Books about Brussels from Amazon.com

Who made the first snowman? Who first came up with the idea of placing snowballs on top of each other, and who decided they would use a carrot for a nose? Most puzzling of all: How can this mystery ever be solved, with all the evidence long since melted? The snowman appears everywhere on practically everything -- from knickknacks to greeting cards to seasonal sweaters we plan to return. Whenever we see big snowballs our first impulse is to deck them out with a top hat. Humorist and writer Bob Eckstein has long been fascinated by this ubiquitous symbol of wintertime fun -- and finally, for the first time, one of the world's most popular icons gets his due. A thoroughly entertaining exploration, The History of the Snowman travels back in time to shed light on the snowman's enigmatic past -- from the present day, in which the snowman reigns as the King of Kitsch, to the Dark Ages, with the creation of the very first snowman. Eckstein's curiosity began playfully enough, but soon snowballed into a (mostly) earnest quest of chasing Frosty around the world, into museums and libraries, and seeking out the advice of leading historians and scholars. The result is a riveting history that reaches back through centuries and across cultures -- sweeping from fifteenth-century Italian snowballs to eighteenth-century Russian ice sculptures to the regrettable "white-trash years" (1975-2000). The snowman is not just part of our childhood memories, but is an integral part of our world culture, appearing -- much like a frozen Forrest Gump -- alongside dignitaries and celebrities during momentous events. Again and again, the snowman pops up in rare prints, paintings, early movies, advertising and, over the past century, in every art form imaginable. And the jolly snowman -- ostensibly as pure as the driven snow -- also harbors a dark past full of political intrigue, sex, and violence. With more than two hundred illustrations and a special section of the best snowman cartoons, The History of the Snowman is a truly original winter classic -- smart, surprisingly enlightening, and quite simply the coolest book ever..
Price: $3.88 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $10.12 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Brontë's romantic heroine Lucy Snowe, a penniless governess attempting to begin life anew in France, is an exceptional example of a great writer transforming her life into art..
Price: $2.57 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This travel guide covers all the major sights - museums, galleries, churches, parks and historic monuments - in Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp It offers special features on Belgium history , culture and art and includes material on art nouveau, tapestry, lace and architecture. Its cutaways, floor plans and 3-D maps help you to explore sights including Cathedrale St-Michel-et-Gidule, Musees Royaux des Beaux Arts: d'art ancient and d'art moderne, Parc Cinquantenaire and Groeninge Museum..
Price: $9.52 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Streetwise Brussels Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Brussels, Belgium - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map including tram lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main Brussels Map 1:17,000
Brussels City Center Map 1:11,000
Domaine Royal Area Map 1:21,000
Brussels Area Map 1:140,000
Brussels Metro Map

Home to the administrative and legislative offices of the European Union and NATO, Brussels is known to attract Eurocrats. For regular visitors however, the character of Belgium is low key, bordering on cozy. The city is full of delights - the Grand Palace, moules frites (mussels with fries), pralines, uncrowded museums, art nouveau, Tintin, great beer and chocolate to die for. Think of Brussels as a less expensive version of Paris; similar scale, architecture, food, shopping, walking tours and quality hotels.

Plan to go now, and take the STREETWISE® map of Brussels, as it has everything you’ll need for a wonderful visit.

The main map of Brussels covers a large part of the central city in detail and contains all important sites, hotels, architecture, metro stations and parks. The inset map of Brussels City Center enables you to walk and experience the warren of old streets and visit sites at your leisure with confidence. The inset map titled Domaine Royal Area Map depicts the major park and shows attractions such as the location of the famous Atomium, recently restored and reopened. The Brussels Area Map depicts all major routes into and out of Brussels. This Brussels map is also useful when renting a car for adventures outside the city.

Our pocket size map of Brussels is laminated for durability and accordion folding for effortless use. The STREETWISE® Brussels map is one of many detailed and easy-to-read city street maps designed and published by STREETWISE®. Buy your STREETWISE® Brussels map today and you too can navigate Brussels, Belgium like a native. For a larger selection of our detailed travel maps simply type STREETWISE MAPS into the Amazon search bar..
Price: $5.14 [Notify me when price goes down.]

America’s #1 bestselling travel series

Written by more than 175 outspoken travelers around the globe, Frommer’s Complete Guides help travelers experience places the way locals do.

• More annually updated guides than any other series
• 16-page color section and foldout map in all annual guides
• Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and suggested itineraries
• Dozens of detailed maps in an easy-to-read, two-color design

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Price: $13.81 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Villette! Villette! Have you read it?" exclaimed George Eliot when Charlotte Brontë's final novel appeared in 1853. "It is a still more wonderful book than Jane Eyre. There is something almost preternatural in its power."

Arguably Brontë's most refined and deeply felt work, Villette draws on her profound loneliness following the deaths of her three siblings. Lucy Snowe, the narrator of Villette,flees from an unhappy past in England to begin a new file as a teacher at a French boarding school in the great cosmopolitan capital of Villette. Soon Lucy's struggle for independence is overshadowed by both her freindship with a wordly English doctor and her feelings for an autocratic schoolmaster. Brontë's strikingly modern heroine must decide if there is any man in her society with whom she can live and still be free.

"Villette is an amazing book," observed novelist Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. "Written before psychoanalysis came into being, Villette is nevertheless a psychoanalytic work—a psychosexual study of its heroine, Lucy Snowe. Written before the philosophy of existentialism was formulated, the novel's view of the world can only be described as existential. . . . Today it is read and discussed more intensely than Charlotte Brontë's other novels, and many critics now beleive it to be a true master-piece, a work of genius that more than fulfilled the promise of Jane Eyre." Indeed, Virginia Woolf judged Villette to be Brontë's "finest novel."

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Price: $5.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The tiny Brussels Griffon compensates for his diminutive size with a large amount of personality and friendliness This book is a brand-new title in Barron’s extensive line of Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals. They advise current and soon-to-be pet owners on the care of dogs and cats of virtually all recognized breeds, as well as on birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, small mammals, and even exotic creatures like tarantulas and sugar gliders. The information in each book is authoritative but the language is non-technical and easy for every pet owner to understand. Every title in this series is individually written from first page to last by a breeder, trainer, veterinarian, or other animal specialist. All Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals are filled with high-quality color photos and instructive line art..
Price: $4.55 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best ways to meander around Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum, explore its maze of canals, and find the tastiest breweries and restaurants With Rick Steves' Amsterdam 2007, travelers can experience everything Amsterdam, Bruges, and Brussels have to offer - economically and hassle-free.

Completely revised and updated, this guide includes: * Opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights * Friendly places to eat and sleep * Suggested day plans * Walking tours and trip itineraries * Clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot

America's #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience..
Price: $3.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Eight-year old Melina wants to become a good violinist When she loses confidence, her Rumanian teacher Andrea decides it's time for a magic dose of self esteem. A mysterious old woman in rags gives Melina some curious advice; a violinist Russian hamster, who happens to live under the old woman's hat, offers her a virtuoso performance; a shooting star fills her with hope on Christmas Eve. Is Melina actually playing better, or has her violin become magic? Who is the old woman in the town square, and why does she wear the same emerald ring as her teacher Andrea?.
Price: $7.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]