5 comments about Desiring Italy: Women Writers Celebrate the Passions of a Country and Culture.

1. Why are all 30 of the entries written by women? What's the point of that? Is this some kind of womens studies book, or what's up with that!



2. I love Italy and I love this book. It is arranged in regional sections, but that is not entirely relevant because the pieces range over time and subject. For example, in the section on The Veneto there is an excerpt from Marcella Hazan's 'Classic Italian Cookbook' (incidentally, one of the very finest cookbooks - a lovely literary work, and the recipes work too!) - on Italian Cooking: where does it come from? The Italian art of eating, restaurants The bacaro experience, gelati. Simply scrumptious.

   The other contributors are the very best of literature: Edith Wharton, Francine Prose, Maty Shelley, Jan Morris, Muriel Spark (one of my favourite evocations and lived experiences: Venice in Fall and Winter), Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Elizabeth von Arnim, Francesca Alexander, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot, Mary McCarthy, Kate Simon, Iris Origo, Lisa St Aubin de teran, Patricia Hampl, Florence Nightingale, Margaret Fuller, Eleanor Clark, Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Spencer, Rose Macaulay, Shirley Hazzard, Ann Cornelisen, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Mary Taylor Simeti.

   Each contribution is preceded by some brief contextual information on the author's piece. It is not 'biographical' in the sense of being a recitation of dates and places and events, more a little about the author's motivations or expressed thoughts about Italy or the subject at hand. After the excerpt is a guide for the traveller - a little more about the places, people or events mentioned in the passage.

   This is the sort of book that inspires a lust for travel, or becomes a treasured travel companion. It is one of the most 'lovingly' edited books I have ever read.

   Many anthologies contain an imbalance of male to female writers, and more men are travel writers, so this volume is particularly delightful. The editor elaborates on aspects of places that are particularly concerned with the cultural history of women. One of the reasons to produce a book using women writers is expressed by Susan Cahill (editor): " The women writers who love Italy take a different tone from what we hear in the travel notebooks of Dickens, Hawthorne or henry james. The women's narratives come across with a down-to-earth concreteness. They're irreverent, critical and anecdotal but never brittle, mean-spirited or smug at the Italians' expense....No narrator observes safely from a cool, aesthetic all-knowing distance. Rather, their affection for the place and people moves the current of the prose."

   I love this book. Maybe you will too.




3. I ordered Desiring Italy to read while my husband and I travelled in Italy this year. I had hoped that it would be as interesting as The Italians by Luigi Barzini or Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the book; it did not meet my expectations or hold my interest so I abandoned it in our hotel room.



4. This a great book. I read it in a short time. It was like being there. I loved every moment of the book. Of course, I like to cook and I garden The recipes are worth a try. I felt like I was there, part of the book. A great read!



5. This book is a treasure chest, a real find! Susan Cahill gives us here a fabulously artistic collection of woman's writings, all of which are centered around Italy and Italian experiences. The result is a resplendent patchwork of thoughts, ideas, articles, recipes, facts, stories... great writings, which explore various aspects of that paradise on earth and its inhabitants that we all know as Italy and the Italians. This book makes a great travel companion, whether you are traveling or not, or a great souvenir, in case you read it only once you are back. I highly recommend it not only for its literary side but because it very astutely portrays the multi-faceted, highly aesthetic "dolce vita" from numerous angles...

No comments about Serenissima: Venice in Winter.

5 comments about Italy Out of Hand: A Capricious Tour.

1. Fun book about places we've visited over many years of trips to Italy. Somehow, we missed many very interesting historical details.



2. I LOVE the whole concept of this book. It is well designed & easy to follow. Will take to Rome this fall!
   Joan Aikens



3. I love reading guidebooks - to Italy in particular, and bought this book in part because, quite frankly, I couldn't quite figure out what this book was exactly from the description on Amazon and the previous reviews.
   
   "Italy Out of Hand" is a small, nicely and heavily bound book, reminiscent in its physical attributes of a Folio Society Edition. It would make a nice gift for any Bibliophile interested in Italy.
   
   It is not a guidebook that most people will want to take to Italy with them. For one thing, given its size, it's simply too heavy and unfortunately literally not worth its weight in useful information. It will look nice in your bookshelf at home but not something you want to lug around in your suitcase.
   
