5 comments about Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present.

1. This is a great book but way too expensive. I could have bought the exact book in Rome for less than half the price from a vendor at the Colosseum but decided to wait until I got home.



2. This book uses overlays to show what Ancient Rome looked like when everything was new and in good shape. Then, you can flip the overlay and see how things look now. I always wondered how things looked then and wished I had a time machine to go back to those days. This book is the second-best thing to a time machine. The artists have done a great job of reconstructing the famous buildings, forums and temples. The book is well worth the money and is less expensive from Amazon than buying it in Rome.



3. Great book
   love to see rome then and now
   makes history come alive



4. We're planning a trip to Rome and like to prepare by reading about places we'll be seeing. This gives a very good explanation of the Roman building remains in an interesting manner.



5. This is a wonderful book. It really fleshes out the remains of Rome's ancient monuments

5 comments about The Pilgrim's Italy: A Travel Guide to the Saints (Colleen Heater).

1. We traveled for a month in Italy and it was wonderful to have this book at our side. Suddenly we would find ourselves in a new area and look up the region in the book, only to find yet another saint we might visit! It is said that you can't hardly throw a rock and not hit a saint in Italy, so one could not possibly expect the book to contain them all. But it is wonderfully researched and leads you to even some back and sleepy places in search of inspiration. I remember taking a side journey on the Amalfi coast in search of one of the saints, which resulted in a most spectacular diversion to our otherwise calculated plans, a wonderful surprise worth finding. I recommend the book if you are interested in finding even some of the magnificent inspiration available in Italy.



2. In 2004 I took a trip to Italy. My intent was to seek out places of high spiritual vibration (due to the historical presence of saints) and to meditate in those places. The Pilgrim's Italy was invaluable in carrying out this vision. Many of the places I visited were off the beaten track and accessible and authentic beyond my imaginings (especially the hermitages associated with St. Francis, about an hour outside Rome). My spiritual life was transformed by my meditations in Italy, and I am forever grateful to the authors for their informative guidance.



3. I just purchased this book and already I'm using it to plan our next trip. The information on how to find the pilgrimage sites, hours, lodging, etc, are thorough and helpful. But more than that, I really enjoy the information on the lives of the saints. If you can't make it to Italy, you can use the book to make a pilgrimage at home by finding a quiet spot and journeying with these saints toward a stronger faith in God. I highly recommend this book.



4. A very good guide if you are going to Italy, and want to venerate the Italian saints during your holiday.



5. This book was an awesome reference on my recent pilgrimage of Catholic Italy with my church. Father Daren and several people asked me if they could use the book during the trip. Made me more spiritually ready as I visited the sacred sites. A lot of information. Thanks!!!

5 comments about Bringing Tuscany Home: Sensuous Style From the Heart of Italy.

1. I was so excited when I ordered this book and so let down after getting it and looking it over. The cover is VERY deceptive. This is NOT a style/decorating book. This is the story of a couple renovating a wonderful old home in Tuscany. It is well written and at times charming and warm. It is also often quite boring reading about what stone to pick for the house and who they visited and what wine they drank. It almost seems as if the author were forcing another book out for publication!! There are VERY FEW photos...barely any really in the book. The photos present are of wine, friends, a few of the house and a few of home decor/furniture layout, and food. The photos are very striking and pretty....if you enjoy seeing their friends and not really getting any basic decorating ideas. There are about 30 recipes and photos of the food, as I said above. Some recipes are nice but I really didn't see anything new and inspiring. A good Italian cookbook would be a better investment. As for the cover....it is very deceptive to say the least since it focuses on a very pretty vignette: furniture, art, pottery and style of arrangement. This is most definitely NOT what this book is about. In fact: I found the cover to be the best part of the book. I decided to return it and look for a better book really focusing on design. The author clearly loves Tuscany and if you want a nicely written and warm hearted book to read about hers and her husband's story of renovation, friends and their love of food, wine and Tuscany then you will like this book. It is not a picture book at all but rather a reading book with a story that seems rather forced and often VERY VERY boring and drawn out for the purpose of publication.



