3 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Rome, Second Edition (National Geographic Traveler).

1. The book has enough pictures and information. was very useful in our trip to Italy in May 07



2. If you've never been to Rome and this is your first trip, or you've been before and are looking for new and different things to do, then this book is for you. Well organized and laid out, you can't go wrong with this travel guide. I've been to Rome over a dozen times, and I had never read this travel guide. I purchased it, planning on returning to Rome before the summer, and learned a lot about the Eternal City that I hadn't known before!
   
   Packed with lots of information on various sites as well as suggestions for restaurants and hotels. If you're looking for a lot of choice when it comes to where to eat/stay, this might not be the best book as it is very methodical and focuses more on exploring the city than on giving its readers suggestions on places to eat/stay. If that's what you're looking for, purchase the Lonely Planet Rome. This book is loaded with maps and photos and breaks the city down into manageable chunks.
   
   Excellent guidebook! You won't be disappointed.



3. Very fun book to read and I have learned some more information in this book after visiting Rome 2 times. It has some good maps and covers a lot of areas of Rome.

5 comments about Venice Sketchbook (Sketchbook Series).

1. This book was a gift from a close friend who knows I am planning my first trip to Venice this spring. I have been immersing myself in guides to Venice, and this book, with its charming and skillful watercolors and expert commentary, seems the perfect introduction to this fascinating city.
   It is not a guidebook per se, more of an artistic appreciation. Many of the comments are in cursive writing, so it seems you are looking at a personal sketchbook with running comments. The watercolors convey the interplay of light and color better than any photographs I've seen.
   This book is clearly a labor of love.



2. Whether you have traveled to Venice and are already under its magnetic, elusive spell or whether you plan to visit...or even if your fantasy world includes bits of Serenissima, VENICE SKETCHBOOK is bound to please.
   
   Artist Fabrice Moireau travels Europe with his sketchpad, rendering quick sketches in watercolor that capture the light and moment as reflected by the architecture of the place. This book is his prolonged visit to Venice and he has visited every island, canal, bridge, and hidden place that make this wonderfully decaying old Queen of the Adriatic a romantic paradise. His sketches are beautifully executed, not always with scholarly perspective, but capturing the Venetian light, an amalgamation of sun, water, fog, and mist, like few others have in this medium. Sensitive hand written notes on each page by the important 'models' make the sketches come even more alive.
   
   The book is graced by a fine Introduction by Deborah Howard who teaches architectural history at Cambridge and has written extensively about the architecture of Venice, Veneto, and the Italian Renaissance. In her elegant writing she sets the mood for viewing the sketches with an abundant but concise discussion of the history of Venice.
   
   The book is divided into sections of the city and writer Tudy Sammartini, who lives and works in Venice, opens each sector with fascinating comments about the history of the buildings, the churches, the monuments, and all the sights that sector holds. Her background in the history of her beloved Venice enhances the value of this book beyond the simple coffee table picture book. Her writing is warmly readable and very informed.
   
   Marry the contributions of these three talented people and the result is a book that is not only visually attractive and lovingly published on 'watercolor paper', but is also an informative and meditative volume of praise for the city known as Serenissima. Grady Harp, January 2005



3. A wonderful book for lovers of Venice and for those who would like to look at some of the incredible treasures of this magical, romantic city!



4. I bought this book before I visited Venice last year and it proved to be a very effective way - together with my Dorling Kindersley Guide book (also recommended) - of creating a short-list of places to draw. Saved me hours of slogging round trying to find "that view"!
   
   The drawings and watercolour sketches are extremely competent (if somewhat stylized) and give lots of inspiration for those working in watercolour of some the ways in which Venice can be portrayed.



5. Having lived in Venice for five months, each scene in this book is the actualization of my own memories. I bought one book about Venice and gave it as a gift to my parents who were not there to see the city firsthand, and this book was it.
   
   While not a travel guide or an in depth history book, this book does better than many others at capturing the light and true essence of Venice, the Serene Republic.

1 comments about Best of Belgrade (Best Of).

1. Using this guide really heightened my visit to Belgrade and the rest of Serbia! Used in conjunction with the Bradt's guide to Serbia, the two made for a great visit! If you've considered a visit to Belgrade, then go! If you haven't considered a visit (why are you reading this?) then GO anyway!

No comments about St. Andrews Sojourn: Two Years at Home on the Old Course.

5 comments about The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro.

