Blue River, Black Sea

by Andrew Eames

The Danube is Europe's Amazon. It flows through more countries than any other river on Earth—from the Black Forest in Germany to Europe's farthest fringes, where it joins the Black Sea in Romania. Andrew Eames' journey along its length brings us face to face with the continent's bloodiest history and its most pressing issues of race and identity. As he travels—by bicycle, horse, boat, and on foot—Eames finds himself seeking a bed for the night with minor royalty, hitching a ride on a Serbian barge captained by a man called Attila, and getting up close and personal with a bull in rural Romania. He meets would-be kings and walks with gypsies, and finally rows his way beyond the borders of Europe entirely.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Germany, Romania, History, Hungary, Historical

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Andrew Eames is a travel writer with his articles appearing in the Daily Telegraph and The Times.

He is an authority on Istanbul and the Nile.

He lives in London with his family.

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out promising, but as others have noted, not a great book for background if you're booked on a Danube cruise. If I had to categorize this one, it'd be Historical Footsteps of Patrick-Leigh Fermor's three-volume journey across central and eastern Europe in the 1930s. There is a bit of modern travel narrative in it, but not a lot, mostly at the beginning and end. Instead, Eames tries "updating" Fermor's visits with all-but-vanished gentry by hooking up with descendants of some Great Families. Unfortunately, this came across as contrived to me, so I skipped a fair amount of that.

To be fully honest, I picked this one up at various points over several weeks, with a sense of obligation rather than interest. I'll be charitable leaving it that the concept of the book may have exceed that execution; Eames writes fine, he's not boring or clunky, so I came away with the idea that his overall intent, whatever it may have been, was lost on yours truly.

Passable library book, but I can't recommend buying a copy (as I did).

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book as a gift as I was going on a trip down the Danube but the author spends a lot of time away from the river and too much time on stories of characters rather than places. This is a lightweight book which feels like a string of Sunday supplement articles put together. For me, disappointing.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Donau became the Dunaj, the Duna, the Dunav, the Dunarea, and the Dunay, until finally it arrived at the Danube Delta, a wetland wilderness the size of Dorset, where Russian-speaking tribal fishermen lived in houses thatched with reeds and where colonies of Dalmatian pelicans gorged themselves on a hundred different species of fish. What could be better?

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem is not that this is a bad book but, if you are going to read a book on the Danube, Europe's Amazon flowing through more countries than any other river on Earth-from the Black Forest in Germany to Europe's farthest fringes, where it joins the Black Sea in Romania-and an author journeying its length to bring us face to face with the continent's bloodiest history and its most pressing issues of race and identity while traveling, and meeting, would-be kings and walking with gypsies, you should read 'Danude' by Claudio Magris or 'A time of Gifts' and 'Between the Woods and the Water' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. If you have then read this pale reflection of the work of stylistic and imaginative giants. But why?

As far as I am concerned Claudio Magris is incomparable. To read this book instead of Magris is to chose powdered eggs rather than fresh ones. You can do so, but why?

[Owen McArdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those travelogues which aren't adventure travel per se but where the author is far more intrepid than I would ever be!

That said it was most things I'd want from a travel book: having spent time along the Upper Danube it was somewhat mind-blowing to follow the river downstream. I really related to the author's impression of Hungary as well – there's something quite claustrophobic about the language being so different to anything Romance or Germanic I'd seen before.

[Yoshiyuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the information on the Danube, the historical details added for interest and old perfume. I came to know some things about Romanian history that I was not aware of (though I am Romanian), things that we haven't been taught at school under the communists. And I deeply admire Eames for his courage, dedication to his project and original way of conceiving and putting into practice this project!
I came to like his British humour, his open mindedness, even his stubborness...without which he wouldn't have written this book!
It will be both a great help to me and a pleasure to share it with my future students of Romanian language, history,geography and way of life.

[Dawn Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a joy! The humour, the narrative, the descriptions, the history, everything. Even before I was half way through, I was already recommending this book to friends who appreciate history, travel and the great British humour.

Travel writing is a new genre for me, which being a nomadic author is quite an interesting insight for many, especially given the number of times I have been asked if I am a travel writer.

Learning the culture of Eastern Europe - a name I really dislike due to the othering that is present within it, but that's a different article for a different day! - and the historical ties, wars, commercial growth and the traditional practices which are being replaced by plastic pollution and unchartered waters of a moral compass for many, has been riveting; so much so, I am now embarking on a journey of reading more travel books, so watch out for more of those in my reviews.

Andrew's observations of the nomadic life, life on the road and the independent traveller life struck a cord with me in many ways, so much so I had to share them with my children, a few close friends and those on Twitter (does this review even post to Twitter? hmmm... must start that Goodreads blog I keep percolating on!)

Anyway, this is a great book about a part of Europe that is relatively unknown to the rest of Europe and the world, and yet due to it's central location, is an absolute must to get to know. This is a great starting point and I do hope you will take the time to read it.

