1 comments about Marco Polo (Junior World Explorers).

1. This is an excellent series that teaches history to the 8-12year old child. The book is excellently written, 96 pages with blackand white sketches along the way.

   ...we are very impressed at thecontent and reading style of this series. Highly recommended.

No comments about Blue Guide Tuscany, Fifth Edition (Blue Guide Tuscany).

2 comments about The Independent Walker's Guide to Italy: 35 Breathtaking Walks in Italy's Captivating Landscape (The Independent Walker Series).

1. We spent 2 weeks in Italy and did 6 walks. We would love to do more. This was a very easy guide to follow and you could make this the only book you need. Can't wait to try another one soon.



2. We spent 6 days in Italy, and ended up only doing 2 of the walks (plus visited the site of a 3rd), but found this book a great resource for getting away from the crowds, without being in the back of beyond. It provided ideas for some truly unique places to go that weren't on the usual "tourist's map" of Italy. Also, one of the hotel recommendations in the beginning (there aren't many -- the book is not at all a comprehensive guide) was a great find. We did find at least one discrepancy in a trail marking (at the end of the Florence walk), so be alert and flexible!

No comments about Insight Guide Museums and Galleries of Florence (Insight Guides (Museums and Galleries)).

1 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Piedmont & Northwest Italy, with Turin and the Alps (National Geographic Traveler).

1. This bookguide focuses on Turin, Piedmont, The Aosta Valley and Liguria.
   
   It includes one walking tour of Turin's historic center and three driving tours: The Langhe Region, Lake Maggiore and The Aosta Valley. It also includes articles on interesting facts: Cafe Life, Fiat, Contemporary Art, The Slow-Food Movement, Truffels, The Gardens of Lake Maggiore and Giuseppe Mazzini.
   
   I didn't give it 5 starts because I think it should've featured at least one more walking tour of Turin and maps of other cities (Aosta and Genoa for example). Besides, all the hotels listed are rather expensive, so this isn't a bookguide for those who travel on a budget.
   
   In general, it's quite good, so I highly recommend it.

1 comments about Vidal in Venice.

1. Gore Vidal takes you across more than a thousand years of Venetian history ___from its improbable origins as a safe haven from the marauding hordes of Attila the Hun (5th century AD), through a thousand years of the great Venetian Republic ("The Serene Republic"!)____down to its present day status as a tourist Mecca . Vidal garnishes his observations of the city and its people with characteristic irreverant humor.The pace of the book is pretty informal with short chapters devoted to the origins of Venice, its geography , the great mercantile Venetian empire which lasted over a millenium ,the flowering of arts : Veronese , Tintoretto, Giorgione , Vivaldi & Palladio were all at some point or another associated with the city . Also interspersed are some observations about Venice which most foreigners may not be familiar with e.g: "There is no sight more beautiful than Venice under a snowfall .Venice is like a once-great beauty who deserves to be seen by candlelight , and the soft light of winter works like a photographer's air-brush on the city's many cracks and wrinkles .Venice is particularly beautiful in a winter mist " etc.Also included is a chapter on the high and mighty who chose to spend some time in Venice : Henry James, Byron, Richard Wagner not to mention that Stravinsky is buried there .This is a good light read and Vidal is an entertaining guide along the way.

No comments about Insight Compact Guide Italian Riviera (Insight Compact Guides Italian Riveria).

1 comments about Rome In Detail Revised and Updated Edition: A Guide for the Expert Traveler.

1. This book was recommended to me by a frequent traveler to Rome. It is the best guidebook I have found for Rome. Every page has kept my interest and the book is very well organized to allow the reader to understand how the city is divided and will help a tourist use the time wisely while in this beautiful city.
   I would rank this guidebook #1 for Rome.

5 comments about Italy for the Gourmet Traveler.

1. If I had only one book to take with me when travelling in Italy, this would be it! Fred Plotkin's taste is impeccable. He's not a snob, and although not adverse to the occasional expensive restaurant, he generally leads you elsewhere: to the local trattorias that serve up sublimated versions of the local, home-cooked cuisine. His adjunct entries (food stores, markets, etc.) are also wonderful and fascinating. Some of the entries are out of date, but this is still essential for any food-loving traveller (and why go to Italy if you're not?).



2. I have used this book extensively during two trips to Italy, which covered approximately 45 days. This book is invaluable if you want to experience Italy like a "real" Italian.
   
   The author does a nice job explaining the various types of eating establishments (ristoranti, trattoria, osteria, enoteca, tavola calda, etc.) and how what you can expect in those establishments is different. The author also does a fabulous job of listing the various names for food stores and what they sell. This is extremely helpful if your Italian is weak or nonexistent. Also helpful for the first time visitor to Italy is the discussion of how to purchase something in a food shop. Most Americans are unfamiliar with the concept of paying first at the cashier, and then taking the ticket to the person who will prep your food. But in a gelateria or pizza shop this is just how it is done. Also nice, is how the author explains the table charge (or cover charge), what it is for, and that is optional since many locals will stand at the bar to eat.
   
   Regional specialties are covered in this book in reasonable detail. This is very helpful for getting into the spirit of a place and enjoying what is native to their geography. The Italians are very big on this notion and are fiercely loyal to their own products. If you want to fit in like an Italian, it is helpful to know how what you order in Firenze is different from Roma, or Venezia.
   
   I have found the authors recommendations on restaurants to be right on target. Many of the restaurants he recommends I had been in prior to purchasing this book and found that I agreed with his selections.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves food, and wants to enjoy the best that Italy has to offer.



3. I planned my last trip to Italy around this book. Fred in one hand, an atlas of Italy in another. His insights into regional food kept us true to the places we visited (Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, along the Adriatic coast, and Emiglia Romana), and served as a magical gustatory compass. We had five of our top-ten-EVER meals on that trip, with very few splurges. We're going to France in three weeks and have lamented over and over that this book doesn't have a French counterpart. If only he had a Francophile twin!



4. His reviews, from what I have experienced, are right on. I would recommed this book to a foodie who is going to be travelling to Italy.



5. This is an excellent book for deciding which part of Italy to visit if you want your trip to be food orientated. You have to remember that you can cross over from area to area though. You also have to remember that the book was written ten years ago and some places may no longer exist or be out of business. But it's so enthusiastic and although centered on food
   offers other options as well, like classic towns to visit. It fills you with a joy for visiting Italy and I thoroughly recommend it while urging Mr Plotkin to please please update it.

4 comments about MapEasy's Guidemap to Italy.

1. we went to europe with it and it was very helpful. it had all the special sights to see and also told you where the best ice-cream was.



2. I've used Mapeasy in four countries and countless U.S. cities and they're by far my favorite. They're easy to read and use and provide the places most tourists want to see. Well worth the money.



3. This is a great resource guide for locations in Italy where my tour group will visit. Every trip participant is getting a map.
   
   Marie Yolande The Great Italian Escape at www.marieyolande.com



4. This is a great tourist map. I love how the sites are marked right on the map, along with interesting information about them.