Some recent feedback on Amazon

While we recommend and support good book shops as the obvious place to buy a Blue Guide, we also provide functionality from these pages to order copies for immediate delivery from Amazon.  One of the advantages of this for us is that we can see the excellent rankings and feedback from readers that our titles receive, in itself rewarding for our authors, editors and production team, who put an enormous amount of work into publishing “the best-researched, best presented guide books in the English language”. Here are some recent comments.

Blue Guide Sicily

Blue Guide Sicily

great book

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

the best travel guide I’ve ever purchased. my planned trip is for art and architecture. this covers everything i need.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

I’ve been studying it intently and recommend it highly

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Robert C Ross
Format: Paperback

As someone who walks 50 miles a week or so in New York City, I’ve collected a number of guide books over the years. I am hoping to be a big apple greeter in the City , and as part of the training, plan to take the official guide test given by the city, a 175 questionnaire. The city strongly recommends the use of this guide book for study purposes. I’ve been studying it intently and recommend it highly.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

Best guide book out there for Rome

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by a y pasha
Format: Paperback

Best guide book out there for Rome, tells you everything and more, on loan to 4th person now, all impressed.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

Just what is missing from so many guides…

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Anat Tueg
Format: Kindle ebook

Wonderful in depth history, nice walks. Wish there was a guide like this on every city I visited.

Blue Guide Sicily

Blue Guide Sicily

It is the best guide about history and archaeology

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Geoffrey Braswell
Format: Paperback

This is not a book about beaches, hotels, and restaurants. It is the best guide about history and archaeology. Worth the price if you are there to see and learn rather than tan like a pig skin.

Blue Guide Sicily

Blue Guide Sicily

A superb guide

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by RTF King
Format: Kindle ebook

I bought this guide the night before leaving for a one week’s holiday in Palermo. Only after I had downloaded it did I see that its only review gave it one star, and I almost certainly would not have bought it had I read the review. In contrast to the reviewer, I found it extremely easy to use, with very good linkages between the Table of Contents at the back and the discussion in the text, and also cross-referencing between different parts of the text. I normally download my Kindle books on to two devices. The first is the Kindle paperwhite tablet, which has the great advantage that it can be read in broad sunlight. This is especially useful for travel guides. They are also very easy to slip into a pocket. The drawback is that, as your reviewer noted, diagrams and photographs tend to be too small and cannot be enlarged. I also download them on to an Android tablet (I use a Google Nexus 7 inch tablet, but this has probably been rendered obsolete by now.) With the Android version one can enlarge diagrams and photos very easily, and view them in a landscape version if preferred.

As for the guide itself, it is well-written and so far as I could see, very comprehensive. There were one or two glitches about opening times–swings and roundabouts, we found some things unexpectedly open as well as others unexpectedly closed. But for the most part it proved accurate and very helpful.

Blue Guide Florence

Blue Guide Florence

These are great guides

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by cubby43
Format: Paperback

im already a fan of the blue guide rome which has been a great source of knowledge for me during 2 trips to rome, i now have the florence guide and its equally superb, i love the way everything is described, the language is very thorough, these are very, very well written guides, theyre not big on glossy pictures but have a great deal of substance, much more than other guides, they do contain great floor plans of important churches etc, also they have maps of the cities within, a pleasing touch is diagrams and illustrations of famous buildings,, these are top quality guides and will always be my first port of call whenever i want to look something up

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Edwin Tomlinson
Format: Paperback

Book in excellent condition and up to date. A good buy.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

Excellent, all you need when combined with one other “pragmatic” guide

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by J. Mark
Format: Paperback

30 years ago, LP was the only guide book I used. I’d read that Blue Guides were “dry”, but the on-line previews seemed to have much more depth. Purchased 4, for each of the major cities in Italy which we visited.

Pros: They are terrific! Substantial detail in art, architecture, and history, intelligently written, and without any apparent “PC” bias, which negatively effects so many guidebooks. We had other folks surreptitiously listening in when I’d read out the descriptions as we went; much of the content of other guidebooks seems to be cribbed from the Blues. Far, far more detail than the other guidebooks we had with us; Blue would often have full entries on sites the others did not even (or barely) mentioned. Cannot say enough about the fantastic wealth of information & detail on nearly every site; often as much or more than the local tour guides! We never felt the need for a guide except in the 1 or 2 locations Blue actually recommended it!

Cons: A little light on practical “getting there” and “where to stay” type information, but I do like that the Blues assumption is that you’re not a timid, fearful tourist & can figure some basics out for yourself. They’re big & heavy, so perhaps I’m going with the downloadable next time, tho I love the ability to re-read them at home.

