Archive-name: books/stores/europeanăăLast change:ăTue Mar 16 08:58:15 EST 1993ăăAdditions:ăParis, FranceăCologne, GermanyăRotterdam, The NetherlandsăZurich, SwitzerlandăăAdditions to:ăCopenhagen, DenmarkăWaterstone's (Edinburgh, Scotland)ăăCopies of this article may be obtained by anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.eduă(18.172.1.27) under /pub/usenet/news.answers/books/stores/european.Z.ăOr, send email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the subject line "sendăusenet/news.answers/books/stores/european", leaving the body of theămessage empty.ăă============================================================================ăCities include:ăCopenhagen, DenmarkăLondon, EnglandăOxford, EnglandăHelsinki, FinlandăAmsterdam, The NetherlandsăThe Hague, The NetherlandsăRotterdam, The NetherlandsăEdinburgh, ScotlandăGlasgow, ScotlandăMadrid, SpainăStockholm, SwedenăZurich, Switzerlandăă[Note 1: I collected these comments from a variety of people. I personallyăhave no knowledge of many of these places and take no responsibility if youăbuy a book you don't enjoy. :-) Phone numbers and precise addresses can beăgotten by calling directory assistance for the appropriate city. Call aheadăfor precise hours, as even when I list them they are subject to change.]ăă[Note 2: If you can add information for any of these, in particularăaddresses when they are missing, please send it to me.]ăă[Note 3: I am cross-posting this to rec.arts.sf.written, but the bookstoresălisted include *all* types of bookstores, so please don't tell me that aăparticular store has a limited SF section unless I have specifically claimedăotherwise.]ăă[Note 4: I know they're bookshops in Britain, not bookstores. In the textăI try to follow this; the introductory material is used world-wide andăuses "bookstores" instead.]ăăAnyone who wants to compile a complete London guide to bookshops is welcomeăto the task! :-)ăă============================================================================ăCopenhagen, Denmark:ăăAthenaeum (Noerregade 6). Medicine, psychology, paedagogics, andă English-language and literature.ăBoghallen (Raedhuspladsen 37, +45 33 11 85 11). The best place to buy booksă in English in Copenhagen.ăDickens--The Bookshop (Sankt Pedersstraede 30, +45 33 93 01 23). Completeă line of Penguin books.ăEjnar Munksgaard (somewhere near some part of the University and not calledă that any more--can anyone clarify this?)ăFantask (Sankt Pedersstraede 18, +45 33 11 85 38). Comics and SF.ăPolyteknisk Boghandel (Anker Engelundsvej 1, +45 42 88 14 88). Technicală books. (This is the main building of the Technical University ofă Denmark, and the bookstore is right across the corridor fromă Danmarks Tekniske Bibliotek, the country's main library foră technical books and periodicals.)ăăIn general, Noerregade and Fiolstraede (next to the Norreport Station) areăthe places to go shopping for books. A few large stores on Stroeget as well.ăă============================================================================ăLondon, England:ăă(In general when people ask about bookstores in London, the only answer theyăget is to take the Underground to Charing Cross and walk down the street.ăIf someone can send me something more substantial than that, I will includeăit in future postings.)ăă? (Oxford St, heading from Oxford Circle to Tottenham Ct, right side ofă street). An independent; interesting travel section, respectableă trade paperback good fiction section.ăă? (all the way up the Archway Rd, near Archway tube stop). Dusty usedă place. Owned by wife of poet Adrian Mitchell.ăă? (across from Kentish Town branch library, Kentish Town road).ă Near the tube stop of same name, head south on the road, right sideă of st. Good and interesting collection, especially British history.ă The library's not bad either.ăă? (south end of Charing Cross Road). Comics and some SF books that otheră stores stopped selling half a year ago.ăă? (on the first [second to Amercians] floor in a major cross-street neară the north end of Charing Cross Road). They have a LARGE stock ofă comics.ăăAt The Sign Of The Dragon (131, Sheen Lane, SW14, 081-876-3855; Mortlake BRă station and walk south). Run by Richard and Marion van der Voort,ă is a small shop with a good selection of titles. They rival (oftenă beat) Forbidden Planet in early stocking of titles, and are happy toă reserve and special order books. "A lot more friendly than FP!"