   Most of the information, such as it is, can be found in more detail and more lucid prose in the latest edition of "Frommer's Italy." There's very little here that experienced visitors to Italy will find new, and what is "new" is often pointless and lacks interesting detail: "So-and-so was the notorious son of the famous so-and-so who traveled to Egypt with So-and-so who became the Duchess of Orsino" or something like that.
   
   The book particularly lacks information pertinent to Italy today. I got the impression that the author relied heavily on 19th-century travel guides and the novels of Stendhal for information. For a book about Italy, there is very little information about food, and hardly anything about life outside of the major cities.



4. This book caught my eye because it looks old and very Italian. I bought it for my husband's birthday and he loved it. In turn, he bought the book for his nephew. This book is part travelog, part nostalgia - just a book to treasure. Whether you're Italian or not, the feel of the book will make you wish more modern day authors would format their books with originality and flair. Today, a book is a book is a book. Hooray for this author!



5. sirs-the book is good. however,there is a problem. i mistakenly order two copies of the same book but i refused delivery of the second copy.
   pls arange for book lagoon to reimburse my credit card account for the book that i returned. thank you john w walker

2 comments about Sicily: Nature, Culture and Traditions (Italy from Above).

1. This is the first book I have been able to see photos of a small town my grandmother came from, so it was special to me. It has lots of photos of smaller towns that most books do not even bother with. Great book, crisp photos and wonderful to see Sicily from the small towns to the largest of towns. This is a beautiful book.



2. It is a very nice book, but I was looking for something that went into the smaller towns ( where my family originated from )
   It looks great on my coffee table !

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Italian Journey: 1786-1788 (Penguin Classics).

1. This was billed as a good introduction to Goethe. I don't know, since this is the first Goethe I've read--but I'm delighted. It starts as a sojourn south, with detailed notations of rocks, geologic information and topography. Don't let that deter you! His description of eating just bread and red wine on his sea voyage to Sicily (because of his rolling seasickness) had me running for a bottle Italian Barbera! As my late great aunt would have said: "A nice, nice book."



2. Goethe comes alive as a very real person, not just the famous German author, in this travel memoir detailing the two years he spent in Italy in the 1780's. A wonderful description of travel before airplanes and cameras. Somewhat tedious descriptions of geology and of his works-in-progress are frequent, but never too long.

   It might be helpful to read (or re-read) the introduction after having read part of the book (say, into the first Roman visit).




3. In preparation for a trip to Italy, I began reading the accounts of famous travellers to that land: D.H. Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Tobias Smollett, and now Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I had no great expectations but was knocked for a loop from page one.

   Never before had I encountered a questing mind quite like Goethe's. Almost from the moment to left Carlsbad in September 1786, he was noticing the geological structures underlying the land and the flora and fauna above it. He sits down and talks with ordinary people without an attitude -- and this after he had turned the heads of half of Europe with his SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER. Here he was journeying incognito, apparently knowing the language well enough to communicate with peasants, prelates, and nobility.

   One who abhors marking books I intend to keep, I found myself underlining frequently. "In this place," he writes from Rome, "whoever looks seriously about him and has eyes to see is bound to become a stronger character." In fact, Goethe spent over a year in Rome learning art, music, science, and even sufferings the pangs of love with a young woman from Milan.

   Bracketing his stay in Rome is a longish journey to Naples and Sicily, where he becomes acquainted with Sir Warren Hamilton and his consort Emma, the fascinating Princess Ravaschieri di Satriano, and other German travelers. One of them, Wilhelm Tischbein, painted a wonderful portrait of Goethe the traveller shown on the cover of the Penguin edition.

   The translation of W.H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer is truly wonderful. My only negative comments are toward the Penguin editors who, out of some pennywise foolishness, have omitted translating the frequent Latin, Greek, and French quotes. I am particularly upset about the lack of a translation of the final quote from Ovid's "Tristia." In every other respect, this book is a marvel and does not at all read like a work written some 215 years ago. It is every bit as fresh and relevant as today's headlines, only ever so much more articulate!




4. This is a remarkable book which well deserves the praise other reviewers have given it. However, the translation is very flat; it makes Goethe sound far more like an English gentleman than like himself. For those who are interested in reading Goethe's thoughts on Italy, I recommend searching for a different translation.



