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CaseyWm

Joined 5 years ago

The Most Excellent Travel & History Bookstore -- In the Universe as We Know It. Arnold, Stefan, Mike & Edin tend to their collection of unusual, hard-to-find and rare books with the single-minded intensity of devoted gardeners. The shop's range is broad and often one of them will answer patiently a browser's questions about a book, its history, its literary siblings or other interesting dimensions. As a geographer I've seen few other resources with as much to offer when it comes to places and regions worldwide. Price are reasonable considering the character and condition of their stock. I do not travel to New York without making at least one beeline to the Complete Traveller. Like the Empire State Building, this bookstore is a Big Apple "must see" -- except that the CT has many great books.

William Casey

Minneapolis, MN

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muliarch

Joined 5 years ago

A visit to this bookstore is a Journey all over the world and through centuries of history. Even though I'm an amateur book shop junkie (on my international and US travels, I lock myself for hundreds of hours inside best bookshops), I had the most unique experience of its kind at Complete Traveller. I usually look for rare art books, but since there is a very big market for that, even in very unique shops I get tired and frustrated of seeing the same things over and over again.

When I stepped into CT, (spontaneously - I never thought I could find something in there that fits my interests) I saw a library of precious books I've never seen before, I held them with shaking hands, but Arnold encouraged me to actually to look inside them!

I felt as privileged as, let's say, The President - having access to those precious books. Even though the particular subject matter wasn't what I looked for initially, I was surprised by how many things there were that were inspiring to me!

I would suggest to give yourself some time, without stressing out, and let yourself be immersed into this world and be surprised by a book that would open the world you'd never imagine, in your wildest dreams, had existed!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A world-class travel store that's one of the city's true gems.. The Scene
If you ask proprietor Arnold Greenberg if he has a book on Kathmandu, he will say yes. And he will probably tell you a good place to stay there, off the top of his head. He and the small, insanely devoted and knowledgeable staff of this Madison Avenue bookstore are expert tour guides from afar: they can lead you through any of the five continents on your lunch break, and have you racing to call a travel agent by the time you get back to work.

The Goods
The oldest travel bookstore in the United States, this store carries more than 7,500 titles that cover practically every inch of the Earth. If you can't find a guide somewhere else, you can find it here, from the most obscure contemporary guides to rare vintage memoirs and the wonderful Depression-era guides produced by the Works Projects Administration.