Book review: Myanmar, Burma in Style, by Caroline Courtauld
Myanmar is the kind of guidebook you read before embarking on a trip, more than the kind you carry with you as a real-time reference book.
by Caroline Courtauld
Odyssey Books and Maps
Myanmar is the kind of guidebook you read before embarking on a trip, more than the kind you carry with you as a real-time reference book.
It is heavy on history and culture but light on on-the-ground specifics. For the most part, practical information such as maps, hotel, and restaurant recommendations are in the back of the book.
Still, it is a good-sized volume touching on Myanmar's major destinations and cities as well as a selection of smaller, more out-of-the-way spots. Of special interest are the "special topic" sections scattered throughout, which explore specific elements of Myanmese culture, often with the help of fascinating primary source documents.
Caroline Courtauld is a knowledgeable guide clearly in love with the country. And, barring some obnoxious turns of phrase ("The Palaung womenfolk are birds of paradise against the restful greens of their mountain jungle landscape") and an annoying tendency to repeat herself, her passion for the country and its people is contagious.