Italy Books

This was possibly one of the best transactions I have experienced. The packaging was extraordinarily well done and the shipping time was unusually speedy, even taking into account the time of year. I am very pleased with all aspects, including this very lovely book.

I own too many Italian cookbooks, so I wasn't looking for another one, but my my sister gave me Joyce Goldstein's Italian Slow and Savory and I love it. In fact, it's now my favorite. Given my aforementioned Italian cookbook habit, that is saying a lot.

The author has traveled extensively through Italy and the recipes reflect an excellent palate and impressive knowledge of Italy's culinary history. Yet these aren't the same recipes that you see in other cookbooks over and over again. I'm a fairly experienced home cook, but I have little patience for over-produced dishes. Slow and Savory translates to easy and delicious. Also this is a beautiful book. The photographs are stunning and I love the way the recipes are laid out on the page. This is a cookbook I will use over and over again and will give as gifts-even to my friends who have too many cookbooks.

I must admit that I own more cookbooks by Joyce Goldstein than any other author. I read them cover to cover. I am an experienced home chef and always learn new things from her books. I find they not only contain well written recipes but are educational and interesting.

Italian Slow and Savory is a wonderful cookbook that covers territory not found in many other Italian cookbooks I have seen. The introduction contains brief descriptions of the cuisine and wine from each of the Italian regions.

The selected recipes are from both well and lesser known regions. They are well written, easy to follow, and accurate with informative introductions. Notes at the end of each recipe provide specific wine recommendations with descriptions of the wine and information as to why the wines work with the dish.

Some of my particular favorite recipes include: Braised Tuna with Tomato, Garlic, and Mint from the Island of Favigna; Farro with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts from Tuscany; Sardinian Clam Soup with Fregola; and Agnello Brucialingua (Lamb to Burn Your Tongue) from the Abruzzo. Over the winter, I look forward to trying many of the stews and braising recipes using lamb and pork shoulder.

Italian Slow and Savory has been the perfect holiday gift for my friends and family who love to cook (both experienced and inexperienced home chefs) and are interested in Italian cuisiine.

I ordered a used copy of this book and it came just like new. I had showed this to a friend and she just loved it so I gave it to her and ordered another one for myself. Great receipies and easy to prepare.

I've only owned this book for a little more than a month, yet it has, along with Marcella Hazan's wonderful, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, become a continual source of information and inspiration. As other reviewers have stated, the photos are superb and tempt us into the particular dish. The book is well laid out, the recipes clear and well written. I enjoy reading a good cookbook cover to cover, as the authors tend to impart small gems and develop connecting tissue between recipes, and this fine book is no different - that's how I found her tomato salad.
Good reading, good cooking

The Lead Goat Veered Off is one of the most entertaining cycle touring narratives that I have read and there are plenty of them on my shelf. Neil Anderson has a wonderful knack for putting you right there next to him on the adventures that he and his wife share. From the hilarious to the absurd (being stuck in their tent for three days in a snowstorm with only oranges to eat comes to mind) to the sometimes arduous nature of touring (mountains that don't seem to have a summit) to the human stories that are both funny and touching. Something that this book communicates very well is that one of the best ways to see a country is by bicycle. Due to the slower pace and reliance on local products and services, interaction with the people and culture of the area are particularly rich. As is noted in many cycle touring books, there are people all over the world that are happy - if not insistent - to take you in, feed you, entertain you and live in your memories forever. This book is broken down into short chapters dealing with specific events or subjects, making it very easy to read snippets here and there during a busy life. Perhaps one of the most valuable things about this book is that it spurs you to think about your own life - is busy really what you want?

I cant wait for the next Biking Adventure...I've read both books by Neil Anderson..Wonderful writer, Excellent at conveying the adventure to words.
Neil and Sharon are so much fun to travel with. I love the interaction they have with others and each other and the area, real life!! Its so much fun to read. Neil is so honest in his writing.
Its not drawn out but its kept at a great pace life/biking adventure and just all around what a true travel adventure would be like. The GoOD tHe BAd ANd the UglY..:)
I hope another book is in the making. NEEd MOre!!

I read both of Neil's books and they are both ones I will never give up. I am an avid reader of cycling adventure books and Neil's sense of humor is second to none. Sharon and Neil share personal struggles and combine it with a simple way of seeing the world with a sense of awe and excitement. The book is broken into short stories and it is easy to read. You will only be disappointed after you have finished both books and now you have to wait for the third. Highly recommended.

