No comments about Italianissimo: The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best.

5 comments about Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture.

1. No need to get long winded here. It's simply a must read before exploring the dome. Read it in one evening and couldn't put it down. Added immeasurably to the experience.



2. King's book is historical, but it reads like a novel as it weaves Italian history in with the fascinating account of Brunelleschi's rise from nowhere to become one of the greatest architects and engineers in history. Having toured the Florence Duomo and wondered "How did they build that with no heavy equipment," it is amazing to find out how they really did. This book is reasonably short; well written; and very informative. Highly recommended.



3. The dual papacy had been resolved in favor of Rome (1416). Florence was the interim home for the Pope while permanent quarters were being readied in Rome (1420). Florence considered itself the new Athens of the western world, and on August 19, 1418 Filippo Brunelleschi submitted his design for the dome of the city's new cathedral. His design pushed the technology of bricklaying to never seen before sophistication, producing a dome 143 feet in diameter; a dome which is still the largest masonry dome in the world. His radical design and construction techniques for the double-walled dome required no temporary central scaffolding and support.
   
   The work was interrupted by disease, war and political upheavals. Finally, the octagonal dome was completed in 1436 and the lantern on top of the dome was completed in 1461, fifteen years after Filippo's death. Ross King weaves a wonderful story about this technological feat. This book should appeal to all art, architecture and history buffs.



4. No, this isn't a book about an Italian guy with a big head, although Filippo Brunelleschi certainly had a massive ego. Brunelleschi's Dome is about the city of Florence generally during one of the greatest periods of genius and creativity in human history. It is also, specifically, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi, a classic genius of the Italian Renaissance, and his magnificent dome which dominates the skyline of Florence to this day. Like so many of his contemporaries, Brunelleschi had a high level of expertise in a variety of fields. He was an artist, an engineer, a craftsman, a philologist, and an overall solver of impossible problems. He was also a bit of a whack-job whose failures were nearly as spectacular as his successes.
   
   With this book, Ross King has penned an engrossing popular biography of Brunelleschi, as well as a history of the construction of his famous dome. While the book goes into some detail regarding the engineering behind the construction of the dome, the prose is never heavy and is written so that the layman, such as myself, never gets bored or lost.
   
   My wife and I visited Italy in 2000 and climbing to the top of the Duomo was one of the high points (literally!) of the trip. I wish I had read this book beforehand! I therefore highly recommend it to anyone who is planning a visit to Florence. It will give you that much more appreciation for the amount of work--and genius--that went into the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.



5. The story of Brunelleschi's Dome is about a unique architectural accomplishment, one that has not been surpassed in the hundreds of years since it was built. The story is not just about the Dome, but about Brunelleschi and his competitors. It even gives us a glimpse of the era in which it takes place.
   
   The book is short, only 167 pages. It is somewhat superficial; it does not delve too deeply into any one aspect of the Dome, the people or the time in which it was built. Readers with specialist knowledge or interest in any of those areas might be disappointed. Some of the descriptions of the building technics used and of the engineering of the Dome left me confused. More diagrams would have helped.
   
   While this book does not have enough information in any one area to interest specialists, I thought it was a great read. It was an well written narrative on an interesting topic I would not have known much about otherwise.

5 comments about Vroom with a View: In Search of Italy's Dolce Vita on a '61 Vespa.

1. After doing my own smaller version of touring through Italy, its fun to read about another person's adventures. I'm reading it and knowing exactly what he is talking about. Its a really fun read.



2. Absolutely charming. Mr. Moore has technical tribulations with the ancient Vespa he purchases, but that only adds to the story of how he falls in love with Northern Italy. Go to his website disclosed at the back of the book for the extra photos he took. If I ever get to Chianti, I will buy a modern Vespa and travel the same route.



3. Never have I been more entertained by, or more envious of, of an author's escapades than in Peter Moore's 'Vroom with a View.' If you already love Vespas, it's a must-read... if, on the other hand, you'd never given the lovable scooters more than a second thought, be prepared to spend countless hours scouring the internet for your own personal Sophia.



