When Doug Mack picked up a 1963 edition of Europe on Five Dollars a Day, he stumbled on an inspired idea: to boldly go where millions have gone before, relying only on the advice of a travel guide that's nearly a half century out-of-date. Add to the mix his mother's much- documented grand tour through Europe in the late 1960s, and the result is a funny and fascinating journey into a new (old) world, and a disarming look at the ways the classic tourist experience has changed- and has not-in the last generation.
After a whirlwind adventure spanning eight countries-and costing way more than five dollars a day-Mack's endearing account is part time travel, part paean to Arthur Frommer's much-loved guide, and a celebration of the modern traveler's grand (and not-so-grand) tour.
Review
Lowell Thomas Awards (Society of American Travel Writers): 2013 Bronze Award for Travel Book.
"Refreshing in its intelligence, candor, good-humored self-deprecation, and insightful redemption of the much-maligned tourist, Mack's account is a trail-reblazing testament to the transformative power of travel in the modern world, and to the enduring richness of those well-trod places where authenticity, history, culture, and fame compose their own never-ending narratives."
National Geographic Traveler (Book of the Month)
"A genial companion for the armchair traveler."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Doug Mack addresses a common dilemma of travelers: how to see the famous sights--Paris, Rome, Venice--and not feel like one more brainless tourist. . . . Mack is invariably cheerful and literate, and he makes for good company in this breezy traipse through today's Europe." - Perceptive Travel
"Unlike travel books focused on local color or distant destinations, this amusing narrative chronicles a traveler's experience of Europe's hot spots and tourist culture. Recommended."
- *Library Journal*
"In this age of Yelp and TripAdvisor, who'd have thought that one of dustiest dinosaurs of European guidebooks could inspire some of the freshest travel writing in recent memory? Doug Mack, that's who. This charming chronicle will leave you daydreaming of scribbled postcards, overstuffed backpacks and having nothing urgent to do but study the train schedule over one more cup of coffee."
** -Mark Adams, author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu
"Whether he's out 'Frommering' or searching for his latest chocolate croissant fix, Doug Mack is always funny and thoughtful. The perfect travel companion. With one foot in 1963 and another firmly in today, Mack adroitly straddles two eras, never losing his balance. Europe on Five Wrong Turns a Day is a delight from start to finish."
- Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss and *Man Seeks God*
About the Author
Douglas Mack has written for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, WorldHum.com, and other publications. He is based in Minneapolis with a digital home at www.douglasmack.net.
Description:
Prepare to Get Lost on the Beaten Path...
When Doug Mack picked up a 1963 edition of Europe on Five Dollars a Day, he stumbled on an inspired idea: to boldly go where millions have gone before, relying only on the advice of a travel guide that's nearly a half century out-of-date. Add to the mix his mother's much- documented grand tour through Europe in the late 1960s, and the result is a funny and fascinating journey into a new (old) world, and a disarming look at the ways the classic tourist experience has changed- and has not-in the last generation.
After a whirlwind adventure spanning eight countries-and costing way more than five dollars a day-Mack's endearing account is part time travel, part paean to Arthur Frommer's much-loved guide, and a celebration of the modern traveler's grand (and not-so-grand) tour.
Review
Lowell Thomas Awards (Society of American Travel Writers): 2013 Bronze Award for Travel Book.
"Refreshing in its intelligence, candor, good-humored self-deprecation, and insightful redemption of the much-maligned tourist, Mack's account is a trail-reblazing testament to the transformative power of travel in the modern world, and to the enduring richness of those well-trod places where authenticity, history, culture, and fame compose their own never-ending narratives."
"A genial companion for the armchair traveler."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Doug Mack addresses a common dilemma of travelers: how to see the famous sights--Paris, Rome, Venice--and not feel like one more brainless tourist. . . . Mack is invariably cheerful and literate, and he makes for good company in this breezy traipse through today's Europe."
- Perceptive Travel
"Unlike travel books focused on local color or distant destinations, this amusing narrative chronicles a traveler's experience of Europe's hot spots and tourist culture. Recommended."
- *Library Journal*
"In this age of Yelp and TripAdvisor, who'd have thought that one of dustiest dinosaurs of European guidebooks could inspire some of the freshest travel writing in recent memory? Doug Mack, that's who. This charming chronicle will leave you daydreaming of scribbled postcards, overstuffed backpacks and having nothing urgent to do but study the train schedule over one more cup of coffee."
** - Mark Adams, author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu
"Whether he's out 'Frommering' or searching for his latest chocolate croissant fix, Doug Mack is always funny and thoughtful. The perfect travel companion. With one foot in 1963 and another firmly in today, Mack adroitly straddles two eras, never losing his balance. Europe on Five Wrong Turns a Day is a delight from start to finish."
- Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss and *Man Seeks God*
About the Author
Douglas Mack has written for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, WorldHum.com, and other publications. He is based in Minneapolis with a digital home at www.douglasmack.net.