Italy Books

I have read and used at least 10-15 guide books on Venice in 4 trips there and this is far and away the best to have with you in Venice. Others might be more interesting to read before you go, but if you need to carry only one there, this is definitely the most useful as you travel around town and need times, prices, locations, etc. It is also the most up-to-date on everything.

While studying in Edinburgh last year, I went to Venice for a week with a friend of mine last March. Armed with both the Lonely Planet Venice and Time Out: Venice guidebooks, we found the Time Out book to be wonderfully helpful. One of the best things about it was that it included (at least, last year's version did) a map of all the public toilets in Venice, which, let me tell you, is a very good thing. The book itself was informative, interesting, and well-written, the advice given was very sound, and, though accurate maps of Venice are notoriously hard to find, those in the Time Out guide were much more helpful than those in the Lonely Planet. I remember reading that the Lonely Planet guides were best for given areas and regions, but the Time Out guide were better for cities, and I have found this to be quite true.

I wrote this review two years ago for the amazon.co.uk website. I haven't been back to Venice since, but having used other Time Out guides in the interim (very high quality as long as they've been published rencently) and remembering how useful it was in Venice, I would still highly recommend this guide.

Timeless Cities is indeed a wonderful journey, a voyage across time and ideas. The author tells a poetic, scholarly and delightful story of five Italian cities and how they became meaningful and memorable places, remaining so to this day.

For those who have experienced the magical, transforming impact Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena and Pienza have on their visitors, David Mayernik unlocks the richly poetic ideas which are their very essence. An architect and traveler, his writing is filled with the passion of one who truly loves and understands the tradition of those great cities: the tradition of humanism.

For all for whom life is, above all, a cherished series of discoveries and experiences, Mayernik extends a masterful invitation to explore those places which stir our souls and which demonstrate the highest fulfillment of our collective potential for cultural and artistic achievement. He then challenges us to again seek to create cities "through which dance the Muses", cities which are "built Ideas suffused with cultural Memory". Accept his gracious invitation. It is a journey you will treasure.

Mr. Mayernik transports the reader to the glorious past of Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, and Pienza; a past in which city builders sought to make their cities into reflections of the perfect heavenly City of God; a past in which every stone, every building, every piazza was an episode of the larger urban narrative that played itself for its citizens as a great "theatre of the mind."

Mr. Mayernik's writing allows us to view the urban mythologies of these places not as History, events frozen in by gone times and no longer capable of speaking to present generations, but as living lessons in city building; he invites his audience to learn the 'language' of these five cities so that we too can build memorable places.

Fans of Puccini's opera Tosca, myself included, will adore this in-depth, historically accurate study on Rome at the time of the opera's setting- Napoleonic War time Italy in the early 1800's. The author Susan Vandiver Nicassio is herself a retired soprano who sang the part of Tosca and knows not only the music but the historical background. This book is crammed with detailed information about Rome of this period. The sites mentioned in Tosca - the Church of San Andrea De La Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel San Angelo, are still standing in Rome today. This book takes us on a historic journey and delves into the political and cultural time set of the era.