2. This a wonderful exploration into Italian design. Loved it. Highly recommended for the designer or homeowner.



3. Francis Mayes does such an incredible job of bringing Tuscany to the rest of the world. This book includes fun recipes and beautiful photos...a joy to read!
   --Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"



4. I read this book first, as I have all Frances Mayes books, from the library. Wanting the great ideas and recipes at close-hand, I purchased this as well as her others. I used many suggestions on my trip last Fall to Italy.



5. Mayes's poetic assemblage of words, captures your attention from the moment you open this book. Accompanied with luscious visualization, her words even further embrace the art of Italian living. The colors and textures of the country melt upon the pages of this book, as Frances's emotional connection with the folks of the sun drenched terrain and their joyful heritage and love for family and food, are celebrated in this work.
   
   I purchased this book along with another Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint and was amazed at the similarities of these two books. Though completely different writing styles, Mayes's book "descibes the essence" of Italian lifestyle, while Heuser's actually "captures the rich color and artistic spirit" of the Tuscan home. Both authors suggests unique ways to recreate the warmth and beauty of the Tuscan country home into your personal life - Heuser's "Your Home..." is an actual how to book, giving the reader over 30 step by step, well illustrated projects on how to easily achieve the timeless old-world atmosphere. Like the Italian inspired murals painted in Mayes's home, Heuser shares the secrets to creating "period" styled finishes and mural detailing throughout every room in your home. Both lovely books are accompanied with unbelivable art photography, with Heuser's packed with unimaginable before during and after shots illustrating the transformation of a 1890's historic home into an Italian paradise. I highly reccomend both of these titles, "especially "if you are seeking interior inspiration for creating the authentic Tuscan look and feel in your home decorating!

4 comments about Pocket Map and Guide Venice (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE).

1. I love to plan trips. I'll use 2 or 3 travel guides to get excited and think of the things I want to see. But I don't want to carry them around. This gives me a map and small descriptions to jog my memory all in a small, easy to carry book. The map is very clearly printed. What more could I want?



2. Lots of pictures. Great concise descriptions. Maps. Small glossary of Italian. Organizes everything in a clear way. Perfect! Thought I was going to get another larger version of a travel guide for Venice but not anymore. It's all I need. If I do find something that it's missing I can look it up on the internet. The only thing that might be hard for some people is the small type. I have 20/20 vision and can read it perfectly. No problem whatsoever. But if you have vision problems you might find it somewhat hard to read. Its about the size of a Hershey Bar and jammed packed with information if that gives you an idea. I love it though!



3. We'll be cruising out of Venice in the fall. This guide is the perfect size for what we need - info on all the main sites, maps, travel information. It even has a small phrasebook in the back. I have the larger Italy Eyewitness Guidebook as well. This seems to give the same basic information, without all the historical background. When you are out and about, you really just need to know the sites and how to get to them. Many reviews say the text is small, but it's not that much smaller than the regular guides. It might be harder to read if your eyesight is poor...but it is fine for me. It's smaller than I expected, which is a good thing. They've really packed a lot of information into a totally portable guide.



4. Definitely small - about 8"x4" and 80 pages. And, as mentioned by the earlier reviewers, the print is very small. A map for each district and a couple for the entire city. Thumbnail sketches. Something I want to read - unlike the big books where I never have time to read it all. I keep perusinig this book. It includes a few (after all, how many can we try) restaurants in each district of varying price ranges. There are also details on traveling from the airport. It's clean and crisp which probably makes it easier to read than it otherwise might be. I'll be going to Venice in 10 days and it will fit right in my outside purse pocket. Finally, its price is undercut by no travel guide of which I'm aware.

5 comments about The Travels of Marco Polo.

