THE 10 BEST OF EVERYTHING: PASSPORT TO THE BEST: AN ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR TRAVELERS

by Nathaniel Lande, Andrew Lande

From Arnold Palmer's ten finest golf courses to Luciano Pavarotti's ten favorite opera houses to the ten poshest train trips, classiest wristwatches, most atmospheric pubs, and much more, this is a blue-chip bible to delight any traveler for whom only the very best will do—and a rich dreambook for those of us still waiting for our own ships to come in. Compiled by veteran travelers Nathaniel and Andrew Lande, this extravagantly entertaining volume collects superlatives top sporting events and tropical island hideaways, glorious gardens and magnificent museums, stylish ski runs, superb cigars, and even the Ten Best Things to Do on a Sunday Afternoon in more than a dozen of the world's greatest cities. Here are the tastiest foods life has to offer to cordon bleu gourmets, barbecue fanatics, and hard-core chocoholics; here too are a whole host of trips and expeditions for any taste and to every continent including Antarctica, each complete itinerary a unique variation upon the theme of the 21st century Grand Tour.Highlighted by 200 color illustrations, studded with cosmopolitan sidebars and savvy tips, and equipped with a wide array of detailed information on luxury hotels, resorts, restaurants, and more, as well as a wealth of transportation options via land, sea or air, this elegant and sophisticated treasury of travel lore will awaken the wanderlust in readers everywhere.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference

Paperback

First published March 21, 2006

About the author

Nathaniel Lande is a journalist, filmmaker, and the author of twelve books, including Cricket and Dispatches from the Front: A History of the American War Correspondent. He was creative director for the Magazine Group at Time, Inc.; director of Time World News Service; director of Time-Life Films, where his documentaries won over ten international awards; and executive producer at CBS and NBC Television. Lande was educated at Oxford University; earned his doctorate at Trinity College Dublin, where he was a Distinguished Scholar; and held appointments as professor of journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful compilation for browsing, daydreaming over, and arguing with. The lists of chocolate, cameras, cigars, hotels, trains, and national parks are interspersed with stories from the authors, the Landes, who have apparently been everywhere and done everything, usually with the founder, owner, or world's expert at.... The story of the Bolshoi Ballet chair that one of the Landes spirited out of Soviet Russia is worth the price of the book on its own. Great way to while away a few hours when you could have been working, or cleaning the house, or saving the world, but wanted to feed your imagination instead.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal book!! Every time I pick it up to read, I find a new area, subject, item, city, sport, or hobbie to check out. National Geographic touches on everything or just about everything plus it is just plain fun to read. Next step - to go to all these places and do all these things! A dynamite book!!

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you want to travel the world--

[Genesis.P.Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the structure of this book. It is easy to read and excited to read.
I do realize some of the 10 best are subjective and I could not agree. For example. The best sport event is not Olympic but Le Mas. I know nothing about Le Mas and I am pretty sure TV audience of Olympic is much bigger than a sport car event. It is just my opinion. It is always hard for me to understand why people watching car race for more then 10 hours. What's the fun of it.

[Geri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, so much yet to see and do. Reading this one kicked in spring fever, and got me pulling out my bucket list. Perfect on a road trip, as a read aloud, which is what I did. Rewarding to run across the things I've already been able to do, too.

[Sonja Isaacson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the theory of the book - lists of ten. Lists are my friend and 10 is neither too large nor too small. However, not being a uber-wealthy jet-setter, I end up being depressed that I am unlikely to even "check off" 10% of what's in here. Ever. I recognize the same problem with the (x number) Places to See books, HOWEVER those have a slight edge to me since those books are often set up much better to help you find what to do when you have a particular destination. This book is set up regarding your interest first (swimming pools, gardens, golf, etc), and then where to go.

In the Products and Food sections, I could possibly do more since chains are included or save up and invest in nice(r) things. Like a Rolex (5th best watch), Leica M System (best cameras), or a Cross (3rd best writing instrument). Godiva was ranked 7th for chocolates, Fuddruckers 10th for hamburgers, and Cold Stone 7th for ice cream. So there are attainable items.

Once we do win the Powerball, I'd get a copy of this so I could remember to fly Thai Airways (3rd best airline), stay at Ashford Castle (3rd best hideaway), and visit the Catherine Palace (7th best thing in St. Petersburg).

[Rosebud · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw Jim reading this book and it caught my eye. I was especially interested in their ideas in Norway and New Zealand (two of my favorite places). I ended up going through the entire book. I must say that I don't agree with many of their ratings. I haven't been to all of these places, but I've been to enough of them in many of the categories to conclude that the people who put this book together either have little ability to compare places, or they have been paid to include some of the spots. Maybe they just read about some of these places and didn't actually visit them to make their assessments?

I can see why they might want to include variety in the categories, but get real! Handel's ice cream is the best ice cream???? The Blue Ridge Parkway is better than Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Hawaii Volcanoes? I could go on and on.....

[LINDA · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book annoyed me. I understand that it is just a gimmick, the whole 10 best list thing, but over 400 pages of top 10's way way too much bullsh*t for me. Really, how could you call out the best 10 of anything unless you have been/seen everything in that category?

The only things that I found to be of any use in this book were a listing the Ten Best Beaches. (They may not actually be the 10 best, but at the probably are pretty good to have made the list.)

p 43 Seychelles, Maldives, Bora Bora- Tahiti, Lanikai Beach- Hawaii, Fraser Island - Australia, St. Barts, Kauna'ao Bay- Hawaii.

Also, it lists Blue Hawaiian helecoptors 808-961-5600 in Kahului, Maui owned by Dave and Patti Chevalier. p. 459

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun down-time read to be picked up at leisure. Written for National Geographic by a father and son team of veteran travelers, it covers about anything you ever wanted to know about where to go, where to stay, where to eat, and what to buy when you are there. Granted, there are some sections that will not be of interest to all but just skim through them and go to the next chapter.....something good will be waiting there. (I have to admit I skipped the sections on mountain climbing and polo clubs.) If you are planning to travel, you might want to have a look at this book. But it also has great appeal to the armchair traveler as well, since I doubt if I will get to Tierra del Fuego anytime soon!!! Enjoy.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok: Who says? What makes this person's account better than anyone else's?

Living in L.A.: why is Langer's Deli better than Canter's? Why is La Brea Bakery rated so high? Why Starbucks? Why Yellowstone as a "landmark" and not The Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building? How can the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Chocolatiers be American?

None-the-less it is an interesting book. I did learn about cigars, I remember the Perfumes he spoke about from my childhood, Trains & Road trips.....

[Nancy Monson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's all right for someone else's opinion of the "10 Best." There are top ratings on everything from food to travel destinations to sports. To be honest, I think everyone can decide for themselves what tops their own lists. But it is interesting to see what someone else thinks everyone else should think.

[amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wonder if any of these tidbits will ever come in handy for me?? Somehow I doubt it....

[Susan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent design

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting half-hour skim, but there's plenty of argument over what signifies "best". Feels a little elitist, but maybe that's the point of it.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lists Nantucket among the top 10 beaches in the world. I love Nantucket, but that's just ridiculous.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there were a few points of interest, the ratings were often quite odd and the book barely rated an OK rating.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of nice little easter eggs for a wide variety of places, but it bugs me that the 10 Best Beers in the world are made in the USA (no) and Belgian (pretty good), but skipped Germany.