When combined with any other guidebook that excels in the practical traveler’s type info (such as LP, Rough, Fodor/Frommer, etc. – your preference), the Blue Guides provide the excellent, in-depth detail into at what you’re actually looking.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

Great Guide!

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Jerrold Anderson
Format: Paperback

Great book! I had an earlier edition and lost it. The updated version is even better!

Pilgrim’s Rome

Pilgrim’s Rome

Best in class

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Rich Leonardi
Format: Kindle ebook

Wonderful resource that provides brief, encyclopedic descriptions of the history and significance of nearly all the important sites of Christian Rome. The digital version is especially helpful, as one can flip through the Kindle version on an iPhone while walking the streets of Rome. I’ve read just about every similarly themed book on Rome I could find, and Blue Guides’ Pilgrims Rome is the best.

Blue Guide Venice

Blue Guide Venice

The best series of guide books are now better than ever

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Marco M
Format: Paperback

This is the first of the ‘rebooted’ Blue Guides I’ve bought. After going down the pretty looking, more populist route, Blue Guides are now back on track!

This is absolutely the best guide book to Venice available today. Let’s be honest here – one goes to Venice for her history, art and architecture, not for a week of lying on a beach at a resort. Blue Guides are unapologetically concerned with detailed information on every building and artwork you will see in a city. This guide is stuffed full of the most interesting information about everything imaginable relating to Venice, her art and her glorious past. Not just who painted what and who built that, but facinating titbits of trivia that brings the most beautiful city on Earth alive.

I have taken past editions of Blue Guides to Venice many times over the last 10 years, but this is the best so far. I thought I knew Venice inside out – my last trip there (for 8 days) revealed so much more that I didn’t know, all thanks to this brilliant guide. It really makes every other guide book on the market look like an article in a magazine.

Now I have to buy the rebooted Blue Guide to Rome for my upcoming trip back to the Eternal City!

Hungarian Wine

Hungarian Wine

Great and informative book

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Miss Fly
Format: Paperback

Bought as a Christmas present and well received by someone who knows their wines. Very informative book.

Blue Guide Venice

Blue Guide Venice

Intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Richard Hyman
Format: Paperback

I cannot add substantially to the previous review of Joanie G. This much improved edition is almost twice the size of the previous which was inferior to the Blue Guides to London and Paris. To my knowledge it is the only thorough, intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find and appreciate the overwhelming riches of this city. Plus advice on getting about efficiently. Recommend without reservation.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

Made a wonderful Christmas gift for my Dad

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Samantha B.
Format: Paperback

Lovely book! Made a wonderful Christmas gift for my Dad. He’s raving about it.

Blue Guide Trentino & the South Tyrol

Blue Guide Trentino & the South Tyrol

Just the ticket

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Ziz
Format: Paperback

Handy, super-slim volume, packed with cultural, leisure and practical information on this part of Italy, which few publications cover. It gave me the details I needed to plan my holiday.

Blue Guide Emilia Romagna

Blue Guide Emilia Romagna

Great book!

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Alexandra Neustadt
Format: Paperback

Great book! Covers all of the main cities in Emilia-Romagna–Parma, Modena, Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, and more. Pretty slim, so easy for traveling. I disagree with the other reviewers who gave it one star. Blue Guides have never been your typical tourist book. They include much more information and history about the sights. I use online research and other basic travel books to map out what I want to see. Then I take a Blue Guide with me so I can really learn about what I’m looking at. This Blue Guide is perfect for that.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

The blue guide is One of the best books

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by susanna majolino
Format: Paperback

The blue guide is One of the best books I’ve ever read About my mervellous city!! It is very well written, clear and with many details!!

Blue Guide Trentino & the South Tyrol

Blue Guide Trentino & the South Tyrol

Meran/Merano is the place to go in the Tyrolean Alps

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Phedippides
Format: Paperback

Not always easy to find an English language guide that is useful. The South Tyrol includes many German speaking communities from its history as part of the Austrian Empire, and with Italian their country’s language, English is a poor third. So a good English language guide is important.

Blue Guide London

Blue Guide London

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Elaine Potters Bar
Format: Paperback

Brilliant guide for anyone interested in London and it’s hidden treasures.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

Literally everything you could want to know about NYC

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Duffee
Format: Paperback

Literally everything you could want to know about NYC. Using it to study for my NYC Sightseeing Guide Exam.

Blue Guide London

Blue Guide London

Very good on anecdote…

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by David Poyser
Format: Paperback

Very good on anecdote, and excellent for looking up stuff at the back. I took it out with a whole load of trainee London guides, and we all found it the best source.

