In Istanbul, on the north side of Divan Yolu, the street that follows the course of the Mese or ‘Central Way’ of old Constantinople, stands a decayed porphyry stump known as Çemberlitaş, the ‘Hooped Column’. In its heyday it would have been much more splendid, for it was, according to Blue…
Short and literary guide to Venice’s Lido, in the Blue Guides’ new Travel Monographs series. View details, look inside and buy securely from blueguides.com here »
Entertaining anthologies of writing–extracts from novels, letter, diaries, poems, histories, guide books–about or set in the destination. Lively introductions to each excerpt make them a pleasure to browse, a mine of fascinating insights to enjoy at home or to supplement a guide book on site. Buy the books from blueguides.com…
4th June–27th November 2011 www.labiennale.org The Biennale, the world’s leading modern art exhibition, is upon us once again. ‘An exuberant invitation to take part in growth and change’ (Rev John-Henry Bowden, former Chaplain of St George’s, Venice)? Or the emperor’s new clothes? Well, Jackie Wullschlager , the Financial Times’ influential art critic…
The latest book by Charles Freeman, freelance academic historian and historical consultant to the Blue Guides (published by Yale University Press, 2011; ISBN 978-0-300-12571-9). The subtitle, ‘How Relics shaped the History of Medieval Europe’, sounds more universal than it actually is: the relics in question are exclusively Christian; the book…
Sam Miller, Vintage 2010 Sam Miller is quick to tell us that he loves walking in strange cities. So do I. And it is this that has always bothered me about Delhi, a city I have never visited but have often longed to see: how will I get around it?…
by Ferdinand Mount, published by Simon & Schuster 2010, in paperback April 2011 There’s a brilliant new idea on every page of Ferdinand Mount’s meandering, fascinating comparison of various aspects of the modern world with those of Classical times. And like all good original thinking, when so well expressed, the…
The only full guidebook treatment of this charming Welsh border town, famous for its second-hand bookstores and annual Book Festival. View the book’s contents, index and some sample pages, and buy securely from blueguides.com here »
The result of five years of fresh research by author Nigel McGilchrist, and detailed editing by Michael Metcalfe and Heinrich Hall, this is the first full Blue Guide treatment of all the Greek Aegean islands in a single volume. (And Nigel McGilchrist has published the full manuscript that he wrote for this…
50 Sites that Explain the Classical World Historian Charles Freeman’s beautifully-illustrated account of the evolution of the Classical World follows its development, mainly around the shores of the Mediterranean but with sites from as far afield as the sands of Syria and icy northern Britain. View the book’s contents, index…
Tuscany, with Florence its capital and a host of gorgeous medieval cities set in a rolling countryside of fields, vineyards and olive groves, is the cradle of the Renaissance and for many visitors the cultural heart of Italy. This guide amply covers Florence (itself the subject of a whole Blue Guide)…
Displayed on its own in a glass case in one of the later rooms of the excellent Archaeological Museum in Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, is an arresting clay head. It was found near Siteia, where it had been left at a shrine as a votive deposit. The young man’s lips are…
Blue Guides coverage of Italy is colossal in its scope: 9 guides to the regions and cities of Italy are currently in print, totalling 5,000 pages of material. This brand-new guide draws on the depth and range of previous Blue Guides to offer the ultimate concise guide to the entire…
The City of Light boasts a huge variety of art collections from small and intimate to one of the most celebrated museums in the world, the Louvre. One of the gastronomic capitals of the world, Paris can only be understood if approached through its history and culture. View the book’s…
The first Blue Guide to cover both Rome and Florence in one book, as well as the attractive countryside and towns rich in art history in between the two. View the book’s contents, index and some sample pages, and buy securely from blueguides.com here »
Covering mainly Manhattan, focusing on history, art and architecture and includes Blue Guides Recommended dining and accommodation suggestions. View the book’s contents, index and some sample pages, and buy securely from blueguides.com here »
Ostia is spectacular, the picturesque remains of a working port town cover an enormous area of red-brick and marble ruins on the banks of the (now scarcely visible) river Tiber. It gives much more of a feel for life in the Roman empire than yet another nutty emperor’s palace. (Not…
Mountains, rivers, rolling hills, pine forests and the Atlantic coast provide a spectacular range of food and drink, while its cultural inheritance is equally wide-ranging; prehistoric caves, Romanesque pilgrimage churches, 18th-century chateaux and cityscapes, eclectic seaside architecture and rich art collections. View the book’s contents, index and some sample pages,…
The author, supported by the classicists and art historians on the Blue Guides editorial board, has updated this new edition with a wealth of detail. Now with useful Blue Guide Recommended advice on hotels and restaurants. The whole region is covered from the Bay of Naples, with some of the…
The first in the new Blue Guide Concise city series: small format and good value, ideal for on-site use. Blue Guide Concise Rome builds on Blue Guides’ exhaustive coverage of Italy and its cities. View the book’s contents, index and some sample pages, and buy securely from blueguides.com here »
