Description:
In 1946, Temple Fielding wrote the first of what would become a new kind of guidebook: highly personalized, opinionated, and witty. Fielding's Italy carries on in this tradition, as authors Lynn and Lawrence Foster bring you not only an excellent book to help plan an Italian tour, but a guide to understanding Italy's people, culture, and heritage. As the authors explain in "How to Use This Guide": "Today's traveler seldom has the time to take the requisite refresher courses for understanding 3000 years of Italian art (see 'Art in Italy' chapter), or to absorb the variations that occur over regions (see the regional 'History and Art' sections), much less to sort out all the painting in the Uffizi or all the churches in Rome (see star-rated sights throughout Fielding's Italy). Art is so plentiful that psychiatrists in Florence have identified a hysterical syndrome caused by overexposure (when symptoms first become noticeable, limit yourself to 3-star sights)." Fielding's also offers regional and historical information on one of the tastiest reasons people choose to visit Italy: its cuisine. Descriptions of hotels and restaurants include the unique attributes that make sight-unseen choices easier to make. "Travel Tips" at the beginning of each section provide useful information on climate, arriving, and getting around. And a legion of icons offers at-a-glance guidance for interests as varied as kids' activities, cafe stops, gardening, and nude beaches. -- Kathryn True
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