I just finished "The Lead Goat Veered Off" second of 2 great reading
books by Canadians Neil Anderson (and his wife Sharon). This is an
entertaining read of their exploits as they travel though Corsica and
Sardinia on their 2+ year world cycling trip. If you didn't read the
first book "Partners in Grime" that's o.k. but it helps. They are both GREAT books. Really enjoyed them both.

I highly recommend this book - a good read by a pretty good author, and a fun story. I've thought of cycling just about everywhere in the world, but I never thought of Sardinia. If you read it, bear in mind that by the time these two got to Sardinia, they had to be fairly hardened cyclists, able to climb hills that might deter the rest of us. But again, good story, fun read, highly recommended.

This map is waterproof, wind resistant, easy to fold and easy to read. It probably has more tourist highlights on it than you'll be able to visit in one trip.

After four trips to Rome and being folded & folded & abused, there are still no rips in this map. I get a MapEasy's Guide anytime I can. Easy to read. And, no matter how long between visits, these places never move. Restaurants & hotels may change, but I mark where our favorite places to stay & eat were for future reference.
But mostly I just want to know where an attraction is and the shortest way to get there!!!!

I have 8 of these maps, for cities from Rome to NY. They helped us around in Wash, DC, find the monuments, eating, and points of interest. They are well planned and informative. We just got back from NY and it was just perfect, once again. Having used the "traditional" ones in the past and being a constant traveller, I look forward to our next trips using MapEasy.They are also small enough to fit anywhere.

I navigated my way through Rome for three months using this map. Worked splendidly! The waterproofing and heavy, foldable (and light-weight) construction is brilliant, as I was caught in more than a fair share of rain storms while using the map. Ideal for pedestrians.

My wife and I bought 2 maps for our trip to Rome this one, and the Streetwise Rome map. This one is helpful if you are trying to find places to eat that are inexpensive, but the locations aren't in the same location that it shows you. This happened to us a couple of times, also, some of the stores are closed that it has listed. It is very helpful because it has the Pantheon, Coliseum, and Piazza Navona blown up on the back side which proved to be helpful.

Overall the Streetwise is a better map because it has the names of all the blocks whereas this one misses some of the alleys (which there are a lot of). The Streetwise does have a smaller font but not terribly small like one of the other reviews states.

Also, this map would be much more helpful if it had an index of the streets and piazza's/largos which the Streetwise map does have.

Overall this map is worth the 6 bucks that I paid for it, but the 9 that I paid for the streetwise was better (more flipping the map over because it's two-sided, but better).

Rose Marie Curteman's My Renaissance: A Widow's Healing Pilgrimage to Tuscany is as beautiful as the journey on which beauty was her guide. I haven't read many books all the way through lately and I did hers. Even when one knows the outcome, one wants to keep reading. She told the story with such gentle depth with just the right touch of humor. We know as we read that even in grief, we will laugh again. Great characterization and wonderful pacing. Well done, well done. I hope it sells tons. I mean to buy a few copies as gifts.

"Brevity is the soul of wit." And this book is a marvel of compressed wisdom and optimism. A unique read.

One of the better first person accounts I have ever read. The
experiences of Ms. Curteman move along without side meanderings. Significant life issues are presented in a positive, life affirming manner. I was constantly going into my own insights regarding life, death and selfless service. The book left a vivid impression and I am looking at my life more carefully now.
I read the introduction first. Later I read the entire book in one sitting. It was too engaging and uplifting to set aside. A great primer on making one's life "new" again.

I'm 32 years old with a young marriage and a new baby. Why would I pick up a book about grieving? Ahh--because I love Italy (especially Florence) and since I'm a new mom, I must do all my travel through books at the moment. Also, I'm no stranger to loss myself having lost my first love to a terrible accident 15 years ago. I know first-hand about Alzheimers as I was once a nurse's aid in my last two years of high school. This is a book for anyone--not just an older woman or a presently grieving woman--but anyone who is simply sensitive and interested in other people's stories. Although, I would highly recommend this book to someone recently widowed as it's a very positive touchstone and written without psychobabble. I vicariously relished going back to a university class in Florence with Rose--I miss those epiphonies of knowledge and a life in which the "river always flows to [you]" (wink wink).