5. Goethe went on a somewhat spontaneous journey to Italy to reignite or find his passion, his muse. He never quite recaptured his creative impulse to the standard of his expecations after writing the book that shot him into international superstardom "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and he wanted to be with young artists in Italy and incognito to reignite his muse (although the forward suggests something quite different may have been responsible for igniting his muse which his journal only hints at). The success of Werther might have left an almost stiffling weight on his creativity and his journal also discusses situations where he has to get past the legacy of Werther on his creative process, just through the sheer weight what people want to talk about and identify him with. After Goethe came from his Italian journey he did go on to complete many works, or revise ones in progress, and further his artistic gifts to mankind; also completing at least one while in Italy.
   
   Following along with the help of the internet probably made this book more interesting: getting easy access to pictures and the obscure references made to this or that. Goethe also came across some amusing people as well. Goethe's insights and observations are of course quality but it is also remarkable how normal he was and susceptible to the same sorts of sentiments and feelings, prejudices as most have. I think his notions about dolphins would have changed if he were alive now. It also takes one to a different time and place and takes one, I think, into the mind of a great genius at rest.
   
   The 10 pages on the the relationship of Goethe's favorite Saint Filippo Neri and Pope Clement VIII is worth the price of the book.

4 comments about Michelin Green Guide Rome (Michelin Green Guides).

1. I have used the Michelin Green Guides on many trips to Italy. They have always provided accurate information in an easy to use format. I particularly like that they are small enough to pack in a suit easily. This might not sound like much to you. But I am a one carry-on suitcase kind of girl, so I don't have much room to spare for lots of travel guides. I always have at least one Michelin Green Guide in my suitcase for each new adventure.
   
   The writers do a nice job of provided walking directions through Rome to maximize your sightseeing opportunities. I love to walk around Rome. It is such a beautiful city that can only be truly appreciated up close. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes. The street are very uneven and unless you have gel inserts in your hard soles shoes you feet might give out before you do. I have been known to walk 10 miles a day in Rome without trying to. It is very easy to get carried away and just want to see more.
   
   Be sure to check out a few of the outdoor markets that are outlined in the book. These are so much fun. I like them almost as much as the museums.
   
   The floorplans of the museums that are provided are very useful and I would recommend copying those before you leave to have with you if you don't plan to take the book.
   
   One overlooked sight in Rome that I love is the Baths of Caracalla. If you are there in summer check to see if they are having the outdoor concerts at night, they are worth attending. Even without the concerts the scope of the Baths is worth seeing. It is fascinating what the Romans were able to accomplish in AD 212.
   
   I would highly recommend the Michelin Green Guide to Rome to anyone that is planning a trip to Rome, be it their first trip or their tenth.



2. I've browsed and borrowed several guidebooks, and the ones I relied on for taking with me and walking around with (as opposed to pre-trip research) were Fodor's, and Michelin's Green Guide for Rome. The latter has no restaurant or hotel information, but excellent historical and cultural notes--more than some people want, perhaps. My only criticism of it is that the index is not good: some listings are under the Latin or Italian names, (many churches are found under the listing "chiesa" for example),some are under the English translation names, and some important topics or sites are not actually listed in the index at all, but they do appear in the book. Topics are well-organized into walking itineraries.



3. Caravaggio's Conversion of St. Paul, in the church of Santa Maria Del Popolo, is a deathless masterpiece. People of all ages, from all countries of the world, stand in front of it in silent awe. Some of them weep. This is what the Michelin guide has to say about this painting: "The effect of the divine light illuminating St. Paul on the road to Damascus should have been sublime but it falls first of all on the hourse, which is out of proportion, before touching the foreshadowed figure of the saint." Oh, excuse me, Michelin man, it's a shame you weren't around in the 17th century so you could give Caravaggion lessons in proportion! Then there's the column of Marcus Aurelius, which as been transfixing travelers to Rome for nigh on two thousand years now: "The overall appearance is spoiled by the lack of entasis two-thirds of the way up the shaft, which would have avoided the impression of concavity." Spoiled! And here I was, along with maybe a hundred million people before me, thinking the spiraling reliefs of victory and disaster were something pretty damn special and reasonably unspoiled to see. And please forgive me for not having any idea what the heck "entasis" means. The star rating system of this guide will only lead you to the places you already knew you should go and see--the guide gives one or no stars to places that are not only magnificent, but which will be, even on a July afternoon, cool, silent and empty of the multitudes. The Rough Guide to Rome is a much better book. Or just follow your nose, your eyes and your heart--in the Eternal City, they can't steer you wrong.



