Rick Steves' Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler

Content was excellent but illustrations were disappointing as they were all in black and white

This book is not an in-depth history lesson, thank God. That would be boring. Instead, it's a very readable, lively short coverage of how Europe got to where it is today. If you're going to Europe to see a whirlwind of cities and museums, then reading this book will help you understand how and why something ended up in the museum or was built to look that way. I used to think art galleries in Europe were like visits to the dentist, necessary but painful. After reading 101, I have a much better understanding of the paintings and can trace the development and subject matter, making it fun and informative.Also, the book has the best descriptive chart of history I have ever seen, laying out the different architecture periods (so you can see what came when) along with who lived when (Michaelangelo, Bach, Mozart, etc.) and other important historical events. This alone really helped me sort out the big jumbled mess of history.If you're looking for in-depth, detailed coverage, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for that historical overview to help put everything in perspective without having to dig through volumes of dry material, then this is what you've been hoping for.Good travels!

Let's not even pretend this is a comprehensive book on European history, because I'm sure that wasn't its intention. It IS wonderfully entertaining reading to take along on a trip to Europe. Its light, humorous and informative style was exactly what my teenage daughters needed to enjoy and appreciate the museums and historical places in Europe. I tore out sections and read it to them on the train before arriving at destinations. By putting historic thought and events into a context they could relate to, it got them interested in art and history and made them curious to learn more. I highly recommend this as a travel aid for families or anyone needing an enjoyable brush-up on historic styles and periods.

I was very impressed by this book. It was well organized as it wove basic history into a discussion of major works of art and major tourist sights. It was interesting to learn how art evolved over hundreds of years, and how it changed as Europe changed. I particularly appreciated how the book did not assume a great deal of familiarity with the subject matter, yet never talked down to the reader. Most college-educated readers will find it to be just right. I wish I had read this book before my very first trip to Europe. I expect my next trip will be much more meaningful now that I will be able to put everything in context.

As a first-time traveler to Italy, it was important to me to find information that to make this trip even more meaningful. I found it in this book. Wish I had this as my textbook for both European History and Humanities. This book allowed me to fully comprehend, appreciate and wonder at the significance of the architectural, engineering, cultural and art contributions of Europe to the world. Even my sister who is a seasoned traveler to Europe found this book thoroughly educational as well as entertaining.BRAVO! I will go to Europe again next year, and will take Rick's book on the best Europe has to offer.Thank you.

A simple and enjoyable book that fills in the cracks from various history and art appreciation classes. Within a couple of hours, readers can have a good, basic grasp of the most important "who" and "whats" of European history - but particularly the "whys". I repeatedly found myself saying, "Oh, now I get it! So that's what the Renaissance (or the "Dark Ages" or whatever) is and why the art and architecture they created looks as it does." Truly a must read for both first-timers and seasoned travellers who just want to brush up on some of the facts and trends. Absolutely required for anyone travelling to Italy.