1 comments about The Rough Guide to Italy Map (Rough Guide Country/Region Map).

1. After taking a tour of Italy, my husband and I were interested in finding a good map of the area we had toured. All the maps we found in Italy were in Italian which we do not speak. We finally found the perfect one at Amazon - it appears to be indestructable and has even the smaller towns marked.

5 comments about The Italian Way.

1. This is NOT a must read for the traveler to Italy. If you have disposable income and are planning a trip to Italy and have a few concerns about culture, buy it. My experience was that it didn't make a difference to my experience of Rome and Florence, but it certainly helped me feel more comfortable that I wouldn't offend anyone.
   The book is easy to read and pleasantly laid out. I was more impressed with "Passport Italy: Your Pocket Guide to Italian Business, Customs & Etiquette", but even that I would say is not critical to a visit to Italy.
   If you are going to Italy, have fun and eat well! Any sensibly minded person will not offend an Italian...just smile and offer your apologies for not totally understanding.



2. In the introduction the authors tell us that the purpose of the book is to provide snapshots of daily life. If you have ever been to Italy you know that they have a different notion of what it means to live. Every visit that I have every made to Italy there has been a general strike that has taken place. The first time I visited Italy this fact mystified me. Now, I just know that this is what happens and I don't let it bother me.
   
   This book is a collection of short discussion on a variety of topics. The topics covered are as follows:
   
   1. April Fool's Day
   2. At the table
   3. Attracting Attention
   4. Bad Luck Day
   5. Il Bar
   6. Le barzellette (joke)
   7. Basic Expressions in Italian
   8. La Befana
   9. Business
   10. Calcio (Soccer)
   11. Calendar
   12. Calling Cards
   13. Il campanilismo
   14. Il carnevale
   15. Celebrations and holidays
   16. Compliments, appreciation, and criticism
   17. Dating and Marriage
   18. Driving in Italy
   19. Education
   20. Expressions such as Dio mio!
   21. Eye contact in conversation
   22. Family and friends
   23. Il Ferragosto
   24. Form of government and politics
   25. Gallantry
   26. Gestures
   27. Houses and housing
   28. Introductions
   29. Italian films
   30. Italy on wheels
   31. The kitchen
   32. The language
   33. Letters
   34. Made in Italy
   35. Ma lei non sa chi sono io! (You don't know who I am)
   36. Il malocchio (evil eye)
   37. M'arrangio
   38. Meals and mealtimes
   39. Monetary unit - the lira (this is now out of date)
   40. Navigating a building
   41. Number usage in different situations
   42. On stage in Italy
   43. Opera
   44. Il Palio
   45. People's names and name days
   46. Physical distance and contact
   47. La Piazza: the center of daily life
   48. Politicians
   49. Professional and civil titles
   50. Pro loco
   51. Punctuality
   52. La raccomandazione
   53. Religion
   54. Restaurants
   55. Lo sciopero (strikes)
   56. Shopping
   57. Signs
   58. Lo sport
   59. Telephones
   60. The term American
   61. Tests
   62. Time of day
   63. Transportation
   64. The two faces of Italy
   65. Tu, Lei, and voi
   66. La vendemmia
   67. Visiting
   68. Waiting in line
   69. Ways of conveying information
   70. We make love, not war
   71. The wines of Italy
   72. Women
   73. Work
   74. The world of youth
   
   The sections that speak of male and female interaction are very valuable for women traveling to Italy alone. Italians are very expressive people. They are much more demonstrative than Americans. This book covers that fact in great detail, and does a nice job of getting the point across. Physical beauty is greatly prized in Italy, and this will result in more than a few pinches when you are a woman in Italy unaccompanied.
   
   Overall, I think this is useful little book to read before leaving for your first trip to Italy. It won't make a lot of sense before you arrive in Italy. However, once you are there much of it will become clear.



3. Secured Packaging. Prompt. I would do business with them again.



4. Semi-interesting but don't bother. If you have a good guidebook you'll get just as much (and as interesting) information from it. Plus, this book is very small/thin. Not worth it.



5. This book is so basic it can only be a benifit to readers who know nothing at all about Italy or Italian people. It is a quick read but not worth your time. Read Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks if you want to meet some real Italians.

2 comments about The Italian Wine Guide: The Definitive Guide to Touring, Sourcing, and Tasting (Dolce Vita).

1. Tbis book gives all the information needed to actually visit Italian wine regions and the wineries themselves.
   
   Wineries in Italy are generally not set up to receive tourists as in Napa. Prior arrangements usually need to be made just to visit, not to mention an actual tour and on-site tasting.
   
