City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy [Library Binding]

Robert Kahn (Editor)

Book Description

Series: City Secrets | Publication Date: January 1, 2001

Second in the highly-acclaimed City Secrets series, City Secrets Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy is a unique and sophisticated guidebook that compiles the recommendations of some of the world's most eminent authors, artists, architects, and others.

Whether writing about a painting, a restaurant, or a village's hidden byways, these experts' observations, taken together, amount to an exhilarating insider's look at both the well-known and the overlooked. The impassioned descriptions and informed perspectives in the pages of City Secrets Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy form an inspired tour of this most inspiring of countries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... fulfills the seemingly impossible goal of providing a sophisticated guide to Florence, Venice including precious itineraries through seldom-visited treasures. -- Il Mosaico

If you require a guide more refined than rough, the City Secrets travel books may be up your alley. -- Irish Times (Dublin)

Like last year's indispensible Rome guide, the pocket-size [book] offers insider tips from artists, writers, historians and architects. -- New York magazine

Niles and Frasier Crane would love this book ... crammed with tips ... Full marks for letting words do the work ... -- The Observer (London)

“... it should be everyone’s pick to supplement any guide more devoted to the travel basics.” -- Barron's

Product Details

• Library Binding: 384 pages
• Publisher: Little Bookroom (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892145014
• ISBN-13: 978-1892145017
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Florence
  • #23 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Venice

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, but a must if you take travel seriously, June 18, 2002

By 

Andrius Uzkalnis (Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy (Library Binding)

This series is not for everyone and in most cases not for your first trip to one of the cities covered. The City Secrets is exactly what is says: secrets - small details, curious trivia, stuff you pick up from really good tour guides who gently guide you through the city revealing tiny nuggets of local knowledge here and there. It is a very friendly book, and the style of writing - a mosaic of bits of familiarity, contributed by individuals, is very endearing. There is a feeling of warmth about this publication.

A new or casual visitor may find this thoroughness and depth of insights of the guide overwhelming. This little book is unlikely to serve as the single multi-purpose travel resource for the glorious Italian cities covered. You will probably want to supplement it with some mainstream guide (try Eyewitness, Fodor's or Frommer's, for example) - a combination like this should work very well.

Unlike with most other books, a serious traveller will probably be captivated by ALL the writing in this book and will read it back to back (does this often happen with other guides? Don't think so...) You may find yourself willing to see all the curious things mentioned in this little book; most certainly you will want more of these books published.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best paired with a more comprehensive guide, June 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy (Library Binding)

While our cousin, an art-history graduate residing in Italy, agreed that the Rome version is excellent, this book attempted to cover too much ground with few 'secrets' to spread around the different parts of Italy. Highly recommend pairing this book with a more comprehensive tour book such as the Eyewitness Guide. It was worthwhile cross-referencing the books to make sure that we cover the top sights and some less-traveled gems.

Thanks to this guide book, we enjoyed an excellent picnic packed by the suggested grocery in Radda in Chianti. We followed the book's advice to Osteria di Rendola and had an absolutely amazing lunch. This book provided some pleasant surprises for us first-time goers and gourmet lovers.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything except Florence, December 25, 2005

By 

Deb A. (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: City Secrets: Florence, Venice, and the Towns of Italy (Library Binding)

My family used this guide extensively while travelling in northern Italy this past summer. We found it particularly helpful in Bologna, Venice and the Portofino region. Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author, was a major contributor to the Venice section; if you want a great meal off of the beaten path in Venice, she won't lead you wrong.

I've used the NYC City Secrets guide for years so bought this before our trip. Given the large geographic area and many regions that are covered, it isn't surprising that it lacks the comprehensiveness of the NYC and Rome City Secrets guides. Although we didn't use the guide in Florence, I can see why many reviewers found it lacking for that great city. Although smaller than Rome, Florence deserves a City Secrets book of it's own.