Customer Reviews

Rome the Second Time: 15 Itineraries That Don't Go to the Coliseum

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I have traveled to Rome, Italy many times and have used various guidebooks, all of which offer pretty much the same information, photographs, and maps. After so many visits, I consider myself knowledgeable about the wonderful city of Rome.

When I first saw the title of this book, I got quite excited. As I began reading Rome The Second Time, I actually gave out a little cheer. I started sending emails to friends to tell them about the book. The authors have written a terrifically entertaining and fact-filled travel work about what to do in Rome after you've seen the major tourist sites. The book is a must-have for those making their second, third, fourth, fifth (etc.) trip to Rome. Even those on their first trip to the Eternal City will get a lot out of it.

The authors detail their visits to interesting Roman neighborhoods, churches, museums, restaurants (trattoria), wine bars (enoteca) that might be off-the-beaten path, but are all worth a visit for any tourist. What's also a pleasure is that they occasionally write about each other's reaction to the place they're visiting - it's as if you're eavesdropping on their private conversations. There are photographs as well as precise neighborhood maps for each interesting chapter, and there are clear and concise directions to their favorite places from the Rome Metro (subway) or bus or trolley stops. The authors write about favorite and unusual cinemas and museums; there's even a section on aqueducts, which still bring Rome its cold, delicious, drinkable water, which is often flowing out of centuries-old fountains on hundreds of street corners

I have been to some of the places about which they write, and I can attest that their information is spot-on. Very few, if any guidebooks, direct you to the giant Sunday flea market on the Tiber, or to Mussolini's haunts, or to family-owned restaurants on quaint streets where real Romans eat. If on your first visit, tourist Rome is too crowded for you, some of the places in Rome The Second Time will have fabulous, sometimes quiet, often uncrowded appeal, too. (Except for the flea market, which is crowded and absolutely amazing.)

This very affordable book has become my favorite guide to Rome. It's obvious that the authors, Americans who love Rome and have been going there for years (renting apartments during their stays), take great joy in sharing their experiences. It's pleasurable just reading the book, but I can't wait to use it in Rome.

I've lived in Rome for a few years and was curious to read this book to see if it could really deliver on its promise to give readers the insight into spaces normally not visited by travelers. The authors have done an amazing job at giving readers itineraries that really speak to the Rome that most people live in and speak to the fact that the city is so rich in history that one could avoid all the "major" monuments and still get a full history lesson. In fact, there are a few itineraries I'll be walking myself, as they cover areas I don't know as well. Bravo for breaking away from the normal pack and delivering a guidebook that is perfect for people who really want to get a different viewpoint or who have been a few times and want to go beyond the usual tourist sites.

Although I have visited Rome a few times and still have many sites I want to visit and revisit that are in the usual guidebooks, I will certainly flag some of the sites in this book to get off the beaten track. I think this book would be particularly helpful if you visit Rome during peak tourist season, as the book will give you areas to visit that most likely won't be overrun with buses and umbrella toting guides. Good guide for those who have been to Rome before and are looking for something fresh and equally good for those who are new to Rome but want to stray off the usual tourist paths.

Rome The Second Time is designed for the return visitor who has seen the major tourist sights. Yet, it is also a perfect guide book for first timers like me who want to experience the city in a different and deeper way than is often possible in a brief stay. On my first trip to Rome I followed all or part of 6 itineraries included in the book (Rome and Its Aqueducts; Hitler and the Germans Come to Rome; On the Gionicolo; The Nazis and Fascists in Central Rome; The Architecture of Modernism and Fascism; An Evening in Pigneto). Thanks to Bennett and Graebner's excellent guide, I enjoyed every step and syllable.

The itineraries are detailed and easy to follow and took me to places I would never have found on my own. The sights selected introduce the

wayfarer to Rome's history, architecture, infrastructure, neighborhoods, politics and political movements, archaeology, ethnic and immigrant communities

high and popular art, night life, music scene, social classes, sports stadiums, schools and universities and much more. The commentaries describing the sights are lively and entertaining and explain succinctly the history and significance of what one is looking at. They tell us what to look for; what to see that we might miss otherwise.