ăăBooks Etc (Charing Cross Road opposite Foyle's, Tottenham Court Road tube).ă Good general stock, with emphasis on fiction and modern literature.ă SF section is also surprisingly good for a non-specialist store,ă including some US imports. Lots of other stuff, including aă reasonable technical section. Staff helpful, often beyond the callă of duty. Takes credit cards, will order books from the US.ă Sometimes open Sunday PM.ăăDillon's (82 Gower St, Goodge Street tube). Beautiful, general, moderatelyă helpful staff. Smaller than Foyle's but it more than makes up for ită in efficiency. Excellent science and medicine depts, and generallyă strong on textbooks and "recommended reading" in all subjects--thisă is an academic's bookshop. (It caters for the University Collegeă that is a block away, and the student population of London at large.)ă One of the three main technical bookstores in London, and easier toă find your way round than Foyles. Also has a reasonable SF sectionă (all UK, though), and lots of other stuff. There is a bargaină department on the ground floor. Very knowledgeable staff. Strategică reduction in prices in order to challenge the NBA [the Net Bookă Agreement prevents bookstores from selling books at less than theă recommended retail price; Dillons are leading a campaign against thisă by deliberately cutting prices]. Accepts credit cards. (Otheră branches at 150-152 Kings Road, SW3; 48-52 Kensington High Street,ă W8; 8 Long Acre, WC2; 213 Picadilly, W1; St Dunstans Road, W6;ă St Mary's Road, W5; Exhibition Road, SW7; Lambeth Palace Road, SE1;ă 37 Upper Berkeley Street, W1; Trafalgar Square, WC1. Most of theseă are associated with a college, so are likely to be small and have aă specialist selection. For example, the St Dunstan one is at theă Westminster Medical School, the St Mary one at the Polytechnic ofă West London, the Lambeth one at St Thomas' Hospital, and theă Exhibition Road one at the Science Museum.)ăăForbidden Planet (New Oxford Street, east of Charing Cross Road; Tottenhamă Court Road tube). Comics, T-shirts and pins at street level; SF,ă posters and videos in the basement. They have some reducedă hardbacks, marked-down paperbacks and sell more-than-2-year-oldă copies of Asimov's, F&SF, etc. at a reasonable price. "The SF stockă has gone downhill in recent years IMHO, as they seem to haveă concentrated more on marketing the big releases--if you are lookingă for something specific you are much better off going to Murder Incă (see below) at least in my experience." [Editorial note: this seemsă to be a world-wide policy, as their New York City stores have theă same problem.] "Good for US paperbacks, but I've had more luckă finding new US hardbacks at Murder Inc". Some really good SF/fantasyă art books. They also have author signings. Takes credit cards.ăăFoyle's (Charing Cross Road, just after Sutton Row, Tottenham Court Roadă tube). "Well, this is whereă all the guide books are going to send you--I have yet to findă someone that doesn't hate the place. Chaotic--they claim to haveă every book in print, but they never seem able to find them....ă Utterly ridiculous system of classifying by *publisher*--it makesă browsing a tiresome experience. Staff are sometimes willing, bută often unable to help; more often than not they tell you to tryă Dillon's. Good Penguin section, though." A wierd pay system: youă have to leave your books at the service desk, wander off in searchă of a cash desk to pay and get your bill stamped, then back for youră books. "I don't think they take credit cards."ăăLondon School of Economics Bookstore (Houghton St., Holborn tube). Veryă good history, economy, related subjects.ăăMotor Books (St. Martin's Lane, just off Charing Cross Road, near Foyle'să and Trafalgar Square). "They have the most incredible selection ofă books relating to transportation. As a train buff, I feel that theiră railroad (yes I know they'd call it railway :-)) section is the bestă in the world. Their military, aviation and auto sections are topă notch as well."