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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Order an essential package, and we'll ship any additional items for free. We offer a mix of guidebooks, maps, field guides, novels and books on art, architecture, history, nature and culture.

Essential Reading

Item EXITL688. Buy these 5 items as a set for $83 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Blue Guide Rome

Blue Guide Rome

by Alta Macadam

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 640 PAGES

The 10th edition of Macadam's ultimate guide to Rome, with full color street maps, dozens of site plans, suggested walks and extensive commentary on the history and significance of every church, monument and district. (ITL230, $29.95)

Ancient Rome: Art, Architecture, and History

Ancient Rome: Art, Architecture, and History

by Ada Gabucci

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

This lively, illustrated survey of Ancient Rome's monuments, history and art is a terrific introduction. (ITL419, $19.95)

The Colosseum

The Colosseum

by Keith Hopkins | Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

This engaging overview of the history of the Colosseum deconstructs Hollywood-perpetrated misconceptions of gladiator-eating lions, Nero fiddling and other myths. (ITL654, $14.95)

The Smiles of Rome, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers

The Smiles of Rome, A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers

by Susan Cahill

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

A wonderfully inspired anthology featuring excerpts from 29 writers and artists interspersed with practical suggestions for travelers. (ITL573, $14.95)

Rome Map

Rome Map

by Borch Maps

  • 2007
  • MAP

A handy map at a scale of 1:11,000, with a more detailed overview of the city center. (ITL60, $8.95)

 
Blue Guide Central Italy with Rome and Florence

Blue Guide Central Italy with Rome and Florence


by Alta Macadam

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 736 PAGES

Alta MacAdam, an art historian, brings her expertise to this authoritative guide to the art and culture of Lazio (Rome), Tuscany (Florence), Umbria and The Marche. (ITL947, $34.95)

Blue Guide Concise Rome

Blue Guide Concise Rome


by Blue Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

This pocket guide focuses on essential art, architecture and historical sites of Rome. (ITA71, $14.95)

City Secrets Rome

City Secrets Rome


by Robert Kahn

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 272 PAGES

A connoisseur's guide to the city and its attractions, with personal recommendations by artists, designers, architects and personalities who have made their home in Rome, including painter Frank Stella and architect Michael Graves. With detailed neighborhood maps. (ITL166, $19.95)

City Walks Rome


by Martha Fay

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2006
  • BOXED
  • 52 PAGES

Explore the city with these 50 colorful, convenient cards, each with a map and suggested walking tour. (ITA172, $14.95)

Eyewitness Guide Rome

Eyewitness Guide Rome


by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 432 PAGES

A comprehensive guide to Rome featuring hundreds of color photographs, neighborhood maps and innovative site plans. (ITL158, $25.00)

Fodor's Rome's 25 Best

Fodor's Rome's 25 Best


by Fodor's

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

This shirt-pocket guide includes a map of the city and essential information on its highlights. (ITL112, $11.99)

Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook

Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook


by Lonely Planet

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 260 PAGES

A handy palm-size phrasebook for the traveler. (ITL531, $8.99)

Made in Italy, A Shopper's Guide

Made in Italy, A Shopper's Guide


by Laura Morelli

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

The second edition of Morelli's expert survey of handcrafted Italian shops and products from Murano glass to ceramics, jewelry and leather. (ITL473, $24.95)

Rome and Environs, An Archaeological Guide

Rome and Environs, An Archaeological Guide


by Filippo Coarelli

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 555 PAGES

A leading scholar of Roman art and architecture lends his expertise to scholars and intellectually curious visitors for an authoritative series of walking tours. (ITA187, $31.95)

Biba's Italy

Biba's Italy


by Biba Caggiano

  • FOOD
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Caggiano focuses on regional, seasonal food in this omnibus cookbook (featuring 100 recipes), menu planner and travel guide to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan and Venice. Nicely produced, this handsome sepia-toned book includes recommended restaurants, cafes and markets in each city. (ITL777, $29.95)

Food Wine Rome

Food Wine Rome


by David Downie

  • FOOD
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

A renowned food writer's highly selective guide to Rome's authentic small eateries, culinary traditions, wine, wineries, food artisans, and gourmet shops (ITL999, $24.95)

A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities, Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire

A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities, Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire


by J. C. McKeown

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 243 PAGES

This entertaining miscellany around major themes -- The Army, Women, Religion and Superstition, Family Life, Medicine, Slaves, Spectacles -- allowing for quick browsing or a more deliberate study of the life and times of the ancient Romans. (ITA186, $17.95)

Inside the Vatican

Inside the Vatican


by Bart McDowell | Jim Stanfield

  • RELIGION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

This selection of stunning behind-the-scenes color photo-graphs of the Vatican includes text describing the city-state's history and some background on the modern popes. (ITL55, $19.95)

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind


by Beppe Severgnini

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses the apparently never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia. (ITL718, $14.00)

La Bella Lingua

La Bella Lingua


by Dianne Hales

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES
  • NEW

Inebriated with the sounds of Italian, lovesick for its phrases and enamored of its earthy idioms, Hales, "a sensible woman of sturdy Polish stock," dives into the Italian of the piazza, literature, movies and streets in this charming memoir. (ITA26, $15.00)

Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome

Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome


by Christopher Scarre

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A vivid overview of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and its expansion throughout North Africa and the Mediterranean, illustrated with ingenious color maps on many topics (political borders, trade, defense, religion) and 80 color photographs. (ITL29, $18.00)

Roman Holiday


by William Wyler

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • DVD

Starring Audrey Hepburn as a princess in disguise and Gregory Peck as a newspaper reporter trying to snoop out her identity, this charming film takes viewers with them an a romantic tour of Rome. (ITA147, $16.99)

Rome

Rome


by Robert Hughes

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 528 PAGES

Opening with his arrival in Rome in 1958 as a wide-eyed young Australian, Hughes takes in the art, architecture, sculpture and life of Rome, past and present, in this splendidly written, sweeping tale of the beloved city, including memorable portraits of important characters from Caesar to Cicero, Mussolini and Fellini. (ITA267, $35.00)

Rubicon, The Last Years of the Roman Republic

Rubicon, The Last Years of the Roman Republic


by Tom Holland

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

A riveting popular history of the fall of the Roman empire, written with the flare of a novelist and with a sharp focus on imperial folly. (ITL677, $16.00)

Speak the Culture Italy

Speak the Culture Italy


by Andrew Whittaker

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 343 PAGES

Touching on painters, writers, politicians, cultural heroes and sport stars, literature, food, wine and society, this lively all-in-one primer with a sense of humor is an engaging education in Italian culture. The series also includes Spain (SPN391), France (FRN885) and Britain (GBR936), all edited by the enterprising Andrew Whittaker, $24.95 each. (ITA111, $24.95)

The Classical World

The Classical World


by Robin Lane Fox

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 656 PAGES

Fox conjures tyrants, conquerors and enthralling personalities, from Homer to Hadrian, in this marvelously written history of ancient Greece and Rome. (GRE293, $19.99)

The Roman Forum


by David Watkin

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 180 PAGES

Watkin reveals the history and purpose of the forum, including its Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque churches and nearby monuments in this sophisticated pocket guide and history. (ITA112, $19.95)

When in Rome, Everyday Life in the Early Roman Empire

When in Rome, Everyday Life in the Early Roman Empire


by Paul Chrystal

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 112 PAGES
  • NEW

Expertly selected, this pocket anthology shows Rome -- and the Roman Empire -- though the eyes of contemporary writers. (ITA208, $14.95)

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling


by Ross King

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

Presented with flair and backed by a wealth of research, King's captivating chronicle of Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel tells the story of its conception and creation. (ITL464, $18.00)

Not Built in a Day, Exploring Rome and its Architecture

Not Built in a Day, Exploring Rome and its Architecture


by George H. Sullivan

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

These 12 detailed walking tours celebrate Rome's buildings, fountains, piazzas, streets, and archaeology with insight and enthusiasm. (ITL715, $21.99)

St. Peter's

St. Peter's


by Keith Miller | Mary Beard

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

Miller traces the evolution of St. Peter's from its original incarnation, built on the orders of Emperor Constantine, to its medieval rebirth and additions by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Maderno in this history, guide and celebration of the great baroque basilica. (ITL886, $19.95)

The Ancient Romans, Their Lives and Their World

The Ancient Romans, Their Lives and Their World


by Paul Roberts

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 80 PAGES
  • FAMILY

Drawn from the collections of the Getty Museum, this lively portrait illuminates the Romans and the buildings, art and everyday objects they left behind. Ages 12 and up. (ITA73, $17.95)

A Traveller in Rome

A Traveller in Rome


by H.V. Morton

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

An enduring portrait of the city and especially its history, originally published a half century ago. (ITL418, $19.95)

City of the Soul, A Walk in Rome

City of the Soul, A Walk in Rome


by William Murray

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A personal portrait of Rome from William Murray, a writer for The New Yorker, who was raised in Italy. Murray recounts neighborhoods, buildings, archaeology and history on a personal, anecdotal ramble. (ITL506, $16.95)

Four Seasons in Rome

Four Seasons in Rome


by Anthony Doerr

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES
  • NEW

Doerr captures the romance and challenge of living abroad in this lyrical memoir, invitingly subtitled "On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World." (ITL840, $14.00)

Italian Days

Italian Days


by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 479 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Grizzuti Harrison writes with warmth and depth of her journey from Milan south to Calabria in this sprightly account of Italy and the Italians. (ITL02, $15.00)

Cabal

Cabal


by Michael Dibdin

  • MYSTERY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 241 PAGES

Zen is called to the Vatican to investigate the death of Prince Ludovico Ruspanti, who plunged from the roof of St. Peter's Basilica. (ITL620, $13.95)

Imperium, A Novel of Ancient Rome


by Robert Harris

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

Best-selling author Harris (Pomeii) returns to ancient Rome with this fast-paced fictional portrayal of Marcus Cicero's rise to power. (ITA32, $15.00)

The Classical Roman Reader, New Encounters With Ancient Rome


by Kenneth J. Atchity | Rosemary McKenna

  • LITERATURE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

A wide-ranging anthology, including plays, speeches and poetry by Virgil, Ovid, Cato the Elder and Vitruvius. With 50 photographs. (ITL210, $24.95)

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Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.