4. The Michelin Green Guide is still the best. The history and tours will turn you into your own expert guide. The star system lets you select the best spots to visit within your time frame. It will fit in your pocket, but it is not a light weight guide. Durable and easy to use, it is a classic.

5 comments about Rome Then and Now (Then & Now).

1. 
   It's difficult to stand in front of an ancient building like the Pantheon or the Coliseum without wondering what these structures and the surrounding areas must have been like in times gone by. Rome: Then and Now helps answer some of the questions that pop into the Roman daydreamer's mind, through the contrast of old and new photographs and well-researched supporting texts.
   
   Obviously, by using only photographs, passionate Roman author and guide Federica D'Orazio can't possibly show us Rome at its peak. But she can show us how much the city has changed over the last century and a half -- complete with goats resting near Trajan's Column, country folk washing their clothes in the Fountain of the Tritons, and a food market filling Circus Maximus -- all of which gives us plenty more ammunition for absent mindedly speculating about the still more ancient past.
   
   The idea for this book is so simple and elegant that it's a wonder nobody thought of it before: the left-hand pages feature grainy sepia prints of important Roman sites; the right side more modern photos of the same areas. And La Dttsa. D'Orazio doesn't just focus on the sites everyone has heard of, but she takes us down the winding alleyways of the Eternal City to show us some sites that many visitors fail to see (there are six pairs of photos from my neighborhood, in fact, a couple of which were very surprising to me even though I've lived there for several years and consider myself a history buff). There are 68 pairs of photos in all, the collection of which must have required an extraordinary amount of research.
   
   I have some relatively minor complaints, though.
   
   Most importantly, I think the book would have been much stronger if the modern photographs had been taken from the exact same angle as their antique counterparts. Sometimes they are, but most of the newer shots are instead taken from the same general area photographers must have used for the older photos, and in a couple of examples they are even taken from a different side all together. Shooting from the exact angle every time would have made the fascinating comparisons this book prompts easier and better.
   
   Also, the texts are written in a way that in some cases reveals the sort of halting style of translated text. I have worked as a translator myself, and I know the work isn't easy -- perhaps my background means my eyes are more sensitive to these shortcomings (they are minor things, such as writing "Column of Trajan" rather than "Trajan's Column"). The problem is nothing that prevents the enjoyment of the book, but the test doesn't quite flow like something written by a good native language writer (though it is better than many other books produced under similar circumstances).
   
   Lastly, I would have liked to have had a table of contents listing the photographs in order, and perhaps a text at the beginning describing how the project came about and the process of tracking down some of these old gems of photographs. But I suppose if my complaint is that I wish I knew more about the book, then in the grand scheme of things it is sort of a compliment as well.



2. When you visit Rome, the buildings lend the impression that in many respects the city has not changed to any large degree in centuries. This book makes clear that while Rome may be "eternal" the architecture of the city is not!
   
   This book has a simple lay out. On the left hand side of the book are full page 19th and early 20th century images of Rome (the latest being in the 1940s) - on the right hand side is a modern image of the same location. The older images vary in quality, but all are clear, my only complaint with the newer images is that they aren't always taken from the same angle as the older one for a true comparison.
   
   If you have ever travelled to Rome this book is fascinating to browse through. Its amazing how much some of the sights of the city have changed in only 150 years. Mussolini made a lot more changes to the city than I realised before I read the descriptions next to the images in this book by demolishing buildings all over the place to make roads and restore some of the ruins.



