3 comments about Francesco's Italy: A Personal Journey through Italian Culture - Past and Present.

1. Is this on dvd and why don't you have it for sale. We saw it on the travel channel but would like the dvd. We enjoyed the program.



2. I just discovered this wonderful author & his TV program for BBC was incredible-makes me want to return to Italy today!



3. The best documentary/history of Italy's regions. Very well written and informative while keeping your attention. Wonderful photography. A book to treasure.

5 comments about Romancing the Vine: Life, Love, and Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo.

1. Not long after the horrifying 9/11, restaurateur Alan Tardi closed his popular Follonico to leave the Big Apple for some soul searching. He went Italy's renowned wine region the Piedmont where he settled in the village of Castiglione Falletto. Mr. Tardi explains that 9/11 was a wake up call to what matters in life, love of others and to be loved. Thus he followed his heart to be with his Ivana at her family vineyards working the field along with her brother to bring it back to life. Though he returns to Manhattan periodically he has adjusted to his new outdoors lifestyle.
   
   Part travelogue, part Italian cookbook, part romance, and part cleansing the soul, Mr. Tardi provides a deep look at the Piedmont wine region while at the same time enabling readers a chance to understand why he needed to reknew his life. The recipes are mouthwatering and the description of the are are top rate, but the biography is at its best when the author opens his soul to his audience; the cooking and vineyards are healers at least for him while his love of people is what the terrorists cannot destroy.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. Alan Tardi has a true gift for description as evidenced in the wonderful book, Romancing the Vine. I felt as if I had been transported to Italia and dropped into the Barolo region every time I picked up the book! The people became real through his picturesque representations, and you could feel the temperatures as he worked in the vineyards, and taste the food as he sat down with the various individuals with whom he came into contact! I thoroughly enjoyed Romancing the Vine, and hope that it is only the first of many books from Signor Tardi!



3. Just a great read. I fell in love with Piemonte while reading this book. I envy the author! Oh and some great recipes to try also.



4. As a fellow Italio-American New Yorker, Mr. Tardi's quest for an NYC exit hits home. As much as we "New Yorkah's" love NY, we hope that a better lifestyle is out there and that we are able to break free to experience it. Also like Mr. Tardi, I found a similar venue for my ultimate "escape from NY"-Torino (only 45 minutes from Barolo). The combination of the author's thirst for a richer life and a delicate romance (I too am married to a beautiful Italian "testa dura") woven into age-old Piedmonte recipe's and nurtured along with tantalizing tales of the "King of Wines" results in wonderful read, that inspires the reader to eat, drink and live La Dolce Vita! Bravo Mr. Tardi! (maybe I'll run into you on July 5th when I take a day trip to your new home!)



5. I've read many books of this genre (American/Brit starts a new life in Europe, American goes to find his roots, American/Brit leaves his or her job to pursue food or wine career in Europe, etc.), generally involving either Italy or France, and I found this one of the most disappointing. Too wordy, too self-centered, the writing made what should have been interesting stories fairly boring.

No comments about Best of Rome (Best Of).

No comments about Venice (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1 comments about Gardens of Italy.

1. Sixty gardens is of course a personal selection of gardens by the author. And I miss quite a few of historic and design-wise interesting places. Le Marche is not represented at all and Villa Barbarigo is also missing, along with some smaller, but exquisite gardens scattered over the peninsula. That said, the photos are great and most of the more famous places are well illustrated. The text is not that of a deep-probing and exploring academic, it's simply describing the place with some impressions and a few facts well known from previously published books. The best book on the subject is still Georgina Massons 'Italian Gardens' from the 1950's. Very strange...

3 comments about Central Italy: The Collected Traveler: Tuscany and Umbria (The Collected Traveler).

1. This is a lovely, evocative book that's also extremely useful and is a necessity for anyone who loves Tuscany and Umbria. A collection of little odds and ends about the area, this is a book to dip into or read from cover to cover. Leaning more heavily toward Tuscany than Umbria and omitting Le Marche (the only reason it didn't get 5 stars from me, because Tuscany has been covered so much already), it covers the major sights as well as hidden treasures, and chapters on the food, the people, and the art of Central Italy are especially fine. Many books include bibliographies, referring readers to other books on Italy, but Kerper's is especially comprehensive. The compiler's love for Italy comes shining through on every page. Nice photos, too! Because it's such a pretty book, this is also a pretty neat gift selection.



