Blue Guide Books

Blue Guide Rome, Ninth Edition

Alta MacAdam

Amazon Price: $19.11 List Price: $28.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $15.40

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Definitive 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

My husband and I travel every chance we get, and wherever we go, we take two guidebooks, one with color photos and overviews of major sites, and the other, the Blue Guide for the city or region in question. Blue Guides are not the practical choice for making reservations, finding out prices, or navigating the local transportation choices. When it comes to detail, however, about history, culture, not-to-be-missed or off-the-beaten-track treasures, they have no equal. City Guide Rome is no exception. Because of this resource, we discovered San Clemente, with its amazing subterranean world beyond the Coliseum, the remarkable early Christian Church of St Agnese Fuori le Mure, and the lovely Roseto rose gardens. The background information provided for all listings is well researched, detailed, and interesting. Blue Guide Rome is worth every penny for travelers in search of an in-depth adventure.

Editorial Review:

"Often plagiarized by other guide writers, Blue Guides have always been a gold standard for accuracy and depth."—Daily Telegraph

The best, most comprehensive guide to one of the world's most intriguing cities. With detailed walking tours and helpful guides to the abundance of art, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in an in-depth view of Rome. Color photographs, maps, floor plans, diagrams.

Blue Guide Sicily, Seventh Edition

Ellen Grady

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $16.06

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Comprehensive, extremely intelligent guide. THE class act of Sicily guides. 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

We spent 2 weeks in Sicily in Oct 2007. After looking through all the major guides at a local book store, we purchased the Lonely Planet Sicily (3rd Edition) and the Blue Guide Sicily (7th Edition). Lonely Planet covers the all the major sites, cities, and towns. Its city maps, with the locations of restaurant, hotels, etc. are extremely helpful. However, it is missing some of the smaller towns and sites, and offers sparse coverage of the east coast of Sicily. The Blue Guide is far, far superior in terms of its comprehensive detail, and quality of information. Indeed the Blue Guide is one of the best guide books I have ever seen on any region: its intelligence and depth are extraordinary. On the other hand, the Blue Guide city maps, while graphically excellent, are lacking the markers for restaurant and hotels that Lonely Planet has. And there were days when we did not feel like lugging the Blue Guide's 512 pages around. So ultimately, we were glad to have both.

Editorial Review:

"Often plagiarized by other guide writers, Blue Guides have always been a gold standard for accuracy and depth."—Daily Telegraph

Revised and extensively updated, Blue Guide Sicily offers an in-depth history of this historically rich destination. Ellen Grady offers a comprehensive overview of Sicily—from what to see and where to eat to detailed analyses of individual museum pieces. Color photographs, maps, floor plans, diagrams.

Blue Guide New York

Carol V. Wright

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Blue Guide Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $15.37

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Simply Indispensable! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Carol von Pressentin Wright's "Blue Guide to New York" is probably the most comprehensive guidebook to the Big Apple available. Absolutely indispensable, it includes 41 detailed maps for all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, along with several black and white photographs. As a New Yorker, I cannot think of anything that has not been included here. I frequently use the book myself, especially when I have out-of-town visitors. It is also excellent, for New Yorkers and visitors alike, to use on walking tours. I have the 2002 edition.

In an extremely accessible format, "The Blue Guide" presents information on all NYC districts and important sights, including: practical information, lodgings, restaurants and eateries for every budget, transportation, museums and galleries, sports, performing arts, shopping, monuments, historic detail and districts, detailed walking tours and background information. As noted, there is a veritable plethora of clear and easy-to-follow maps, along with a large pull-out MTA map of the subway system, and bus, railroad and ferry connections.

From the posh shops on Madison and Fifth Avenues to the funky Lower East Side, from the streets of Greenwich Village and Soho to the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, this is the one and only guide you will need to navigate through this fabulous city, and to find fascinating out-of-the-way places most tourests never discover. There are myriad cultures here: Little Odessa in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, Little Italy, Chinatown, a thriving Greek community in Astoria, Queens, Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn where Arabic is heard on the street and wares from all over the Middle East are sold. Almost every country in the world is represented here and you can visit them all easily with the Blue Guide in hand. I hope you enjoy the city I love!
JANA

Editorial Review:

This is the best-researched, best-presented, most comprehensive cultural guides in the English language covering art, history, architecture and archeology.

Blue Guide Central Italy with Rome and Florence, First Edition (Blue Guides)

Alta Macadam, Ellen Grady

Amazon Price: $22.72 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Blue Guides Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $18.00

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Editorial Review:

A new Blue Guide completes the series' unparalleled coverage of Italy, complementing recently revised guides to northern Italy, Sicily, and southern Italy.

The first Blue Guide to include in the same book two of Italy's biggest destinations, Rome and Florence, Blue Guide Central Italy also explores the bucolic countryside and towns in between them. Along with the legendary depth of research and up-to-date scholarship that readers have come to expect, this guide features "Blue Guides Recommended" dining and accommodation suggestions. Color photographs, maps, floor plans, and diagrams throughout.

