A Gap Year or Two

'Let's hope this book is only Part One. It has everything: adventure, food and wine, exotic locations, sex, wit, scholarship, unforgettable trivia, high-end dialogue, royalty, art and architecture, pathos, and above all the sheer joie de vivre of the author as he careers his picaresque way to adulthood. More! More!'James BurkeIn 1970, there was no better way to waste time, with a little style of course, than to take a Cambridge education for a stroll in Europe. A mere thirty years ago this seemed a very cunning plan.England in the early seventies is a dreary place, in bottomless recession; Europe is anything but. Macdonogh's passion for the arts develops in the cradles of European civilisation, as does his appreciation of beautiful women. In his travels, he charms as he is charmed by the monuments in stone and flesh that he finds along the way. In Europe, the author discovers that a little light learning can be useful, and a little light sinning sublime.This is a beautifully written book, full of esoteric information and it is a pleasure to read.