   The book is organized by region with specific address and contact information for some (but not all) wineries. You might not be able to find the exact winery that produced an obscure bottle that you found at Trader Joe's but you can find one near it and probably just like it.
   
   The book is a heavy softcover octavo with glossy pages and many pictures. There are also paid advertisements for wineries and vinotecas grouped with the editorial content. This is not a drawback but is helpful to know which places actually welcome visitors (some don't). The famous Sassicaia winery at Tenuta San Guido in Toscana for example, does not. I found that the binding is poor and pages have a tendency to fall out but I may have gotten a bad example. The book is somewhat heavy (about two pounds) but on balance I would say worth actually carrying with you on your trip to Italy.
   
   The Touring Club of Italy is an organization similar to AAA which publishes maps and guidebooks in addition to offering other travel services. They have a useful website (in English and Italian) at touringclubdotcom.



2. If you are serious about Italian wine and/or food this is great book to have in your library.
   
   The book does a nice job of explaining the wine varietals from particular regions of Italy. They also tell you which years are outstanding, very good, fairly good and unsatisfactory by wine. This book is very helpful for a trip to your favorite wine store.
   
   If you are interested in wine tours while in Italy the book gives descriptions of wineries and which one offer tours and whether you need to make reservations or not. I also appreciated the wine store names, addresses and phone numbers that are listed by region. My husband appreciated the similar listings of golf courses. Their listings of antique fairs were also useful.
   
   When I was booking our last vacation, I compared the hotel and restaurant suggestions with other guides and found that they were similar. It is always nice to have multiple sources for information.
   
   I think that this book has something for everyone. If you never plan to visit Italy this book is very useful with its general information about Italian varietals and which years to purchase.

3 comments about Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop New York: The Ultimate Guide for People Who Love to Shop (Born To Shop).

1. There is a problem with travel books in that they try to cover EVERYthing in a city. I like books that just tell me the best places to go for what I want.
   
   This book leans towards being a total reference, but offers the shopper plenty of options.
   
   The bargain shopper needs to know one thing - Century 21 next to the world trade center site. That is about where the unbelievable bargains end. Now you can save some money on the book and spend it on shopping
   
   One nicety about the book is that the author includes place to eat around the shopping.



2. The last edition of Born to Shop disappointed me becasue Suzy Gershman's interest seemed so narrow that the stores and places she liked were too far out of my range. In this edition she's made some changes. Cheap shopping is listed and the luxe, nowhere else except NYC stores are listed as well. She must have gotten some younger helpers because much to my delight the Sean Jean store and and Triple Five Soul shop are mentioned too. One thing I've always liked about the Born to Shop series is that the advice shows you how to get around town safely, how to buy quality and how to have a good time with as few hassles as possible. And don't think this book is just for women. In our last trip to NY my husband frequently consulted it and was very pleased with the directions and commentary.
   
   This book and Gerry Frank's guide are all you really need to take a weekend NYC trip.



3. I would love to be able to review this book, having just read Suzy's "C'est La Vie". However after a long conversation with a non English as a first language speaker, it was decided if I wanted the rest of my order I would have to forgo Born to Shop NY. Others, let me know if you were able to purchase this book and if it was helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 comments about Autumn in Piemonte: Food and Travels in Italy's Northwest.

1. This intensely personal book on the Piemonte is a delight. It is a gorgeous pictorial survey of the entire region. The narrative brings a nice personal touch. And the recipes seem to be delicious. I plan on cooking several.
   
   The Piedmont is the one region north of Rome that we have not visited. I am already planning my next visit to Italy based on this book.

2 comments about Edith Wharton's Italian Gardens.

1. With plenty of pics, this book is good for a casual flick through or a more careful read. The photographs of the gardens are stunning and inspire a desire to visit in person.



2. This is not the ultimate writing on Italian gardens, nor the most sumptuos as a coffee-table book. But you can do a lot worse than this when you search for garden books on Italy. And then there is the added dimension that Mrs Wharton drove up to these places a hundred years ago and had a look around. Gentle people alledgedly just showed up "never mind us, we're just here for a stroll in your lovely garden", not recommended today...
   Photographs are very good/good. The selection of gardens covers the major part of the most celebrated, with a few minor ones added. No sites south of Rome alas, put the blame on Edith.

5 comments about The City of Florence: Historical Vistas and Personal Sightings.

