The Alps: A Human History From Hannibal To Heidi And Beyond

The book "The Alps: A Human History From Hannibal To Heidi And Beyond" is a travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps. The author, Stephen OShea, takes readers on a journey up and down the mountains of France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. He tells the stories of those who have passed through the Alps, from Hannibal to Hitler, Napoleon to Nietzsche, William Tell to James Bond. OShea immerses himself in the communities he visits, engagingly recounting his adventures with contemporary road trippers, watchmakers, salt miners, cable-car operators, and yodelers.

A thrilling blend of contemporary travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps from a graceful and passionate writer (Washington Post).For centuries the Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers, and the dreams of engineers--and some 14 million people live among their peaks today. In The Alps, Stephen OShea takes readers up and down these majestic mountains, battling his own fear of heights to journey through a 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia.OShea, whose style has been hailed for its engaging combination of candid first-person travel writing and absorbing historical narrative (Chicago Sun-Times), whisks readers along more than 2,000 years of Alpine history. As he travels pass-by-pass through the mountains, he tells great stories of those (real and imagined) who have passed before him, from Hannibal to Hitler, Frankensteins monster to Sherlock Holmes, Napoleon to Nietzsche, William Tell to James Bond. OShea delves into Alpine myths and legends, such as the lopsided legs of the dahu, the fictitious goatlike creature of the mountains, and reveals why the beloved St. Bernard dog is so often depicted with a cask hanging below its neck. Throughout, he immerses himself in the communities he visits, engagingly recounting his adventures with contemporary road trippers, watchmakers, salt miners, cable-car operators, and yodelers. 4 maps