Travel is very interesting for many. Globe trotters need to gather a lot of information and facts before visiting a country, lie where should you eat, where to stay, what do you tip? Etc. Apart from this there is lot of cultural information required to enjoy more of your visit. A learning app Babbel recently conducted a survey among foreign ambassadors to the U.S.  to pick the book they think that the first-time visitors to their country should read before they arrive. Let us take a peep into the list of books recommended.

Austria :  The Tobacconist (translated into English by Charlotte Collins) is set in 1937 just before the German occupation. It follows 17-year-old Franz, who moves to Vienna to become the apprentice in a tobacco shop. Its quiet wisdom  and sincerity resonated with me very deeply.” – 

- H.E. Wofgang A. Waldner.

Azerbaijan : Ali and Nino written by Kurban is recommended by H.E. Elin Suleymanov. It was written in 1937 by Kurban and narrates a love story of a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl in the backdrop of Azerbaijani capital of Baku from 1918 to 1920.

Belgium : “War and Turpentine is a book about three generations of Belgians, focusing on the legacy of WWI and Belgium’s exceptional painters. Long-listed for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, War and Turpentine is the companion book for any art and history lover traveling to Belgium.”  - H. E. Dirk Wouters.

Bhutan : H.E. Kunzng C. Namgyel recommends Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan, which was written by Her Majesty the Queen Mother  

Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and is a personal memoir combined with folkore, creating a portrait of the Himalayan Kingdom.

Canada : “On the occasion of Canada’s 150^th anniversary, we suggest the newly-released book, With Faith and Goodwill: 150 years of Canada –U.S Friendship, edited by Arthur Milnes. It is a beautiful collection of speeches, photographs and essays from prime ministers and presidents that express our shared history.” – H. E. David MacNaughton.

Chile : “La Casa de Los Espiritus depicts the recent past and memories from a landowner’s point of view and his daughter’s mingled with social and political issues of the 1970s.” –H.E. Juan Gabrierl Valdes.

Colombia : H.E. Juan Carlos Pinzon recommends 1967’s One  

Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez which tells the multi-generational story of the Buendia family.

Denmark : “Smilla’s Sense of Snow is a fictional mystery set in Copenhagen. It is a book that touches on issues such as Danish culture versus Greenlandic and the related issues of language and identity.” – H.E. Lars Gert Lose.

Germany : “Tschick is about two 14-year old boys, both social outcasts, one from a bourgeois  background, the other a Russian returnee, who “borrow” a car, take a road trip, and develop an unusual 

friendship.” - H.E. Peter Wittig.

Estonia : “The Man Who Spoke Snakish is an exploration of alternatie history by a well-loved contemporary author.” – H.E. Eerik Marmei

Finland : “The Moomin books were originally written as fairy tales for children. Their philosophic nature is universal and makes the books enjoyable for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. The carefree and friendly Moomins provide a warm-hearted reading experience and are also an essential part of the childhood of every Finnish kid.” – H.E. Kirsti Kauppi.