No comments about Tivoli: The Tiburtine area : its history and works of art : Villa d'Este, Villa Gregoriana, Villa Adriana.

No comments about A Day in San Gimignano: The Town of the Fair Towers.

1 comments about Fodor's Naples, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast, 3rd Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Great book if you're going to be visiting Naples... Fodor's always has lots of great travel info. But it's not so good for Amalfi Coast (which is where we're planning to go).

2 comments about Lonely Planet Sardinia.

1. I bought this book because the reviews about Rough Guide were pretty bad, and I must say Lonely Planet delivered once again. It's full of "local" tips that must have taken the author a very long time to put together.
   A few more mini-maps would save dozens of lines of directions to reach those hidden places, and would save the reader a lot of time on the road.
   We would also have done with a few more places to stay and eat, but locals are so welcoming that it was a joy to ask them.
   These shortcoming anyway don't even erode one star, as the guide is otherwise exceptional. We didn't need anything else.



2. My boyfriend and I just got back from our trip to Sardinia. The Lonely Planet was helpful with some general information, but it was a bit dated (the new edition comes out May 2006 though). It did have a really good section on the food in Sardinia which mentally prepared us for a homecooked farewell dinner of baby goat! :) All in all, having the book was much better than nothing, but I'd recommend taking another guide book along to cross reference (which we did) or wait for the 2006 edition.

5 comments about Cheap Sleeps in Italy '99 Ed.

1. "Cheap Sleeps" is somewhat of a misleading name. Right up front the author states it is not about the cheapest, but about the
   best values in accommodations. I am rating this 5 stars in
   comparison to other books of its kind. What impressed me most
   was that not only are there descriptions of the various hotels
   that let you know what makes each special, but for some hotels
   there are specific descriptions of various rooms, allowing you
   to request one that especially appeals to you. I can't remember
   having seen that in any other guide. Included are some descriptions of the cheapest places, like campgrounds and hostels, but they are not featured. At the beginning are travel tips when planning your trip to Italy (and some apply to any trip you might be planning). Though there are many listings for Florence, Venice and Rome, other cities/towns in Italy are not covered; for the listed cities I think this book is very worthwhile. Note: Even if the exact prices change a little, the relative prices stay the same, so you can still pick a place to stay based on this book, even in the years after publication. Addresses, phone numbers, and in many cases email addresses are given so you can contact the hotel for the most
   up-to-date information.



2. Very nice accomodations in great locations for not too many lira. That's what I got out of this book. Visited all three cities and with the help of this guide, came home with money left over.



3. This book was extremely helpful to my husband and I when we visited Italy in '99 and again in '00. (We also have used her guide to Paris). If you read enough of the profiles of the hotels, you get a better understanding of the author's tastes, preferences, and values, and you can better compare her comments to your own interests.
   With her as our guide, we have identified several hotels that seem interesting or inviting, and then looked for websites to give us a more complete portrait. Not quite a walk-through prior to check-in, but a pretty good substitute.
   Should also note that the author of the recently published "Piazzas and Pizzas" seems to be a HUGE fan of Sandra Gustafson's choices.
   If you can afford the Cipriani or the Hassler, this is NOT the book for you. But for the rest of us, it is a terrific guide.



4. This book was extremely helpful to my husband and I when we visited Italy in '99 and again in '00. (We also have used her guide to Paris). If you read enough of the profiles of the hotels, you get a better understanding of the author's tastes, preferences, and values, and you can better compare her comments to your own interests.
   With her as our guide, we have identified several hotels that seem interesting or inviting, and then looked for websites to give us a more complete portrait. Not quite a walk-through prior to check-in, but a pretty good substitute.
   Should also note that the author of the recently published "Piazzas and Pizzas" seems to be a HUGE fan of Sandra Gustafson's choices.
   If you can afford the Cipriani or the Hassler, this is NOT the book for you. But for the rest of us, it is a terrific guide.



5. This is dated by the "lire" references (hard to know what things now cost in Euros) but the reviews are in keeping with what I have experienced in many of the places she rates. Needs to be updated.

1 comments about Against Venice (Anti-Voyages Series, No. 1).