[R.A. Dalkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering I live in Vienna and have a view of the Danube outside my window, this book had to be read! I'd also cycled some of the stretches the author rode and always enjoy getting other perspectives on things I've seen myself.

I've found it an enjoyable read. Well-edited and no typos, which is always important. On occasion the author gets carried away with descriptions, extended metaphors and seizing the chance to use words the rest of us have to look up, and for this I was tempted to give three stars. But then I considered the author's exceptional dedication and originality with this journey -- anyone can cycle down the Danube, but learning to ride a horse and talking your way onto a barge makes for next-level travel content. You can't give that three stars!

The only other gentle criticism I might have would be a few lengthy histories particular to the noble families he meets along the way. Some could have been cut down. But in general I didn't mind the premise of following in the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor, as it gives the book a thread, historical context and the writer an excuse to meet interesting people along the route. That said, it would probably be ideal to read Fermor's travels before reading this if at all possible!

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up at a small town in Austria when we were on our Danube River cruise several years ago. I finally picked it up this month for my bathtub book. It was okay at first - the guy is biking along the banks of the Danube and stopping along the way to see royalty and everyday folk, and to see how the river affected life and was affected by it. I liked much of it, but there were several very slow dreary chapters and there is a bit of a judgey tone at times that put me off. He liked to describe people he encountered but not in a flattering light most of the time, so I hope those people never bought his book or he's offended half of Europe. lol
In a lot of ways it was well written, particularly his descriptions of the river and his use of metaphors of a baby, toddler, teen, and old man along the path to the Black Sea. It's not one I'd recommend unless you're really fascinated by the Danube, though.

[Laraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading any of Andrew Eames work and I was looking forward to reading his Baghdad novel. He wrote this book in 2009 so he was about 50, yet he commented some on traveller's that were older. So, right off the bat, I found him quite opinionated.

He was fortunate he could bike from Western Europe through Eastern Europe - many can't and enjoy the views from a river boat. To each their own. The point is to see Europe and see what interests you.

If he had written his book from a view similiar to this, it would come across more genuine and personalized.

Away from this, he categorized his chapters by place and that made it easier to pick any location and read about it. It's not a tour quide per se he picks up tiny stories here and there and incorporates old legends.

I have heard the cities off the Danube have updated as it's now 2025 - 16 years later.

[Paul Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book solely because we will soon be cruising up the Danube for ten days. Eames is an experienced travel writer and writes fairly well though I'm sure if you were British you'd understand his jokes and nuances better than I did. This is also not an adventure you'd want to duplicate under ordinary circumstances. He made this journey from Donaueschingen, Germany through Austria, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania not on a luxury river boat but on foot, horseback, bicycle, barge, train, car, and finally canoe. Most interesting to me and what will add best to our journey is his knowledge of the area's history, which he shared at length. For that reason, it is worth the read if you intend to traveling up or down the Danube, or if you are just a history buff.

[Lester Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written, thoroughly entertaining and at times funny book following the writer's trip from the source of the Danube in Germany to its mouth in the Black Sea. Andrew travels by bike, boat, on foot, on horseback and even rows his way to the finish. He partly follows the route taken by Patrick Leigh Fermor on his way from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople in the travel writing classics 'A time of gifts' and 'Between the woods and the water' Although a serious travel writer, Andrew Eames doesn't take himself too seriously on the way and balances self-deprecation with serious thought. A great start to my 2019 reading!

[Clare Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who are looking for a story about the Danube as you do a two week river cruise from Germany to Hungary... this is not this book. Instead it is trying to emulate part of the journey of Patrick Leigh Fermor, who as an 18 yearold travelled in the early 1930s through Germany et al to Istanbul. The changes in the geopolitical landscape through aristocracy/peasantry, fascism, communism including the terrifying Ceausescu regime, transylvania, and the myriad of groups of people who moved borders as regimes changed over hundreds of years, who still identified as German even though they had left 300 years ago. Fascinating on a number of levels

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having cycled most of the Danube, and written a book of our (partially) shared journey, I found Andrew Eame's book a fascinating read. Rich in the culture and history of Europe, he recounts his journey and discoveries with humour. It's a dense read but very informative and he explains the history of the continent in an easy digestible way.

[Johan Langenhoven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting (and hoping) for more travel and less history/culture class. However, Eames' style of writing, humor and at times beautiful descriptive language more than made up for it. The frequent interaction and comment on European aristocracy was meaningless to me as a non-European and could have been left out completely. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the "Blue river, black sea."

[Monsieur Croissant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a long journey, in the hands of a lesser writer this book wouldn't have been as fresh and as exciting as Andrew Eames achieves here, though he does rather go on about Patrick Leigh Fermor...would this situation be reversed????

[Peter Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting travelogue along the length of the Danube often shadowing the footsteps of Patrick Lee Fermor. Some interesting inside to the a myriad of different cultures to found along the route of this mighty river as it flows out towards the Black Sea.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable travel book

[Reanne Van]

Excellent !!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history but the travel was a bit mundane

[Conall O'Toole · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read book that has gotten me interested in a part of the world I hadn't spent much time thinking about.