1. During the sixties Joe Mc Ginniss wrote about presidential campaigns and the selling of the president. He made a marvellous and unexpected comeback in 1999 with his The Miracle of Castel di Sangro. You will never regret buying this wonderful book about soccer in an isolated moutain region in Italy. Joe Mc Ginniss spends the season with this astonishing soccer team. In fact he depicts soccer as one of the pillars of communal life in this very peculiar village- like setting. But it is not an innocent setting. Innocence is definitely lost in this part of the continent and Mc Ginniss produces remarkable characters. The owner, Signor Rezza, straight out of the Sopranos, the coach Osvaldo Jaconi, "to argue with him is like throwing pebbles at a bulldozer" and the name of the team's principal sponsor, Soviet Jeans. Multiple plotlines develop in the story. The most exciting one is in the end when Castel di Sangro Calcio ultimately secures its position in the B series. The last needless game there is a smell of corruption when Castel di Sangro Calcio is defeated by 3 to 1 by Bari that thereby gains promotion. This stinking smell of corruption delivers an unhappy ending for Joe Mc Ginniss but the story is wonderful.



2. It's fitting that even after hearing about this book because of soccer, I ended up stumbing across it in the travel section. Soccer may be the glue of the book, but it's a travelogue at heart. McGinness starts with his newfound madness for soccer bringing him to Italy, yet quickly lets the game recede into the muddle of everyday life. The writing quickly becomes part Simon Kuper and part Bruce Chatwin. The book thankfully takes in as much lush description and hilarious anecdotes as it does tactical decisions and game descriptions. Instead of just an Italian version of a John Feinstein book, we get a truly unique story that evokes real and lasting emotion rather than the passing interest of locker room voyuerism.
   
   Much of criticism here seems to miss the point. It's true that McGinniss makes himself the main character, but it's not a weakness (some arrogance, maybe, but not mere narcissism). The book, after all, is mainly about the shock of the outsider looking in: on soccer, on the village, on Italian society as a whole, and especially the repulsive compromises between love of the game and its seedier elements. If McGinniss doesn't quite succeed at making some grand assessment of Italy or a master's analysis of soccer, who cares? The story he tells is fascinating, emotive, and tragic nontheless. It reaches far beyond the world of the game and its fans, and should be a must-read for anyone.



3. Even though it is written for the football novice and can be facile at times - A WONDERFUL BOOK!



4. I enjoyed this book. McGinnis was honest about his experiences and even about his own shortcomings. Just like there are no true fairy tales, there are no people without shortcomings. McGinnis portrayed himself and others in this manner.
   
   I applaud him and his book as a man who had the guts to experience something few would do and the skill to write it up artfully and truthfully.



5. This book really grasped my attention. The story throughtout the chapters captured my imagination.
   The book gave a realistic impression of an amazing country. "Joe" really explored the life of the team and the "Calcio" and every action was convincing in an unpredictable manor.
   The style of sentences and the chosen words really made up the base of an absoloutely fantastic book!!!delightful and inspiring journey through the football season.
   This is an exciting new addition to anyone's library.

2 comments about Europe Hostels & Travel Guide 2007 (Europe Hostels and Travel Guide).

1. While it may have some value to the most uniformed of backpackers, it is far too small to cover Europe. The book has 115 pages for the entire continent, and only 97 pages dedicated to nations/cities. It is not worth the price when you can spend a few dollars more and get far more information. I was very disappointed in the guide. I may find some use for it (hopefully), but use the $10 towards the price of a more expsensive, and therefore more useful, guide.



2. I bought this guide because it was compact and was the only one I found specifically focused on staying in hostels. And it didn't disappoint. It's only 115 pages so it's not detailed like the larger guides, but it still helped me to plan my travels and find great hostels to stay in. It also has some decent maps and good info on tours, budget airlines and rail passes. If you plan on using hostels, this is the guide you want.

2 comments about Weird England (Weird).

1. Of the "Weird" series books that I've read, this is far and away the best. I think there are two reasons for that: 1) the book was written by the man who EDITED the books on the various parts of Weird America (and individual states), and he's a better writer/thinker than the usual writers and 2) England has been inhabited, heavily, for such a long time that it has greater depth of weirdness than we have here in dull young America!
   Like the other "Weird" books, this one is heavy on photos and a little shy on explanations. The histories and explanations in this one, though, are more complete and satisfying than those in the ones on America and its states.
   Topics include "art" created by obsessives in their own back yards; ghosts and hauntings; standing stones and ancient monuments; cemetery oddities; deserted towns and buildings; and much more.
   You'll luv it!



