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 Florence
Fully on Florence and More
10 December 2018
By amachinist
Format: Paperback
As always, the Blue Guide on Florence holds up to the series' high standards. The guide begins with a historical sketch including an in depth history of the Renaissance. Unsure of who is whom in the Medici family? This Florence Blue Guide provides a complete family tree! There are maps, diagrams, photos, a glossary and detailed index as well as suggestions for lodging and dining. Much welcome information is provided on each famous sight including special tips on ticket purchases. For example, there is both a telephone number and OFFICIAL on-line booking service for the Uffizi Gallery. The guide warns that other booking services should be avoided due to their extra fees. That sure is a helpful tip!
Blue Guide Rome
Just what is needed
4 June 2018
By D. Blitz
Format: Kindle ebook
Just what is needed to figure out in depth what you want to see, wish I had this the first trip. Some people commented the kindle edition maps have an overprint which they do but I found that not an issue to read the plans etc, that was a worry of mine but it is a non issue.
Blue Guide Rome
Five stars
12 May 2018
By Lisa
Format: Paperback
Love Blue Guide series, only guide books I will purchase.
Blue Guide Emilia Romagna
Compact and informative. Almost perfect.
10 May 2018
By Christopher Chinnery
Format: Paperback
Bought for a short visit to Ferrara. It is a very handy size but much more informative than any English language guide I could find in the usual London shops. In the tradition of Blue Guides, it is well writen and informative with a strong emphasis on art and architecture. I like the lack of illustrations which only add to the weight, break up the text, and serve no useful purpose. I intend to use it to visit and re-visit other towns in Emilia Romagna. The maps are useful for arriving by train, then getting around on foot and cycle (the best way of seeing all the towns in this flat region).
Blue Guide Sicily
Good
28 March 2018
By Reader
Format: Paperback
Detailed guidance on sites - very useful to supplement standard holiday trip guides.
Blue Guide Rome
Blue Guides are great!
13 February 2018
By Kindle Customer
Format: Kindle ebook
Perfect for more in depth explorations. Damn near every thing you could ever see in Rome. Kindle version works well.
Blue Guide Rome
No need for guided tours when you have...
22 January 2018
By R. Bryant
Format: Paperback
We took several guide books to Italy and this was by far our favorite. No need for guided tours when you have the Blue Guide. Also loved the city walks.
Blue Guide Emilia Romagna
Not the usual tourist attractions
22 September 2017
By S. Mason
Format: Kindle ebook
Lots of great details. Little towns. I got it in the kindle edition so I can travel with it. Very useful.
Blue Guide Rome
Excellent reference book for my recent trip to Rome!
21 September 2017
By Erin
Format: Paperback
Excellent reference book for my recent trip to Rome! Three of each had our own copy and we poured over it the entire trip. It includes historical facts on the may ancient sights to see in Rome as well as current dining and shopping recommendations. If you are planning a trip, I recommend grabbing the Blue Guide.
Blue Guide London 18th edition
Best London Guide
9 September 2017
By Amazon Customer
Format: Kindle ebook
Blue Guides are the definitive guides to art, architecture and culture---and the London guide keeps their high standard.
Blue Guide Sicily
Best of this type. Scope is rather narrow.
22 August 2017
By anthony tedesco
Format: Paperback
Well researched. Really for those who enjoy art and architecture.
Blue Guide Florence
Excellent and deep review which will serve well any traveler
20 August 2017
By Blue Sky
Format: Paperback
In the tradition of the Blue Guides, a superb compendium that provides a definitive guide to this magical city. Fully versed in Florence's history, the logistics of touring and Italian culture. Excellent and deep review which will serve well any traveler.
Blue Guide London 18th edition
Great read on the train up to London
5 August 2017
By Llyod Hanks
Format: Paperback
Fascinating so many interesting facts. Great read on the train up to London.
Blue Guide Venice
The Best Venice Guide
2 August 2017
By Bruce Coles
Format: Paperback
This is the best guide to Venice for anyone who wants to go beyond the crowds on St Marks Square and discover the great art and architecture. The Blue Guides are an excellent series and highly recommended.
Blue Guide Sicily
28 July 2017
By A. Malone
Format: Paperback
Excellent as this series usually is
Blue Guide Rome
Outstanding guide for the scholar in all of us!