ăăMurder Inc (Charing Cross Road, just below Shaftesbury Avenue, Leicesteră Square tube). Mystery and romance at street level, SF in theă basement. No SF merchandise--just books. They also seem to have oneă or maybe two copies of many titles rather than dozens of a few. Aă lot of them are imports so prices are higher than average--but wellă worth it if you are after that one elusive volume. Probably the bestă source for new US SF hardbacks. Staff is very helpful too. Theyă have a bookcase of second-hand books that are of *very* high quality.ă Takes credit cards, will do mailorder (I think). (Another posteră calls this "Murder One.")ăăOxford University Press Bookshop (72 Charring Cross Road). Not as big as theă flagship store at Oxford, but certain to carry almost every OUP bookă in print. The OUP publishes (among other things!) some very goodă philosophy of science books and its reference series is unparalleled.ăăPenguin Shops (Covent Garden and across from Camden Town tube stop). Notă bad in a pinch. Harried staff.ăăWaterstone's (Charing Cross Road, just before Sutton Row). "Haven't beenă there too often--it is a very attractive shop and seems to have aă good, all-round stock with an emphasis on literature and history."ăăThere are quite a few other bookshops along Charing Cross Road, includingăsome bargain book ones. There are also a few bookshops in Oxford Street,ănear Tottenham Court Road tube station. And don't forget the museumăbookshops. For oriental/historical books, try opposite the British Museumă(a reasonably short walk from Tottenham Court road tube). The BritishăMuseum sells historical and art books. Also opposite the BM is Gosh Comics.ă(You can have a pleasant day out looking round the bookshops and/or theăBritish museum. There are quite a few restaurants and fast food outletsăaround. If you're reaching London by train, you can walk up Charing CrossăRoad from Charing Cross rail station, or from Euston rail station down toăDillons and then to the British Museum or Tottenham Court Road, and on toăCharing Cross Road, (although it's about 10 minutes walk from Euston toăDillons), or you can take the northern line tube from either station).ăăFor clip art and other Dover books, try the Dover Bookshop. Going southădown Charing Cross road, take the small road that's probably second left,ăcounting round anticlockwise from the southern part of Charing Cross at theăCambridge (?) Circus junction in the middle of Charing Cross Road. Ifăyou're on the correct road, you should go past a shop called Orc's Nest moreăor less immediately. The Dover Bookshop stock most Dover books, and similarătitles. The owner is very helpful and takes credit cards.ăă============================================================================ăOxford, England:ăăBlackwell's. "The typical university bookshop but often missed is the rareă books and special editions that Sir Basil Blackwell collected andă put on display in a rather pleasant country house just south ofă Oxford. The problem is, I cannot remember the village. Neară Nuneham Courtney? Clifton Hampden? Someone will know. Sometimesă a special book deserves a special typesetting, printing andă binding." Also has various second-hand sections.ăBook Bargains (2 St. Ebbe St).ăBookshop on the Plain (cross Magdaelen Bridge and start up the Cowley Rd;ă it's immediately on your left).ăThe EOA Communist Bookshop (across the road from Bookshop on the Plain).ă Might carry Irish stuff for all the wrong reasons, I suppose, bută being a Tory I wouldn't know :-."ăThorton's. "Look out for Thornton's as it's *dear*."ăWaterfield's (36 Park End St). Good philosophy section.ăă"There's also a large second hand bookshop on the way down to the railwayăstation, go down the hill from the Westgate centre, past Nuffield Collegeăand the prison, and straight on past the Queen's Arms, it then appears onăthe right. The antiques emporium just before it and the Jam Factory overăthe road by the traffic lights also house minor booksellers amongst theirăother denizens."ăă============================================================================ăHelsinki, Finland:ăăAkateeminen Kirjakauppa (Akademiska Bokhandeln in Swedish -- the otheră official language there) (across the street from (and legally a partă of) the large Stockmann department store on Keskuskatuă (Centralgatan) at the corner of Pohjoinen Eplanaatikatu (Norraă Esplanadgatan)). Despite the name (literally: "Academică Bookstore"), Akateeminen carries a large selection of modern fictionă as well. Books are in Finnish, Swedish, and English, and to aă lesser extent German, French, and Russian. This used to be theă largest bookstore in the world, with some 250,000 titles.