4. As an owner of a Vespa with little free time or enough daring to travel solo through Italy myself, I found this book to be a wonderful way to fulfill a fantasy. Moore's writing is accessible to all readers regardless of their Vespa status. It works as well as a travelogue for anyone considering an off-the-beaten-path tour of Italy as it does for those of us with a special love for the joy of riding a Vespa.
   
   I also recommend his short piece on riding in Vietnam which can be purchased through Amazon too.
   
   Here's hoping that Moore will find himself on a Vespa with pen and paper in some exotic (or not so exotic) place soon!



5. I loved it! I don't have more to say than the others here except, what the hell is with that ONE STAR from someone who had only positive things to say about it?

1 comments about The Wonders of the Amalfi Coast: Capri, Ischia, Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento (Italian Regions).

1. This heavy volume of beautiful if somewhat over-colorized photos helps fill a void in books about the unspeakably beautiful Amalfi coast, and highlights some truly gorgeous works of art, but still fails to capture the magic of the area on a few points. First, the photography almost uniformly focuses on sunny, picture-perfect days - and thus fails to capture the coast's most amazing feature, the play of sunlight and shadow, mist and shade that constantly transforms each breathtaking vista. Second, the text is awkwardly written, or at least translated. The author is apparently a renowned journalist, so I will blame the translation and editing of the text, which is scattershot and often throws out terminology that assumes a knowledge of Italian or Latin. Third, there is almost no mention of Ravello, and only one small photo or two of the most magical place in the entire region!

2 comments about Frommer's Northern Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours).

1. This Driving Tours book is a great resource, but only used as a companion to the Frommer's Northern Italy book. Shouldn't take the two books together to get the whole scoop, but it does if you are an independent traveler. This book shows the relative relationship each small town has to another - helpful if you like to explore on your own. Other benefit is that it shows a number of "off the beaten path" small towns and attractions not referenced in the general Northern Italy book. Still prefer Frommer's to any other resource - every day of the week!



2. The book seems nice enough, and I am sure it is a wonderful travel companion, but does unfortunately not cover the north east area / Dolomites area (South Tyrol) of Italy - that's where we are planning to go - so I opted to return it.

No comments about Fodor's Italy 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides).

No comments about The Rough Guide to Sicily 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

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.

1 comments about The Rough Guide to the Italian Lakes (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1. There is no other place like the Northern Lakes, and no other book can guide you so smoothly across the beautiful waters and into the perfect magical Port that surround the Lakes.

3 comments about Time Out Rome (Time Out Guides).

1. I do recommend TimeOut's city guides. Having visited several major cities (i.e. San Francisco, New York, London and Paris) in the last two years I have always been satisfied with the hotels, visits and restaurants suggested in these books. When I had the chance of visiting Rome at the end of last year the scenario was the same. Although I DO know the city (I have been there three times before) I can assure that this book was VERY informative and helpful. Congratulations TIMEOUT, the information you provide is priceless for the usual traveller



2. We used this book on a recent trip to Rome. It is the only thing you need. Don't bother buying a map, this book has the best one I have seen. Unlike other tour books, every restaurant was still in business and the reviews were always right on.
   I will buy time out for any city I go to. Worth every penny!



3. We used this as our only guide book on a recent trip to Rome (also used their Time Out Venice version for the Venice portion of our trip - also would recommend). These books are small and easy to carry, something that was important to us in a guide book.
   
   The maps are very good in both books, especially for finding specific things in neighborhoods. (We also used the Streetwise Rome map, which was better at getting an over all idea of how things were laid out & included more street names - using both resources allowed us to always find our way around.) We found the restaurant reviews to be helpful and the background info interesting. The only thing that was somewhat unhelpful to us was the focus on artwork - for being a small guide, the writers really emphasize and spend a lot of time describiing artwork on display in various places. We were as intersted in historical sites / info as artwork, and this book was probably not the best resource for quickly & easily finding out info about historical sites. Information was often buried within paragraphs, so a little tough to find when we wanted to look up something quickly. This book combined with another that emphasized the historical significance of places would probably have been a better option for us. However, that said, I would still recommend this book if you are looking for something easy to carry around, with good info over all.