Although I was not able to walk all 15 itineraries, the book guided me to an intense connection and bond with the city And reading it cover to cover on my return home helped me cope with feelings of Rome withdrawal and to anticipate and plan my second time. I highly recommend Rome the Second Time to first, second or tenth time visitors to Rome.

This is an interesting, informative, and thought-provoking book to read, even if you are not planning to travel to Rome sometime soon. The story-telling and history-telling make it a fun read anytime, anywhere, for someone interested in European cities, urban pleasures, history, food, architecture, art, cinema, literature . . . in short, for anyone interested in the good things in life.. But of course, when we are able to make our next trip back to Rome (our 4th), the book will be carefully packed in one of our carry-ons. Can't wait to visit the untouristy neighborhoods, bars, restaurants, museums and churches they suggest, as well as the historical sights that we missed on previous trips.

"A stupendous guide for long stays in Rome. We just returned from a three-month stay in Rome. We have visited Rome several times, the previous time for six weeks, and we know the ancient sites very well, since my husband is a professor of Roman history. For this extended stay, we were looking for a book that would expand our horizons beyond the Ancient, Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque. Rome the Second Time was more than we expected. We did not have time to do all the great tours they described. Thanks to Bill and Diane, we visited the Aqueduct Park and Fosse Aredeatine. For the first time, I understood the basic history of Fascism and the Nazi occupation. I never knew that buildings and even statues from the Fascist era were dated according to the first year of Fascism, but after reading this book, I found them everywhere. The book more than paid for itself with its restaurant recommendations in the Appio Latino area, where they had lived. Since our apartment was a few metro stops away, we found ourselves going to these restaurants far more than to those in the central part of Rome. They just felt more "Roman." Bill and Diane have a great webpage for updates [[...]]. But you need the book to follow the tours. Some of the guide books we had with us were extremely heavy. This book is very lightweight, and that makes a huge difference in comfort."

A pair of seasoned travelers-and lovers of Rome-have offered up a wonderful insider's guide to the Eternal City.

As the title succinctly puts it, "Rome, The Second Time" is not going to take you to the Trevi Fountain but instead, will suggest lesser-known wonders and multiple surprises organized for your discovery into a set of itineraries. This is a delightful handbook for those who are ready to explore the next level of Rome's offerings.

"Second Time" takes the reader into the Roman personality, grabbing insight from the American writers who fully comprehend the City's great cultural, architectural, political and historical gifts tempered by some of its Eternally persistent flaws. "Second Time" assumes that the reader is familiar with Rome's layout; the maps of separate itineraries are helpful, but you need to know how to get to the starting point.

Divided into a set of 15 separate walks, "The Second Time" is worth a full read for explorers who enjoy travel writing. The husband-wife author team often have separate "takes" on a particular experience and the well informed chattiness of the commentary can embrace a particular place or itinerary but have, at the same time, much wider resonance. Indeed, it is the "he/she" opinion variations that give the guide much of its easy-reading personality and help the reader along making choices.

I live in Rome and have always thought that if visitors only see the "top 10" sites, they don't get to know the Rome that I know and love. This is the first guidebook that approaches the Rome that "Romans" know. It provides wonderful insight that you would not get in a run-of-the-mill guidebook. I hope that the authors are working on a second volume!

An interesting book that takes the reader to places off the usual tourist track. It is, and only can be, a tiny sampling of what Rome offers the more adventurous traveler who is not afraid to get on a local bus or tram. The inclusion of Nazi memorabilia is questionable when there is so much positive to see and do.

My husband and I have used this book as a guide for several excursions in Rome and have found it to be quite useful. There is enough historical background that you understand what you are seeing, but not so much that it's overwhelming. Each itinerary has specific instructions to get you to the starting point and guide you though your walk/visit.

The itineraries may not appeal to everyone (that seemed to be the main criticism of two negative reviews) but if you're interested in how things were built or in exploring neighborhoods off the beaten path, this book is great. My only criticism is that it was published in 2009 so some of the information needs updating.