27 July 2017
By Samantha S. Birk
Format: Paperback
I have used Blue Guides for years and they are excellent! They provide a detailed historical information in a concise and brief format that is easy to read. Besides solid information and historical context, they also have excellent recommendations for dining, accommodations, and things to do.The diagrams are very useful help you 'peel back' the layers on what you are seeing. Compared to other guides, I find Blue guides to be far more comprehensive and easy to use.
Blue Guide Venice
27 June 2017
By Susie P.
Format: Kindle ebook
The best guide on Venice! Every recommendations checked out, and the descriptions of the sites (and sights) were excellent. Alta really knows the city.
Blue Guide Sicily
great book
24 June 2017
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
I've been studying it intently and recommend it highly
11 June 2017
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
Best guide book out there for Rome
27 May 2017
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
Just what is missing from so many guides...
25 May 2017
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
It is the best guide about history and archaeology
24 May 2017
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
A superb guide
17 May 2017
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
These are great guides
6 May 2017
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
Five Stars
1 May 2017
By Edwin Tomlinson
Format: Paperback
Book in excellent condition and up to date. A good buy.
Blue Guide Rome
Excellent, all you need when combined with one other "pragmatic" guide
22 April 2017
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
Great Guide!
20 April 2017
By Jerrold Anderson
Format: Paperback
Great book! I had an earlier edition and lost it. The updated version is even better!
Pilgrim's Rome
Best in class
18 April 2017
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
The best series of guide books are now better than ever
4 March 2017
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: A Tasting Trip to the New Old World
Great and informative book
28 February 2017
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
Intelligent, reliable guide to those who want to find
4 February 2017
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
Made a wonderful Christmas gift for my Dad
22 January 2017
By Samantha B.
Format: Paperback
Lovely book! Made a wonderful Christmas gift for my Dad. He's raving about it.
Blue Guide Emilia Romagna
Great book!
8 January 2017
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.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Emilia Romagna, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Rome
The blue guide is One of the best books
26 October 2016
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 London 18th edition
Five Stars
27 September 2016
By Elaine Potters Bar
Format: Paperback
Brilliant guide for anyone interested in London and it's hidden treasures.
Blue Guide New York
Literally everything you could want to know about NYC.
19 September 2016
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 18th edition
Very good on anecdote...
29 August 2016
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
Great book, I used it everywhere in Umbria.
23 August 2016
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
The book is recommended to not only exam takers but also newbies to...
30 July 2016
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
Excellent
21 July 2016
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
Absolutely the best guides for those looking to really appreciate a city.
13 July 2016
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.
Travels in Transylvania: The Greater Târnava Valley
Five Stars
7 July 2016
By Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback
A beautifully written guide that takes you on journey through an undiscovered gem.
Blue Guide Rome
Superb
3 July 2016
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
The ultimate DETAILED art and sights guide
20 May 2016
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
Five Stars
20 May 2016
By Amazon Customer
Format: Kindle ebook
The Blue Guides fill in all the blanks that the other guidebooks have.
Blue Guide Rome
The Gold Standard for guidebooks to Rome
4 May 2016
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 Sicily
Five Stars
18 April 2016
By Robin Duran McBride
Format: Kindle ebook
Beautiful book full of information. Very readable and not boring.
(We have a newer Kindle edition of Blue Guide Sicily, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide New York
Blue Guides are the best for the more serious traveller
3 March 2016
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
27 January 2016
By Audrey in Rome
Format: Kindle ebook
Wonderful book. I give them as gifts.
Blue Guide Paris
The Blue Guides are the best guides for people who really want the details of...
18 January 2016
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
The Only Printed Guide You Will Need
3 January 2016
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 Guides are the best for the more serious traveller
31 December 2015
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.
The New York Times described an earlier edition as "Impressive and indispensable."
Pilgrim's Rome
Great Rome companion visiting Rome with a spiritual or religious purpose
8 December 2015
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
Buy this guide for Rome travel
10 November 2015
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.
(We have a newer Kindle edition of Blue Guide Rome, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Paris
THE guide to seeing Art in Paris
8 November 2015
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: A Tasting Trip to the New Old World
An inviting introduction into Hungary's fascinating wine culture
17 October 2015
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
This is an excellent guide-book and includes very intelligent and descriptive articles
8 October 2015
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
Still the best and most thorough series of guide books around
29 September 2015
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.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Florence, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide India
A comprehensive book about Rajasthan
25 September 2015
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 18th edition
Best London Guide I have Seen
8 September 2015
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 is the colour
11 August 2015
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
Best guide books for architecture, museums and galleries
5 August 2015
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
24 July 2015
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
This was a real find!