Victorien Sardou was a late 19th century playwright who upon seeing Sarah Bernhardt performing in Paris theatres wrote La Tosca as a vehicle for her. The play is long and complex, a perfect 19th century example of what we now call a "well-made" play. It is virtually an epic. Tosca was a country girl, a shepherdess who was put into a convent for her wild ways and when the Pope heard her sing he cried and decided she should be an opera singer. She comes to Rome and makes it big, renowned for her voice as well as her beauty. Tosca's theatrical world is described in historical terms and in vivid precision. In Napoleon days, opera was still the biggest form of cultural artistic expression. In Italy, Spontini was writing such hits as La Vestale. Rossini was beginning to write his first major hits. Beethoven wrote his only opera Fidelio and in Germany, Webber was writing German fantasy operas. Tosca's world was one of service to high art but she would have suffured the stigma of being lusted after by several powerful and licentious men or become the mistress of a VIP and regarded as loose. In Tosca's case, she maintains a purity despite her rich lifestyle. She attends Church and "brings flowers and prayers to the Madonna". Mario Cavaradossi, in the play, is a pupil of Jacques Louis David and is not only an artist but a revolutionary. He believed, like many artistic idealists and intellectuals did- Beethoven included- that Napoleon's rise to power signaled a new reign of Enlightenment and social progress. This was before Napoleon crowned himself Emperor and proved to be a tyrant and the European intellegentsia's vision of a Utopia was shattered. Not only do we see the life of a singer and an artist, but the life of the likes of Baron Vitellio Scarpia, the dread Chief of Police, a man for whom "all Rome trembled." Scarpia exemplifies the devoted Royalist, a ruthless and corrupt member of the empowered class that men like Cavaradossi despised. Very well made book involving the real life of characters from the opera.

This book is wonderful! The author is a former opera singer who has sung the role of Tosca; now she is Associate Professor of History at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. In the book, she discusses the historical background of the opera and the play on which it was based, emphasizing the importance of the Church in Rome, and the conflict between Church and State. Then, in three chapters called "The Painter's Rome", "The Singer's Rome", and "The Policeman's Rome", she talks about Rome as each of the main characters of the opera would have seen it, and she also discusses real people who served as "models" for each character. Then she discusses each act of the opera, with a short chapter on the events that take place between Acts 1 and 2. She talks about earlier versions of the libretto, and things that were left out of the final version of the opera, as well as the arguments between Puccini and his librettists over certain parts of the opera. The author also discusses the differences between the play and the opera; in an appendix, she gives side-by-side summaries of the play and the opera. The book is also beautifully illustrated, and at the beginning of the book, there is a map that shows all the locations mentioned in the play.

The detail that the author goes into is incredible! She has figured out, for example, which operas were playing in the 1800 season in Rome, and which opera Tosca would have been singing in! And she really fills in all the "gaps" in the plot of the opera. I love the opera anyway, but when I listened to it again after reading this book, I felt I was listening to it with a completely new understanding.

Organized by course, the sumptuously illustrated "Trattoria" focuses on casual dishes as served in neighborhood restaurants throughout Italy.

Appetizers include crostini, bruschetta and grilled shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and zucchini. First courses include classics like lasagna Bolognese and Tuscan vegetable soup as well as an elegant, time-consuming eggplant and walnut ravioli in tomato-pesto sauce.

Main courses offer a similar range, from Neapolitan-style braised beef Braciole or duck with Vin Santo to swordfish rolls stuffed with shrimp. And for dessert - Tiramisu, plum cake or sweet gorgonzola with baked figs and honey. This balanced presentation is capped with accompanying photographs of the finished dishes which are absolutely irresistible. Also included is a chapter of basics - pasta making and stocks.

An excellent choice for a gift book for those who love authentic Italian Cooking, or even better for yourself. You would have to do months and months of research to gain the knowledge contained in this book. The pictures will make your mouth water, and the instructions will easliy guide you as you learn the secrets of the Tratorria. I highly recommend it. Purchase and enjoy this book, and maybe, if you're lucky, Mary Beth will send you her secret recipe for Lasagna.

This, and the other Tripbuilder books on Rome and Florence were a godsend for my first trip to Italy.

Why? The Tripbuilder provided key information that every traveler should have. How clever to have the detailed map rank and color-code areas of interest by category. Knowing weather conditions for various times of the year made it easy to pack the right gear.

I was especially grateful for useful tips on taking the public forms of transportation. Having this as a quick reference guide helped me overcome my trepidation over going out without a tour guide.

The walking tours, the vaporetta rides, tips about where to shop --- these were discoveries and forays into the "local scene" that made the trip so much more personal and enjoyable.

