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Anthony Powell's 12-novel opus "A Dance to the Music of Time" is great. A thorough presentation of upper-class and artistic London from 1921 to about 1960. The paintings found in the various London art museums are among the many cultural touchstones alluded to in this excellent work. <BR>Standouts for me among Dickens' works are "The Pickwick Papers" and "David Copperfield" both of which involve a good deal of travel around the southeast of England. The amount of walking David Copperfield does is staggering. On one occasion he walks from London to Dover, while as an adult he commutes on foot from Highgate (then a country village) to Central London roundtrip every day, and frequently can't keep himself from strolling out to Surrey after work to lurk around his girlfriend Dora's house. None of this, except perhaps the jaunt to Dover, is presented as anything particularly unusual. <BR>Balzac's "Pere Goriot"--brilliant Parisian novel by and about actual Parisians (as opposed to Anglophone expatriots). The style and viewpoint of this book, written in 1830, are 40 years ahead of the time when similar ones began to appear in English writing. <BR>Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night" does a pretty thorough route of the hot tourist spots of the 1920's and 30's, in considerably grander style than that taken by our latter-day mass tourists. The writing is good too. <BR>Almost any of Franz Kafka's books are good reading for the former Austro-Hungarian empire, it almost goes without saying. <BR>Samuel Johnson's "Lives of the Poets" is a great study of the English scene, and not just literary, from 1650-1750, one of the best books I've ever read. <BR>Plutarch's Lives is also extremely rewarding to read through, and a great introduction to the classical world.

Lots of great suggestions here. But in a totally different vein...anything by David Sedaris. He is without a doubt the funniest man on the planet. If you want to laugh out loud all the way to Europe, check him out. Especially pertinent would be his latest "Me Talk Pretty One Day" about his life in France.

What a great post! I heartily second the David Sedaris, Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Harry Potter suggestions, and want to add "Mystical Paths" by Susan Howatch, which made me forget I was on a plane altogether. <BR> <BR>Also, "Paris to the Moon" is an enchanting book, a perfect read while on the way there.

I've been reading all things Italy for some time now and have to recommend THE HILLS of TUSCANY. It's set in Montapulciano, but is really a love story of the author Ferenc Mate and his wife, in a very subtle way. Fabulous whether you are headed there or not. <BR> <BR>I, too, enjoyed SMILLA'S SENSE of SNOW, and tryed to read it while in England - it was just too disorienting. Read it, but at home!

For Bri...

A true page turner is "7 Steps to Midnight" by Richard Matheson. This book is AMAZING. You can not stop reading it and then whatever you think might happen in the end, doesn't. I challenge anyone to guess the ending of this book before getting there. I have lent this book to more friends then any other book and it suprises everyone! Good on any flight...

All good recommendations but you mentioned you need a book to help you forget how afraid you are to fly. I just read a novel that came out last year. Its about this woman who motors around the British Isles looking for hunky male hitchhikers. The book turns into a science fiction morality tale thats a tour de force. Just cant remember the title or the author but it will take your mind off the flight for sure.

"Open Heart" by A.B. Yehoshua takes place in Israel, India, Italy & England... I read it on a beach vacation in Costa Rica. An incredible book.

Two stupendous books: <BR> <BR>The Eight by Katherine Neville <BR>The Quincunx-can't remember the author.

OK, it's nonfiction, but I just finished an EXCELLENT book. It is very thick and I could not put it down. Anyone interested in learning a little more about Afghanistan should check out "An Unexpected Light" by Jason Elliot. It's a travelogue -- fascinating and insightful. (And his photo on the book jacket is the icing on the cake.)

I haven't looked at this thread for months... but it's wonderful. I see books I love mention, David Sedaris, Katherine ? Eight, I now have to scroll back through to make a list for my library visits! Thanks all

Sorry, did not take the time to read through all 292 posts, so if I repeat please do not get upset. Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss is a wonderful historical romance set during the American Civil War. Also I loved The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver about an American missionary family in the Belgian Congo during their fight for independence. It was a Oprah book club book as well. Both are quite lengthy, but I was enthralled, and couldn't wait to reach the end, so I knew what was going to happen.

Recommend Anita Shreve also. I read Fortune`s Rock on my way to Australia and missed all five movies! The Pilot`s Wife is excellent too. Ahab`s wife is by a different author, but is a great novel on whaling and Nantucket.

I didn't read through all the responses either but for books about places... <BR>In the Name of Salome by Julia Alvarez - Dominican Republic <BR>About a Boy by Nick Hornby - London <BR>White Teeth by Zadie Smith - London <BR>Le Divorce - Paris <BR>Enjoy!

Great thread! I agree about Elizabeth George, Mary Stewart, Margaret Attwood, Ian Pears, and many others. Peter Robinson has an excellent British detective series about Inspector Banks which I recently discovered. Also, Barry Maitland's The Marx Sisters and The Malcontenta were both good. Haven't seen any discussion on Jane Smiley or Mary Renault. Just finished Smiley's latest, Horse Heaven, an American Dickens-esque novel about Thoroughbreds, but you don't need to be a horse person to enjoy.

I have read many of the suggested books and can`t wait to read more. Another good one is The way of a Boy. It`s about a kid that grows up in Java in the 30s on a tea plantation and ends up being a Japanese POW. Easy reading but fascinating. Also, anything by Bill Bryson is a hoot. His last book In a sunburnt Country is about Australia. I read it and called Qantas and went!

This is a great thread but so hard to scroll through it

Anyone read the Starbridge series by Susan Howatch? Exciting and full of insight, and the characters stay with you. Try "Glittering Images," the first book.

BASILICA, by William D. Montalbano. <BR>Paperback, more than 350 pages, for murder-mystery fans. Set in Rome, the Vatican, St. Peter's, this book will hold your interest on any flight. <BR>