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Obviously, there are too many guidebooks to Europe. Unfortunately, there is not one that can match the oldtime, red-bound Baedekers. Karl Baedeker, who died in 1859, was an autocratic, uncompromising fuss-budget who personally inspected everything he wrote about—which was everything that he considered the traveler might need to know. He provided descriptions of all important celebrations, cathedrals, castles, monuments and masterpieces. He also rated Europe's decent restaurants and hotels, gave his opinion of regional dishes, wines and morals, counseled his readers on their health, and constantly warned them on the evils of everything from Paris prices ("Traveling here, one needs firstly, secondly and thirdly, money") to Italian beggars ("Firmly decline giving, with 'niente' or a gesture of disapproval").
It was a glorious part of the age of steam and the steamer trunk, and it was a remarkable performance. But not even old Karl Baedeker could have done it in today's Europe, although his descendants continue the guides competently enough. The Continent is simply changing too fast in too many directions for any single guidebook to keep up with it. There are 10,350 restaurants and 1,100 hotels in Paris alone, not to mention 110 nightclubs and 12,000 bars. Whether or not they could cover all the pertinent sights, smells and tastes, none of today's guides could consider printing them all. Air travelers need compact books.
Tastes have also changed. Tourists—with the possible exception of the Germans—no longer have the ambition to plow through such weighty tomes as the Guides Bleus, which describe every stone and tree in fine print. "To sell," says one London publisher, "you have to put out atmospherics. You have to provide a well-written feeling for the place, a lot of color, a lot of narrative." Such books are all to the good, for when they are done by sensitive writers, they can achieve an almost poetic understanding of places they cover. One such series is the Companion Guides to four European cities, the South of France and the Greek Islands. Another, less poetic but more of a guide, is H. V. Morton's lively historical tour of Spain, Italy, Britain and Ireland.
For basic meat-and-potatoes information, the tourist must look elsewhere. If he is in range, the best guides to most of his needs are produced by the French tire factory, Michelin & Cie. The Michelin Guides cover most of Western Europe in four languages and in two series. Michelin Green is an excellent illustrated sightseeing guide, heavy on history. Michelin Red, whose annual ratings can make or break any leading restaurant in France, is the undisputed arbiter of the world's finest cuisine. Unfortunately, Michelin covers neither entertainment npr shopping, and is no help at all to the tourist wondering how much to tip his shoeshine boy.
Gently by the Hand