For the reader who has encountered tragic loss, Rose Marie Curteman in MY RENAISSANCE: A WIDOW'S HEALING PILGRAMAGE TO TUSCANY presents a genuine alternative to the talking cure of psychoanalysis or the silence of the Zen monastery. We follow her mid-life journey into Tuscany and are awakened to the transforming power of the beautiful to be found, for instance, in the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Florentine Renaissance, or in the lush and haunting autumn landscapes of Chianti, or in the exuberant celebration of life in Florentine kitchens and dining rooms, or in the expressive tunings and turnings of the Italian language. In a style which is remarably lucid and engaging, Rose Marie Curteman charts a path through memory and mourning into wonder and joy. In this incisive work it is death which comes to stand impotently before life, and not the other way around. The vibrant, playful, refreshing and healing energies of the beautiful as portrayed in Rose Marie Curteman's journey exert their transforming effect also on the reader. This book does not belong in the inflated genre of popular literature on visits to Italy. It is in a class of its own, marking a profound mid-life search for self after the tragic loss of a beloved spouse.

I will be brief,a man as large as life as Mussolini was , no one but he could write with his vast knowledge of the political turmoil that was slowly tearing Italy apart in the early 1920's.Too bad he came to Italy in the 20th century instead of the 21st!Getting involved with Hitler and his war gives Western writers an opportunity to demean this man.If you take the time to read this you will find the man to be both highly educated and relentless in his faith for the Italian people to move progressively into the 20th century.Buy this book!!!!

This book is actually a compilation of Benito Mussolini's memoirs set approximately 16 years apart: the first being dated c. 1928 only eight years after his Fascisti 'Black Shirts' had assumed power in Rome by plebescite; the second being dated c. 1944 when the Fascist party in Italy was able to retain power only with Germany's occupation and Mussolini's 'rescue' by German forces.

When it comes to Mussolini, most modern readers immediately compare him to Adolf Hitler even though they understand little of what brought fascism to Italy or why Mussolini was so well received at home and abroad. Contrary to what many believe, Mussolini never had a very high opinion of Adolf Hitler and tried desperately to form a political pact with France/England with regards to Italy's future: Mussolini remained opposed to Hitler because Germany was unified with Italy's arch-enemy, Austria: Mussolini formed the ill-fated axis alliance only at the last minute when he was unable to get the concessions he wanted and Germany formally declared war against France in 1940. It would be his demise as Mussolini and his party would lose power in Italy by 1943 and, instead of the great empire they had promised to the Italian populace, Italy had become a vassal state occupied by the German military: Mussolini himself being nothing more than Hitler's puppet and mouthpiece. Thus, through his memoirs, we can follow how he was a favorite defender of freedom against Boshevism in the 20s and 30s adored by the US and England, to becoming nothing more than Hitler's lapdog by 1943.

This is a very important book where, by his own words, one can measure the man for who he was. Unlike Hitler's rambling anti-semitic diatribe in 'Mein Kampf', Mussolini's papers address purely political and social questions adding with his rather pompous flair that he and his Fascisti are an indispensable to the formation and prosperity of the state. He explains why he was motivated to act and describes the political environment he found himself in fighting the socialist, communist, and capitalist interests in Italy. His memoirs are not only interesting from a historical perspective, but also from a political one in that they provide a lot of insight as to the events that were responsible for the development of fascist doctrines in Europe in that period of time.

I bought this book on the belief that it would explain to me the very essence of Italian Fascism. Although some important themes and ideas of Mussolini's fascism were discussed, I was disappointed with the lack of detail and expansion. However, I was enthralled by Mussolini's elegant writing style.I found the Duce's view of his own history - however biased - very informing. It gives an intimate view of early 20th century Italy,and in particular, the mood of the Italian people(especially the war veterans). The book's two parts, the first written well before the Second World War and the second during the war, offer a stark comparison of the different outlooks on the world that Mussolini possessed - he was once popular and arrogant, then hated and bitter. The book offers an extraordinary opportunity to take a deep and intimate look inside Mussolini's soul, as well as a thorough - however biased - examination of Fascist Italy. A must for anyone interested in the Duce, Fascism's general themes or World War II in general.

one of the best book I have read.
You do not have to agree or disagree with Mr. Mussolini to enjoy this book. Because you can learn a lot about the will power, the determination, and the courage of the man.

