Springtime For Germany: or How I Learned to Love Lederhosen
By (Author) Ben Donald
Little, Brown & Company
Little, Brown & Company
1st September 2007
United States
General
Non Fiction
Travel and holiday guides
914.304882
Paperback
320
Width 153mm, Height 232mm, Spine 24mm
422g
A witty and eye-opening trip round much misunderstood Germany and the German people - contains nudity
From inedible bread to bad weather, no sense of humour and excessive speed at securing sunloungers, Germany and the German people have had a terrible reputation among the British since time immemorial (or 1914). So, going where very few travel-writers and holidaymakers have gone before, Ben Donald has visited Germany in order to overturn stereotypes (if he can't reinforce them) and, at the same time, fall back in love with travel.From the massed ranks on the nudist beaches of Germany's north coast, via intimate encounters in the steam-rooms of Baden-Baden and the brothels of Hamburg (where he makes his excuses and leaves), to the rite of passage that is wearing Lederhosen to the Oktoberfest, the author has put his body and his dignity on the line to get beneath the skin of this most maligned of countries. He even goes to see a German stand-up comedian. In (where else) England. And what emerges is a Germany that will surprise many who thought they knew the country and its people; an eye-opener in other words - especially those nudist beaches.'Surprising and informative' INDEPENDENT 'A consistently humorous account. By relinquishing his dignity, he rediscovers his love for travel, and has his world-weariness blown away.' TRAVELLER
Ben Donald lives in West London with his wife and two children. He works for the BBC. He does not advocate public nudity other than in exceptional circumstances.
Author Location: West LondonThis is Ben Donald's first novel.