ă (Akateeminen is actually a chain, and their stores are found in oră near most Stockmann locations, but the one in Helsinki is theă largest and best.)ăă============================================================================ăParis, France:ăăBrentano's (37, avenue de l'Opera, 400m from the Opera, 75002 Paris,ă Tel (1) 42 61 52 50). American bookstore, with specialized sections,ă French books and a newsstand that carries American mags. Very largeă array of fantasy and science fiction paperbacks just to the right ofă the main entrance. The Horror section is separate. Very fewă hardbacks, located near the cashier No comics to speak of. Willă take orders.ăFNAC (several *big* stores in Paris, and many in other major French towns).ăVirgin Megastore (Champs Elysees). (Isn't this music rather than books?)ăW. H. Smith (rue de Rivoli near the American Embassy and the Concorde Place).ă Large English bookstore, carries about everything from comics toă videotapes. The SF/Fantasy/Horror section is now at the bottomă of the store, near the rear entrance. Hardbacks are displayedă on the top of the shelf, with some of the newest paperbacks.ă The fantasy and SF are mixed; the horror books use a separateă third of the back shelf. More expensive in the average thană Brentano's.ăă============================================================================ăCologne, GermanyăăBuchhandlung Klaus Bittner (Albertus Strasse 6; across the street fromă Walther Koenig). Modern German language literature. Very helpfulă and knowledgeable as well. Has also a very broad selection of booksă on opera, theatre and ballet. Carries a small stock of Englishă paperbacks. Regular reading and lecture events with German languageă and international writers. On Saturdays a meeting place of theă Cologne writers and would-be writers. ăăBuchhandlung Walther Koenig (Breite Strasse 93). A classic! Specialized ină fine arts,with an emphasis on contemporary art, design, museumă catalogues, architecture, photography, film. Two bookstores next toă each other. The one directly at the corner has bargain books; theă store next to it has the current editions as well as journals. "Ină my personal view among the best for these subject areas. Goodă selection of English language publications. The owner is a walkingă CD-rom and famous in the German art scene. Equally helpful andă knowledgeable staff." English and French spoken. Outlets also ată the Museum Ludwig (Cologne's Museum of Contemporary Art close to theă Cathedral), at the Bundeskunsthalle (Bonn), in Duesseldorf andă Frankfurt am Main and may be at other places. Still, not a chaină store...ăă============================================================================ăAmsterdam, The NetherlandsăăAmerican Discount Book Centers (Kalverstraat 185, 1012 XC Amsterdam,ă +31-20-6255537). They cater to the large English-languageă community in Holland. Besides a large selection in recent Americană fiction they stock a lot of SF and fantasy. The staff is friendlyă and helpful. If they don't have the books you want in stock theyă will try to order them for you.ăWH Smith (Kalverstraat 152, 1012 XE Amsterdam, +31-20-6383821).ăă============================================================================ăThe Hague, The NetherlandsăăAmerican Discount Book Centers (Lange Poten 23, 2511 CM 'S Gravenhage,ă +31-70-3642742). They cater for the large English-languageă community in Holland. Besides a large selection in recent Americană fiction they stock a lot of SF and fantasy. The staff is friendlyă and helpful. If they don't have the books you want in stock theyă will try to order them for you.ăă============================================================================ăRotterham, The NetherlandsăăDonner (Lijnbaan 150/Binnenwegplein 7). Largest bookstore in theă Netherlands.ăă============================================================================ăEdinburgh, Scotland:ăăBargain Books (Princes Street). Very limited selection, but a good placeă for picking up, say, the complete Shakespeare/Conan Doyle/Brothersă Grimm practically free.ăBauermeisters (on George IV Bridge).ăCastle Books (Canongate). Used.