This book is a combination of several primary sources related directly to Benito Mussolini. The first "My Rise" was Mussolini's account of how he came to power in Italy. It has its uses but the reader should be ware that it does omit several parts of his rise to power and it is worth keeping a good Mussolini biography close at hand to compare the account with. "My Fall" is a compilation of about a dozen articles penned by Mussolini about the time that occurred from the Grand Council meeting to the establishment of the Salo Republic. Overall these provide an interesting look into Mussolini's mind and a chance to understand what he considered important in his life. The accounts are well written and Mussolini does an excellent job of recounting the parts he feels are relevant. It is with an eye towards revisionist history but despite that the documents can still be useful. All of the preface and introductions are done by top notch historians and do an excellent job of putting things in perspective.

My wife and I recently returned from Rome, and one of our many fine moments in that glorious city was sitting on top of Michelangelo's Campodiglio, with Mr. Sullivan's book in hand and understanding for the first time exactly what Michelangelo did and why -- and thus helping us understand more deeply the greatness of his accomplishment. So it went with magnificent works such as Borromini's San Carlino or Bramante's Tempietto. Similarly, we came to understand the failures -- what the architect wanted to do and didn't quite get there. Mr. Sullivan's goal, was to help us move beyond admiration or puzzlement at what we are looking at, and understand what was done, and how well it did or did not work. Very well written, tough in its judgments, and infused throughout by a love for the city. Don't go to Rome without it.

A good read for those who love history, it is an excellent companion for travel to Rome

George Sullivan's "Not Built in a Day" is a unique and wonderful combination of scholarly knowledge, art, passion, and wit. The author recently gave a series of slide lectures at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. based upon the material in the book, which I attended. His lectures were exceptional -- insightful and enjoyable, a college-level crash course on the history of European architecture that was set entirely in Rome! He really made the buildings come alive through his enthusiasm and humor; I especially liked that he not only had definite opinions on buildings, but also explained clearly what architectural qualities those opinions were based on. This same in-depth but accessible approach can be found in the book, which is unlike any other guide to Rome that I have seen. I would enthusiastically recommend it if you are going to Rome, and if the lectures show up at a museum near you in the future, I would enthusiastically recommend them as well.

This remarkable book is a must read if you are planning your own itinerary in Rome. The author's love of Rome and its Architecture are apparent from the first page. He organizes the overwhelming amount of information into compact and readable units. Pick a time period or Architectural style of interest and follow the detailed path laid out by the author. The added information of the art to see inside each structure makes this the only "guide" book to Art & Architecture that you will need on your visit to Rome.

Not Build in a Day blends astute architectural observation with basic guidebook practicality. The descriptions combine detail and relevant explanation to make the most lay-person feel expert as they dissect the infinite elements in a church, piazza, or palazzo. For anyone who's been to Rome, the inexorable shuttling between sites makes you numb to the city's splendor, but Not Built in a Day constantly re-orients and reminds the reader that every site contains an element of architectural, historical, or civic wonder that makes the non-stop walking completely worthwhile.

The book's walking tours can be strictly followed (I completed tours 1,2, and 7 without any diversions), but once I had a better feel for the city, I picked specific places that I wanted to see and then read the appropriate entry.

Every guidebook should aspire to be Not Built in a Day

I cannot say enough about Dorothy Dunnett's Series, THEY LYMOND CHRONICLES AND this one from the series THE HOUSE OF NOCCLO. All the books are great reads and I truly loved this one. I am on THE UNICORN HUNT, now and am enjoying it just as much. I will keep reading until I have finished all her books and then find some other good authors. These are filled with terrific characters that just grab you as well as lots of information from history that I am drinking in.

niccolo continues to learn how to use his power, and how to mittigate its impact, as he searches for meaning and love and fun

On this, the third chapter in the Niccolo series, we fin Nicholas has been "kidnapped" by the 'presumptuous' King of Cyprus who is actually trying to recover his kingdom from his sister.

Nicholas is able to help the king and at the same time obtain franchises in his dye works and sugar fields. He meets with Katelina, the mother of his only child, only to lose her once more after they reconcile. Finally, once the island is secure to King Zacco, Nicholas is allowed to return to Venice, where he faces once more his rival family, the de St Pol and Riberac.

In this chapter of the story the author makes great use of description in her scenes and they are so vivid! the characters, the settings everything is so masterfully blended with reality and fiction.

I loved this book and I have already started the fourth chapter. Good!