Blue Guide Umbria

Blue Guide Umbria

Great book, I used it everywhere in Umbria

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Ilikebooks
Format: Kindle ebook

This was such a helpful book, truly detailed and has extremely useful descriptions and explanations of art and architecture. Traveled all over Umbria and took this book (on my kindle) everywhere and referred to it often. Buy it.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

The book is recommended to not only exam takers but also newbies to…

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Ellen Kim
Format: Paperback

Very specific information about NYC is included. The book is recommended to not only exam takers but also newbies to the city.

Pilgrim’s Rome

Pilgrim’s Rome

Excellent

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by K
Format: Paperback

Bought for upcoming first trip to Rome. Had it spiral bound at a local shop in order to use it on the go. Excellent size. maps and resources.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

Absolutely the best guides for those looking to really appreciate a city

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Andy R.
Format: Paperback

In the internet age, the need for a traditional travel guide with hotel listings and maps is becoming a thing of the past. What is not and can no be replaceable is the ability to get a wealth of beautifully curated information on a destination, the stuff that makes a trip/ visit worthwhile.

The Blue Guides are absolutely the best guides for those looking to really appreciate a city. Whether traveling, new to a city, or a native history buff, these are unparalleled in their informative and interesting content.

My only complaint is that they don’t publish more of them for other cool cities. I always check for a Blue Guide when I get a new airplane ticket bought. I feel like there used to be more? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Blue Guide Travels in Transylvania

Blue Guide Travels in Transylvania

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

A beautifully written guide that takes you on journey through an undiscovered gem.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

Superb

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by cubby43
Format: Paperback

Excellent detailed guide, just the right amount of information for me, thorough but in no way boring, very well written, very nicely laid out and organised, much better than the more common big name guidebooks in my opinion, indispensable.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

The ultimate DETAILED art and sights guide

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by GerryR
Format: Paperback

The Blue Guide is all about DETAILS; about the many many sights you could see when in Rome. This is NOT about where to eat or stay or how to get around, but about what there is to see – who built it, when and why – who painted it or carved it and how it all fits into the big picture. Very authoritative and accurate.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Kindle ebook

The Blue Guides fill in all the blanks that the other guidebooks have.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

The Gold Standard for guidebooks to Rome

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by G.B. Piranesi
Format: Paperback

Just arrived today in my mailbox, and am thoroughly pleased. Layout, image quality and substantially updated information makes this the guidebook of reference for the Eternal City. As erudite as ever, but more user-friendly than previous editions, this is the one to get.

Blue Guide Southeastern Turkey

Blue Guide Southeastern Turkey

Great Guide to Turkey. A Must!

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Dana J.
Format: Kindle ebook

Great book. Great guide. Thank you.

Blue Guide Sicily

Blue Guide Sicily

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Robin Duran McBride
Format: Kindle ebook

Beautiful book full of information. Very readable and not boring.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guides are the best for the more serious traveller

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

You will quickly understand why Blue Guide New York is required reading for licensed City sightseeing guides.

Blue Guide Literary Companion Rome

Blue Guide Literary Companion Rome

Five Stars

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Reviewed by Audrey in Rome
Format: Paperback

Wonderful book. I give them as gifts.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

The Blue Guides are the best guides for people...

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

The Blue Guides are the best guides for people who really want the details of museums and historical sites. There are very few restaurant and hotel suggestions; use a different guide for those. I use these wherever I travel and I have learned a lot from reading them as I visit a site.

Blue Guide India

Blue Guide India

The Only Printed Guide You Will Need

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

This is the standard for Indian guide books. It doesn’t cover the hotels and hostels in any kind of detail, but it doesn’t need to, you can find that information online. It does cover the cultural attractions in exquisite detail. On several occasions I found the guides I used almost parroting what was in this book. I spent six weeks in South India and referred to this book on an almost daily basis. It is thick and bulky, but I appreciated having it in paper format so I could refer to it even if I had problems recharging my devices. It could use some updating for some of the attractions in terms of admission details, etc, but still well worth purchasing.

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guide New York

Blue Guides are the best for the more serious traveller

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Andrew Porter
Format: Paperback

Blue Guides are the best guide books for the more serious traveller, for those who prefer to visit art galleries and museums rather than, well, less cultural places. I’ve been using them for around 40 years and have not regretted one moment of my long and happy relationship with Blue Guides.

Being comprehensive guides they are a tad heavier than the more lightweight ones, but quit kvetching, Reader, buy a satchel to hold it in…I can highly recommend the following company as purveyors of fine satchels, Chapman of Carlisle (UK), their fishing bags are perfect for keeping cameras, maps and guide books in whilst exploring New York.

