Don't mention the wars - Tony Connelly

This is a Brysonesque journey through European stereotypes, written by RTE's high-profile European correspondent, Tony Connelly. It is an amusing, topical, witty, and fascinating look at Europe and Europeans. Connelly goes on a quest to discover the origins and veracity behind the stereotypes that each European nation has inherited. In Austria, Connelly attends a ball in the Hofberg Palace where he is struck by the terrible nostalgia for a lost empire. In France, the history of the baguette makes an appearance alongside Connelly's search for the ultimate in rude waiters. In Italy he attends a 100th birthday party to explore the stereotype of Mamma and 'the Family.' While presented with humor and a lightness of touch, this thoroughly-researched book asks searching questions: Where have our notions of stereotypical behavior come from? And, do they have any bearing on the modern-day Europeans?