Blue Guide Florence, Ninth Edition

Alta MacAdam

Amazon Price: $20.40 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $12.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A must for the traveler to Tuscany and Florence. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The best guide book available for art, architecture, history and culture of any city, region or country.

Don't leave home without it.

Great on detail, not so great as a guide 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

On his website, travel guru Rick Steves says that Blue Guides take "a dry and scholarly approach to the countries of Europe. They're ideal if you want to learn as much about history, art, architecture, and culture as you possibly can." This is basically true, though I much prefer a "dry and scholarly" tone to Rick's "nerdy and precious" style. He's great when it comes to practical tips, but he can't touch the historical, artistic and architectural content of the Blue Guides.

Blue Guides pack a tremendous amount of information into their pages, much more than any other guide I've used. They're wonderful for reading before and after your trip, but they're probably too dense to pack and take along for most people. Before leaving on my honeymoon to Italy, I photocopied the relevant pages of the Northern Italy book to avoid having to pack it because I knew I wouldn't be visiting most of the cities it covers. On that trip I field-tested three guides: Rick Steves, Eyewitness, and Blue Guide.

Blue Guides are not good to use as your main guide. They're far too light on practical matters such as maps, directions, hotels and restaurants, and they're not updated every year. I used Eyewitness to plan and get around and then pulled out the Blue Guide once I reached a major site. I used Rick Steves so little and found him so unhelpful that I left his books behind in hotels along the way.

Blue Guides have come a long way over the years. I was given an older edition of the Rome guide many years ago, and I couldn't believe how small the print was; it had a lot of detail but would have been very difficult to use while traveling. The publishers have learned their lesson: the current editions are far easier to use and much more attractive, with colorful maps and an easier-to-read format. They've improved on the practical aspects as well, but you'll probably be in trouble if you rely on this book to get around. I recommend packing a more comprehensive one-volume guide such as Eyewitness and using Blue Guide to learn about specific sites once the other guide gets you to them. Keep Blue Guide on your shelf as an attractive reference and let it inspire you to return to Florence!

Editorial Review:

In expert fashion Blue Guide Florence covers the range of what this extraordinary city—the cradle of the Renaissance—offers to travelers: from singular museums and galleries to beautifully, meticulously built churches, to some of the most breathtaking walks and finest food in the region. From Brunelleschi's Duomo to the magnificent Boboli gardens, Florence reveals a fascinating history—of intrigue, patronage, and art. Color diagrams, floor plans, and maps; 40 color photographs.

Blue Guide Venice, Eighth Edition (Blue Guides)

Alta Macadam

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $14.25

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> History & Criticism -> Criticism & Theory -> General AAS

Editorial Review:

Venice has been one of the world's leading destinations for the cultural traveler since the eighteenth-century Grand Tour: a romantic setting, rich in art history, created by a republic that was stable and prosperous for a thousand years. The eighth edition offers the curious traveler invaluable information on everything from art and architecture to places to stay. Color photographs, floor plans, maps, diagrams.

Blue Guide Northern Italy: From the Alps to the Adriatic, Twelfth Edition

Paul Blanchard

Amazon Price: $21.75 List Price: $32.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $7.27

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Wonderful detail, but don't pack it 3 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

On his website, travel guru Rick Steves says that Blue Guides take "a dry and scholarly approach to the countries of Europe. They're ideal if you want to learn as much about history, art, architecture, and culture as you possibly can." This is basically true, though I much prefer a "dry and scholarly" tone to Rick's "nerdy and precious" style. He's great when it comes to practical tips, but he can't touch the historical, artistic and architectural content of the Blue Guides.

Blue Guides pack a tremendous amount of information into their pages, much more than any other guide I've used. They're wonderful for reading before and after your trip, but they're probably too dense to pack and take along for most people. Before leaving on my honeymoon to Italy, I photocopied the relevant pages of the Northern Italy book to avoid having to pack it because I knew I wouldn't be visiting most of the cities it covers. (Be aware that this book does not include Rome, Florence, or Tuscany.) On that trip I field-tested three guides: Rick Steves, Eyewitness, and Blue Guide.

Blue Guides are not good to use as your main guide. They're far too light on practical matters such as maps, directions, hotels and restaurants, and they're not updated every year. I used Eyewitness to plan and get around and then pulled out the Blue Guide once I reached a major site. I used Rick Steves so little and found him so unhelpful that I left his books behind in hotels along the way.

Blue Guides have come a long way over the years. I was given an older edition of the Rome guide many years ago, and I couldn't believe how small the print was; it had a lot of detail but would have been very difficult to use while traveling. The publishers have learned their lesson: the current edition of the Rome guide is far easier to use and much more attractive, with colorful maps and an easier-to-read format. They've improved on the practical aspects as well, but you'll probably be in trouble if you rely on this book to get around in Rome. I recommend packing a more comprehensive one-volume guide such as Eyewitness and using Blue Guide to learn about specific sites once the other guide gets you to them. Keep Blue Guide on your shelf as an attractive reference and let it inspire you to return to Italy in the future!