Ah, the frustrating pleasure of reading a Dorothy Dunnett novel :-) Her writing is dense, her plots are complex, and her characters (especially the male ones, which IMO are infinitely easier to like than the female ones) are nothing short of psychological studies. Often, while reading this book, I felt like I was way in over my head. And yet, I kept going, and the reward of Dunnett's writing, and her story, are well worth the effort, in my view.

In this third part of the eight-part Niccolo series, Nicholas is kidnapped and taken to Cyprus to fight with King James for control of the island, against his legitimate half-sister Carlotta. We meet the engaging courtesan Primaflora, who becomes Nicholas's mistress. We also see some old friends, such as Tobias the physician and Captain Astorre and the faithful Loppe. We meet Nicholas's cousin Diniz, and are reacquainted with the vengeful Katelina van Borselen.

But the vortex, as always, is the dynamic, ingenius, amazing Nicholas vander Poele. In this chapter of the story, we see how Nicholas deals with the stress of so many demands. We see how he deals with the love of two women whom he does not love in return, and the guilt associated with that. We follow him as he tries to play two sides (and sometimes more) of a dangerous game, all so that he can come out the winner. Nicholas is difficult to understand, but fascinating to read about. And in Race of Scorpions, Dunnett ensures that readers will not fail to follow him into his next adventure.

This is the third book in the House of Niccolo series. We join Nicholas as he is trying to move to a new stage of his life after the tumultuous events of Trebizond. Alas, Nicholas and his skills are too well known and he is being courted by many while still being hunted by his enemies.

During this particular journey, Nicholas becomes involved in the battle for Cyprus between the Lusignan 'Scorpions' Carlotta and James. At the same time, Nicholas becomes involved in all manner of affairs and events and also discovers some truths along the way.

Highly recommended. Lady Dunnett brings the history of this period alive while at the same time continuing to develop an enigmatic hero whose skills and abilities (and possibly an occasional flaw) are magnificently showcased.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I have a shelf full of guides to Rome but when I bought this last year I threw away the rest of the shelf. It is simply fantastic. I have been a book reviewer for thirty years and never thought I would 'go overboard' about a book but this is everything I wanted. Personal, informed, entertaining, reliable, surprising, instructive, accessible, logical, practical.......I run out of words. It's great to read before during and after you visit Rome - only drawback is it's too bulky to carry around with you but take notes! Use it as your bible. Rome (Pallas Guides)

Terrific Book. Detailed descriptions of this glorious city. Every traveler to Rome should use it as reference.

Did you ever run across a guidebook that, at the same time, 1) gives you a brilliantly clever and comprehensive choice of information about the sites and 2) allows you to get to each site in the easiest, quickest way?

I didn't, until I found "Rome" by Mauro Lucentini. That double record is especially remarkable in a city like Rome, where the various sights may have lifespans of up to 2,800 years requiring equally monumental explanations, and/or be concealed into corners of a labyrinthine ancient habitat, where you can easily lose your way. With 700-plus pages, Lucentini's book may be a bit heavy to carry, but it is an incredible pleasure to read, and you will be thankful for each page, so fascinating is every bit of the information provided - no other Roman guide comes even close to the amount of historic or artistic background supplied - and for the fact that it will lead you in front of every item by the hand.

Also, the book is structured in such a way that, if you care doing it, you are able to read a good half of it and digest quite a lot of information even before you leave for your destination, This is a quality no other guidebook I know possesses, at least not to such an extent.

Brilliant! I've been to Rome five times with this book... although it was concise enough to give me an excellent overview even by the first time.

This book is a wonderful foray into the many aspects and history of Rome, and can be enjoyed sitting in New York, as well as walking in Rome. I've taken many of the walks, and the book is a chatty, fun, and erudite companion, pointing out all of the (almost) hidden traces of centuries past. A must for travelers in Italy (or just in your armchair)!

This book is a treasure because all the text is handwritten and the illustrations are fabulous.....there are recipes and a great deal of history & information about Venice. This kind of book will soon be a relic.

If you have ever experienced cichetti in Venice, this book will bring it all back. In addition to the recipes, the illustrations are charming, representative of the real Venice that the average tourist never sees but that those who take the time to learn and love the Serenissima truly cherish.

