Since the seventeenth century, the café, or coffee house, in Europe has been the key gathering place of innovators and mavericks ? the writers, artists, philosophers and political figures who formed influential affiliations and gave birth to revolutionary movements that still affect our lives today. It was the type of establishment ideally suited for this role. Unlike the tavern, pub or bar, where one's senses grow ever duller from alcohol, one can sit for hours in a café with like-minded companions, consuming the coffee that sharpens wits and conversations. No wonder so many new ideas were generated in the legendary cafés of Paris and Vienna, Rome and Venice, Prague, Budapest and other major European cities. In her latest book, Monica Porter leads the reader on an entertaining waltz through six centuries, nine European countries (plus America) and a wealth of historic episodes featuring some of the most intriguing and noteworthy people who ever lived. As she reveals, playing its vital part in all their stories ? at times in the background, at times front and centre ? is that enticing venue: the café. The twelve venerable establishments of the book's title ? the oldest dating from 1686, the newest from 1911 ? are all still in existence. And so, after learning about their fascinating historical associations, readers can experience these places for themselves, which makes the volume an ideal companion for history buffs, travellers and café-lovers alike. AUTHOR: Monica Porter is a London-based journalist who has written for dozens of British newspapers and magazines. She is well-placed to write about wartime resistance, as one of her five previously published books is Deadly Carousel: A Singer's Story of the Second World War, about her own mother Vali Racz's rescue of Jewish friends in Nazi-occupied Budapest in 1944, for which she was honoured by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations. For more information about Monica's work see www.monicaporter.co.uk. 50 b/w illustrations
