No comments about The Roman empire: Essays on the constitutional history from the accession of Domitian (81 A.D.) to the retirement of Nicephorus III (1081 A.D.).

No comments about Streetwise Rome.

No comments about Roma/ Rome (Guias Arcoiris/ Rainbow Guides).

No comments about Rome Pocket Traveller.

No comments about FODORS-ROME '88.

No comments about The New Holiday guide to Rome (The New Holiday travel guide series).

No comments about Around the Roman Campagna.

2 comments about Atlas of Rome: The City of Rome : The Form of the City on a 1:1000 Scale Photomap and Line Map/Slipcase.

1. I believe this is one of the first books I ever bought on Amazon (back in 1996) and it certainly is the most expensive single book I own. This is a book of satellite images of Rome, covering essentially the entire city. How cool is that? Pretty cool, but how often have I looked at these pictures? Not terribly often. The resolution on the images is not quite good enough to see individual people. If you've ever gotten lost in Rome trying to find the Pantheon, it is kind of interesting to look at where you might have just missed the right side street, but it is not as fascinating as you might hope. One disappointment: remember that the Vatican is not part of Rome and is thus conspicuously absent from this set of photographs.



2. OK, I admit that this photomap book of the entire city of Rome is not for everyone. You have to be a Rome freak, as I am, to even consider it, and even then there are many pages which are of very limited interest. This is a very heavy book in which the most fascinating of cities has been divided into a grid of 276 squares; for each square, the left page is a line map of the area, showing street and piazza names, and the right page is the aerial photo of the area.

   Here you will get to see the hidden Rome - the green, palm-shaded and formal-gardened courtyards behind all those austere walls you see from the street. And a different city is revealed: monuments like Michaelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio acquire a new splendor when observed from above, and you can see how the city emerged from its ancient origins in the way the walls curve, such as the medieval buildings that retain the curve of the long-gone Pompey's Theatre, just south of the Piazza Navona (which is itself an ancient palimpsest). Some of the aerial shots have the unintended beauty of stark modern art, like plate 113, which is a solid page of railroad tracks from the Termini station. But the Victor Emmanuele monument, which fills an entire page, looks just as pompous from the air as it does from the ground. While the Vatican is not a part of Rome and is not included in the grid, the book does include a wonderful aerial shot of St. Peter's Basilica and square right after the title page. It is the only monument that is identified; the book could be improved by indicating the names of monuments on the rather Spartan line maps, although most momuments can be deduced from the name of the adjacent piazza.

   This is a fine book for a niche audience. But speaking of Italian map books: Amazon lists, but does not currently offer for sale, the absolutely splendid "Atlante Stradale d'Italia" - three books of maps covering northern, central, and southern Italy. If these are ever made available for sale, to these I would give my wholehearted endorsement to all lovers of Italy.

3 comments about Top 10 Guide to Rome (Top 10 Travel Guides (Internationalists)).

1. Having been to Rome prior to picking up this book, I wasn't certain as to how much its Top 10 lists would help me on my return trip to Italy. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that not only did the book refresh my memory as to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places in the city, but more importantly it took me into the heart of Rome--really covering locations & details that in my mind bridge the first-time visitor with someone who has been several times. It is quite evident that Whiting not only knows Rome, but knows what it's like to want to discover the city the right way: armed with informed lists and suggestions that still leave plenty of room for the actual discovery itself!



2. Congratulations to Whiting for writing a comprehensive guide to Rome that is compact, easy to read, and shares all her vast knowledge of the city. Since I visit Rome on occasion I grabbed a copy of this guide as soon as it hit the market, and I haven't been disappointed. Whiting has touched on virtually every facet associated with the eternal city and has used a format that is easy to follow and acquaints even the novice with the most important information. What a treasure of a guide, and I highly recommend it not only to the novice, but to the seasoned traveler as well. Whiting has hit all the highlights....and more!



3. do not confuse it with the Eyewitness top 10 travel guide for Rome, which is a much better book, has way better maps and is cheaper, in color, with better paper.... this one is like something you'd pick for free at a train station and 80% of the information in it is totally useless for a tourist. I ordered it by mistake and have no use for it.

No comments about Ancient Rome and its neighborhood: An illustrated handbook to the ruins of the city and Campagna.