Editorial Review:

THIS TWELTH EDITION by art historian Paul Blanchard covers some of the most-renowned towns and cities in the world, focusing on the artists, architects, and patrons who contributed to their country's legacy. With detailed walks through parts of the most stunning landscape in Europe and up-to-date information on festivals, where to stay, and what to eat, "Blue Guide Northern Italy is a perfect guide for anyone interested in getting the most out of their stay.

Blue Guide Paris, Eleventh Edition (Blue Guides)

Delia Gray-Durant

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $18.70

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Editorial Review:

A fully updated guide to the City of Light, with not-to-be-missed information and guidance on Paris's incredible variety of art and architecture, history and culture, all of which are brilliantly described in this fully updated edition. Color photographs, floor plans, maps, diagrams.

Blue Guide Southern Italy, Eleventh Edition (Blue Guides)

Paul Blanchard

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 12 new & used starting at $20.89

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Best for the Beautiful 4 out of 5 stars.
17 of 18 people found this review helpful.

A guide book should

1. review hotels, with phone numbers, email, website, closing seasons, price, and comments on quality;

2. review restaurants, with cuisine, price, phone numbers, email, website, and closing times and days;

3. have maps of towns with detailed and labeled streets (including one-way), marked with recommended hotels, restaurants, parking, and sites;

4. good regional maps for driving;

5. drawn or photographed areas for orientation;

6. printed plans of museums (with opening times and days) and identifying diagrams of detailed art works;

7. religious notes;

8. and detailed discussion of the picturesque, the beautiful, the sublime - in nature and the arts - for the plucky, intelligent, curious, willing-to-learn, urbane, cosmopolitan traveler, done with a sense of history.

The reader of this review should know that for me #8 outweighs all the others put together. For ##1-6 there are probably better travel books than The Blue Guides, the latter treating these matters a bit too cursory. A brief thumb-through in a large bookstore will tell which other guidebooks might meet these criteria - though British books are better than American, the British a less parochial and better educated people (perhaps I should add: I live in the South of the US). There are certainly better guidebooks for #7. Yet for #8, in English (those in German are better, the Germans an even more cosmopolitan and urbane people), The Blue Guides are the best, at least for those books most regularly updated. I have bought them for years and for every destination traveled. The Blue Guides are also kind enough to put the date of publication in the front, unlike the guidebooks of assorted confidence men and hucksters - a testimonial to the Blue Guide's integrity.

The _Blue Guide Southern Italy_, 2007 (11th ed.), has 584 pages, of which the first 289 are Campania. Basilicata is covered in pages 291-318, Calabria 319-368, Abruzzo and Molise together 369-428, and Puglia 427-528. Unlike earlier editions, Latium south of Rome is excluded, leaving one to hope that Latium-Beyond-Rome will be a future Blue Guide. There are a copious index, a glossary of special terms, diagrams of the classical orders, and historical charts. Maps of many towns are provided. Just enough photos are included without the text turning into a glossy coffee table tome, and there are floor plans of important museums and churches. Usually how-to-get-there by means of train, bus, and car is discussed. The description of #8, especially with respect to the arts, is good - the book's real selling point. And it's not printed on cheap paper.

Puglia deserves a book of its own, and another for Basilicata and Calabria. Perhaps the British and Irish don't go there (Blue Guides are published in the UK). The recent publication of a _Blue Guide Marche_ leads one to hope.

Editorial Review:

Increasingly, southern Italy is becoming a major European destination, not surprising given what it has to offer: the ruins of Pompeii, the island of Capri, the wild scenery of the Abruzzo, the beautiful villages of the Ionian coast, the Romanesque architecture of Puglia, and vibrant Naples. With everything you need to know, from the best places to stay to the museums that cannot be missed as well as exquisite lesser-known sights, the eleventh edition is an essential guide. Color photographs, floor plans, maps, diagrams.

Blue Guide Crete, Seventh Edition

Pat Cameron

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $6.70

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Indispensible for the island 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

We used this guide at the exclusion of several other guides on Greece/Crete. We found it indispensible. Not only for the cities, beaches, towns, foods, and general area, but for a piece by piece exhibit guide for the Museum (they don't give you any informational handouts at the Museum in Iraklion), but for the MANY ruins, monasteries and historical sites throughout Crete. This was the single best guide we had for Crete. Highly recommended.

Blue Guide Crete, 7th ed. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This guide gives the information you need to know about traveling in Crete: history, current information, food and lodging.

Not really practical for a short visit to Crete 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 7 people found this review helpful.

First off, this book is written for an British audience so it's not quite right for a U.S. audience.. I found the book a little too verbose and not something i carried around with me. It is full of information about Crete but not really for use 'on the go' during my 3 day stay.

Editorial Review:

Completely rewritten and reorganized, with an array of new maps and plans, Blue Guide Crete is carefully arranged by province. Filled with detailed descriptions of villages, towns, churches, archaeological sites, and walks, and useful practical information on transportation, lodgings, and food, this is an indispensable guide to Crete. Color map, 11 maps and plans. 20 illustrations.