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Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island Diccon Bewes

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island By Diccon Bewes

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island by Diccon Bewes


$15.99
Condition - Very Good
9 in stock

Summary

Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island. This title presents a picture of the real Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as technology.

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island Summary

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island by Diccon Bewes

One country, four languages, 26 cantons, and 7.5 million people (but only 80 per cent of them Swiss): there's nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400 km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it is an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island. Switzerland is the country that not only gave us triangular chocolate and holey cheese, but also the world's first Toilet Duck (1980) and the Swiss Army Knife (1897). The country is famous for its punctual trains and strict neutrality. This is the country that has yodelling festivals on national television. But what lies behind these stereotypes? "Swiss Watching" is a revealing journey around Europe's most individual country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, "Swiss Watching" proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. This is a picture of the real Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as technology. It's also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can't speak to one another in the same language - and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national stereotypes, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren't Swiss and the trains don't always run exactly on time.

Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island Reviews

A NO.1 BESTSELLING BOOK IN SWITZERLAND "We all know that Switzerland gave us the world cuckoo clocks, triangular chocolate and penknives, but how about the Toilet Duck, Velcro and LSD? Europe's "landlocked island" is a great subject for a cultural anthropologist and Bewes, manager of an English language bookshop in Bern, is a perfect guide." -A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2010 - Bewes has an engagingly light and comic touchA" - Clover Stroud, The Sunday Telegraph (July 2010) Informative and Entertaining.A" - Harry Ritchie, The Mail on Sunday (Aug 2010) "It's a real page turner, a treasure trove. Absolutely jam-packed with fascinating facts that really got me thinking." -Margaret Oertig-Davidson, author of Beyond Chocolate Everything you wanted to know about Switzerland, and then some. Not just a travel book, 'Swiss Watching' is a no-stone-unturned exploration of what makes (and has made) this enigmatic country tick.A" - Peter Kerr, author of the Snowball Orange series of five books

About Diccon Bewes

Diccon Bewes is an experienced travel writer who has lived in Switzerland for four years. An 18-month world trip set him up for a career in travel writing, via the scenic route of bookselling. After ten years at Lonely Planet and Holiday Which? magazine, he decamped to Switzerland, where he is currently manager of the Stauffacher English Bookshop in Bern. As well as grappling with German, re-learning to cross the road properly, and overcoming his innate desire to form an orderly queue, he has spent the last four years exploring the bits of the country he'd never heard of before and eating lots of chocolate. See his website at www.dicconbewes.com

Additional information

GOR002425594
9781857885484
1857885481
Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island by Diccon Bewes
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Hodder & Stoughton General Division
2010-06-10
288
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island