Superb. For anyone interested in either the words or origins of English & Scottish folk music this is essential. You can settle those arguments (over a beer) as to who has the correct words or the origin.

The biblography needs some getting used to but when you understand it you will find this book a good companion.

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads are, as noted here, out of print in their Dover edition ... but fear not, they are being re-issued (in 5 volumes, 2 of which are actually done) by the folks at Loomis House Press. (I am not affiliated with Loomis in any way; do a Google search if you want to find 'em.) The books are authoritative and complete, and it's disappointing that Amazon doesn't list them.

Had I the time, I'd write my own ballad here - a tragic song mourning the fact that Dover Books has apparently let the anchor of any decent Anglo-Celtic folk music collection go out of print. I take comfort in the fact that I've got mine, but those just building their libraries will have to search used bookstores and haunt the bookfinding services of the Net. Meanwhile, one more brick is placed in the wall of time that separates us from the ancestral voices.

The year is 1189 and the Catholic Chrch, fueled by a great tide of proselytizing energy in Europe, has penetrated even the utopian country of Islandia, which lies at the south end of the Karain continent in the Southern Hemisphere. At the time described in Mark Saxton's HAVOC IN ISLANDIA, the Church is near to its ultimate goal of turning Islandia into a Catholic country. But the transformation is a costly one. Where it has converted the Isla (ruler of a province), heavy taxes have been imposed, and often tracts of land that supported families have become forfeit to the Isla and the Church, while the former residents join wandering gangs, pillaging and robbing to support themselves. Increasingly, there are those who believe that the Church and all it stands for should be cast out. This is the story of the conflict for Islandia's soul, told in Islandian fashion as the narrative of a single prominent participant. It necessarily suffers from comparison to Austin Wright's original ISLANDIA, for what could compare with that? And yet HAVOC IN ISLANDIA succeeds on its own terms, telling a story that is gripping, eventful, and full of the wise insights into human nature and character that one associates with this unique nation. Like ISLANDIA, it is often a story of the affairs of state, contrasted and intermingled with the personal experiences of one man caught up in those affairs. Some readers may be disappointed by the lack of the intense romantic ruminations and encounters that preoccupied John Lang, ISLANDIA's protagonist; others may find the change a relief. But in HAVOC, Saxton speaks with an authentically Islandian voice, calm, thoughtful, and always honest to a fault. And Islandia's many partisans, of whom I am one, will rejoice to learn that it exists elsewhere than in the pages of Wright's magnificent novel, and that there is yet more to be learned and known about it. (Saxton has written two other Islandian novels which I have not yet read, and I gather other authors have spoken of it as well.) A few minor notes for trivia buffs: the book's jacket tells us that Saxton was the original editor of ISLANDIA; the introduction identifies "Lang III" as the translator of the long-lost narrative; and in this volume, the origin of the city of St. Anthony is revealed. If you are somehow encountering this book before ISLANDIA, by all means read ISLANDIA first. Its pace and tone will be an essential introduction to HAVOC, a worthy prequel.

It's both amazing and pathetic how many rucksack travelers to India follow every word of this book as if it were some holy scripture. So many travelers spend their all of their time with their noses in this book, trying to fill every last moment following each and every step recommended by the book. In the meantime, all too often, they fail to experience India itself. Such devotion to a travel guide is a bizarre phenomenon. Without a doubt, this book is an indispensible guide for those who truly need assistance in knowing on which Bombay street corner they should tie their shoe laces. There's too much chit chat and lame humour in this book (although, granted, it evidently appeals to some). To the book's credit, there are some nice city layouts and state maps. However, for travelers who prefer information without all of the weak attempts at humor and for those who prefer to make their own opinions rather than to blindly follow someone else's words, I would wholeheartedly recommend Robert Bradnock's India Handbook. I've traveled India with both books, and clearly Bradnock's is, in my opinion, the superior of the two.

This is the second time to visit India.Both time I took the same Lonely Planet. Always I choose hotel from it and felt not bad. In some small city, hight rank hotel means good servie and the price was not so high as you image it. First all the price listed in the book is as same as in the hotel, so try to cut off nearly 30% off is the very important thing to do during the trip.
Also I visited Jaisalmer on May, but if you following the book you will never go there in such cray summer. In fact, the summer was high enough, but still interesting. No more tourist means you can enjoy alone, and only myself in the hotel you can get nearly 50% discountdown for low season. If you read you can find a lot of things from the book, but on the trip everything is changed, you never image the book can guide you everything. Try to ask person around you, and get the most reasonable price.
I will plan to go to india again, by the guide of Lonely Planet, but I think I need a new version.

When Lonely Planet India first appeared in 1981, it raised the standard for all India guidebooks in the comprehensiveness of locations covered and the detailed information useful to independent travelers, especially those on lower budgets. Twenty years later, it remains the guidebook I personally rely upon most, despite my familiarity with India from extensive travels since 1980 researching my historical novels such as India Treasures. I first learned about that wonderful nonprofit home-stay organization Servas from a Lonely Planet guide, which led to many of our best experiences in India, including lasting friendships. Although my wife and I aren't backpackers, and we're probably mid-range in terms of the amount we spend on accommodations and food, the book is extremely helpful. It's the most up to date and highly detailed regarding such information as transportation options within India, the scams travelers can encounter, and a wealth of other tips too numerous to get into in a brief review.

Given the India guidebook's thickness and weight, I've found it convenient to cut it into sections and only take the parts with me for the regions I plan to visit. It's still desirable to get supplemental maps for any city or region one plans to spend much time in, as the maps in the book are usually pretty minimal in terms of detail. And other guidebooks do indeed have useful information this one doesn't (browse the travel shelves in your favorite bookstore to find the additional guides most suitable for your own interests and style of travel). I also advocate reading the better novels set in India, to experience insights into daily life that guidebooks can only hint at.

No single guidebook on India can be all things to all persons for all occasions, but this one surely comes the closest, especially for travelers who don't have their arrangements taken care of on organized tours.