ăChurch of Scotland Bookshop (George Street). Stocks a wide range ofă Christian books. The Church of Scotland has recently sold itsă chain of bookshops, but the terms of the deal constrain the newă owner to continue them as Christian bookshops without much change.ăDead Head Comics (44 Victoria St). Wide range of US/UK mainstream andă independent comics and graphic novels. Probably superior range toă Forbidden Planet, definitely better atmosphere.ăForbidden Planet (Teviot Place). Science fiction.ăOld Grindle's (Spittal Street). Used. Has second-hand football programmes.ăMacnaughtons (Haddington Place, Leith Walk). Used.ăSecond Edition (Canonmills). Used.ăSheena McNeil (Bruntsfield Links). Sheet music.ăJames Thins (South Bridge). The biggest bookshop in Scotland and (afteră John Smiths in Glasgow, the second oldest. Some people think it'să great; others think it's the worst they've dealt with. One sums upă both sides, I think, with: "They have half a dozen branches ină Edinburgh, a vast academic section, and maintain close contactsă with the Universities. However, they do tend to be ratheră complacent and unhelpful at times, and tend to act as if they wereă a monopoly supplier, with a `like it or lump it' attitude." Foră those who follow such things, another reader says, "They are alsoă a bunch of hypocrites, handing out propaganda in favour ofă retaining the Net Book Agreement, while marking up the prices ofă Non-Net Books higher than Waterstone's and Co."ăTills (Buccleuch Street). Used.ăWaterstone's (128 Princes Street, 13/14 Princes Street, and 83 Georgesă Street). Large chain. 128 Princes Street is their new flagshipă branch. "Sandwiched between HMV and Virgin so you are in peril ofă CD purchasing fever (or would be if both weren't so bad - except theă jazz and classical section at Virgin) but I digress. This wasă opened in November 92 and I must admit I am impressed. It is on foură floors, and is second only to the main Thins branch for volumesă carried. There are excellent fiction, biography, foreign literature,ă foreign language, history, Scottish, legal, cooking, gardening,ă pretty good SF, and the usual range of academic subjects. It is aă very good bookshop." The 83 George Street shop has a large groundă floor and smaller basement. This branch has a bias in favour ofă fiction and biography. The SF section is not so good. It has quiteă a good section of art books: both textual and coffee table. Academică areas are rather weak. Scottish authors have their own section asă does Scottish history, etc. These sections are not bad.ăWest and Wilde (Dundas Street). Gay/lesbianăWest Port Books (West Port near Lothian Rd.). Used.ă(a couple of shops in Teviot Row). Medical, new and used.ă(a couple of used book shops in Broughton Street and at the topăof Leith Walk and several used book shops in the Grassmarket).ăăYou can pick up a leaflet with a full list of used book shops from any oneăof them.ăThe Assembly Rooms in George St. often holds book fairs on Saturdaysăwhere many of the second-hand booksellers exhibit.ăă============================================================================ăGlasgow, Scotland:ăăBargain Books (chain of small shops). Limited stock but excellent bargaină prices.ăCaledonia Books (Great Western Road). Used.ăChurch of Scotland Bookshop (Buchanan Street near the Underground Station).ă Near Forbidden Planet. The Church of Scotland has recently soldă its chain of bookshops, but the terms of the deal constrain the newă owner to continue them as Christian bookshops without much change.ăCenterpeace (Stockwell Street). Pacifist/feminist/Third World.ăClyde Books (Parnie Street). Radical/socialist/feminist/green.ăDillons (the Argyle Street/Union Street corner). A very large branch.ă More modern than Smiths and a great place to pick up bookă bargains. Close to Smiths and Waterstones.ăDowanhill Books (in a lane off Byres Road opposite Hillhead tube station).ă Used.ăForbidden Planet (Buchanan Street). Science fiction and comics.ăFutureshock (31 Byres Road). American imports and OLD paperbacks as well asă imports. They also stock some comics, though not many. The nearestă Underground stations are Partick and Hillhead.ăGilmorehill Books (Bank Street). Used.ăObelisk (Virginia Galleries, Virginia Street). Used SF and mysteries.ăJohn Smith and Sons (St. Vincent Street). Quite close to George Square.