Recommended Reading

This section offers recommendations for books to help you learn a language, guide books and books about/set in particular countries. When we first set up the JMJ website, the staff and students gave me their suggestions for books that give a feeling of place, novels that teach us about that country's culture and/or history and books that everyone from that country has read. I've learnt a great deal about foreign countries from reading their literature and I've also really enjoyed it. I hope you will find our recommendations useful.


Language Books

OK, now, as I may have mentioned, I've written an Italian course for beginners. I strongly recommend you check this out before looking at anything else.

For other books to help you learn a language, please click on the language you are interested in: Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Greek, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai


Guide Books

My bookshelves are full of publications from the excellent Lonely Planet company. They do regional guides, country guides and city guides, as well as phrasebooks (of which, as a linguist, I generally disapprove but I must admit they can be useful sometimes!), travel literature and coffee-table books.

When I told my sister I was going to close JMJ and travel, she sent me this fabulous book:

The Travel Book
A Journey through Every Country in the World

An inspiring, informative spin around the globe with the aid of Lonely Planet writers. Wonderful photos and a fascinating collection of facts.

Read more...

Of course, exciting as it is, this book gives just an overview. Once you've identified where you want to go, you'll need more detailed guide books and you'll find them all on the Lonely Planet website.


Books about/set in:

Click on the country you are interested in to see our recommendations for books in that category:

Spain and Spanish-speaking countries

Italy
France
Portugal and Brazil
The Netherlands and Belgium
Germany
Greece, the Greek Islands and Cyprus
Russia
China
Japan
Thailand




   

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