When listing the virtues of the Rough Guide series--including The Rough Guide to Italy--it is difficult to know where to begin. Primarily, of course, their greatest value lies in the comprehensive coverage of a given region, and the updated edition of The Rough Guide to Italy is a classic example of this excellent all-inclusiveness, with over 1000 tightly-packed pages of information, maps and photos. Then, of course, there is the famous Rough Guide accessibility: intelligently laid-out indices make finding the desired destination or sight (whether it's Michelangelo's David in Florence's Academia or the erotic frescoes in Pompeii) the easiest thing imaginable. But what the Guides are really famous for (and thankfully this new Italian guide has in abundance) is their wonderfully unstuffy and cutting-edge attitude to their subject countries. It is, in fact, this intelligent edge that has most of their rivals looking musty and old-fashioned.

Anyone wishing to sample the style of Rough Guide Italy could do no better than to turn to the section on Rome, where a perfectly judged introduction to the city's history is balanced by highly useful off-the-cuff information such as the difficulty of getting anywhere very fast in the Eternal City. It's this frankness that is less often found in other guides, and this (along with the impeccable scholarship and a diamond-sharp evocation of a sense of place) makes this the one Italian guide you will need. Some might claim that illustrations and photos are rather sidelined in order to accommodate more text, but that's precisely the idea: these are, above all, guides to help you find your way around Italy (or wherever) with the greatest possible ease. If you want masses of colour photographs--why not go and take them yourself? --Barry Forshaw

The Daily Telegraph, London, UK

We recommend the Rough Guide to Italy which has excellent sections on politics and social history. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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	37% buy the item featured on this page: Italy: The Rough Guide to (Rough Guide Travel Guides) 3.8 out of 5 stars (6)
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	11% buy The Rough Guide to Italy (Rough Guide Travel Guides) 2.0 out of 5 stars (1) �13.59

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6 Reviews

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4 star:		(4)
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Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Solid and Practical, 12 Nov 2002

By A Customer

..I heartily endorse this book to Travellers who have the desire to be something other than Tourists. It's many strengths include, social and political history, the logistics of planning a trip and then arrival, transport, accommodation, restaurants,and what not to miss.
I find it an indispensable companion for planning any trip to Italy and I always update with the new editions.This one is as reliable as any that has gone before with the small enhancement of colour photographs. It is true that Rough Guides in general to the whole of a country are not the easiest books to walk around with but that is not really what they are meant for. They inform and advise the visitor before they go and are to be dipped in and out of whilst there..The other strong book to consider for the area the previous reviwer was complaining about is the latest edition of The Cadogan Guide to North West Italy or one of the more specific Rough Guides.
However,if I had to choose a good reliable guide to the whole of Italy my first choice would be The Rough Guide to Italy.

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Generally excellent guide book - don't leave home without it, 13 Nov 2001

By A Customer

This is good value for money. All the information I needed about travelling, accomodation and nightlife in Milan, Florence and Rome. Some of the maps are a bit spartan and can be difficult to relate to the touristy places you might want to visit as described throughout the guide. Excellent for Florence and Rome, generally good for Milan. The accomodation section for Florence was particularly good.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for first time travellers to Italy, 23 Mar 2001

By	caroline_bjorck@yahoo.com (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Italy (Paperback)

This book covers everything you want to know about Italy and also gives you ideas where to search for more information if needed. I liked the simple phrases in Italian and how to pronounce them.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily the best guide to Italy around
I've taken my Rough Guide to the Amalfi Coast, Lake Maggoire, and when travelling across the north of the country and it has been an invaluable companion. Read more

Published on 22 Dec 2002 by jagofamily

2.0 out of 5 stars Miserable, inaccurate
I took this book to the Northern Lakes last month, Maggiore and Como, so while making allowances for changes in charges, etc. Read more

Published on 2 Sep 2002 by Michael Gordon

4.0 out of 5 stars Rough Guide to Italy
Generally the Rough Guide was useful, however lacked detail in certain areas. The maps provided, often lacked information in particular street names which were mentioned in the... Read more

Published on 27 Aug 2002

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