Comments on: The Guide Book Wars

By: Babs

Babs — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 05:39:11 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/North-Korea-Bradt-Travel-Guide/dp/1841620742/sr=1-1/qid=1171863341/ref=sr_1_1/105-1261927-3884456?ie=UTF8&s=books

Here is the link to the one and only travel guide that I know of to N. Korea. A friend lent it to me and I found it absolutely fascinating! I read it cover to cover.
The first 65 or so pages is the history of the Korean penninsula, worth picking the book up just to read. The rest of the book, the “travel” section is just chilling.

By: RushBaby

RushBaby — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:04:01 +0000

Really interesting article and verrrry well written. Thank you.

By: Mojave Mark

Mojave Mark — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 14:57:25 +0000

Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and author of the first three Burma editions, dismisses the boycott campaign, saying it “actually makes me more determined. I am not going to be told by anyone what I can publish.”

Hey, he could do a guide book for;
“States Exclusively Run By Mass-Murdering dictators.”

The sub title could be;
“Africa: and the Muslim States of the Middle East.”

By: thedecider

thedecider — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:24:09 +0000

Tony Wheeler, founder of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and author of the first three Burma editions, dismisses the boycott campaign, saying it “actually makes me more determined. I am not going to be told by anyone what I can publish.”

That’s curious. If you’re the publisher of travel brochures, don’t you want to encourage people to go places they will feel safe and have a great time? I mean, if not, then you may as well encourage them to travel to…I don’t know…North Korea!

Enjoy the breath-taking scenery of complete darkness at night or thrill to the daring, starving peasants compete over a decaying bird carcass.

Yeah – I want to go *cough*

By: thedecider

thedecider — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:15:07 +0000

RightWinged on February 17, 2007 at 6:19 PM

If there’s anything we know about you – you’re a HUGE Seinfeld fan. Actually, I am too. I still watch the reruns and I still laugh my head off. The BEST comedy of modern times.

By: wowbagger

wowbagger — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:41:12 +0000

I wandered around Africa for about 7 months – and in the backpacker circles LP was ‘affectionately’ referred to as ‘The Book Of Lies’. It’s not too much of crack since keeping a published book ‘up to date’ is a near impossible task. LP definitely had value but RG was my preferred …

By: dustoffmom

dustoffmom — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:31:43 +0000

I have many Eyewitness books, they are favorite armchair travel reading indeed. However, you obviously do not travel with everything on your back or you would know that while great books, they seem made of lead, and if visiting multiple countries, which I do, to try and carry them along would quickly have you doing the ‘elephant walk’. :)

Apologies immediately accepted…..but quit making such rash biases. ;)

By: see-dubya

see-dubya — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:05:34 +0000

Apologies, Dustoff…as I said, I was generalizing, and you certainly don’t sound like the typical Lonely Planetoid I have encountered abroad (or here.), and I’ve seen a fair sample.

We’re huge fans of the DK Eyewitness Guides. They’re expensive but if you’re touring a single city at a time, in particular, the coverage is outstanding–though they probably don’t cover the range of exotic locales that LP does. (http://us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/travel/intro.html )

By: dustoffmom

dustoffmom — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:57:32 +0000

I agree with your opinions here, but have to violently disagree with your assessment of LP users! I am a 50 something widow, a grandmother who travels yearly for several months overseas…mostly Europe. I travel solo, with a big old Eagle Creek backpack and rather ‘frugally’ shall I say. (However, no hostels for me :) I need a door to close behind myself at night) That said, I never use any guidebook but LP. I find they best fit my style of travel and the information and maps are excellent. Frommers/Foders are written for a ‘higher’ class of travel than I want, and Rough Guide and Let’s Go are decidedly more ‘party’ oriented and for a much younger crowd. I am most decidedly NOT among the hemp-crystals-beads whatever crowd. I am an Army vet myself, the widow of another, a rock steady Republican in full support of the current administration and one who fully gets the threat of all those ‘peaceful’ Muslims! You insult me sir!

By: see-dubya

see-dubya — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:04:12 +0000

The existing military dictatorship renamed the country Myanmar as an anti-colonialist gimmick. And IIRC, that name favors one of the existing ethnic groups that the government likes (instead of the ethnic Burmans–maybe it’s the Shan?). Anyway, as you can see on the front page photo, even the libs at Lonely Planet don’t feel compelled to go along with that one.

Plus “Myanmar Shave” just doesn’t have the same ring. Sort of like how I still drink Bombay Gin instead of Mumbai Gin.

By: mikeyboss

mikeyboss — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:55:35 +0000

Insightful, thought-provoking stuff. Thanks, see-dub.

By: lorien1973

lorien1973 — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:44:34 +0000

I thought it was myanmar?

By: RightWinged

RightWinged — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:19:26 +0000

J Peterman: It’ll always be Burma to me.