1. In the late 13th century, three Venetian merchants, two brothers and the son of one of them, visited China, which was then ruled by the Mongols. The Mongols distrusted the native Chinese and hired foreigners such as the young man as minor officials. The Venetian merchant-turned-official traveled extensively through North and South China, South-East Asia and India. After he returned to Venice, he took part in a war between Venice and Genoa, was taken prisoner, and in prison met a professional writer who wrote a book based on his memoirs and embellished it with the stock devices of late medieval romances. Among various Asiatic curiosities Messer Polo describes asbestos, coal, tigers, musk deer, sago and coconuts. He tells the story of the Buddha, describes the Mongol postal system (I was surprised that yamb, which is obviously the root of the Russian word yamshchik, a postal courier, is a Mongol word), Chinese paper money and the life of Indian yogis. For him, the Shinto "idols" of Japan are offensive for a Christian to read about, but the virginity test administered to prospective daughters-in-law in South China isn't. Marco Polo is no Jonathan Spence; he is not trying to get the reader inside the heads of people belonging to an alien culture; he is a merchant, and cares much more about the crops that grow in a certain kingdom or a region, and the crafts its inhabitants practice. Anyway, it is an enjoyable read if you liked Herodotus or the Russian Primary Chronicle. When I read it on the bus, the white man in the seat to the left of me was reading a textbook of Mandarin, and the white man to the right was practicing his Kanji - we are all Marco Polos now.



2. This is just a straight & plain narration on what Marco Polo came across. At times it's quite boring. But I mean no disrespect for Polo as he would still be a remarkable explorer & adventurer even today, not to say in the 13th century where transportation was in primitive modes. Contrasting Polo's map & the modern one is interesting though, as well as guessing the modern places corresponding to Polo's description.



3. Imagine a very boring person went through something fascinating. This person came up to you, started to talk about this incredible journey of theirs, but talking in this monotonous voice without changing pitch or showing excitement at any moment.
   
   That's essentially what "Travels of Marco Polo" is. It's an INCREDIBLY interesting book and a fascinating tale, but can it possible be said in a more dry and flat way? There is no energetic spark that makes this adventure jump off the page. Perhaps this is due to the times, but I suspect the translation is a bit literal and bland as well. The writing never changes tone, even in parts that are clearly exciting and amazing. All the facts are there, but the reader is forced to put too much energy just to make it interesting.
   
   Marco Polo had a most fascinating journey. Any history buff should snatch this book off the shelves (unless they decide to read the even longer, more annoying records that I'm sure can be found floating around), and anyone interesting in Marco Polo should as well. It may be dull at times, but it's still incredible, fascinating, and a riveting tale.
   
   Recommended to heavier, more able readers.



4. It has been a pleasure to revisit the travels of Marco Polo. I was transfixed by these stories of travel and adventure when I was a child, and never questioned the veracity of the narrative. I know today that the narrative has been corrupted over the centuries, that "The Travels" can scarcely be used as an historical reference, and that a more tantalizing and complete manuscript has probably been lost to the ages. Still, there are glimpses and insights within the narrative that could only have come from first-hand experience, and these describe an enormous, exotic world that titillates even today, while readers in the 13th and 14th centuries must have been enthralled.
   
   I was most keen this time around to Polo's descriptions of the cultures and wildlife he encountered, of the whales and lions and leopards and bears--he even describes a white bear, and the people who hunted it were surely of the group often called Eskimos. He describes dog-sledding in the far north and the cannibalistic practices of the people of Java far to the south, both of which are extant in our current era. There are also the fascinating observations of the Mongol Empire, of that group of nomadic people who somehow rose up, like an event in an Isaac Asimov novel, to conquer much of the known world.
   
   Somewhat depressingly, though, are Polo's observations of the tensions that existed between the Islamic and Christian worlds, tensions rooted in the competition for hegemony over trade in the Far East. Seven hundred years later, these tensions are still acting themselves out.
   
   This translation by Ronald Latham from 1958 includes an introduction that puts Marco Polo's life in context with events and includes footnotes to help the reader make sense of the myriad manuscripts that make up the travels of Marco Polo. This is a somewhat dry read; even Latham comments on the paucity of skill employed by Polo's chronicler. Once I put my mind in context with the narrative, however, I was able to roll with the repetition and sycophancy and enjoy the text.