I purchased this book soon after it came out. I found it at the wonderful Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park, California in among the cookbooks. Which makes sense, because, in part Venice & Food is a cookbook. But Venice & Food is two other thing as well: a book about Venice and its history and an art book of Ms. Spector's remarkable drawings of Venice. What is also remarkable about this book is that it is not typeset. The book is entirely written in Ms. Spector's hand printed text and the illustrations are annotated with her script.

Ms. Spector is a wonderful artist and her drawings of Venice are beautiful. The drawings illustrate essays on topics ranging from where Venice gets its fresh water to the history of corn in Europe and Venice. Since this is a cookbook, Ms. Spector also writes about the history of food and cooking in Venice, including a few accounts of modern food. In writing about food and cooking through history, Ms. Spector comments that for the vast majority of people through most of human history, the concern was not about the sensuality of food, but simply having a full stomach.

The beautiful artwork, the observations about Venice, its history and its food are what make this book a treasure. I am sad to say that I read the book cover to cover and did not find a recipe that I wanted to make. Although I will not be using this as a cookbook, I will always treasure the book for its beauty.

Just another rave review for this beautiful book. If you love Venice, you will love this book. If you know anyone who loves Venice, get them this book as a gift. Sally Spector knows Venice and obviously loves the city. Her drawings and history of details behind the food and recipes is a joy to read and to look at. If you have been to Venice, this book will take you back and get you looking forward to your next trip. In the meantime, you can savor the delicious recipes and the warmth of Venice and Food....

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are" Brillat-Savarin declared. Judging by its cuisine, Venice must surely qualify as the ancient and modern day city of princes and artists. Sally Spector vividly brings to life the importance of Venice as the crucial stepping-stone for cuisine in Italy and Europe in "Venice and Food".

Little did I know that world famous dishes such as risotto, polenta, tiramisu and many other delights originate from Veneto and fair Venice - until I read Sally's superb description of their origins. She elegantly evokes the typical dishes of Venice with such accuracy that I could almost smell the aromas while reading her book - especially her enticing descriptions of the "Cuttlefish stewed in its ink" and "Bacala a la Vicentina". Such descriptions of typical Venetian dishes are beautifully interwoven with their historical origins. Even their essential ingredients are traced back to their roots. Who knew that eggplant, the basis for Melanzane al Funghetto, emanates from China?

An additional bonus and particularly attractive aspect of "Venice and Food" are the illustrations throughout the book. They are done by Sally herself who is a talented artist. Moreover, the whole book is written in her own elegant handwriting - a unique and superbly pleasing feature.

In sum, from the minute I picked up this book, I could not put it down until the next day - the first two days of my visit to Venice. It served as a magnificent introduction to Venice - not only the city of romance but also certainly of history and cuisine.

"Venice and Food" is a must read for any food enthusiast!

Venice for Pleasure is an off the beaten path sort of guide, filled with anecdotes, character sketches, and historic photos. Links takes his readers beyond the famous facades and brings the "theme park" to life. Fun to use then to keep and reread for reminiscence afterwards.

Terrific read for those intent on seeing the Venice that lies beyond Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. Whether you follow the author's routes on his strolls thru the sestieres, or just use his walks as a source of inspiration (as we did), this book is an indispensable addition to the library of anyone planning a trip to Venice. Thanks in large measure to encouragement offered by this book, we ventured into some of the nooks and crannys of this amazing city... we'll see St Mark's Basilica next time we go.

What a strange and wonderful little book!

Venice for Pleasure is essentially four walking tours told in a charmingly conversational style by an author who is clearly in love with Venice. Stopping in a Venetian cafe to read a passage is like having a friend leaning over your shoulder to recall the local history and gossip, point out fascinating details that you probably wouldn't have noticed, and make you smile with his dry wit.

We did all four walking tours and thoroughly enjoyed Links' companionship along the way; I can't recommend it highly enough if exploring Venice on foot is your aim. We also found the directions infallible.

Please note that this isn't a conventional guidebook, so you shouldn't expect logistical information.

If there is no such thing for you as having too much information, then think about buying this book. This book has walking itineraries including places to stop for rest and refreshment, and wonderful details on things to look at while you are walking and even while you are sitting down. This book is not useful for restaurants or hotels or hours that sites are open. Includes history, and comments on Venice from famous writers of the past like John Ruskin. It is to be savored.

Fantastic Book!!! I bought this for my wife as a memento of our 25th Anniversary trip to Venice. It was perfect. I highly recommend it to any armchair traveler who wants to "visit" the world's most romantic city. David