Suggested Reading

Once you have planned your trip, setting the stage with some light reading will help you make the most of what you want to see and do. We have personally selected these titles as suggested reading for the region you'll be visiting.

Select a region:

Amalfi Stroll and Roll Berkshires Central Italy Cinque Terre The Dolomites

Giro D'Italia Maine Mediterranean Island Hopping Mont Blanc Northern Italy

Southern Italy/Puglia Sicily Tuscany

Amalfi Stroll and Roll

	Eyewitness Guides Eyewitness Travel Guide Naples, Pompeii & Amalfi Coast 2003; PAPER; 240 Pages; $20.00 This superb guide features color photography, dozens of excellent neighborhood maps and a district-by-district synopsis of the region's attractions. Covering Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the Amalfi coast, it focuses on culture, history and art. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (Item no. ITL107)
	Luigi Barzini The Italians 1996; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 The definitive portrait of the Italian people, a classic essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. Much historical information is included. Highly recommended. (Item no. ITL05)
	Rosario Bonavoglia (Photographer), Assunta Cuozzo Amalfi, Italy's Divine Coast 1996; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 A photographic tour of the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento to Positano with its breathtaking views, winding ravines, architectural sights and regional charm. (Item no. ITL163)

Central Italy

	Berrie Kerper Central Italy, Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler 2000; PAPER; 511 Pages; $16.00 A quirky, literary guide to the history, food, and landscape of Tuscany and Umbria – as presented in travel essays by writers foreign and local. With an extensive annotated bibliography for each section. (Item no. ITL389)
	Richard Kauffman (Photographer), Carol Field The Hill Towns of Italy 1997; PAPER; 116 Pages; $19.95 An oversize survey of the towns, people and countryside of Tuscany and Umbria. It covers 13 classic towns in the region including Siena, Cortona, Perugia, Assisi and Orvieto. First published in 1983, the book is a good mix of handsome color photographs and insightful text. (Item no. ITL96)
	Gary Paul Nabhan Songbirds, Truffles and Wolves, An American Naturalist in Italy 1994; PAPER; 256 Pages; $16.00 A poet and naturalist, Nabhan makes his way by foot along the ancient Franciscan Way from Florence to Assisi, talking to farmers and townsfolk en route. This most unusual travelogue combines natural history, spirituality – and a lively appreciation of local food and food traditions. (Item no. ITL99)

Cinque Terre

	Michael Pauls, Dana Facaros Cadogan Italian Riviera 2001; PAPER; 268 Pages; $16.95 A quirky, literary guide to the history, food, and landscape of Tuscany and Umbria – as presented in travel essays by writers foreign and local. With an extensive annotated bibliography for each section. (Item no. ITL407)
	Alice Powers Italy in Mind 1997; PAPER; 400 Pages; $14.00 A terrific collection of travel writing on Italy, including the likes of Melville, D.H. Lawrence and Henry James. Each piece is placed in its historical or literary context. (Item no. ITL39)
	Luigi Barzini The Italians 1996; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 A classic essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. Much historical information is included. Highly recommended. (Item no. ITL05)

The Dolomites

	Gillian Price Walking in the Dolomites 2003; PAPER; 224 Pages; $17.95 A comprehensive walker's guide to the Dolomites geared to a wide variety of difficulty levels. Gillian Price is our guide to the natural wonders, historical artifacts and mountain refuges of this spectacular range. Illustrated with protographs and maps. (Item no. ITL289)
	Paul Hofmann The Sunny Side of the Alps, Year-Round Delights in South Tyrol and the Dolomites 1996; HARDCOVER; 241 Pages; $22.50 This excellent narrative travel guide touches on the culture, language, and history of the southern Alps, savoring the flavor of the land and the character and charm of its people. (Item no. ALP04)
	Touring Club Italiano Trentino Alto-Adige Italy Regional Map MAP; $9.95 This colorful map, at a scale of 1:200,000, features shaded relief and extensive coverage of local towns and landmarks. (Item no. ITL42)

Giro D'Italia

	Eyewitness Guides Eyewitness Travel Guide Italy 2003; PAPER; 674 Pages; $30.00 This superb guide features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (Item no. ITL32)
	Barbara Grizzuti Harrison Italian Days 1998; PAPER; 512 Pages; $15.00 A literary celebration, travelogue and journal from Milan south to Calabria. Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, a wonderful writer, captures the spirit of the Italians in this revealing book, mixing in anecdotes of the people and place. It's an artful, captivating tapestry of a book, one of our favorites. (Item no. ITL02)
	Luigi Barzini The Italians 1996; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 A classic essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. Much historical information is included. Highly recommended. (Item no. ITL05)

