Customer Reviews

Tuscany, Umbria & the Marches, 8th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been to Tuscany ten times over the past decade and have always used Cadogan, to my mind still the best out of the scores of other guides that have sprung up since, including the Rough Guide. They may not always get the phone numbers right, but the authors' make each corner of this beautiful region come alive with their knowledge and witty writing. The new 6th edition has a greatly expanded section on the Marches-a lovely region that no other book in English covers very well at all.

When some years ago I was given by an American friend of mine a copy of this guide, I soon noticed that many information (e. g. telephone numbers of museums, names of bus companies) on the area in Tuscany where I live were outdated. So I wrote the authors a short letter with new numbers, names etc. Two weeks ago I saw the 6th ed. of the guide in a Florentine bookshop, but the wrong numbers, names etc. were always the same! They were not corrected!!! I wonder why!

This American version (Globe Pequot) of the much lengthier, more recently published British edition of the Cadogan Guide to Tuscany, Umbria, and the Marches was a real disappointment. It was in good condition--but it was published in 1990 and is too old to replace the well-worn, much more informative guide I've used for several years while travelling in Tuscany and Umbria.
After I got the guide, I went onto Google.uk and found that a much more recent version is available in the UK.

We have used this book to explore the area just south of us for 4 solid years. Every time I open it, I am surprised and delighted at its depth, the authors' erudition, and the daring way in which they are often judgemental about what they observe. Of course, it has all the practical stuff as well, but it is the culture and history that makes this so great. Their eloquence surpasses the medium by several orders of magnitude.

Warmly recommended. These are the best travel writers in the business if you are looking for just that unusual perspective to add to your explorations. And you can read it again and again and see more.