ă This is the main branch and is famous enough for you to be able toă ask directions to it. It has 5 floors and keeps books on just aboută any subject you can think of. Main public transport terminalsă nearby (i.e., walking distance) include Central Station (trains),ă Queen Street Station (trains), Buchanan Street Station (buses) andă Buchanan Street Underground Station. Close to Dillons andă Waterstones.ăJohn Smith and Sons (University Bookshop, University Avenue, Hillhead) (westă of the city centre). A strictly academic bookshop, they specialiseă in stocking books on the recommended reading lists for studentsă supplied by Glasgow University (who keep close links with the shop).ă Most university courses are in evidence in the shop - medical booksă particularly so. Main public transport terminal nearby is Hillheadă Underground Station.ăJohn Smith and Sons (Byres Road Branch, Byres Road, Hillhead). A mainstreamă three-storey bookshop. Simply a scaled-down version of the maină shop. This shop is located next door to the Hillhead Undergroundă Station. The university shop is 5 minutes away on foot. A niceă area in general, well worth a look: there are several famousă cafes/coffee shops around here too (e.g., The Ubiquitous Chip, Theă Underground Gallery).ăVoltaire and Rousseau (Otago Street Lane). Used.ăWaterstones (Union Street very close to Dillons). Large branch.ă More modern than Smiths. Close to Smiths.ăWord of Mouth (Bank Street). Food and cookery; this place is amazing.ăcharity shops in Byres Rd, all of whom sell books, starting with Canceră Research, Oxfam, Dr Barnado's, Save the Children, Glasgowă University's settlement(?), as well as the back alley secondhandă books (next to Oxfam) and occasionally DeCourcy's arcade)ăăRegarding Smiths, one reader says:ă"There are other branches of Smiths, but these three should cover allăyour needs wherever you are in Glasgow. All Smiths shops are tied by aăcomputer network allowing the facility for quick look up of stocksăelsewhere in the city and quick transfer between branches in the caseăwhere a particular book is not in stock at a certain branch. They canăalso order ANY book in print as long as they can locate the ISBN, andăsend it to any address you please. They have British and Overseas Booksăin Print on Microfiche for this purpose."ăăW. H. Smiths and John Menzies are huge UK-wide chains that sell magazinesăand airport bestsellers.ăă============================================================================ăMadrid, Spain:ăăBooksellers S.A. (Jose Abascal 48, 28003). New books in English. English asă a Second Language materials. ăCasa del Libro (Gran Via, 29). Mostly new Spanish books, with an Englishă section.ăTurner English Books (Genova 3, 28004). New books in Spanish, English, andă French. ăăAlso check out the bookstalls on Claudio Moyano, between the Prado, Atochaăstation, and Retiro Park (more precisely, it's the street that runs betweenăthe Botanical Gardens and the Agriculture Ministry; but no one knows whereăthose are). Spanish books, new and used, old volumes often very reasonably ăpriced.ăă============================================================================ăStockholm, Sweden:ăăSF-Bokhandeln (Stora Nygatan 45 in Gamla Stan). Specializes in SF. Openă weekdays 1100-1900, Saturdays 1000-1600. During June, July, August ă and December also open on Sundays 1200-1600. Telephone +46 8 215052ă and fax +46 8 247730.ăă============================================================================ăZurich, Switzerland:ăăFilmbuchhandel Rohr (Oberdorfstrasse). Good selection of books about film.ăOrel Fuessli (Pelikanstrasse). Largest bookstore in the city. Largeă general selection, excellent collection of German-language paperbackă novels, travel guides for all over the world, maps, coffee-tableă travel picture books. Decent selection of English-language books.ăPayot (Bahnhofstrasse). Good French- and English-language bookstore.ă General selection, good collection of art books. English-languageă books are generally British editions.ăTravel Bookstore (Rindmarkt). Excellent collection of travel guides andă maps. English-language guides available.ăă============================================================================ăăEvelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | ecl@mtgpfs1.att.com <========ăNote new address: ecl@mtgzy.att.com will work only until April 30.ăă