5 comments about Walking in Italy (Walking).

1. Serious trekkers should add this invaluable guidebook to their travel shelves. In its rapidly growing walking guide series, Lonely Planet very effectively defines its audience and focus. Walking in Italy is aimed at travelers who want to include extensive hiking in their trips or those who plan long-distance trekking journeys. The authors have selected nine areas of walks and organized both regionally and thematically. Sections such as the "Volcanoes of Southern Italy" tempt readers to plan trips that will immerse them in the rich culture and natural history of the regions described.

   My wife and I field-tested this guide on a recent trip to Southern Italy and greatly valued its level of detail. We found the maps and trail directions highly accurate and easy to follow, and we particularly appreciated the many sidebars on local culture, history, and the environment. Walk descriptions also include public transportation to trailheads, campgrounds, budget lodgings and restaurants, even local sources for maps and trail guides. The first quarter of this compact book, moreover, is devoted to general travel information, which just could make this single guide all the walker needs to carry on a trip to Italy.




2. The emphasis of this useful little handbook is on walking in rural, even wild Italy. It describes walks in nine areas: the western Alps, the Lake District, the Dolomites, Maritime Alps, Liguria, the southern Italian volcanoes, the Amalfi Coast & Sorrento Peninsula, Tuscany and Sardenia. Also, it describes four long-distance walks which traverse the length or, pretty nearly, the width of Italy.

   Coverage of each geographic area is uneven, but it's always at least enough for a rapid overview. For example, Liguria gets just 13 pages. However, it has so many wonderful walks that it's worth a book of its own. The volcanoes of southern Italy get 40 pages. And that's just about right.

   There are useful chapters about the housekeeping details of taking a walk in Italy. These cover how to get to Italy, finding transport to the site of each walk, health, safety and first aid tips, facts needed for planning a walk and those background details of Italy which may be important to a walker.




3. Seeing Italy in all its grand beauty is simply not enough by plane, train or vespa. NO my friend, you must get out and WALK. There is no better way to see the hidden wonders of this wonderful country, and Lonely planet is the only walking partner you need. Tips on the best walking tracks, great food, hidden splendors...they are all in this easy to carry wealth of a paperback. When your trip is over, you will not want to part ways with such a book. I often look over this book to conjure up memories of my trip. If your heading to Italy, get this book, I dont think there are any others that fare better in comparison to Lonely Planet.



4. This book walked us through some great walks in northern Italy. It has all the details you may need. The track is described in a way you can't go wrong. They warn the reader about every possible obstacle, give exact transportaion schedule, recommend maps, seasons and walking gear.
   
   The tracks vary in length and difficulty. The book mentions the length, duration, and difficulty of every walk, so the reader can stay with what suits them.
   
   We even took their recommendation for a hotel, and it turned out to be a good recommendation. It was not fancy, but clean and pleasant, just as the book said.
   
   (I refer to the hotel they recommend in Malcesina, on lake Garda).
   
   All in all - I'm very glad to have bought this book. It brought our trip to a whole different level.
   
   There is a lot of general information about each area. I found it verey interesting, and I think you should read the descriptions carefully before you start your walks.
   
   Have fun!!



5. This book covers so much territory so quickly, i didn't find it useful for the amalfi coast. there it only covered a few main walks in main towns instead of getting very deep. the Sunflower Landscape series is much more thorough but doesn't have hotel recommendations.

No comments about Insight Guides Rome (Insight Guides. Rome).

5 comments about Foro Italico.

1. This book reveals a little known part of Roman and Italian history that is incredible. The photos and the information presented are fascinating and this book makes a wonderful addition to any collection of art books, photographic volumes or Italian cultural texts. The composition and presentation of the photographs is truly striking and erotic without being in any way prurient. It is absolutely a true work of art about incredible works of art!



2. The book is beautifully printed and bound, but the photographer (Mott) uses almost exclusively head and upper-chest shots of the statues. In the rare occasions where the full body is displayed, a side or back view is often shown. Half of the photos are in color, which is a waste. These statues demand black and white film. Only a small fraction of the 60 statues were photographed. Luigi Ballerini's long (6 pages) piece was so long-winded and convoluted, I had to read it three times and I still don't understand what he was trying to say. For such a short book, I was surprised to find detail shots of a hand with a ball in it and a hand with a discus in it. What is the point? The 8-page article by Michelangelo Sabatino was interesting, but I would have preferred more full shots of more statues instead. Mott, clearly, has spent too much time in the United States to have an understanding of the meaning of eroticism. I'd love to see these statues photographed by a northern European!



3. For anyone who has seen the statues of the Foro Italico in Rome, this book will come as a surprise. A visit to the Foro will not impress the viewer in the same way as this book. The photographer has captured the allure and grave dignity of the most beautiful (they are not all of the same high quality) of these statues in an array of close-ups and full figure shots. The essays by Sabatino and Ballerini are fascinating and well written. The book itself is magnificently produced. Mott seems to have taken the photographs before the statues were disfigured by the effects of air pollution. One wonders how long it will take the Italian authorities to realize the value of these works from the 30s and restore them?