1. The City of Florence is a wonderful introduction to the riches of this fascinating city. Lewis tells the story of the development of Florence from its earliest days to the present, complete with engaging anecdotes that bring history to life. My favorite is an excerpt from the meeting of the committee charged with deciding where to place the statue of David. Woven into this is Lewis' own story of living off and on in Florence for the last 50 years: the neighborhoods, the business owners, the museums and the Vespa drivers. The traveler will find information on the best restaurants and cafes, the most interesting shops and the best ice cream. The literary traveler will find anecdotes about writers who have lived in or near Florence. A useful, delightfully presented wealth of information and entertainment; a must read if you're planning a trip to Florence.



2. On a recent trip to Florence, walking along Via Maggio, I suddenly stopped, turned to my wife, and gestured to the intricately decorated gray facade looming up before us. "It's the House of Bianca Cappello," I declared, awestruck. "I read about her in that Lewis book..." Indeed, the story of Bianca Cappello is one of the most memorable in this well-wrought book by R. W. B. Lewis. Compared to the typical "Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance" or whatever, this is a totally different take on the city. It's personal. It's intimate. And by not trying to be comprehensive, it dares to be fun. If you ever imagined yourself living in Florence, but it wasn't a practical possibility, Lewis has done it for you, and splendidly. Come on in and get to know the neighborhoods of Florence, meet the shopkeepers, stroll the back streets. Oh, certainly you'll need your Michelin, your Insight Guide, or your Baedeker when you visit the city, but be sure to read Lewis's charming book before you get on the plane.



3. R.W.B. Lewis was a professor of American Literature at Yale. He died at the age of 84, in 2002. Although Lewis lived in the United States, Florence was a city that he and his family visited for much of his life. Lewis spent some time in Italy growing up. During World War II he was in Italy with the OSS (the forerunner to the CIA). Lewis was on a boat which was sunk by the Germans and he managed to swim to land and evade capture until he reached the allied lines. Lewis was in Florence again after it was captured by the Allies. He returned over the years with his family.
   
   Lewis' The City of Florence is both a biography of Lewis' experience in Florence and the history of the city. Lewis' historical sketches cover the city from medieval times to modern times (Lewis describes one of the modern floods of the Arno, the river that runs through Florence).
   
   The City of Florence is not a travel guide. Lewis explored Florence in a random fashion, as anyone does when they live in a place. He discusses some of his favorite museums and places to walk, but it would be difficult to plan a trip based on this book. Instead what you get is some of Lewis' feeling for the Florence he loves.
   
   Lewis never does write about exactly why he loves the city. Perhaps he considers it obvious. For example, why Florence and not Siena. Lewis even likes Florence in August, when most Florentine residents flee the city if they can. He does not comment on Florence's notorious traffic and he comments only a little on the struggle to preserve Florence in the face of modern development.
   
   If you are planning on visiting Florence, The City of Florence is probably worth reading to get a feel for the city. Lewis' historical sketches of Florence are engaging and would also be a good preparation for a visit.



4. The author relates his love and appreciation of Florence, mixing his own personal experiences with historical background. It is not specifically a travelogue or guidebook, but more of a memoir, but it would serve as a useful companion on a trip to Florence or as informational reading beforehand. Not the best book out there, but a worthy addition to any Italophile's library.



5. 
   Before, after and during your visit to Florence, read this book, which is a marvelous book-long song of praise for the most famous city of the Italian renaissance. The late R W B Lewis lived there off and on for twenty years and he relates not only the stories behind the famous sites of Florence, but also the hidden history, background and some of the experience that make it such a charming place to visit. Even if you are not going to visit Florence, read this book and you will feel as if you had been there.
   
   One of the many things I like about this book is the way that Lewis--a former OSS officer in World War II and a celebrated Yale professor--changes from historic accounts, to architectural criticism, to every day life in Florence and environs. We get off the beaten path and out into the countryside, away from the tourists and into some of the best little shops and squares Florence has to offer. We learn the stories of the Medici and their rivals, and the impact that these clashing great families had upon the churches and monuments of the city. We can almost taste the wines, foods and other delights of the city as Lewis enjoyed them. All of this in very elegant prose.
   
   Best of all is Lewis timing and variety. Just as the reader begins to be a tad sated with the history, he switches to talk about local shops and their friendly proprietors, and then at the exact moment you are ready to move on, Lewis moves on to a very scholarly but still eminently readable discussion of this or that palazzo, piazza or church. For this liveliness alone the book is a joy. And it is clear that Lewis loved Florence--every page is infused with a place that never failed to fascinate him, and therefore fascinates us, too.
   