3. A beautiful book of photos, and a must-have for everyone who loves Rome.



4. As a lover and long-time inhabitant of Rome, I grabbed at this book when I found it on the remainder table of a major bookstore. The "then" part of the book--antique photographs, many of which date to the 19th century--constitutes a marvelous record of Rome's not-too-distant past. The "now' part of the book, however, leaves much to be desired. First, many of the color-photos are washed-out, apparently over-exposed. Buildings are white, skies are even whiter, and much detail of Rome's magnificent architecture has been lost. Next, many of the modern photos have been taken with a wider angle of lens, and from a different perspective than the original photos. In some cases, as when the ground has been excavated some twenty feet (e.g., the Campo Vaccino--now the Forum), accuracy of angle may not be possible; but in others (such as Piazza Colonna with the Antonine column) the same relative perspective is achievable. An egregious example may be found in the pair of photos, one of Piazza Cesarini, taken from one corner [The Via delle Botteghe Oscure? Apparently, since the author mentions the nearby marble-burning kilns.], and the companion picture of the Largo Argentina, taken from the opposite direction, looking from the back of the Republican temples towards the Torre Argentina and the Botteghe Oscure. Since the perspectives are different, the effect of the contrast is diluted.
   
   Much of the value of a book such as this is to be able to view the same area from exactly the same viewpoint so that the changes in architecture and landscape become immediately apparent. And it is the changes in architecture and topography that are important, not the fact that men are wearing bowlers and driving carriages in the old photos, and wearing baseball caps and driving SUVs in the new.
   
   One of the pairs of pictures that does work is that of the little Bramante tempietto of St. John Boiled-In-Oil. In the 1911 photograph on the left, the entrance to the Porta Latina is filled with rubble; in the modern photo on the right--taken from approximately the same angle--the rubble has been cleared, and cars are driving through the travertine-revetted entrance. Here, the differences are unequivocal.
   
   Much of the enchantment of Rome derives from its juxtaposition of warm honeyed light and deep velvet shadow--an aspect totally absent from this book. As I said in my title, I recommend the book--the old photographs are of especial interest to anyone who has ever lived in this charmed city. Because of the largely washed-out modern photographs, however, I have recommended it with reservations--reservations on your favorite airline, that is.
   
   Fly away and recapture the magic of Rome for yourself.



5. This book juxtaposes photos of Rome from the past with modern photos. You can see the rise and fall of Rome through the changes in skyline and landscape. It is especially amazing to see not just what has changed, but the particulars that have stayed the same. This book is great for people who study Rome, those who have fond memories of visiting Rome, and even those who just enjoy history.

5 comments about City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy.

1. I should have heeded the critique of one of your readers. The complaint was "after Rome the series disappoints".
   However, I so loved the Rome book, carrying it about Rome, having people comment on the book when they saw me checking maps or sights, finding kindred spirits who also had the book and so on. It was truly my favorite travel guide/book of Rome.
   So, ignoring advice, I ordered the Florence edition, realizing that Florence was just a part of the book...but I would never have dreamt it would be THAT small of a part.
   True, Florence is much smaller than Rome, but the city is filled with so much beauty, art and architecture that surely a book dedicated to it's "secrets" would have been worth the effort.



2. My family used this guide extensively while travelling in northern Italy this past summer. We found it particularly helpful in Bologna, Venice and the Portofino region. Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author, was a major contributor to the Venice section; if you want a great meal off of the beaten path in Venice, she won't lead you wrong.
   
   I've used the NYC City Secrets guide for years so bought this before our trip. Given the large geographic area and many regions that are covered, it isn't surprising that it lacks the comprehensiveness of the NYC and Rome City Secrets guides. Although we didn't use the guide in Florence, I can see why many reviewers found it lacking for that great city. Although smaller than Rome, Florence deserves a City Secrets book of it's own.



3. "Florence, Venice & the Towns of Italy" is wonderful companion! Having spent several years in Italy painting and teaching, from Rome to Venice.... via Florence and Urbino... I find the book full of secrets to be be uncovered and treasures to be explored.



4. I've been to Italy 4 times now and used this book extensively each time. My most recent trip took me to Puglia, Abruzzo and Campagnia which is scantily covered in City Secrets, but the places the book does highlight are truly magical. It does lead one off of the Autostradas and onto incredible country-roads, and out-of-the way corners and villages. This book works great for those driving the country in companion with a good Italy map and lots of time.



5. my copy is coffee-stained and dog-eared. sure I have the blue guide, the michelin guide, and others (including city secrets Rome), but this book is the star - it's not trying to give you everything, but rather, a selected group of nuggets to experience and enjoy. with good fortune and travel companions over the past few years, I've hit all the places in this book, and if fate smiles on me, perhaps I will get to do them all again.

No comments about Moleskine City Notebook Roma (Rome) (Moleskine City Notebook).