Klaus ReicholdCritiques

This entertaining exploration of Bavarian culture is an update to the author's previous Heimatkunde Bayern. The updates emphasize the many foreign influences on Bavarian culture, particularly the influences coming from the Middle East.

The book is a little like watching a dog walking down the street checking every smell it encounters. The author has countless entertaining digressions on his way to making his point. These digressions yield a wealth of interesting facts and anecdotes about Bavaria. The reader must, however, already have a good knowledge of Bavarian history and culture in order to be able to make sense of these explorations.

This is a thoroughly entertaining book covering the life and times of Bavaria's Ludwig II. Unlike a typical biography, the book actually begins with the mysterious death of Ludwig II and then continues with specific chapters on aspects of Ludwig's unusual life. By including citations from the people that knew Ludwig directly, the author paints a picture of life at the time.

This is a delightful collection of facts about Bavarian culture and history. With a few provocative chapters, like "Why Berlin really belongs to Bavaria", Klaus Reichold grabs your attention and keeps it with his sparkling style of writing.

great book filled with wonderful art work