   Richard Warrington Baldwin Lewis was born on Nov. 1, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois, and was the son of Episcopal minister Leicester Crosby Lewis and Beatrix Baldwin Lewis. After preparing at Episcopal Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy, he earned his B.A. in 1939 at Harvard University and his M.A. in 1941 at the University of Chicago, where he also received a Ph.D. degree in 1954. During World War II, Lewis enlisted as a private in the U.S. Air Force and became a second lieutenant, serving in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.
   
   He commanded a unit in Italy and received the Legion of Merit Award in 1944 for service behind enemy lines. After the war, he continued as a commanding officer of the Northern Italy War Crimes Investigation Team and was discharged from service in 1946 with the rank of major.
   Professor Lewis taught at Bennington College 1948-1950 and was dean of studies at the Salzburg Seminar in Austria 1950-1951. He was a visiting lecturer at Smith College 1951-1952 and a resident fellow at Princeton University 1952-1954, then joined the faculty at Rutgers University as a professor of English. He served there until his Yale appointment in 1959.
   
   At Yale, he served a number of times as director of graduate studies in American studies and also chaired the department. Appointed the Neil Gray Professor in 1977, Lewis' joint appointment in English and American studies at Yale reflected his abiding interest both in American literature and in American cultural life. He was also the author of a celebrated biography of Edith Wharton.
   
   If you find this review helpful see my other reviews on travel, art and history books.

4 comments about Blue Guide Sicily, Seventh Edition (Blue Guide Sicily).

1. A lot of interesting info you do not get from the other sources. Although you have to get an additional guidebook with all the "practicalities", like Rough Guide.



2. I envision using this book more after arriving home and revisiting places we saw during our vacation. This blue guide explains the history and political situation of all Sicily, including pointing to pictures of museums and churches we visited. I will enjoy perusing this book to remember our trip.



3. We spent 2 weeks in Sicily in Oct 2007. After looking through all the major guides at a local book store, we purchased the Lonely Planet Sicily (3rd Edition) and the Blue Guide Sicily (7th Edition). Lonely Planet covers the all the major sites, cities, and towns. Its city maps, with the locations of restaurant, hotels, etc. are extremely helpful. However, it is missing some of the smaller towns and sites, and offers sparse coverage of the east coast of Sicily. The Blue Guide is far, far superior in terms of its comprehensive detail, and quality of information. Indeed the Blue Guide is one of the best guide books I have ever seen on any region: its intelligence and depth are extraordinary. On the other hand, the Blue Guide city maps, while graphically excellent, are lacking the markers for restaurant and hotels that Lonely Planet has. And there were days when we did not feel like lugging the Blue Guide's 512 pages around. So ultimately, we were glad to have both.



4. Superb guide to history, culture, geography, cuisine of Sicily with interesting sidebar vignettes, detailed maps and good photography. A bit heavy to travel with, however, but excellent reference to prepare for trip. This, combined with the more portable Frommer's, are a good bet.

2 comments about Italian Riviera (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. We never go on holiday without buying an Eye Witness guide for the area we are visiting. This one was invaluable for our recent holiday in Santa Margherita Ligure from finding a restaurant to getting on a bus.



2. I was a little disappointed by this book, for there are less maps and photos than I expected. It is unlikely for "Eyewitness Travel Guides." I usually believe maps will be greatly appreciated especially for small towns which don't have the tourist information center. However, I appreciate the concept that this publisher makes this regional guidebook, so I give one start for it. Another star is for the reasonable price at Amazon.com: $13.60 (regular $20) as of 11/3/2006.

1 comments about Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria (Frommer's Complete).

1. While we found the guidebooks useful in some ways, the restaurant recommendations were extremely disappointing. We ate at two of the recommended restaurants (one recommended by the Frommer Tuscany guidebook, the other by the Frommer Rome guidebook) during a week long stay in Italy. They were the most average meals we had - certainly they were not worth the stars they were given by Frommer. The Rome guidebook also recommended a restaurant (Insalata Ricca) near Piazza Navona without mentioning it was part of a chain. We walked several blocks to this location with family who wanted a light meal before catching the train (we didn't eat there ourselves) and later discovered that there was another one right around the corner from our hotel. I do not plan on buying a Frommer's guidebook again, because I can't trust their recommendations. The facts and history are available in other guidebooks too.
   
   I should also mention that the guidebook claimed that parking in Siena was exorbitantly expensive. Perhaps that is true if one parks the car and stays in a hotel in the city for several days. We visited the city for about 8 hours and paid about $15 which didn't seem too bad.