2. Weird England is a light, enjoyable read. You don't have to be an Anglophile (like myself) to be vastly entertained by the unique content and pictures. It's written with an open, objective slant, letting the reader decide the merits of the many folk tales, superstitions, and ghost stories that lie within its pages.

4 comments about A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains.

1. I've always found Tony Hawks books enjoyable. Funny books but I've always felt they were a little contrived - a little too forced. (Danny Wallace take note)
   In 'A Piano in the Pyrenees' I thought this would be another fun but laboured idea. Not so!
   This is a new Hawks whose writing has evolved.
   He joins the ranks of Dave Gorman (Googlewhack adventure)or the much under rated John Donoghue (Shakespeare My B*tt!)
   In this, Hawks has characters (that don't seem stage managed) as he explores the French culture. This isn't a collection of jokes surrounding a bizarre idea...this is self-deprecating, endearing, entertaining, witty ...and above all believable.



2. Fantastic book, very well written & entertaining.
   But be careful, if you have a sensitive disposition & want to avoid making any kind of public scene - make sure you read it in private. This book is laugh out loud funny.



3. From reading Tony's previous work i had expected something funny, clever and
   entertaining but it was not any of these. Perhaps he's taking a new direction into light, unfunny travelogues. If so i would recommend he not do so.



4. I am a longstanding fan of Tony Hawks' work, and still believe that "Round Ireland With a Fridge" is the single best travel book ever written. I have also enjoyed his other books (on tennis and pop music) greatly. Needless to say, when I was in Ireland last (sadly, without my fridge), went into a bookstore and found this, Hawks' latest book, I bought it immediately. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. While I liked the book, I found that it drags and is much more directionless than his earlier books, although the reappearance of a lost love at the very end does provide the book with a convenient conclusion.
   
   The book essentially showcases Hawks' impracticality in purchasing a house in France with no preparation, and the subsequent adventures of getting it arranged as he would like. I did enjoy his adventures with the white vans of doom, but found the endless pontification on building his swimming pool to be decidedly tedious. The book comes in at 307 pages long, far longer than "Round Ireland With a Fridge," and demonstrates a need for editing. The book wants to be about a man's search for significance in middle age, but the important messages the book delivers (and to Hawks' credit, the messages are in there) are buried under layers of minutiae that are neither particularly interesting or amusing.
   
   I did like the book, but not nearly as much as Hawks' earlier, more focused, books. I would recommend this book to fans of the earlier works, but I would recommend all of Hawks' earlier books first.

No comments about Switzerland (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

5 comments about Access Rome, 9th Edition.

1. Neighbourhood-focused approach is a pleasure, and color-coding works fine too, but they need to update the book more thoroughly (I know it costs money, but it should not be an excuse, they charge good money for the book).

   Text is very readable and visually relaxing; while sparing use of colour illustration and old-fashioned drawings are pleasing in a strange way. Descriptions and background are a bit lightweight, but overall this is a pleasant book - perhaps as the second guide, to compliment Fodor's or Frommers.




2. I've used these books in the past for most of my travels and have been very pleased. During a previous trip to Rome, I used an earlier edition Access Rome book as my Bible. It was extremly informative and useful. Unfortunately, since then they have changed the design of the maps and have not updated the book accurately. Many of the places I tried to visit had been long gone, inaccurately positioned on the map, or the descriptions were not appropriate. Unless they changed these items for the 8th edition, I would warn against using this book as a primary source of information. Also, the maps did not incorporate the locations of the Metro stops and Taxi stands into the neighborhood maps, like other travel guides have, which I found to be a neccessity for travel around Roma.



3. Years ago, the access guides were revolutionary: everything was listed block by block - they way you experienced a place. The reviews were pithy and comprehensive.
   Somethings changed. The Rome guide omits many hotels and has poor descriptions of the major attractions. You can do much better on the web.



4. Generally useful but many errors -- owing either to carelessness or outdating. An example of the former is that the guide lists Volpetti's as a place to buy cheese, etc; but neglects to mention that there is another one that's been around longer and which we very much favor. The index is poor. For example, it does not list Bramante's Tempietto, a truly remarkable and beautiful structure; rather, one has to know the name of the church alongside which it sits to find this wonderful work. At times incomplete; for example, the index does not include the Villa Tornolia, a wonderful if only slightly off central Rome to visit. Overall, needs work.



5. When people talk Access these days, especially in travel, it is expected that special needs are covered, especially wheelchair accessibility. There is barely a mention. I gave the book to the local garage sale. I should have saved my money and googled.