At times gentle and slow, at times a rapid torrent of dates, quotes and images. In the book 'The Danube – A Cultural History', Andrew Beattie paints a "landscape of the imagination", as the cover promises. For this virtual journey from the springs in the Black Forest to the Danube Delta, Beattie has gathered a remarkable wealth of information.

He is particularly good at digging up information – such as 'A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe' by John MacGregor from 1866 – that is unlikely to be found in conventional guide books. The tone, although sometimes heavy in colour and imagery, does well to transmit the look and feel of a Danube cruise.

Beattie's attention to detail is remarkable, but not infallible. Passing the Austrian capital, he describes the Vienna International Center as the home of various international organisations, but fails to include the ICPDR among them. Future editions will, as the publisher promised when we pointed out this flaw.

Nonetheless, the book is well worth reading and a nice supplement to a conventional travel guide for people touring this exceptional river – or for anyone interested in the history, literature and art linked to it.

For more information on 'The Danube – A Cultural History' by Andrew Beattie, please visit: www.signalbooks.co.uk/book.php?a=1904955665

Benedikt Mandl is the Technical Expert for Public Participation and
Communication in the ICPDR Secretariat, and is the Executive Editor of Danube Watch.