4. For anyone who has seen the statues of the Foro Italico in Rome, this book will come as a surprise. A visit to the Foro will not impress the viewer in the same way as this book. The photographer has captured the allure and grave dignity of the most beautiful (they are not all of the same high quality) of these statues in an array of close-ups and full figure shots. The essays by Sabatino and Ballerini are fascinating and well written. The book itself is magnificently produced. Mott seems to have taken the photographs before the statues were disfigured by the effects of air pollution. One wonders how long it will take the Italian authorities to realize the value of these works from the 30s and restore them?



5. George Mott's 1982 photographs of some of the most beautiful of the male athletic statues that surround the Foro Italico is the subject of this book. Mussolini, attempting to glorify the althetic male body in his Stadium of Statues, was disappointed that the 1944 Olympics in Rome were cancelled because of World War II. Yet the stadium and these 12 foot marble statues remain and are captured well by Mott's black and white presentation.
   
   The core of the book is 32 photographs of these graceful statues of athletic men. The Boxer is certainly one of the most impressive and is featured not only on the book cover but by two photographs inside the book showing the statue of heayweight champion Primo Carnera from two views. The Diver is of a youth that looks like an image from classical antiquity. Hercules is shown twice, once as the discus thrower and then again with the head of the defeated lion covering the back of his head and shoulders. The Boxer donated by Mantova is a strong work of art, showing the expanded brow and broken nose of a powerful and confident man. The Bare Fisted Boxer by Bellini also is a work of masculine power with the characteristic expanded brow and broken nose, adding to the masculine attraction rather than distracting. The Soccer Player by Morescalchi again evokes the sublime youth of classical antiquity.
   
   If someone was purchasing this book purely for male erotica, I would think they will be disappointed. The figures of young male athelets in the prime of their youth and power are certainly compelling, but the statues are of unequal appeal and Mott selects only half for this book. The images are of marble statues and whereas the bodies are stunning, they are also stylized in a manner later seen in Soviet social realism. However, in 4 or 5 images, the essence of male beauty is captured in these marble giants in powerful almost architypal simplicity and grace.

No comments about ART AND HISTORY OF SICILY (BONECHI ART & HISTORY COLLECTION).

1 comments about Cicerone Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: North, Central and East (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1. This is quite a good book, it was very helpful during my trip in north Italy. it should be complemented with maps of each mountain range.. The only downside is that via ferratas are represented visually with very simple schematics instead of small maps..

No comments about Every Pilgrim's Guide to Assisi: And Other Franciscan Places.

1 comments about Fodor's See It Italy, 2nd Edition (Fodor's See It).

1. I love the Fodor's "See It" books. My husband and I get these books for every country (& sometimes city) we travel to. They have outstanding descriptions of what there is to see as well as fabulous photos to give you a better idea of what you will see when you are there. Also, if you're planning on taking the guide to the country with you, it gives you maps of the area in the back. Definitely one of the best travel guides out there!

5 comments about The Stones Of Venice.

1. As much as I appreciate and respect the work of the editor, I was distresed to find that passages in which Ruskin addressed labor reform were left out. This was in Chapter 6. In the original, Ruskin argued for preserving the integrity of individual workers. I found that this edition left out pages that concerned labor reform, making the work appear to concern architecture alone. If you are interested in Ruskin's views on society, then, be cautious of this. For my part, I ended up resorting to the Norton Anthology of Literature for the text I needed.
   
   In the "Gothic" passage of SoV Ruskin wrote quite forcefully in defense of labor. He emphasized how important it is for buildings to show the work of individual workers. Signs of their work are an essential part of the architecture, he contended. Much of this argument does not appear in this edition.
   
   It remains a wonderful work for those who are interested in the architecture alone.



2. Hey, guys! A lot of the reviews of this book are complaining that the text is abridged. No! This book is the first of THREE VOLUMES which, together, make up the entire "Stones of Venice." To get the whole thing, you need to buy Volumes 10 and 11 as well, not just Volume 9. (N.B., "The Nature of Gothic," the best-known part, is in Volume 10.) It's all there. You just weren't looking in the right place.
   
   That having been said, it's a shame that one has to spend about $300 to get the complete text in a nice, hardbound format. But it's still a worthy investment.



3. Amazon frequently mixes reader reviews of various editions of a given classic work. Such is the case here. Be advised that if you are now veiwing the Dover 3 vol. edition of Ruskin's The Stones of Venice, it is the UNABRIDGED edition of this work. Not a single word is missing. As such, this is the ultimate edition to own.



4. This is misleading...not even 5% of the Ruskin masterwork is printed in this book.



5. The Stones of Venice is beautifully written and a must-read for anyone interested in art, architecture, Venice, and Victorian literature. The massive original has been pared down here into a much more manageable volume without sacrificing its brilliant prose and insightful commentary. It'll easily fit in your carry-on luggage for your next trip to Italy.

No comments about Verona (Footprint - Pocket Guides).

1 comments about AAA Spiral Florence, 3rd Edition (Aaa Spiral Guides).

1. I love the AAA series for travel guides. Each one has a map in the back of the city, plus breaks the city up by regions. If there is a metro in the city (typically there are in Europe), it also has a map of the metro. It offers suggested tours for hitting the major attractions, plus some walking tours for off the beaten path. The best part of the book is that it's thin and fairly lightweight in comparison with most travel books, making it easy to throw it in your purse, backpack or coat pocket AND doesn't add a ton of weight to your suitcase! The only downside is that I wish they had a map of the entire country so it's easy to reference where the city is in relation to other cities. But other than that, I highly recommend it!