My friend recently went to Florence, so I shared with her my Tripbuilder to Florence. She loved it, and told me that the booklet was such a terrific help.

I am embarking on another European adventure. This time, to London, Paris and Amsterdam. I have already ordered my Tripbuilders. Can't wait!

For my first trip to Europe, I found the Tripbuilder books (Venice, Rome, Florence) to be outstanding pocket companions.

It is extremely clever to color-code and recommend areas of interest, and then to number and group them according to must-sees. Having the map allowed us to gauge the proximity (especially helpful when we're walking) of various attractions. The commentaries provided an insider's point of view and historical perspective about what we were seeing.

The other tips were excellent references as well, including what to pack depending on time of the year, where to go for information, exchange rates, etc. But what was especially helpful is information on how to get around using the public transportation. This helped us overcome our trepidation about taking the vaporetta, the subways, the buses, etc. Moving about the city just like the "locals" do gave us a totally different, and exciting, perspective.

We're getting ready to go to Paris, London and Amsterdam in 6 weeks. Although I looked at other quick reference books, I decided to stick with the Tripbuilder series as the only pocket reference books I will take.

Oh, did I mention I also liked the fact that the Tripbuilder booklets are the easiest things to take along? They fit very easily in a lady's purse, or a man's jacket pocket!

I found these books extremly useful in my trips around Europe. They are so small and compact yet they give as much information if not more about the city you are currently in. I have used other guides before, but you have to rummage through hundreds of pages before getting to the correct landmark, with a Tripbuilder it is a quick and easy way to have a hassle free trip. I FOUND THESE GUIDES EXTREMLY HELPFUL! I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THEM! **ALBERT SCULLY**

During our first trip to Italy, our tour package included three Tripbuilder books --- Rome, Venice and Florence. These turned out to be the best guides ever! Although we had Fodor's guide to Italy, we found that we relied on the Tripbuilder books a lot more for very simple reasons: the colorful and detailed map, guide to public transportation, color-coded keys to areas of interest, the short but intriguing historical commentaries on each entry, tips for tourists, and the perfect booklet size to put in a pocket or purse.

The Tripbuilder series was so helpful during our trip that we have since ordered additional books for our next trip to London, Paris and Amsterdam. We sincerely hope that they will keep adding to this series as we make our way through Europe because we plan to collect ALL of them.

P.S. I lent one of my books to a friend who visited Florence after we did. She loved the book as well, and told me that it certainly made her trip so much more significant and enjoyable because of the great information in the book.

Kudos!

This is a very moving story. I had tears in my eyes, and I'm not a kid...so I'd recommend this book for adults too. It would make a great story for parents to read to kids as well.

It's set in Italy, has beautiful watercolor illustrations. It teaches about love and trust and how those can be rebuilt.

The text flows smoothly and gives the reader a descriptive picture of the surroundings and the feelings of the Tuscan area and the attachment of the people to their land and home. The beautiful illustrations help the reader to understand and view the beautiful colors of the Tuscan area.

Great area of Italy to visit, hopefully the Olympics have shed much needed exposure to an area that has been overlooked. Not many Travel books out about his area, but this book covers the area very well.

Since we are planning our trip to Italy and we will be spending some time Torino, this book has been of great help giving a very good description of everything in Torino. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about Torino especially after the Winter Olympics.

The Florentine Catasto of 1427 - a census of the population of Tuscany and of their wordly possessions - had been waiting for an exhaustive analysis ever since it was gathered. One might almost think the Florentines foresaw the invention of the computer, since they had no equivalent way of making use of their own data. In the 1970s, David Herlihy and Christiane Klapisch-Zaber, both academes of the highest rank in the USA and France respectively, constructed a model of statistical analysis, with their already quaint pre-gigabyte computers, which is still a founding model of the use of the computer in historiography. Any serious demographer would be richly rewarded by examining this text in terms of methodology. The sixty tables and graphs which accompany the text are also superb models of clarity.