2. A guidebook without maps? A guidebook you can curl up and read cover-to-cover? Yes, this is it. As one who has vacationed in Tuscany for a total of 36 weeks in the past 11 years, I found this book not only evocative of fond memories but instructive by pointing me to places, eateries, and certain facts of Italian life of which I was unaware. The early sections covering tipping, car rental, trains, etc. are of particular help to the first time traveler. There's even a little Frances Mayes in there for the 1% of the people interested in Italy who have not read her books on Tuscany. But after reading this book, you'll have to get a map or two anyway...because you'll have booked a flight to bella Italia.



3. I have always enjoyed Barrie Kerper's Collected Traveler anthologies, and own three of them. They are the ultimate guidebooks for inveterate readers: rather than names and addresses and prices and museum hours, they contain a wide variety of essays and travel pieces on the place in question. While I certainly wouldn't travel without one of those more specific Fodor's or Eyewitness guidebook, these are priceless for giving the flavor and the feel of the place, as well as providing history and folklore that more practical hand books don't have space for. This particular volume on Central Italy contains, among many others, a really charming essay by William Zinsser on Siena; a wonderful and detailed account by Lis Harris on Siena's annual Palio; and a piece on market day in Cortona by Frances Mayes of Tuscan Sun fame. You don't even have to leave your chair to have a purely enjoyable experience.
   
   My one complaint is that there's no index, and only a ve-e-ery general table of contents, so once you find an article you like, you have to thumb through 600-plus pages to find it again. Where's the piece on garlic bread? Who knows. Why do people say renaissance Florence contributed as much to music as it did to art and science? Can't find it. I don't believe in over-regimentation, but in this case, a little cataloguing would be a very good thing.

No comments about Frommer's Tuscany and Umbria With Your Family: From Renaissance Architecture to Stunning Scenery (Frommers With Your Family Series).

4 comments about A Traveller in Italy.

1. My introduction to Morton's travel writings was through this book, "A Traveller in Italy"; by now I've read at least a dozen. As in all his many travel books, Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation and knowledge of the art, culture and the history of a place with his own keen observations of the contemporary countryside and the people. Morton's stories and observations are as engaging as the landscape and people he writes about. Don't sentences such as "The rain descends with the enthusiasm of someone breaking bad news." make you feel that you are there?

   Henry Vollam Morton was born on 26 July 1892 near Manchester. He began his career on the Birmingham Express at 17, and became assistant editor after only two years. A year later he came to London to edit a magazine. After World War I he found his vocation as a descriptive travel writer. His success in reporting the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb led to him being given the chance to write a series of vignettes about London life for the Daily Express. These later appeared in book form in the 1920s [as "The Heart of London" and "The Spell of London"]. He died in South Africa in 1979, aged 86. Many have called him the best travel writer ever, and I concur. Most of his books are titled "In Search of ...", "In the Steps of ..." or "A Stranger in ...", "A Traveller in ..."". But even the armchair traveler doesn't feel a stranger after delving into Morton's charm.

   These are NOT guidebooks, with lists of things to cover with only 2 days in Rome, etc.; you will find no information on opening times, entrance fees, etc. But you will find a wealth of information and a sense of "being there". Morton's books are perfect for pre-trip planning and dreaming, to get a sense of the place; perfect for post-trip nostalgia, to relive the sights and sounds and aromas and people; perfect for the armchair traveler, who can't get there but would still like to experience a locale, not just read about it.

   His books have recently been reprinted, in handsome paper editions, this one with an introduction by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison [author of "Italian Days"]. I highly recommend "A Traveller in Italy" - actually, I highly recommend any of Morton's books you can get your hands on.

   Others to look for, to read, and to love: "A Traveller in Italy"; "A Traveller in Rome"; "A Traveller in Southern Italy"; "In Search of England"; "In Search of Ireland"; "In Search of Scotland"; "In Search of Wales"; "In Search of the Holy Land"; "A Stranger in Spain"; "In the Steps of St. Paul"; "In the Steps of the Master".