Mediterranean Island Hopping

	Eyewitness Guides Eyewitness Travel Guide Sardinia 2003; PAPER; 224 Pages; $20.00 A comprehensive guide to the island of Sardinia, featuring color photography, dozens of excellent maps and a synopsis of the island's attractions. (Item no. ITL183)
	Insight Guides Insight Guide Corsica 1999; PAPER; 288 Pages; $22.95 This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated overview Corsica, featuring concise essays on history, culture and attractions. With hundreds of photos, excellent maps and some limited practical information. (Item no. MED17)
	D.H. Lawrence D.H. Lawrence and Italy 1997; PAPER; 512 Pages; $17.00 Three of D.H. Lawrence's travel writings on Italy, each very different in tone and wonderful. "Sea and Sardinia" is a nostalgic look at traditional ways of life on the island, "Twilight in Italy" an evocation of Lawrence's stay on Lake Garda and "Etruscan Places" a meditation on ancient lives. (Item no. ITL62)

Mont Blanc

	Kev Reynolds Tour of Mont Blanc, Complete Trekking Guide 2002; PAPER; 243 Pages; $19.95 A compact pocket guide to the 11-day, 120-mile classic walk encircling Mont Blanc. With color and black-and-white photos, maps and elevations. The heart of the book is a detailed kilometer-by-kilometer guide to each section of the tour including timings, distances and the author's encouraging, personable remarks on the route. Revised (Item no. ALP24)
	Edward Whymper Scrambles Amongst the Alps: In the Years 1860-69 1996; PAPER; 468 Pages; $17.95 A first-person account by the Englishman who made the first ascents to several important peaks in the Alps -- including the Matterhorn. This wonderfully written book is an excellent introduction to the region and to the Victorian era of mountaineering in the Alps. It features a handsome fold-out map and copper-plate engravings throughout. (Item no. ALP02)
	Fergus Fleming Killing Dragons, The Conquest of the Alps 2001; PAPER; 398 Pages; $14.00 A lively tale of the eccentrics, adventurers and publicity-hounds who sought to conquer the Alps, including Whymper's first ascent of the Matterhorn. (Item no. ALP16)

Northen Italy

	Paul Blanchard Blue Guide Northern Italy, from the Alps to Bologna 2001; PAPER; 576 Pages; $26.95 This latest edition of the Blue Guide provides the most thorough coverage available of the history, art and architecture of the region. With 36 maps and site plans. (Item no. ITL48)
	Luigi Barzini The Italians 1996; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 A classic essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. Much historical information is included. Highly recommended. (Item no. ITL05)
	Alice Powers Italy in Mind 1997; PAPER; 400 Pages; $14.00 A terrific collection of some of the best literary writing on Italy, including the likes of Melville, Lawrence, Henry James, Mary McCarthy, and many others. Each piece (they tend to run about 5-7 pages) is introduced thoroughly with a description of its historical, geographical, or literary context. Great reading. (Item no. ITL39)

Southern Italy/Puglia

	Roger Williams Insight Guide Southern Italy 2003; PAPER; 353 Pages; $23.95 A colorful guide to the culture, history and attractions of Italy south of Rome, featuring hundreds of photographs and excellent local and regional maps. (Item no. ITL458)
	Michael Grant The Ancient Mediterranean 1990; PAPER; 374 Pages; $17.00 A classic overview of ancient Mediterranean cultures, from earliest times through the Roman Empire. Grant covers archaeology, geography, art and economics while painting a vivid picture of these ancient cultures and how they have had unparalleled influence on western civilization. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs and 19 maps of the region. (Item no. MED10)
	Barbara Grizzuti Harrison Italian Days 1998; PAPER; 512 Pages; $15.00 A literary celebration, travelogue and journal from Milan south to Puglia. Grizzuti Harrison captures the spirit of the Italians in this revealing book, mixing in anecdotes of the people and place. (Item no. ITL02)