28 June 2015
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.
(We have a newer Kindle edition of Blue Guide Emilia Romagna, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Jordan
This is the best guidebook I have ever used
18 June 2015
By Agnieszka
Format: Kindle ebook
The Blue Guide is designed to serve travelers who prioritize the history and archaeology of sites. The ground plans are particularly helpful. The book covers well-known sites, e.g. Petra, as well as places off the beaten track, e.g. Qasr Burqu. The directions are usually clear. There were only a few times I was not able to match the directions with what I saw, which may have been caused by factors beyond the authors' control. The newest edition contains accurate and up to date information, even for the opening hours of the Jordan Museum. This is the best guidebook I have ever used. I would recommend it to anyone serious about history and archaeology.
Blue Guide Rome
Excellent guide to Rome
10 June 2015
By Kurt Schweighauser
Format: Paperback
Excellent guide to Rome. I recently spent a week there and good this book everywhere. The last day I went to the Vatican and hired a tour guide. There were 25 people in the group, but with the help of the Blue Guide, I didn't miss anything.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Rome, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Crete
If a Mediterranean vacation is in your plans
15 May 2015
By suej
Format: Paperback
This is one of three guides I have and is easily the best especially if you are interested in the history of Crete. But even if you're not, it is a mine of information, as well as useful recommendations for accommodation and eating (we tried a few of the recommended restaurants and weren't disappointed in any of them). It's divided into different geographical sections, each beginning with a history of the place, then recommended places to visit, with the emphasis on historical sites and museums but other places of interest as well. There are guided walks and drives, with masses of background information. There is also practical stuff about travel, where to stay, (with price guides) tourist information, where to eat (also with price guides), shopping and markets, festivals and events, walking, and recommended further reading. The detail on places like Knossos is great - I can safely say that it's all we needed to guide us round the site. Highly recommended.
Blue Guide Venice
Wow!
21 April 2015
By Tim Synge
Format: Paperback
This really is a fantastic guide. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a week in Venice and many of my target destinations were based on the contents of this book. It is so incredibly informative and authoritative that it knocks the information in other guides, such as Baedeker and Lonely Planet, into the long grass. Of course, it is much more of a specialist publication with an unapologetic focus on art, architecture, sculpture and history, so you would expect it to do better than general purpose guides.
A couple of minor drawbacks: firstly the ordering of contents (once you get beyond the six districts of Venice) is a little opaque. The mini-maps for each major site are loosely indicative, but you do need a proper streetmap too. Secondly, it is a job to distinguish between one-star and five-star recommendations. Granted, it is not for this book to be too populist and rank its contents, but sometimes a real gem is almost lost in a small paragraph. I am not sure how this could be improved, but I often found myself cross-referencing against a "tourist" guide to decide how to prioritise the visits.
All in all, an excellent work. My first Blue Guide, but emphatically not my last.
Blue Guide Trentino & The South Tyrol
Nice and small and light enough to pack easily
13 April 2015
By Brian M Biggs
Format: Paperback
A part of Italy the regular guide-books don't really spend any time with. Nice and small and light enough to pack easily. Not to mention the history of the region, as well as side-trips to smaller towns. Loved the book, loved the trip.
Blue Guide Sicily
useful research book
14 March 2015
By Kahanamoku "Kahanamoku"
Format: Paperback
One of the best books I have found for information on Sicily. If you want pretty pics go elsewhere.. this is really great on the information side. A much better format for me than DK
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Sicily, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Rome
The Blue Guide presents succinct historical background and useful visiting info
7 March 2015
By Carol H. Johnson
Format: Paperback
There are guidebooks with many pages of hotel, restaurant and shopping recommendations. Those "recommendations" exist mainly because the business owners have paid (or they have purchased a "special edition" of the book). The Blue Guide eschews this dubious practice.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Rome, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide London 18th edition
Not for the superficial or uninitiated
17 November 2014
By John D. Wynn
Format: Paperback
The Blue Guides are uniformly outstanding, but you have to know what you are getting: detailed descriptions of art and architecture with myriad discussions of dates and names and places and little background for the less initiated. This is not for the casual reader with a superficial knowledge of history and little interest in every duke, lord, prince and princeling, architect, architect's assistant, architect's mentor or mid-career vs later-career predilection. It's a dense, heavy book to lug around, and the extra effort is amply rewarded - if this is the kind of detail that you like.