By all means use other guides for information on hotels, places to eat and drink, shopping and LGBTQI venues but Blue Guides are the business for architecture, art galleries and history.

Carol von Pressentin Wright “has been writing and revising editions of BLUE GUIDE NEW YORK since 1976” . Her meticulously detailed writing in this, the fifth and latest edition of the BLUE GUIDE NEW YORK, should ensure this edition remains at the top of the list for the more discerning travellers to New York for quite some time.

Pilgrim’s Rome

Pilgrim’s Rome

Great Rome companion visiting Rome with a spiritual or religious purpose

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Smith
Format: Paperback

Very handy small format, almost pocket size and full of relevant information if you visit Rome with a spiritual or a religious historical purpose. Need to get used to the small maps but complemented by a tourist guide or a map, it worked very well for us. It is not a visual guide full of photos. Do not try cover the whole book unless you spend a few weeks in Rome. We will be back and indeed with this little great book in the bag.

Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

Buy this guide for Rome travel

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Rich72
Format: Kindle ebook

I swear by the paperback editions of this guide, of which I have had two different one. Thrilled to see it available as a e-book, I purchased it immediately. This guide is the a thorough and comprehensive travel reference, with details other books simply ignore, figuring their users are real dilettantes. This is a serious book. We visit Rome for several months every year and always have a copy of it on hand. Now with the e-book, I can quickly access to Rome information with a couple of clicks. Will be great for walking around central Rome and all of its neighborhoods.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

THE guide to seeing Art in Paris

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by J. B. Arran
Format: Paperback

This told me everything I wanted to know about my reason for visiting Paris. That was to immerse my wife and myself in the art of the M. d’Orsey. Thanks to the book we also spent time in the wonderful M. de l’Orangerie. We also used two of the walking routes which were a brilliant way of seeing Paris as it were, behind the scenes.

Hungarian Wine

Hungarian Wine

An inviting introduction into Hungary’s fascinating wine culture

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by D. Bolger
Format: Paperback

A fresh look at the new Hungarian wine scene and its fruitful history. The book examines the traditional and new methods of wine production in a way that lay wine drinkers can absorb but also has depth for more educated connoisseurs. A well rounded exploration of the region’s wine, touching on grape advice, food and culture with a warm anecdotal flavour. It’s about time this culture rich and wine rich region was discovered again. An excellent and indispensable guide to Hungarian wine in general and a must for visitors.

Blue Guide Venice

Blue Guide Venice

This is an excellent guide-book and includes very intelligent and descriptive articles

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Jilly Clarke
Format: Paperback

This is an excellent guide-book and includes very intelligent and descriptive articles. I bought it, together with the Pocket Rough Guide and they complimented perfectly.

Blue Guide Florence

Blue Guide Florence

Still the best and most thorough series of guide books around

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback

Still the best and most thorough series of guide books around. The Florence volume is a worthy member of the series.

Blue Guide India

Blue Guide India

A comprehensive book about Rajasthan

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by uri haelyon
Format: Paperback

A comprehensive book about Rajasthan. You may not find details about hotels or restaurants, but I find that kind of knowledge irrelevant today. You will learn a lot about the sites the area. More comprehensive than any other book I’v read.

Blue Guide London

Blue Guide London

Best London Guide I have Seen

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by M J Henderson
Format: Paperback

Concisely written yet full of relevant detail. Sets a very high standard for guide books.

Blue Guide Venice

Blue Guide Venice

Blue is the colour

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Intermeddle
Format: Paperback

The Blue Guides are still the best choice for visitors seriously interested in architecture and art. This one improves with every edition.

Blue Guide Paris

Blue Guide Paris

Best guide books for architecture, museums and galleries

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Andrew Porter
Format: Paperback

I’ve been using Blue Guides for over forty years and they really are the best guide books for architecture, museums and galleries. I usually use them in tandem with a Rough Guide or a Lonely Planet guide which are better for hotels, restaurants and shopping. The Blue Guides are not cheap but, as ever, you get what you pay for, quality costs money. I’ve found they don’t become as out of date quite as quickly as the other guide books mentioned above. Highly recommended.

Pilgrim’s Rome

Pilgrim’s Rome

Love it!

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Rev. J. Setelik Jr.
Format: Paperback

The Christian’s best friend in preparing to see Rome. Absolutely love it! Pocket size will be helpful.

Blue Guide Emilia Romagna

Blue Guide Emilia Romagna

This was a real find!

Rating Star: 5 Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Reviewed by Gaby
Format: Kindle ebook

This was a real find! So accurate and really detailed! Recommend it wholeheartedly – the best guide around on this area.