5. Marco Polo purportedly spent 17 years travelling to the courts of Kublai Khan and, as an emissary for Kublai Khan, then throughout the Far East. Whether it actually happened or not is up for debate. I went into this text with an open mindset and have accepted that Marco Polo did indeed go on this trip with his father and uncle, but not to the extent as surmised. Instead he travelled and added stories he collected from traders and others to fill in gaps or points of interest to him. The book is broken into four sections now. Part One is his trip to the Great Khan's courts in Cathay (China). Part Two is his travels throughout the provinces of Cathay. Part Three concerns going to Japan, Southern India, and the Islands of the Indian Sea (Java, etc). Part Four is travelling into the 'northern countries' (Russia, etc).
   
   In general, Polo gives very brief descriptions of most regions, accounting for their religious beliefs, money used, fealty to the Great Khan Kublai. There's some intriguing customs (visitors will be taken into a home and the man of the house leaves until they are gone but the visitor has full access to the household including the wives, daughters, sisters, nieces), talks of cannibalism, dress, unfamiliar animals they encountered, and contributes to the whole messy history of Prestor John. It does get repetitive and dry after a while. Polo's talk of Kublai Khan is almost obsessive and he was obviously completely enamoured of this new culture. Overall, it was fascinating to read although I had to push myself through some parts due to repetitive descriptions. Any history buff should read this story about one of the purported most well-travelled explorers ever, not to mention he was possibly the biggest best-selling authors before the printing press was invented.

5 comments about Italian Neighbors.

1. This author lived it . . . and writes about it so well. I read this book after a trip to Italy. I wish I read it earlier. It makes my experiences traveling more relevant. I highly recommend it.



2. I think I've over-dosed on the "Briton living abroad" sub-genre of the memoir. The flow of the text seemed to get stuck so often when Parks would go out of his way to point out how different he found Italian culture. I found it quite tiresome after awhile.



3. I bought this book on the advice of my Italian language instructor and have enjoyed it. It seems to be an accurate description of what it's like to live in the northern area of Italy.
   My daughter recently moved to the area and from what I have experienced while there this year Mr. Parks writes accurately of the local culture and special ways of the people. And he writes to include the humorous daily events and quirks of the inhabitants of his little condo building.
   It's not a travel guide type of book but does provide an intersting look into the daily lives of the village and surrounding towns. I enjoyed the book and plan on sending it to my American daughter living above the village of Montecchio noted in the book.



4. This is a non-fiction memoir by Tim Parks who wrote the book after spending 10 years with his wife Rita living in Verona, Italy. Parks, places you in this Italian neighborhood where you learn of quirks and lives of the neighbors. You learn about why the government is an inefficient as it is. You learn about the 3 distinct class structures in Italy and why government employees are considered to be at the top of the food chain. You learn why Italy never seems to dig out of corruption and inefficiency. Yet, family members yearn to live in the same neighborhood for all of their lives and don't really look for their lives to change. This is all interwoven into an interesting story with Parks' usual writing magnificence. I labored at times over the author's environment descriptions but was pulled along waiting in anticipation for his character descriptions and interactions. Here's a nugget of what to expect:
   
   "...despite all the disillusionment, a very profound, heartfelt satisfaction with the way things are and a determination that they should remain so. I plump for it because it has the hallmark of that profound schizophrenia, which is also the charm, of all matters Italian: the Pope adored and ignored, the law admired and flouted, politicians despised and reelected. The gulf between officialdom's façade and private thought that façade is always supported. Nothing changes. Italy, one sometimes things, is as if frozen in the high noon of its postwar prosperity."
   
   This NY Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year lives up to its billing.



5. Overall I found this book an entertaining, smart, and engaging read. Parks has an excellent eye for detail, a great sense of low-key humor and wit, and his very readable style flows extremely well. Parks provides a vivid and intimate image of the tiny village of Montecchio (and its colorful inhabitants), where he lived with his wife.
   
