A very handy book to have in Venice: it was our tour companion! The author really knows the places to go to get away from the crowds and his recommendations for places to eat were always spot on, offering excellent food and service for all budgets. If Jonathan Buckley recommends booking a restaurant in advance, then heed his advice as on the few occasions when we deviated from the guide, we fell straight into tourist traps! Without this book, I think we would have left Venice feeling like it was like Disneyland. Instead, we came away with happy memories of a beautiful city.