Blue Guide Venice
Essential guide for serious lovers of Venice
27 October 2014
By Venetia
Format: Paperback
Not a book for those seeking superficial information or brief summaries of the major sights, but an excellent guide for anyone with a serious interest in Venice's art and architecture and who wishes to acquire an intimate knowledge of the city. The maps are detailed and the walks included are also first rate, opening up hidden corners that might otherwise be overlooked. Highly recommended.
Blue Guide Eastern Turkey
Best guide to eastern Turkey
16 September 2014
By Tammie Sisco "Book lover in Turkey"
Format: Kindle ebook
The best guide to Eastern Turkey hands down. I spent two weeks driving around the East of Turkey, Kars, Dogubeyazit, Van, Diyarbakir and this has a lot of useful advice and what to see.
Blue Guide London 18th edition
Exceptional update to a classic and useful guide to this amazing city
29 August 2014
By Blue Sky "Blue Sky"
Format: Paperback
Exceptional update to a classic and useful guide to this amazing city. Enjoyable to read as well as a practical guide from which to plan a trip.
Blue Guide Venice
A great guide and interesting to read
19 August 2014
By Margaret R. Snowdon
Format: Paperback
I searched so many guide books on Venice before I finally chose Blue Guide Venice - I found it helpful and most informative--written in a way that held the interest. I would recommend it to anyone.
Blue Guide Sicily
Simply the best and most complete travel companion
15 August 2014
By Argyraspid
Format: Paperback
Simply the best! The editor of this Blue Guide, Sicily is Dr Michael Metcalfe, whom I had the immense pleasure to meet on several trips organized by Peter Sommer Travels.
This travel guide starts with a sketchy presentation of Sicily’s complex history. After that, each province of Sicily is being explained in detail, beginning each time with a short history of its own followed by the role its capital and other main cities played over the centuries, highlighting the main buildings and others, inclusive opening hours, entrance fees and handy phone numbers. Clear town plans and site maps help the prospective visitor to find his way among the Greco-Roman ruins and in the web of streets and alleys of these cities and towns. Key events or key personalities receive special attention in a framed window, and clear drawings and an occasional (black & white) picture definitely help to get a good idea of what to expect.
At the end of each chapter treating a separate province, there is a list of hotels and restaurants that deserve to be taken into consideration. That goes for all the provinces of Sicily: Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Ragusa, Syracuse, Catania and Messina.
The guide concludes with some practical information about opening hours, emergency numbers, means of communication and travel, and finally some details about accommodation and the island’s wide range of typical food and drink (wines). There also is a glossary of special terms, mostly pertaining to Greek temples and theatres, handily completed with drawings of the basic temple design, the classical orders of the temples, the design of ancient theatres, as well as the names and shapes of all kinds of pottery one can encounter. It also includes a list of Sicilian architects, painters and sculptors. At the very end of the guide we find a full road map of Sicily and a series of more detailed maps by province. In short, everything you need to know before heading for this beautiful island but also extremely useful while travelling around.
To my greatest pleasure and utmost satisfaction I did indeed visit this island in a two-weeks tour led by Dr Michael Metcalfe in person (for the tour details of Peter Sommer Travels, see Exploring Sicily), who truly brought Sicily and its rich history and culture to life!
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Sicily, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Trentino & The South Tyrol
Great info but no practicalities
23 July 2014
By Chilean Ale "Alejandro H"
Format: Paperback
Amazing historical and architectural tips and background, not much on practical tips. For example in lodging and restaurant, there is usually one recomendation for each place. Covers the region better than other guides that only tell you about Bolzano, Castelorotto and Alpe d'Siusi; this guide properly covers the whole region named in the cover, and although I haven't been there, its description use enough adjectives to help you anticipate and decide.
Blue Guide Concise Italy
Helped me a lot in Tuscany and Umbria
21 July 2014
By Alexander
Format: Kindle ebook
I missed illustrations, but the guide is terrific and helped me a lot in Tuscany and Umbria.
Blue Guide Greece - The Peloponnese
This book is amazing because it shows the area as it was
12 July 2014
By ellen "ellen in atlanta"
Format: Kindle ebook
My people all came from this lovely part of Greece. This book is wonderful because it shows the area as it was, with mythical resources to how it is now-complete with hotel, cafe, and travel information. This is a beautiful part of Greece where there is poverty, pride, gorgeous orchards, magnificent views- and very wonderful people. Luxury hotels take advantage of the beauty of this mystical place and gives the tourist a one stop shop to see a gorgeous part of Greece. The places you have heard about all your life--Argos, Sparta, etc.all are there to explore.