Sicily

	Ellen Grady Blue Guide Sicily 2003; PAPER; 416 Pages; $24.95 A comprehensive guide to the ancient history and culture of Sicily featuring good maps and site plans of archaeological sites on the island. (Item no. ITL125)
	Mary Taylor Simeti On Persephone's Island 1986; PAPER; 352 Pages; $14.00 A richly detailed and personal portrait of Sicily by an American writer who settled on the island with her Sicilian husband in 1962 and stayed for 20 years. Strong on the delights of rural life. (Item no. ITL03)
	Norman Lewis In Sicily 2002; HARDCOVER; 169 Pages; $23.95 In this lovely, personable travelogue Lewis ranges widely, introducing a cast of friends, journalists and residents from all over the island. (Item no. ITL420)

Tuscany

	Insight Guide Insight Guide Tuscany 2003; PAPER; 382 Pages; $22.95 An illustrated guide in the popular series, noteworthy for its maps and illuminating short essays on food, history and culture of the region. (Item no. ITL156)
	Elizabeth Romer The Tuscan Year, Tuscan Life and Food in an Italian Valley 1996; PAPER; 182 Pages; $13.00 An intimate portrait of life on a Tuscan farm, as seen primarily through the robust food. Romer captures the goings-on in the countryside, especially in the kitchen. (Item no. ITL131)

Umbria

	Insight Guide Insight Guide Umbria 2000; PAPER; 297 Pages; $22.95 This handsome guide is an illustrated overview of Umbria, featuring concise essays on history, politics and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, and some limited practical information. It includes chapters on truffles, olive oil, St. Francis of Assisi and other noteworthy local topics. (Item no. ITL101)
	Gary Paul Nabhan Songbirds, Truffles and Wolves, An American Naturalist in Italy 1994; PAPER; 256 Pages; $16.00 A poet and naturalist, Nabhan makes his way by foot along the ancient Franciscan Way from Florence to Assisi, talking to farmers and townsfolk en route. This most unusual travelogue combines natural history, spirituality – and a lively appreciation of local food and food traditions. (Item no. ITL99)
	Richard Kauffman (Photographer), Carol Field The Hill Towns of Italy 1997; PAPER; 116 Pages; $19.95 An oversize survey of the towns, people and countryside of Tuscany and Umbria. It covers 13 classic towns in the region including Siena, Cortona, Perugia, Assisi and Orvieto. (Item no. ITL96)

Berkshires

	Timothy Cahill Muses in Arcadia, Cultural Life in the Berkshires 2000; PAPER; 320 Pages; $19.95 A guide to each of the Berkshires' prominent cultural venues, including Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, MassMOCA and the Norman Rockwell Museum. It provides a brief history and practical information for each place. (Item no. USE164)
	Brian Cassie, Peter Alden National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England 1994; FLEXI-BOUND; 448 Pages; $19.95 A compact, easy-to-use guide to 1,000 of New England's trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects, birds, and other flora and fauna. It also provides an extensive overview of the area's geology, weather patterns, and natural sites. With more than 1,300 photographs and 20 maps. (Item no. USE06)
	Tom Wessels, Brian Cohen (Illustrator), Ann Zwinger (Introduction) Reading the Forested Landscape, A Natural History of New England 1999; PAPER; 200 Pages; $18.95 In this thoughtful book, Wessels examines the character of the Central New England forest through the clues left behind by fires, logging, storms, and economic fads (not to mention beavers, blowdowns and blights). (Item no. USE07)

Maine

	Louise Dickinson Rich, Samuel Chamberlain (Photographer) The Coast of Maine, An Informal History and Guide 2000; PAPER; 320 Pages; $19.95 A breezy and entertaining introduction to Maine, first published in 1956 and updated in the 1970s. It's a classic guide to the history, landscape and people of the state, wonderfully down-home. (Item no. USE37)
	Brian Cassie, Peter Alden National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England 1994; FLEXI-BOUND; 448 Pages; $19.95 A compact, easy-to-use guide to 1,000 of New England's trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects, birds, and other flora and fauna. It also provides an extensive overview of the area's geology, weather patterns, and natural sites. With more than 1,300 photographs and 20 maps. (Item no. USE06)
	Charles Shain (Editor) The Maine Reader, The Down East Experience, 1614 to Present 1997; PAPER; 524 Pages; $19.95 An excellent anthology covering the gamut of Maine's culture and history, from early European explorers to the 20th century works of Carolyn Chute, Rachel Carson and John McPhee. (Item no. USE57)