[KC Comal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chatty but not as much local info as I’d like.

[James (JD) Dittes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rafting down the Danube from Germany to the Black Sea is a bucket list goal of mine.

My family originated in Ulm, and I have been to the Ulmer Nabada festival, which features watercraft hardly fit to float from one "Brucke" to another! I jumped at the chance to read Andrew Eames's account of the journey.

Eames began at the Donau's source in Donauschingen by purchasing a bike for the long journey into Hungary. At other points on the journey, he rides a horse through Hungary, hitches a ride on a river transport ship through Croatia and Serbia, backpacks through the Transylvanian Alps, and finishes the last 23 miles on an unwieldy rowboat. I admit, it's a pretty exotic way to go downriver, but the land transport is much more interesting for the reader than the river bits--which Eames tries to bring to live through descriptions of the Fauna.

The most frustrating part of this book for me was Eames's focus on visiting European royalty along his route. Perhaps it's because I'm an American, or because I am unfamiliar with Patrick Leigh Fermor's similar travelogue of 100 years ago, but I found the name-dropping of Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs rather tedious, especially when Eames enters Romania and examines two families contending to be King of Romania, a title that will never exist again! Talk about clueless.

By the time Eames's journey ends in Sulina, Romania, on the shore of the Black Sea, his ideas have run out of gas. (I notice this in many travel narratives. I guess it proves that travel is hard, and even having the excuse to write about it cannot always liven up the experience.)

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I read the book because of our upcoming planned trip down the Danube. This book gave kind of an introduction to what we will see. At least in part since our trip does not go exactly where the author went. The writer gives the reader his personal experience along with little quips about the history and the characters he met. He refers to, and kind of follows, the line of a previous writer, Leigh Fermor, who made a similar journey between the two World wars. I plan to read that book before our trip as well. It is interesting to see a land ruled by the aristocracy, then the Nazis, then the Communists and now trying to adapt with whatever comes next. The different nationalities, languages, and people displacement has been rather disastrous and can be confusing. The author does a good job explaining but not over explaining this aspect of his journey.

[Pauline Mably · Rating 2 out of 5]

I live on the Danube and am passionate about it and I love travel books so what could be better than a book about a journey along the river???? Unfortunately, I never engaged with the writer and he simply found things interesting that I didn't. He is obsessed with royalty and european royal dynasties in and he visits a car plant - a trip i would need to be forced to undertake! His writing style is not exciting and didn't grip me. I don't think we share a sense of humour and I think there were too many points when I was supposed to empathise and I simply couldn't. I gave up at the point when he visits the car factory. I think a full book was a little too much for this writer and he is proof that not all journalists have a book in them.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just love this writer's descriptions of things. For example, I can relate to the fact that "mentally I was all over the place, my thoughts scattering like a flock of newly released sheep without a sheepdog to shoo them, uncertain which way to go"; in another instance he describes passing through the Iron Gates as "strangely silent, as if we were moving along a corridor of slumbering elephants' rear ends and it was our task to do so as quietly as possible, or else the elephants would hear us and turn, and then we'd have their tusks to contend with." These gems kept me going through the book. I was disappointed that *spoiler* he abandoned his bicycle before reaching the Black Sea, but reach it he did and probably in a more interesting way, with more to tell us as a result.

[Feistytiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eames decides to travel the Danube by whatever means necessary. Having been to Europe a few times I was curious to see if i could relate to this story and his writing and also learn more about the areas he visited.

He treated this novel more like a history book than a diary which was a bit of a shame. Although his writing style was easy, i wasn't a big fan of the content. I want to hear more about his adventure, what sights he saw and any misadventure. However this was more about this history of the river and the areas he visited which was not so interesting. Unfortunately i had to give up towards the end because i was just not enjoying reading it.

[Peter Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eames is very consciously in the shadow of Patrick Leigh Fermor. It may well be Fermor that inspired his trip in the first place. He wisely doesn't try to compete with Fermor in terms of prose or cultural analysis. The book however remains an entertaining and often humourous account of his journeys. There is good historical background and the added interest for the reader of describing people and places hugely affected by the momentous changes of the last century. Fermor's world was one teetering mostly unknowingly on the brink of those changes, which is much of its charm, but it is good and salutary to read and understand a little of them.

[Patrick Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting travel log about the author's travels from the source of the Danube in Germany to its end in the Black Sea. Although mostly engaging it does wane quite a bit towards the middle, hence the reason I abandoned the book for quit a long time and also a reason for only 3 stars. Unlike a novel though it's easy to pick up a book like this where you last left off without any problems.

[Will Vousden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting in places, but a bit dull in others... Just like the Danube, I guess. A slow-moving and meandering book.

A nice glimpse of life at the far end of Danubian Europe, mixed with (actually quite interesting) episodes on the history of the people who live there. I learned some interesting things in reading this book, but don't expect it to pull you through it.