2. In Italy, I have often cast a pitying eye on the uninspired faces of people in large tour groups. You have, no doubt, seen them yourself, as they mindlessly follow a leader who is holding some ridiculous object aloft on a stick and frequently supplying dubious anecdotal information selected to entertain rather than enlighten. Anyone in such a group with an earnest zeal to know more about the scenic, historical, architectural, and artistic miracle that the world calls Italy would do well to obtain a copy of one of Morton's books on Italy. But bring along a copy of a traditional guide as well, since Morton's books will not direct you to the best hotels, restaurants, and places to shop; rather, they tend to be journals of his travel experiences into which he incorporates his extensive research of the places he visits.

   "A Traveller in Italy" is not about ALL of Italy. It covers Lombardy (Milan, the lake district, etc.), Emilia-Romagna (Bologna, Rimini, Ravenna, etc.), Veneto (Venice, Padua, Verona), and Tuscany (requires no introduction). (Morton also wrote "A Traveller in Southern Italy," but, alas, the two books together do not cover the entire country.) "A Traveller in Italy," like "A Traveller in Southern Italy" and "A Traveller in Rome" (but unlike his ethereal and out-of-print "Fountains of Rome") follows Morton's peregrinations and glows with his rich narrative of historical background, personal experiences, and musings. If you are an "off the beaten track" sort, you will particularly enjoy this book, since Morton is at his best when, say, locating the villa of Pliny the Elder, with its peculiar spring, in a remote corner of Lake Como, or discovering that an elixir, the recipe of which dates back to the time of Herodotus, is still being sold in Venice (at least in 1964, when the book was published).

   What must be experienced first-hand in this book is that Morton was such an eminently likable fellow. This, along with his lively curiosity, his sense of humor, his well-researched and fascinating historical narratives, and his brilliant command of the English language make the book so highly readable. But there's no need to wait for a trip to northern Italy to read this book - I frequently pull it off the shelf and read it for pure pleasure.




3. The book was just as described and arrived within the time it was expected. It's wonderful to have access to hard-to-find books through Amazon and its reliable sources.



4. Words fail me, as indeed they do not fail Mr. Morton, in describing the immense beauty of this book. Morton portrays his experiences in Italy in a fashion which evokes the wonder that perhaps is lost in our generation which tends to overlook the beauty he feels viscerally and intellectually as he moves through this most beautiful country. The personal observations are excellent literature in their own right. I especially was awed by his remembrances of Umbria. His deeply felt observations on the life of St. Francis are simly beautiful. Going to Lombardy, his depiction of the fall of Mussolini is extraordinary drama. He never fails to give you his own feelings and emotions on a subject that moves him. In reading this most inspiring work, I am reminded of the adage "...the shudder of awe is man's greatest emotion." Read this book. You will not forget it.

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.

4 comments about Florence (City Guide).

1. On a recent trip to France and Italy, my wife and I picked up books from several different publishers to cover each of the four areas we were visiting: Paris, Florence, Venice, and Provence. Every book was a tremendous help - except for this one published by Lonely Planet. Without a doubt, this is the worst travel book I have ever tried to rely on. A heroin-addicted chimpanzee could organize a book better than the author and editor, who have eschewed alphabetizing in favor of the random topic jumps of a fashion magazine. Once the information is located, it is muddled with the author's stream of consciousness ramblings about the reader's anticipated viewing of the Florentines' summer tans. For the book to be of any use, a visitor would have to highlight and memorize the rare and sporadic meaningful passages long before setting foot on Italian soil. Finally, the publishers at Lonely Planet have elected to provide only a smattering of maps of Florence, and instead ask that you purchase a separate book for that purpose. I can say, without question, that there are only 3 legitimate reasons for purchasing this "guide": (1) you are related to the author and have some familial obligation that cannot be severed by divorce; (2) you are writing a travel guide yourself and need an example of the worst case scenario to avoid; or (3) you are suckered in by the Lonely Planet logo without a prior customer review to warn you how bad it is.



2. I just came back from Florence and I used this guide. It had great restaurants listed and I visited serveral. It also gave me some great advice for going to Fiesole. I saw a private garden that was beautiful!
   
   If you are the type that likes to go to local hangouts, this is your guide.



3. I lived in Florence for 6 months and made the mistake of taking this book along...worthless!



4. I loooooooooved this book while I lived in Florence for four months. The descriptions were witty, sometimes totally out there, yet always on par. I truly believe that anyone that doesn't like this series is merely too old for it or not up for enough fun. It has spectacular recommendations for restuarants, bars, and just enough history for the sights to see. For more history and detail, I like the Eyewitness guides. My Italian experience would not have been the same with out this guide... a definite must buy.