So what did the analysis of the Catasto reveal? A lot, my friends, some of it just what you'd expect but sone of it quite surprising. For example, the wealth of the richest 1% of households in the city of Florence was equal to that of the poorest 87% of Tuscans urban and rural. Sound familiar, Americans? But on the surprising side, the scions of wealth tended to marry younger - men especially - and to have more children than the "middling" people, and the poorest people tended never to breed at all.

Another surprise: Tuscany in 1427 was considerably more an urban culture than many historians of the Renaissance have assumed. Of all the inhabitants of Tuscany, 27% lived in the ten largest cities, and 14% in Florence alone.

Here's an interesting paragraph concerning the extreme maldistribution of wealth in 1427: "Everywhere, the deprived workers, eking out a living on the margins of subsistence, had little incentive to better their plight; strenuous efforts might win them greater income, but this would largely benefit others -- the host claiming one-half of the harvest...or urban creditors. Many in Tuscan society were too poor to generate much demand for the products of the regional economy. Feeble local demand for goods of mass consumption was probably a principal reason why the Tuscan economy, so well endowed with skills, so promising in the late Middle Ages, could not break through to new forms of industrial organization..." Behold, disciples of Milton Friedman and proponents of trickle-down economics! Your pipe-dreams were tested half a millennium ago and failed miserably. This text, by the way, was published in America as part of the Yale Series of Economic History.

I can't pretend that a category-by-category analysis of a 580-year-old census makes easy reading, but the authors do their best to humanize their demography with fascinating details of ordinary life in the city and countryside of perhaps the most artistically vibrant community that has ever existed. Herlihy's writing style - I presume he's responsible for the English - is clear and concise, and shows no trace of the academic pomp that often spoils translations of French historiography. If you ever feel an inclination to plunge into "family" history, this book will always be a great starting place. It's as close as we can possibly come to seeing history from the ground up, from the perspective of everyday life.

This book is an absolutely essential tool for anybody who seeks to understand the period. By using a series of census-like documents called the Catasto, these researchers have found a number of astonishing things out about a period not famous for information about its lower and middle classes. Getting the information out of the book can be a challenge, but it's all there: information about every phase of life from birth to death as well as income levels, age at marriage and widowhood, employment levels, all accompanied by an array of graphs and maps to better display the information. If you're serious about understanding Renaissance-era Florence, set some room aside on the bookshelf for this one.

Chapters:
1. About how Florence's politics and economics work; how the Catasto came about and how it was administered.

2. Various maps showing the Florentine city and environs; distribution of population between cities and countryside; showing the districts of the cities around Florence; populations of villages and towns.

3. Population movements from 1300-1550, with particular attention paid to the Black Death's effects on mortality and births, and also to how people moved from the country to the city and back.

4. Income distributions across the region; information about migrants, peasants, artisans, merchants, and other wage servants.

5. Differences between the genders -- early childhood, adolescence, old age, with regard particularly to the plague years and infant abandonment.

6. Differences between ages; lots of info about age's correlation with income, residence location, and gender.

7. Marriage: age at first marriage, proportions of married vs unmarried, where people lived, and how marriage impacted upward/downward mobility.

8. Births: how they were registered, age of parents, size of families, distribution of birth across the region.

9. Death: Mortality rates and correlations with age and gender. Also, discussion of causes of death.

10. Hearths: Size of household, structure and composition of the family/hearth, and differences between the hearths of wealthy and poor families.

11. Kin: Names and lineage, marital ties and the choosing of friends.

This is a very useful guide when visiting the many hilltowns in Umbria. There are excellent maps of each town, and good written descriptions. Using this guide book it is easy to keep one's bearings. The size of the book makes it easy to carry as well.

guidebooks need to have both an overview and detailed descriptions of tourist sights. This guide accomplishes both purposes! In fact we bought one for our son-in-law and one for ourselves!