   But at times I couldn't help but be slightly put off by a certain smugness, or sense of superiority that emanates from Parks' voice as he writes in great detail about the wild eccentricities of the townsfolk, and of the ineffective, maddening, catch-22-like contradictions in Italy's mind-bending bureaucratic and political labyrinth. However, I don't think he should change a single word; what makes this tone of smugness apparent is the reader doesn't get a good sense of exactly why Parks *likes* Italy (assuming he does) and why he wants to stay there. Sure, apart from saying he was driven out of London by sky-high rent, he does throw out a few crumbs about things he appreciates or actually likes about the place, but those seem outweighed by an overall tone of subtle condescension, and abundant descriptions of how everyone around him is a total freak. (And oddly, we never learn about how/where he got together with his Italian wife, and if that factors in to his living there). Writing about the insanity and seemingly incomprehensible differences is great (and having been to Italy, I can certainly relate to some of it), it's just that there's not enough love there to balance it, and that's what really makes him come off a bit patronizing. Without more of that "love", it's more of a cheap laugh at the expense of his neighbors.
   
   But overall, I'm getting longwinded here about a relatively small point. It's a recommended read not just for Italophiles or people considering a move to Italy, but for anyone in search of a readable, engaging, sociological study into a foreign town they've never been to.

5 comments about On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal.

1. It irks me that Mary Taylor Simeti is in possession of any of my money! That any publisher found ON PERSEPHONE'S ISLAND worthy of print astounds me! Be warned, you get exactly what is promised, a journal! Simeti's is a dry account, devoid of humor, insight and passion and is written with a lofty phraseology: a deadly combination that had better not be contagious! To be honest, I found the book so dull I was unable to read it straight through, so after eighty pages, I began skiping around in search of entertainment, since there is no story. I found none!

   If you're searching for an escape to another place, a glimpse into another life or culture, or just plain fun, look elsewhere! You will find none of the above here! Half a star-because the cover is very nice, if misleading!




2. Simeti does a great job of talking about her adopted home. The story works well on two levels - discussing the mythology, history, and culture of Sicily, but also weaving in her responses, frustrations, fears, and joys about her life as an American woman turned Italian wife and mother. One of my favorite books about Italy.



3. This book really gave an insightful and intriguing depiction of Sicily, its traditions and its history. The story line carried it along very nicely without reverting to a guide book. I'm Italian American and throughly enjoyed it. This book is a must for those interested in the Island.



4. I had high expectations for this book, but I find that it's quite hard to get through. I am very passionate about Italy, and especially Sicily, so it's not a lack of interest, but I find Simeti's writing to be a little hard to wade through. There's a bit of a feminist/pessimistic slant to her writing and be prepared for long sentences with multiple adjectives.



5. If you are even remotely thinking about going to Sicily, you should read this wonderful book. Deep understanding of this unique, strange amazing island, seen also with an American's eye. I was reading it while I was there, and it opened up everything I saw in ways that would have been impossible. Like being with a Sicilian friend.

5 comments about Italy, Instructions for Use: The Personal, On-Site Assistant for the Enthusiastic (Even Experienced) Traveler.

1. This is a wonderful book, especially for novice travelers.
   The writer includes pictures to assist with vending machines
   at the bus and railway terminal, phrases invaluable for any visitor
   and simple hints to guarantee a most wonderful trip. I wish I read this
   10 years ago! Good advice on what to expect in this most romantic and
   enchanted country. I advise any new traveler to pick up a copy. It is
   easy to read and carry in your purse for reference.
   
   St. Monica



2. Of the many books we purchased prior to going to Italy, this was far and away the most useful. It's short and sweet--and very entertaining--and packed with useful tips for planning your trip and getting around once you are there. The best part is it fits in a purse or pocket, so we took it everywhere. We actually wound up contacting Nan to arrange our tours and she is lovely. The most helpful tip for me was the suggestion to pick a color and pack only items in that color so you could mix and match--it elimated an entire suitcase, key when traveling by train between cities. The pronunciation and key phrases sections were excellent as well. We dog-eared many pages we used over and over again. I've purchased seven copies in the past year for other friends traveling to Italy and have urged Nan to write instructions for Paris, Spain, and other countries as well--she's really got the formula.



