Travel Guides by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls

Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls studied urban design art, languages, and history. Dana wrote her first guide book to the Greek islands in 1977, and Michael joined her a few years later in penning guides to Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. Along with Turkey, these books would became the genesis of the first Cadogan Guides in 1985. These books were a little revolution at the time: guides intended 'for the independent traveller' as the old slogan put it, with a rich and thorough treatment of history and culture, a little irreverence and a sense of fun.

They've been at it ever since, with forty titles currently in print: guides to France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, as well as regional and city guides. They even wandered further afield to write travel guides to Mars and Hell, and condensed some of the curiosities they've learned along the way in a little volume called Tall Tales and Tittle Tattle.

In the past few years, the 'Dynamic Duo of Travel Writing' as they've been called have contributed to the Independent, the Sunday Times, the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Guardian, the Telegraph, National Geographic Traveler's website and the travel magazine Wanderlust. They have appeared on Radio 4's Excess Baggage, among other shows, and in two episodes of the series Mediterranean Tales (Lion Television/BBCFour), doing their best to explain the life and history of Naples and Athens. They have recently written two regional French guides for Footprint, due to come out in 2010.

Pauls' primary interest has always been cities and urban design, which sets their guidebooks apart; he also writes about them on his website recivilization.net. He also plays the musical saw rather well.

They have two children, who grew up in six different countries and learned many things along the way. One of the things they learned is that they do not want to be guidebook writers. Facaros and Pauls currently live in southwest France.

Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls can be reached at: michel.pauls@wanadoo.fr