Blue Guide Umbria
Five Stars
10 July 2014
By Steve Hallgrimson
Format: Kindle ebook
Very informative and easy to read.
Blue Guide Greece - Thessaly
Blue guide in useful sections
31 May 2014
By Suzi Stembridge
Format: Kindle ebook
Short but sweet, a single chapter from the latest Blue Guide; a very useful way of taking a guide whether on Kindle, phone or ipad.
Blue Guide Rome
Scholarly and readable: an indispensable guide to Rome
26 May 2014
By Anne Redmon
Format: Paperback
We bought the Blue Guide to Rome for our second visit to the city in six months: this was because the Michelin Guide we had used before gave us only cursory information on the sites we had visited then. Rome was not, of course, built in a day and any of its major treasures certainly take at least half a day to see adequately. The Blue Guide is scholarly and perhaps too heavy-weight for quick tourism but if you have been bitten by the Roman bug and really want to delve then this is for you. It is written in clear language and the index makes it easy for you to dive in at any level you want. Now I have come home I want to pick it up again and pore over it, revisiting in my mind the places that we saw. We were particularly interested in San Clemente. My husband visited it alone in December because I had a tummy bug at the time and he had only the Michelin for company. This time we went together and spent an entire morning there with the Blue Guide taking us all the way from the Temple of Mithras on the lowest level right up to the stunning mosaics in the church itself. We could hardly tear ourselves away.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Rome, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Southern Italy
Best guide for details about places and sights
26 May 2014
By Ben Martinez
Format: Paperback
This is from the most scholarly and detailed of the English language guides to Italy. If you want to know where that temple came from, who Ruggiero II was, or the history of that ancient street market in Palermo, the Blue Guides will help. They also suggest places to eat and stay, and helpful summaries of the things you need to know about highways, trains and local customs. Worth the money if you want to do something more than lay on the beach with a drink. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Blue Guide Venice
It sets the gold standard for travel guides to Venice
22 May 2014
By David Lown
Format: Paperback
Wide-ranging, detailed, well laid-out, readable, informative, reliable, Blue Guide Venice sets the gold standard for travel guides to the world's most beautiful city. Don't visit La Serenissima without it.
Blue Guide Tuscany
The most useful guidebook for culture lovers
19 May 2014
By Paulina Surniak
Format: Paperback
I bought a few guidebooks for the trip to Tuscany. Most of them contained more or less similar pieces of information - the same places, the same attractions. Blue Guide covers practically everything! We were travelling by car around the Tuscan hills and every single town or village that we passed on the way was covered in this invaluable guidebook. Great insight into the history of the works of art which are to be found in remote village churches and similar stuff. Highly recommended!
Blue Guide Florence
The Blue Guide never disappoints
12 April 2014
By Cathlene
Format: Paperback
We are planning a 3 day trip to Florence. A city which we've never visited before. My primary interest, when I travel, is art & history. I have several Blue Guides to other cities & found them excellent for art & architecture. In my opinion, it is the best "Tour Guide" type book with an emphasis on art. Good overview of all the important artists. I recommend "Florence" & any of the other Blue Guides. There is nothing like them, unless you want to go to a specialty book.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Florence, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Greece the Mainland
Best
1 March 2014
By J
Format: Paperback
The best guides. Good descriptions with history, art and architecture. A few tips about restaurants and hotels are a bonus
Blue Guide Crete
If a Mediterranean vacation is in your plans
29 January 2014
By chazzzz
Format: Paperback
If you plan on a Mediterranean cruise this year, don't leave home without a Blue Guide. Other guide books recommend more restaurants, nightclubs, and trendy shops. If you really want to get to know as much as you can about a place in a short amount of time, however, you can't beat the Blue Guides. This one is as excellent as all the others. Wear your sunblock and have a great time.
Blue Guide Concise Italy
Just what I needed
15 January 2014
By Steven R. Daniels "Loup Perdu"
Format: Kindle ebook
Preparing for a trip to Sicily, I purchased several guides just for Sicily, but managed to forget them when I left. So in desperation I downloaded all the e-books I could find and this was by far the best. In fact, even though this book covers all of Italy, the Sicily section is better than the Sicily-specific e-books I bought. I still would have preferred my hard copy Blue Guide specific to Sicily, but this came through very well in a pinch and gave me just what I needed.