3. Pretty disappointing. The book is about 3 x 5 inches and maybe a quarter of it is taken up by vocabulary that is easily available in other guidebooks or on the web. The rest of the information is either common sense or easily available (e.g., rules for riding the train). Instaed of this, I recommend either a good guidebook (Rough Guide, Lonely Planet, or Rick Steves) and some of the betetr web sites (trip advisor, slow travel)



4. This book has LOTs of tips and info not found in the standard guides. I highly recommend it.



5. By Bill Marsano. I go to Italy every year, often twice, occasionally four times, once six. I visit cities, small towns and the countryside. And every time I run into tourists who are baffled and sometimes panicked because, contrary to their innocent assumptions, Italy is NOT exactly like home only with better food and art. The telephones are baffling and sometimes you pay for coffee before ordering (and sometimes after); tipping isn't the same as home and neither is ordering; there are two classes of travel on almost every train. You can avoid post-office lines by buying stamps at a smoke shop and had better pay attention to those blue lines painted on the pavement when you want to park your car. Italians, many are surprised to learn, often speak a different language, and for someone brought up on English it can be hard to pronounce, so you need some basic vocabulary and help with how to say the words. Nan McElroy, longtime resident, frequent visitor and all-round expert, solves these and many other problems in this tiny (fits in your back pocket, like a wallet) light (4 ounces!) guide, which can be far more helpful than ordinary guides. McElroy tells you HOW to do what you want or need to do, and does it with no fuss. As for what to see, where to eat and the like, you'll get that elsewhere, probably from one of those large overstuffed guides that weigh a pound or more--the ones you inevitably leave behind at the hotel because they're too inconvenient to lug around. This is the book you'll take with you. FYI, the same author has written "France: Instructions for Use."--Bill Marsano is an award-winning travel writer and editor.

5 comments about Midnight in Sicily.

1. If you didn't think you could ever call a history of the Cosa Nostra's brutal terrorism a fun read, try this book. The bombs, assassinations, extortion: it's all there. But also included are mouth-watering descriptions of the house seafood specialities of the restaurants where the kisses of death were exchanged. The author jumps around a lot, pulling together the facts and fictions of Sicilian political history and mixing it up with descriptions of the art and cuisine on the island. Once in a while he gets carried away and I had trouble following along. He also throws a lot of Italian names at you. I am generally unfamiliar with Italian and the names started to blur together after awhile. It doesn't really matter much in the end though, who blew up a particular bridge or politician, the m.o. of the cosa nostra comes through loud and clear.



2. I've had this book lying around the house for some years and an impending trip to Sicily motivated my recent reading. It has a flow and comfort with material that I hadn't felt in Robb's book on Carravagio(which was the reason I'd shelved MIS).Robb was resident of Naples for sufficiently long to know his subject well. Mafia ethos is portrayed in all its gritty and complex shades. For someone well outside the culture and the flood of Sicilian names that, frankly frequently lost me, it was a testament to Robb's narrative grip to sustain me to the conclusion. He's able to evoke the topography, his senses are on green alert, with interest in the cuisines of various cafes, fully related. The note on Sicilian authors, painters and historic events is beautifully interwoven, spaced so as to relieve us of the tedium and intrigue of Sicilian politics.



3. PETER ROBB HAS WRITTEN ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING BOOKS TO EVER COME
   FORTH FROM ITALY.
   
   MR ROBB IS A SKILLED STORYTELLER IN THIS ALL TOO TRUE 'GIALLO'
   [CRIME STORY] OF POLITICS, MURDER, MAFIA, CULINARY, TRAVEL,
   ART AND HISTORY OF 'LA SICILIA' FEW HAVE EVER UNDERSTOOD.
   
