Report From Practically Nowhere :

Rating:
Summary: an excellent, unique travel book
Review: i first read about "reports from practically nowhere" on a flight this summer. it was featured in an airlines magazine in an article about touring small countries. evidently a couple was inspired to do the same and visit tiny countries. the magazine promised that the book was unique, enjoyable, and tantilizing in places, and they couldn't be more correct.

sack, the book's author, sounds like the perfect man for the job. he's adventerous, affable, and sounds easy going. unlike what you may expect, he meets the heads of many of these countries, enjoys strange encounters with them, and really finds the soul of a place. this is quality travel writing, and perfect for the task of writing about small contries. some history is thrown in, some discussion of local wildlife, customs, and economics, which adds to the charm without bogging it down. you shouldn't expect to learn the gritty details of what makes andorra's history unique, or how lundy's economy has held up, but you'll get an enjoyable tidbit of information.

another interesting perspective, and one that seems obvious in retrospect, is the mismanagement of some of these places. they simply cannot generate enough revenue to be self sufficient, in some cases there are interesting questions about who is the rightful head of state, and there are some odd miscreants in some places. all in all, sack delivers an uncommon view into the issues in these sorts of places.

the main misgiving i have about this edition is that it lacks a map. i'd enjoy seeing where on earth these delightful sounding places are located.

never boring, always charming, and thoroughly intriguing. if you like travel literature, this is a gem.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining book about odd places
Review: Occasionally I check amazon.com listings against by personal library to see what has been reprinted. I was pleased to find that a publisher has reprinted this book, first published in 1955. It is an interesting and entertaining report about an assortment of places, and illustrates that some places are isolated enough (or no-account enough) or simply have traditional relationships such that big governments leave them alone. They continue merrily on their way, sometimes oblivious to the world around them (sometimes involved and sometimes not). They range in size from tiny (the Sovereign and Military Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta which occupies a small space in the middle of Rome) to somewhat larger (like Sikkim) and have a variety of governments and relationships with adjoining countries. Monaco, ruled by a prince, has its own membership in international organizations. Sark is a feudal state that theoretically is a vassal fief to the Queen of England (the Duchess of Normandy). The backgrounds of most of the places described are tangled in historical grants, purchases, treaties, etc. Some might seem a good choice for people wanting to drop out of the modern rat race, but beware of local customs, laws, and taxes.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining book about odd places
Review: Occasionally I check amazon.com listings against by personal library to see what has been reprinted. I was pleased to find that a publisher has reprinted this book, first published in 1955. It is an interesting and entertaining report about an assortment of places, and illustrates that some places are isolated enough (or no-account enough) or simply have traditional relationships such that big governments leave them alone. They continue merrily on their way, sometimes oblivious to the world around them (sometimes involved and sometimes not). They range in size from tiny (the Sovereign and Military Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta which occupies a small space in the middle of Rome) to somewhat larger (like Sikkim) and have a variety of governments and relationships with adjoining countries. Monaco, ruled by a prince, has its own membership in international organizations. Sark is a feudal state that theoretically is a vassal fief to the Queen of England (the Duchess of Normandy). The backgrounds of most of the places described are tangled in historical grants, purchases, treaties, etc. Some might seem a good choice for people wanting to drop out of the modern rat race, but beware of local customs, laws, and taxes.