Cassell's German Dictionary : German-English, English-German (Indexed)

Rating:
Summary: Very poor dictionary--lots of better choices
Review: Cassell's is the best German-English dictionary that I have ever used. It went to Germany with me, and made my trip more enjoyable. It is a must for anyone serious about learning German.

Rating:
Summary: the best, period
Review: I have studied a lot of languages, and so I've bought a lot of dictionaries. This is by far the best one I have ever used. It goes way beyond the basics, has plenty of idiom, and even archaic words/phrases, all of which is great for the beginner/intermediate student and essential to advanced ones. If you buy this dictionary, you won't need any others. It's worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: the best, period
Review: I have studied a lot of languages, and so I've bought a lot of dictionaries. This is by far the best one I have ever used. It goes way beyond the basics, has plenty of idiom, and even archaic words/phrases, all of which is great for the beginner/intermediate student and essential to advanced ones. If you buy this dictionary, you won't need any others. It's worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: Very User-Friendly/It was my right hand.
Review: I took it to Defense Language Institute (for a year) and subsequently to Hamburg, GE, (for nearly three years). I found it extremely helpful and light-weight enough that it was not a burden. I still make frequent reference to it nine years after I left Deutschland. It was so much a part of my life in Germany I am ordering it for a friend about to do a year of study there.

Rating:
Summary: Throw the others out...
Review: I'm currently taking a Survey of Theological German course at a small, liberal arts college. I fought with smaller dictionaries for weeks, but could never find the words I needed. After consulting with the Professor, he told me to throw the others out, and go buy a Cassell's. This dictionary is absolutely indisposable -- it provides me with the old meanings I need for this class (and can't find anywhere else!), but proves equally useful with modern idioms.

Rating:
Summary: The best reader's German-English dictionary
Review: I'm very sorry to see a couple previous reviews that seemed to expect more of a conversational or technical dictionary. Cassell's is unquestionably the best for reading essays, stories, novels and poetry (until you have enough knowledge to need only occasional reference to an all-German dictionary like Wahrig's for the occasional mysterious word). There is a British bias, mostly in the English-to-German part, but it seems quite modest. I've used my copy (of a previous edition) for more than 30 years. This is an essential tool for any English speaker studying German in school, college, or independently. I'd rate it at least one "star" better than comparable Langenscheidt or Oxford/Duden products.

Rating:
Summary: British English, not American English
Review: Imagine my disappointment at finding almost nothing in this dictionary to help me with the simplest daily tasks during my first week living in Germany. It's British English, not American English, and it's full of entries you'll never need, and definitions you may not even understand. If you want to know how to express in German the thought that would normally prompt you to utter the axiom "Fine words butter no parsnips," the entire phrase is there for you under the entry for parsnip. If you want to find the German word for your favorite peppermint candies, either bulls-eyes, or humbugs, you won't be disappointed. But if you want to figure out what's the orange stuff in the bottle on your apartment's kitchen counter, or translate the instructions for separating your recycleable garbage into the mandatory dozen different categories, you will search in vain.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD OLD WINE: BUT LACK OF UPDATE SINCE 1978 IS WORRISOME.
Review: In taking care of daily conversational idioms and phrases, this "Cassell's German Dictionary" did not forget technical and professional terms. It is complete in every sense a dictionary in its class should be. Invaluable pronounciation guides featured in both English and German: thus making it a suitable learning tool for either an English native or a German one.
What makes this lexicon so endearing is the way it simplified all those complex verbs, which are notorious barriers for anyone learning German grammar. Also, with over 1,430 pages, the listed price of this dictionary is very reasonable.
However, potential buyers may be greatly discouraged by the fact that this dictionary has not been updated since 1978. Except for antique-geeks, nobody would fancy buying a dictionary that is older than him or her.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD OLD WINE: BUT LACK OF UPDATE SINCE 1978 IS WORRISOME.
Review: In taking care of daily conversational idioms and phrases, this "Cassell's German Dictionary" did not forget technical and professional terms. It is complete in every sense a dictionary in its class should be. Invaluable pronounciation guides featured in both English and German: thus making it a suitable learning tool for either an English native or a German one.
What makes this lexicon so endearing is the way it simplified all those complex verbs, which are notorious barriers for anyone learning German grammar. Also, with over 1,430 pages, the listed price of this dictionary is very reasonable.
However, potential buyers may be greatly discouraged by the fact that this dictionary has not been updated since 1978. Except for antique-geeks, nobody would fancy buying a dictionary that is older than him or her.