Does this one need an introduction?

A youthful old man

The story: PLF is only eighteen years old when he decides to take a walk through Europe – all the way from Amsterdam to Constantinople (Istanbul). He walks for one year, picks up languages, talks to locals, learns about history, and keeps a meticulous diary. And then the diaries get lost in the war.

They get found again much later, and PLF decides to use them to write three books about his journey. The first two have been published in 1977 (from Amsterdam to the Middle Danube) and in 1986 (from the Middle Danube to the Iron Gates) – but readers around the world are still waiting for the third volume (the one from the Iron Gates to Constantinople).

So, what about the first two parts that we have here?

They can be summarized in one word: awesome.

You probably already know how much admiration I have for Michael Holzach. This guys is equally awesome, only in a slightly different way. To me, PLF seems as refined and knowledgeable as Michael Holzach is raw and intense. PLF’s writing might seem lengthy at first (hundreds and hundreds of pages), but it rarely ever gets boring. Instead it is abundant with personal stories and historical details instead.

And the best thing about it all: even though PLF wasn’t young anymore when he published these two books, they still have that certain fragrant fragrant of youth that makes reading them so much more worthwhile.

Get them! Don’t hesitate.

An unquestionable 10/10.