   MR ROBB TAKES US ON A JOURNEY OF THE 'MEZZOGIORNO' AS NO AUTHOR BEFORE
   OR SINCE HAS DEIGNED TO UNDERTAKE.
   
   HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEOPLE,PLACES,POLITICS [ AND CUSTOMS ] THAT DEVELOPED INTO WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AS MODERN DAY SICILY IS RENDERED AND FLESHED OUT WITH THE ASTUTE EYE OF THE ARTFUL ARTESIAN AND HISTORIAN.
   
   FOR AN APPRECIATION OF MODERN DAY ITALY, HOW IT'S DESTINY BECAME ENTWINED
   WITH THE INCUBUS OF CRIME THIS TOME IS A SCHOLARLY MUST READ AND NECESSARY PREREQUISITE.
   
   LUIGI B



4. What an odd book. A history of the Mafia mixed with fond travel essays. Would a history of the Mafia in Italy be too heavy without the travel essays? Maybe, but I would not have read it. Would a travel book about Naples and Sicily that ignored the Mafia be dishonest? Maybe, but I would have enjoyed this one a lot more without the Mafia history.
   
   Would a travel book without maps or photos be frustrating to read? Yes. A history book without maps or photos or an index? Yes, frustrating.
   
   I would not read it again. There is no one to whom I want to give the book. I would not recommend it to anyone who did not want to read a lot about the Mafia in Italy or Italian government after WWII. A student of small-time terrorism might like it. It was readable but not fun to read.



5. I read this book with pleasure and excitement. If you love Italy or are planning a trip to Sicily you need to get it In fact, jest read it, wherever you might be, maybe with a little glass of grappa.

5 comments about Osterie & Locande d'Italia: A Guide to Traditional Places to Eat and Stay in Italy.

1. I am an American living in Naples Italy and am delighted with this book. We were already Slow Food fans, and this book has given us a way to further support this philosophy. I have been thoroughly disappointed in many of the restaurant recommendations offered by the best selling travel guides (tourist trap after tourist trap) but this book has replaced them all. These are restaurants you want to visit again and again and are the ones where we take our friends and family when they come to visit. We haven't tried the hotels but I expect they are just as reliable.



2. An essential handbook for anyone with dreams of eating their way around Italy. The descriptions evoke strong images of romantic nooks with sumptuous offerings - all supporting the Slow Food philosophies of local quality ingredients prepared by passionate gastronomes. Included are accommodation options covering 3-star hotels to intimate farm stays. I won't travel to Italy without it.



3. I almost hate to recommend this book since the Italian language editions have been sort of our secret for many years. Now anyone can find these wonderful places to enjoy authentic regional foods and wines in the REAL Italy! We've been to many, many of these places over the years and the descriptions of them are spot-on so I'm confident that the places we have yet to enjoy will be equally as good. Be patient though, just because the book is in English does NOT mean the folks at these wonderful eateries speak the language. The glossary helps a lot in this regard.



4. We brought this book prior to an '07 three week trip to Northern Italy. It is based on the 'Slow Food' movement now going on in Italy. We purchased a number of other books to supplement this one. This book is excellent for people who want to "go" the way the Italian do, i.e., good food (a must for them)at a reasonable cost and small hotels/B & B types without all the hype. We are now using it again for a late '08 trip back to Northern Italy. As a side point - there are also Slow Food shops in Italy where you can purchase quick meals or food items to take away - all of the highest quality and fair price. Remember this "Slow Food" movement was started by Italians for their own people - the main idea was for top quality food and reasonable accomodation at a fair price and they have achieved it. Remember to look for the "Golden Snail"



5. This book was an invaluable resource. Perfect for those who cherish great meals and good wine. We toured Italy from Lake Como to Verona, Venice to Florence and Bologna. In each city we made a point to eat at a site mentioned in this book. Every meal was unbelievable !!! We would love to see more Slow Food guides for other cities around the world.