Lonely Planet Italy (Country Guide)
by Damien Simonis~Alison Bing~Duncan Garwood~Abigail Hole
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Book Summary Information
Author: Damien Simonis~Alison Bing~Duncan Garwood~Abigail HoleBrand: Lonely Planet
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-01
ISBN: 1741043115
Number of pages: 926
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Book Reviews of Lonely Planet Italy (Country Guide)
Book Review: The Lonely Planet Italy Country Guide - Covers A Lot of Ground, Good For Certain Uses
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Italy - Country Guide is very comprehensive guide to Italy as far as travel books go. In some ways it's hard to totally verify a travel book unless you are in the process of traveling. On the same token, you also have to keep in mind what the book is designed for and whether it will meet your needs.
This book is designed to cover Italy from top to bottom. The sections are broken out into regions, with specific towns and cities covered within each relevant area. Judging by the long list of contributing authors, it seems that the vast coverage of Italy was spread out among a large team. And most intriguing about this is that I am reading the updated 2008 Edition, meaning that Lonely Planet must have presumably sent teams of travel writers to Italy to do the same exercise in prior years. This is a very large undertaking and they deserve a lot of credit for that.
The book is rather thick as a result. The type is small enough to slow me down, so those who have trouble with small print will want to have their magnifier handy.
I am very familiar with Italy, having spent a lot of time there and having returned many times for work and leisure. I am notoriously guilty of missing many of the *tourist attractions* but a quick review of some of the larger cities put my mind at ease that at least I have not missed the big ones.
CONTENT
The book starts off with some very short but dense reference sections. There is a quick reference page with conversions, exchange rates and similar basics. There are two pages of color maps, an overview of the writing team and pages of captioned photo highlights. You then have a quick start guide, an annual events calendar (to try to plan your trip around one of the major festivals) and a very useful section on various itineraries. I think everybody should do what I plan to do with those first sections: photocopy those pages and study them, or paste them into a smaller travel folio to have handy.
After these sections, there are also some slightly longer overviews on Italy's history, art, culture, food and environmental topics. Some may find these sections to be brief. I found them adequate considering there are plenty of other texts on those subjects for those who want to learn more.
After that, the book goes in earnest into the various regions. Each major city and region has maps included. There is also plenty of useful information including recommended hotels, attractions and places to dine.
THE LOCATIONS
As far as the major tourist destinations, they are covered like you would expect. The book actually starts with Rome, and includes a few nice features that I think would be very useful in planning my next trip. For example, at the bottom of page 88 there is a text box that outlines the basic things to see if you have 2 days, 4 days, or a week to spend in Rome. Page references are included pointing to the more detailed drill-downs. This seems like such a simple idea, but it makes a book this dense much more useable. And for people like me, it makes it easier to make sure I won't miss major landmarks if I am ever in Rome again with only a few days to spare.
I am more familiar with many of the smaller towns that are often missing from guide-books. So of course, my first test was to go through this book looking for some of the smaller towns I was betting wouldn't be covered. I was impressed because there was not a smaller town I could think of that was not covered. Since everything is organized by region, at first some of the places that lie on the border of different regions were hard to find. But at least I now know the correct region boundaries of some of those places!
But some of what I read was disappointing for a reason that can't really be a criticism of this book since it's subject to opinion. Several times, it was clear the guides did not see the same charm that I had in those locations. There were many notes along the lines of, "If you walk to the end of this street, you'll see the view of the mountains. Go into the church on the left side of the piazza and admire the statues. That's it. There's not much else to see there." So I have to wonder, have I romanticized some of those places in my memory so much? Perhaps their critiques are accurate, or perhaps they are trying to add character to the guide at the possible risk of being flippant and inaccurate. It seems like a high price to pay for being *edgy*. Yet I can't really criticize them totally since it's hard to remember places I was last in 2 or 3 years ago. At this point I will suspend judgment on those issues. Ultimately, few people other than me might be looking to *fact check* some of those out-of-the-way locations. But you can be sure that I am anxiously awaiting my return to find out if things have changed that much or if it's only a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
CONCLUSION
This is a very good guide, but may be better suited for planning your itinerary than for taking with you to the sights. The book is rather thick and feels heavy. The fact that most of the book is in smallish black and white print makes this less readable than some of the *picture* guides that integrate color photos throughout. Still, while they don't cover every area in the same level of detail they cover a tremendous amount of ground here. And the reference information, from web-links to hotel information, has clearly been updated and is a very useful resource. So for the price of a picture guidebook from Eyewitness like Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guides), you get a guide with info on the whole country that you can access with ease when you need to. So this is a very worthy travel book for those that are planning a trip to several regions, or those who have to travel frequently and aren't sure where they are going to end up. Definitely recommended.
Enjoy!!
Summary of Lonely Planet Italy (Country Guide)
Discover ItalySki off-piste, trek the Dolomites or shoot the rapids on the river Lao
Heed the command 'tutti a tavola!' and begin an epic journey around the Italian table
Thumb the latest fumetti or debate Fellini's finer points after you've read our Culture chapter
Compare classical columns with state-of-the-art structures from international architects
In This Guide:
Language, cookery and wine courses - you name it, our authors have checked it out
Book in and bed down at the best-value accommodation
Visit lonelyplanet.com for reviews, updates and traveler suggestions
From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
Explore the riches of Italy with Lonely Planet's essential guide. Featuring a special color feature on Italian art and architecture, this book also contains insider's advice on the best pasta and gelati; skiing and trekking information, notes on history, culture and current politics; as well as practical food and accommodation suggestions for every budget. Delightful sidebars add insight into the culture, with details on everything from gladiators to mushroom picking. --Kathryn True
Italy Books
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