Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Very informative September 3, 2008
this book is very informative and easy to follow. I would have liked to see more colour pictures in it though - that was the only disappointment for me.
 Good guide spoilt by sloppy editing August 15, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
We used the Bradt guide to Lille to great effect last year, so were tempted to buy this, especially since it was published more recently than either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide books.
In some ways this was a perfectly good tool for the job. It seems to cover all one would want covered. I particularly liked the Arabic proverbs which accompany each chapter heading - such advice as Trust in God, but tie your camel, and He who takes a donkey up a minaret must take it down again (though I am not sure what that one means), and It is better to endure the wind of a camel than the prayers of a fish.
Where the guide falls down is in the really bad editing. Neither the author nor the copy editor (if there was such a person) properly read the finished text, so that there are several places where various recensions of the text are just printed one after the other, like the P and Q sources in the book of Genesis, so that you get the same description twice in slightly different words. An example comes in the last paragraph on page 185, at the end of the section on Ugarit.
"Look out near the two temples for a black basalt stone in a triangle shape with three holes, which was an anchor used for tying up ships. Ugarit's gigantic anchors were celebrated. They weighed up to half a tonne each, giving an idea of the size of the ocean-going vessels. There used to be lots of these stones, but most have now been stolen. The whole site has now been fenced to prevent theft which has become a bit of a problem. Look out for a black basalt stone in a triangle with three holes, which was an anchor used for tying up ships. There used to be lots of these stones, but most have now been stolen."
That repetition is annoying and unnecessary. There is another example three quarters of the way down page 229 where advice is given twice in two paragraphs about the necessity of arriving in Palmyra by sunset. There were others too, but I am not going to re-read the book just to find them.
Then there's the dodgy spelling. We are told on page 202 that there is a crenulated rampart walkway at Krak. The word is crenellated according to my Oxford dictionary. That's another one which is down to the editor.
However, the biggest howler in the book is the explanation given on page 263 of the meaning of the word Mesopotamia.
"The name Mesopotamia is thought to be made up of a conglomerate of meanings in the Sumerian language : 'me' means female, 'so' means ancestors, 'po' means crops, 'ta' means fields and 'mia' means temples."
I don't think so. In Greek meso is between, and potamos is a river. Mesopotamia is the land between the rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Every schoolchild used to be taught that at an early age. I think we have to blame the author for that one, though a good editor would have picked it up.
Excellent content, but Biased May 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I recently visited Syria, and after purchasing a number of guide books about the country I found myself reaching for this book first, it has a great wealth of information and details about the country and region.
The only problem I had with it is the Authors obvious pro-Syrian view, she constantly praises the government and the country, and in some parts it becomes laughable when compared to other sources of information. In fact its pretty hard to find a negative comment anywhere in the book.
In conclusion I would recommend this book for any traveler hoping to visit Syria, it is the best guide book available, but I would warn them to take the book's opinions with a pinch of salt.
 BIAS TOWARD WEALTHIER VISITORS January 26, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Syria has an EXCELLENT developing rail network, yet this guide book barely mentions rail travel and encourages visitors not to use trains. Not a very environmentally friendly suggestion. Additionally, it assumes you'll travel everywhere by car. Basic information is good, but I consider that Lonely Planet will be a better publication.
Not suitable for butget travellers. December 25, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This guidebook contains thorough discriptions of the sights and cities and valuable background information. This book is not suitable for budget travellers since the places mentioned in "places to stay" are generally expensive. Furthermore information about public transport is also lacking for many smaller towns and sights.
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