City Secrets Rome [Hardcover]

However NEXT time the first thing I am going to pack is this delightful volume. As it says "This is a highly subjective guidebook, reflecting the personal visions of our respondents. "
It is highly successful in that. Agree or disagree with points of view, they are thought provoking and a joy to read.

The only slight difficulty I have with the book is that I need a very strong light to read it in, what with middle aged eyesight. The sepia like print, whilst adding to the aesthetics of the book, is not as distinct as a clearer print might be.

But please - do not take it as your only guide to Rome, for it is not meant for beginners, it is not a cheerful mainstream introduction. It will not give you most basic details or opening times or transport arrangements - just VERY subjective impressions, and suggestions from the people who know and love Rome professionally - architects, lecturers, artists. And however good maps are, perhaps you could do with a much more detailed one. I used a map from Eyewitness Guide, it worked very well together with this little book.

Approach City Secrets Rome in an open-minded way, never expecting that it will give you exhaustive account of what to see, and you are in for a treat. I loved every bit of its confident, unassuming and at the same time unashemedly elitist writing. The author opens with a story how he was buying a box of cubans in Rome and how the price was too much for him, a poor soul. Well, in my humble opinion, a student who can afford a box of Cuban cigars is kinda more or less sorted for cash, thank you very much. This episode does set the tone and the register for the rest of the writing: no comparative dumpster analysis of Lonely Planet school there, and, most importantly, no Lonely Planet treatment of a foreign city like a cheap shop which deserves to have every bargain cheated, coaxed and squeezed out of it.

You don't have to like the book's assumption that you should be able to afford any admission charge and a decent restaurant meal if you bothered to travel at all. So make sure this book's for you, and if it is - enjoy.

The reviewers are reputable. I bought it orginally because I recognize some of their names and know their work and taste. I was not let down.

Most of all I appreciated the maps and format of the book. I got mildly lost many times while walking around. Each time I turned to this book to find my way again. It has some of the the best neighborhood maps I could get a hold of. And becuase sites of interest are clearly marked I ventured into places I would not have otherwise gone. The size and scale of the book are perfect. You can even hold it in your hand without feeling like a total tourist. And the indexes at the back are useful.

A really good book. Get it and use it as a supplement to a something like Let's Go, or Fodor's, or whatever you like.