The Pleasures of Franconia

(PublishAmerica)  Combining travel with cultural history, this book explores Franconia, a relatively small area of northern Bavaria. The author follows the Main River’s course, climbing up fortresses, descending into caverns, and trekking into the major cities and small towns.  Dickens examines works of art and architecture and the contributions of famous Franconians, including Levi Strauss and Johann Lahner. Dickens taught German at Washington and Lee University, where he established the university’s foreign-study program in Bayreuth.