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When I came to shelve this book the most honest shelf was 'odd unclassifiable'. Of course the book is a journey from the Danube's source (there is a fascinating, but thankfully brief, discussion of exactly where the Danube does begin) along its journey through lands that were largely part of the Austria-Hungary to the Black sea in Romania. It is a travel book and much more. It can be compared to Patrick Leigh-Fermoy's books of travelling through pre WWII Hungary (and provides interesting updates on many of the places he visited) but is of course much more extensive.

The 'much more' that makes this more than a travel book is what makes this book so unique and special. It is a look at culture and literature of what was, is, and may be. There is so much in this book that it defies simple definition but the pleasure it gives is also unique and different. I loved it and will be reading it again. It is a book gets under your skin.