EUROPEANS<i> by Jane Kramer (Penguin: $10.95) </i>

The polished, insightful writing in this collection of “Letter From Europe” columns in the New Yorker provides a welcome antidote to the shallow sensationalism that characterizes much of contemporary journalism. Jane Kramer offers vivid portraits of individuals ranging from a doughty Breton innkeeper who led the local Resistance during World War II to a self-styled Italian psychotherapist and intellectual, currently serving a prison term in Milan for fraud. Her analyses of current political issues, including the French attitude toward expatriate North African workers and the controversy over the West German government’s anti-terrorist measures are well-researched and carefully balanced. Valuable background reading for anyone planning a trip to Europe.