A unique travel guide to commemorate 75 years of the liberation of Europe
With the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Europe in the final years of WWII in 2019–2020, Rough Guides is releasing a new, comprehensive and inspirational guidebook: Travel the Liberation Route Europe. Rough Guides editor Helen Fanthorpe introduces the book and explains what it’s all about.
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The book is the result of a collaboration between the expert team at Rough Guides, spearheaded by authors Nick Inman and Joseph Staines, and the Liberation Route Europe Foundation, an association promoting remembrance tourism and international cooperation – and an authority on the subject. Bringing the events of the period to life through the locations that shaped it, Travel the Liberation Route Europe has already been picked out by National Geographic as one of the top travel books of 2019.
What’s in the book?
The book follows the sites and experiences along the path of the Allied advance in the closing stages of World War II, evoking the stories, battles and famous personalities of the Liberation of Europe. Leading the reader through the countries where the action took place, the chapters combine historical narrative and remembrance sites in nine countries: Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany.
As well as tracing the history of the Liberation, the country chapters list a selection of the best remembrance sites – museums, cemeteries, monuments and so on – to visit in each region. From world-famous landmarks like the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and Anne Frank House in Amsterdam to the important role played by regional locations like Dungeness in Kent and Pilsen in the Czech Republic, the sheer range of sites and experiences facilitate remembrance tourism in person. Country maps pinpoint the location of all the listed sites.
This comprehensive yet accessible guide sets the events within the wider context of World War II. Certain chapters tackle topics like life under occupation, resistance movements and the Holocaust. Introductory sections include an overall map and timeline, while concluding chapters explore what happened after the war, including a discussion on how we think about World War II and the Liberation today. Additional resources provide a selection of suggested itineraries and a list of films and books for anyone interested in watching or reading more on the topic.
Features of Rough Guides Travel The Liberation Route Europe:
- Detailed regional coverage: provides information on all the important sights linked to the Liberation in nine countries - starting in the UK where much of the planning and preparation took place, then Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany
- Evocative features: inspirational biographies of war heroes from all nine countries, authoritative features on the role of colonial troops, war brides, the Prague uprising and many more. Inter-chapter features reflect upon the Resistance movements, the Holocaust and the liberation of the camps and the post-Liberation reconstruction
- Meticulous mapping: always full colour, with clear numbered, colour-coded keys
- Fabulous full-colour photography: features inspirational colour photography, including portraits of war heroes and thought-provoking historical images of the Liberation
- Experiences: a selection of unique ways to learn more about events of the Liberation: explore the D-Day beaches in an historic D-Day Jeep in Normandy, France or experience the Sunset March - a daily tribute to the Allied Soldiers where a veteran (of any war) walks on the Crossing Bridge with street lamps lighting up with every step - in Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Itineraries: carefully planned routes will help you organise your trip, and inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences
- Background information: a comprehensive introduction to the end of World War II puts the events of the Liberation in context
Rémi Praud, managing director of Liberation Route Europe Foundation, says:
“We are excited to work together with Rough Guides, a leader in innovative travel publishing, on this new project. By combining their experience with Liberation Route Europe’s expertise in this field, we have found a special way to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Europe.”
Agnieszka Mizak, managing director of Rough Guides says:
“Rough Guides is extremely pleased to work with the Liberation Route Europe Foundation and collaborate on such an important project. With this book, we can make sure that people are reminded of this turning point in our history, paying tribute to the people who made it happen.”
Scheduled for publication in July 2019, this guide will be written in an evocative tone, using lesser-known stories to create an accessible narrative. Inter-chapter features will explore topics like various Resistance movements and the role of women in the war effort. By combining experiences to discover, such as the daily sunset march in Nijmegen, with a comprehensive list of sights along the Liberation Route Europe, this important guide represents a new step in uniting the story of the liberation of Europe across borders.