Blue Guide Rome
Five Stars
Reviewed by Edwin Tomlinson
Format: Paperback
Book in excellent condition and up to date. A good buy.
Blue Guide Rome
Excellent, all you need when combined with one other “pragmatic” guide
Reviewed by J. Mark
Format: Paperback
30 years ago, LP was the only guide book I used. I’d read that Blue Guides were “dry”, but the on-line previews seemed to have much more depth. Purchased 4, for each of the major cities in Italy which we visited.
Pros: They are terrific! Substantial detail in art, architecture, and history, intelligently written, and without any apparent “PC” bias, which negatively effects so many guidebooks. We had other folks surreptitiously listening in when I’d read out the descriptions as we went; much of the content of other guidebooks seems to be cribbed from the Blues. Far, far more detail than the other guidebooks we had with us; Blue would often have full entries on sites the others did not even (or barely) mentioned. Cannot say enough about the fantastic wealth of information & detail on nearly every site; often as much or more than the local tour guides! We never felt the need for a guide except in the 1 or 2 locations Blue actually recommended it!
Cons: A little light on practical “getting there” and “where to stay” type information, but I do like that the Blues assumption is that you’re not a timid, fearful tourist & can figure some basics out for yourself. They’re big & heavy, so perhaps I’m going with the downloadable next time, tho I love the ability to re-read them at home.
When combined with any other guidebook that excels in the practical traveler’s type info (such as LP, Rough, Fodor/Frommer, etc. – your preference), the Blue Guides provide the excellent, in-depth detail into at what you’re actually looking.
Pilgrim’s Rome
Best in class
Reviewed by Rich Leonardi
Format: Kindle ebook
Wonderful resource that provides brief, encyclopedic descriptions of the history and significance of nearly all the important sites of Christian Rome. The digital version is especially helpful, as one can flip through the Kindle version on an iPhone while walking the streets of Rome. I’ve read just about every similarly themed book on Rome I could find, and Blue Guides’ Pilgrims Rome is the best.
Blue Guide Venice
The best series of guide books are now better than ever
Reviewed by Marco M
Format: Paperback
This is the first of the ‘rebooted’ Blue Guides I’ve bought. After going down the pretty looking, more populist route, Blue Guides are now back on track!
This is absolutely the best guide book to Venice available today. Let’s be honest here – one goes to Venice for her history, art and architecture, not for a week of lying on a beach at a resort. Blue Guides are unapologetically concerned with detailed information on every building and artwork you will see in a city. This guide is stuffed full of the most interesting information about everything imaginable relating to Venice, her art and her glorious past. Not just who painted what and who built that, but facinating titbits of trivia that brings the most beautiful city on Earth alive.
I have taken past editions of Blue Guides to Venice many times over the last 10 years, but this is the best so far. I thought I knew Venice inside out – my last trip there (for 8 days) revealed so much more that I didn’t know, all thanks to this brilliant guide. It really makes every other guide book on the market look like an article in a magazine.
Now I have to buy the rebooted Blue Guide to Rome for my upcoming trip back to the Eternal City!
Blue Guide Venice
Intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find
Reviewed by Richard Hyman
Format: Paperback
I cannot add substantially to the previous review of Joanie G. This much improved edition is almost twice the size of the previous which was inferior to the Blue Guides to London and Paris. To my knowledge it is the only thorough, intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find and appreciate the overwhelming riches of this city. Plus advice on getting about efficiently. Recommend without reservation.
