Paperback)
I bought my first Lonely Planet guide back in 2000 when I started my backpacking trip around Australasia. My New Zealand, Asutralai and USA books were my bibles, they were full of great information.
However, I have bought a 3 Lonely Planets that have been updated within the last 3 years including this one and I have to say, it is not up to the same standard at all. We bought the book for Lebanon and used it whilst spending a week travelling around. The book was really not that helpful. Money changes in a country so I never use that as a guide but the accomdation information was completely incorrect. Either places were closed or were nothing like they suggested. The maps were wrong. Also there just wasn't anywhere near enough information in the book about any of the places we visited. We could have managed quite easily without it which is not something I would have said back in 2000 when backpacking. We have noticed the same problems with our other Lonely Planet guides. Definetly not recommended.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not good enough,
By
This review is from: Syria and Lebanon (Lonely Planet Multi Country Guide) (Paperback)
This edition printed July 2008 is lacking in so many respects that I was left very frustrated. For example departure tax in Syria by land border is SYR£500 and by air SYR£1500, not the stated SYR£200 in the book. A lot of the maps were inaccurate. Adding 20% to most prices not the usual 10% seemed to be the order of the day. This guide seems too concerned in plugging 'the authors choice' (any kick backs involved...?) or showing pictures of people that could be 'nearly like us' with a personal profile and other nonsense. Having bought and used LP books for over 10 years, this is a poor effort and hugely dissapointing. It lacks the impartiality of other guides and the editorial stance seems to have shifted considerably since the BBC Worldwide buy out (no coincidence eh?). I met several people who had the same 2008 edition and they were of the same if not similar opinion. This book is aimed at time-poor-cash-rich travellers rather than backpacker budget types (for example the entry in Homs the budget hotel options start very cheaply approx US$8, yet the 'authors choice' is approx US$100) even though it attempts to address the needs of both it does it badly. Bus stations are mentioned that either no longer exist or services reportedly arriving/departing no longer exist. While I accept that things are subject to change to be so out of date 2 months after publication is a bit much. Where the book is actually really good is in its descriptions of sites and the LP way of packing a lot of historical information into a few pages concisley remains. But this is not going to stop me switching to Rough Guide because I reckon LP have lost their way if not the plot...
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