Venice & The Veneto
More Veneto then Venice
11 January 2014
By David Lown
Format: Kindle ebook
Most books which have both Venice and the Veneto in the title focus on the city at the expense of the region. The Blue Guide is the exception, devoting three-quarters of its text to the Veneto. The section is detailed and very wide-ranging, extending far beyond the usual suspects, Padua, Vicenza and Verona.
Blue Guide Venice
Essential guide for art aficionados
10 January 2014
By Joanie G
Format: Paperback
I was lucky that this latest edition became available on Amazon just as I was departing for a 3 week stay in Venice. It is not a guide for the casual visitor, but only for those with the time and interest in delving deeply into Venice's art treasures. In that respect, it is thorough, accurate and authoritative. I especially appreciate that Ms Macadam directs the reader to the most important works at a given site, preventing one from getting confused and overwhelmed. For example, the documentation provided by the CHORUS group of churches consists of a sheet that lists all the many works of art in the church but gives one no Idea what to focus on or why. I put those aside and let her lead me to the best, all the while enjoying her opinions and assessments. Almost without exception, I found her taste and discernment to be impeccable. I was also grateful that she led me to works by some little-known artists that I would have overlooked on my own. Some space in the book is given to essential travel practicalities, but other sources should be consulted for the usual tourist-type information--that is not really within the scope or purpose of this book. However, even though the restaurant recommendations are few, they seemed to be well chosen. I came to love Ms Macadam's Blue Guides during extended stays in Rome and Tuscany. I found this Venice guide ito be the best of all of them, probably because it had been so recently updated.
Blue Guide Rome
Best serious and concise guides to art and architecture in Italy
8 December 2013
By APC Reviews "APC Reviews"
Format: Paperback
The various Blue Guides to Italy are extraordinary resources for the knowledgeable traveler, interested in art, architecture and history, wishing to visit sites that they want to become more experienced with and educated about. The Blue Guides are not a general tourist guide. They are art, architecture and historical culture guides.
The Blue Guides are not about restaurants, bucket lists, hotels, trains, buses, hiking trails, top tens, must sees, top rated, best values, most fun or what to pack for your trip. They are concise and expert guides to the essentials of art and classical culture in the chosen areas. The number of people saying that the guides are "difficult" or "boring" or "useless" or "impossible" says volumes about the complete unfamiliarity with the subject, and the superficial interests, of the critics.
There is no shortage of glossy guide books available for people wanting to breeze through the Uffizi Museum in an hour, do Venice in an afternoon before returning to their cruise chip, make sure they get the photo of themselves holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, find the best shopping for that adorable memento, sample the local food specialty, or make sure they see the Sistine Chapel before lunch. The Blue Guides are not those books. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the knowledgeable traveler to Italy, and those wanting to be one.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Rome, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Greece: The Mainland
Your best friend in Greece
1 December 2013
By iwearshoes
Format: Paperback
With this guide, you don't need to be an archaeologist or an ancient historian to get the most out of your trip to Greece, but if you are, you will likely find sites you hadn't before considered. It is thorough in its information about all the important sites, plus many gems of lesser-known sites. Information includes walking and driving maps, guided room-by-room tours of museums, ancient and modern histories, sidebars on important historical figures and events, and even references to modern scholarship. All time periods are covered from prehistoric mounds and ancient temples to Frankish castles and Byzantine and modern monasteries and churches.
Smoothly from Harrow
Thoroughly recommended!
25 November 2013
By Linda B
Format: Paperback
An absolute gem! Original and thoroughly enjoyable. Each page is a delight - full of interesting and amusing facts. For anyone who has ever travelled by train, this book offers an enlightened insight, uplifting the chore of any train journey. I couldn't put this book down! A perfect gift.
Blue Guide Turkey - Special Reprint Edition
Excellent overview of sites
22 October 2013
By Prof C W Dearden
Format: Paperback
An excellent overview of the Classical and later sites of Turkey. It is unfortunate there has been no updated edition recently and that this reprint edition is sometimes less well printed than it might be. Indeed some of the site maps are better reproduced in the 2nd (1995) edition. But overall an exceptionally good guide book (like all the Blue Guides).
