Bob & tweets,

I used Heinzel, Fitter, and Parslow, which originally dates back to
1972, extensively in Europe (broadly defined) before the newest crop of
European guides came along. IMHO, it's comparable to the North American
"National Geographic" Guide. It's very good, and personally I prefer it
in the field to Jonsson's exquisite artwork. But I think Svensson et al.,
published in 1999, is a cut above it, having more detail on fine points,
more and probably better illustrations, etc. The downside to Svensson et
al. is that it's bigger and heavier, hence less portable.

If you're doing a general trip to Europe, not birding intensively or
going on an expert-led bird tour, Heinzel, Fitter, and Parslow would be my
suggestion. If you want to separate LBJ's on your own with some degree of
confidence, better bring Svensson.

Bill
-----------------
The Smiths
Grays Harbor, Washington USA
birdsmiths at hotmail.com