1. This book combines Regis Debray's "Against Venice" with an essay by Debray scholar Philip Wohlstetter called "Cicero in Venice."

   The Debray essay is funny, scathing, and sarcastic. He sees Venice as a Disneyland of high culture for tourists. Fewer and fewer people live in Venice (who could?), yet the city sees an infinite stream of cathedral-gazers and museum-goers. Debray mocks the stranger "mad about Venice" (is that so bad?) as the "idiot of Venice." This Debray-- what a sweetie. Venice compares unfavorably, writes Debray, to Naples. You read that right. Naples. What is left to write? Islands are suitable for autists, he writes, and feature "cheap treats." Come again? Debray seemingly swings like a blind drunken boxer, but much of his invective actually hits the intended mark. (A boxer fighting a mannequin, no less, because Venice of course mutely absorbs the blows...)

   Lashing out at Venice, Debray writes, "We, ourselves, float on a platform of references..." This could describe "Anti-Venice" as well. Word for word, Debray drops references like Hansel and Gretel drop bread crumbs. Proust. Malraux. Piazza San Marco. San Gennaro. Boucourechliev. Carpaccio. St. Jerome. San Giorgio deli Schiavoni. These are but some of the names gleaned from a pair of facing pages. In other words, the casual reader should keep reference materials handy.

   Wohlstetter's essay puts Debray's life and work in a historical context, and surpasses "Against Venice" in clarity and worth, at least for one reader. Debray was an associate of Mitterand, Castro, and Allende. Wohlstetter wrote an essay to introduce Debray to the non-specialist, and to pique interest in Debray's other works. The passages about Debray's political philosophy are fascinating, and I shall seek out more books on Debray's philosophy, or by Debray on this subject. What an incredible life Debray must have led, as advisor to these leaders. Let "Cicero in Venice" serve as our introduction to Debray's other works, both his non-fiction and his novels.

2 comments about Italy, 5th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

1. Although this book is a good basic overview of travel in Italy, it is written in an unnecessarily pedantic style. I found other travel guides on Italy to be much more reader-friendly and useful.



2. The great asset of the Cadogan series is the in-depth historical and cultural context that the authors set their desciptions in. While all of the usual nuts-and-bolts information on hotels, restaurants, nighlife, etc. is there, the emphasis is on really getting to know and appreciate the cultures you are travelling through, rather than just being able to name the Top 5 sights in each city and take home postcard shots of each. If you read this book, you'll come away with a whole new appreciation for the country and its people, and you'll understand why you've decided to travel there in the first place.

No comments about Perfect Phrases in Italian for Confident Travel (Perfect Phrases).

No comments about AAA Italy TravelBook, 5th Edition: The Guide to Premier Destinations (Aaa Italy Travelbook).

2 comments about Living in Rome (Living In . . .).

1. Living In Rome is an informative and visual celebratory tour showcasing the beauty and charms of Rome as well as some of the most unique treasures its has to offer. Included are introductions to Rome's lush gardens, gleaming family palaces, colorful markets, architecture, art, artisans and artists. Living In Rome takes the reader on a tour of intimate museums and off-the-beaten-path restaurants not typically included in conventional guidebooks. The cultural background of the structural and visual qualities of this remarkable place is enhanced for the reader with valuable resource information on hotels, cafes, and other points of interest. Whether an arm-chair traveler or on-site visitor, Living In Rome will prove a most remarkable and rewarding reading experience.



2. Rome, the eternal city, capital of Italy!
   
   We all have images of Rome in our heads, whether created by personal visits or simply by what history has taught us about that city. In the end, Rome impresses even the most stubborn of people and this book brings Rome to your reach in a unique and lovely way.
   
   The city is often a place of contradictions and confusion, but in Rome things flow easily from one sphere to the next. The soft writings which richly engages the reader into aspects of Roman culture, architecture, ambiance, and general lifestyles is truly impressive. This city comes to life in its most sophisticated way, it becomes a city that is being unrolled in a personal, almost private manner. Few books are able to portray a city in such a personal way, and few cities lend themselves to such protrayal.
   
   However, Living in Rome does just that and more. It's a wonderful book of a wonderful city for wonderful people from around the world.