Pilgrim's Rome
LOVE
5 August 2013
By MAS
Format: Kindle ebook
Blue Guides are the best of the best. I'm not Catholic but I am Christian and wanted a book that gave fantastic Biblical history of Rome. This book is unbiased, detailed, and very easy to read and enjoy. Next purchase Blue Guide Venice and Rome.
Blue Guide New York
This is THE bible when it comes to New York
23 July 2013
By Vinay Raval
Format: Paperback
The insight provided from this book is truly amazing. As a native New Yorker, I enjoyed the variety of content and the quality of its presentation. Although "reference-like", this is a great book to read page-by-page over several weeks. Doing so will increase your overall knowledge and assist in your retention of information. For example, I can't imagine how lost I would have been in the main sections without having read the architecture primer in the beginning. As a result of carefully reading this book, I passed the NYC Sightseeing Exam on the first go (harder than you likely think), and look through my home city in a completely different light. This probably isn't the best choice for a quick visit to NYC but is the perfect starter for those who live in NYC and wish to see it from a different light. I have never come across a better researched book, and am unlikely to do so. If ever a product deserved five stars - this is it!
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide New York, click here to see it.)
Blue Guide Greece: The Aegean Islands
Potentially useful, but read reviews first
8 June 2013
By Jon Corelis
Format: Paperback
To sum up: obviously this is a major book on Greece, well organized and clearly expressed, and will be worth carrying around if you have a serious scholarly interest, even as an amateur, in the Aegean islands and especially their classical history.
The Venice Lido
A review of The Venice Lido: A Blue Guide Travel Monograph by Robin Saikia
18 March 2013
By Mr. R. Clark
Format: Kindle ebook
Among my large collection of travel literature, I will treasure this beautifully-crafted book by Robin Saikia, for it is that rare thing - a work that, even in the depths of winter, can transport the reader to the destination of choice, in this case the Venice Lido. It is so much more than just a guide. A friendly, knowledgeable travelling companion would describe it more accurately. I have not been to Venice for many years, but this learned and witty book has ensured that it will not be long before I return. Thank you Robin Saikia. Richard Clark - Author The Greek Islands - A Notebook; Crete - A Notebook
Blue Guide Sicily
Amazing Sicilian Guide
12 February 2013
By Jill Tata
Format: Paperback
Blue Guide Sicily is an exciting and extraordinary travel guide. Having visited with a large tour group I want to return solo. This book goes into depth and sums up the islands charm. It's an excellent read in preparation for, or while on a trip to Sicily. Part guidebook, part historical and it is one of the most interesting books I've read. I'd say it's the definitive work on Sicily! A great picture of Sicily and its hideouts through the centuries - very insightful.
(We have a newer edition of Blue Guide Sicily, click here to see it.)
Pilgrim's Rome
A pocket-sized guide, which packs quite a punch...
18 August 2012
By David Lown
Format: Paperback
For centuries Rome has been a magnet for pilgrims. They first arrived by foot or on horseback; they now arrive, more often than not, by train or aeroplane. Their means of transport might have changed, but their reasons for travelling hasn't. As a place of pilgrimage, Rome is second only to Jerusalem in terms of importance. It was the site of some of the first Christian communities. It is the burial place of countless saints and martyrs. It is home to more than 900 churches and is, of course, the residence of the Bishop of Rome, also known as the Vicar of Christ and the Pope, which we learn are just a few of the Holy Father's many titles. The first two chapters are devoted to Peter and Paul (Rome's patron saints) and the sites associated with them. The author then moves on to the seven Patriarchal basilicas and the Catacombs. Much of the rest of the book is devoted to churches in general. There will always be quibbles in a book of this size over why some churches were selected, while others were omitted (why, for instance, Sant'Alfonso and not Santa Maria della Pace?), but that is inevitable. The book ends with a series of short entries on subjects such as Papal Indulgences and Stational Churches, which I found particularly interesting.
In writing a guidebook for Christian travellers to Rome, Ms Barber has become part of a long and venerable tradition, which dates back to the fourth century. However, unlike many of her predecessors, this author wears her knowledge lightly and is not above enlivening the text with the occasional anecdote. Believers and non-believers, first time visitors and veterans, all should slip this book into their pockets the next time they visit the Eternal City.
Visible Cities - Dubrovnik
An easy, informative read
26 June 2011
By Adrian Perks
Format: Paperback
This is a fantastic book. An essential must for all those visiting this beautiful city and area. Some of the information is out of date, but, as long as you bare that in mind, this is really useful.
