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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXITL472. Buy these 5 items as a set for $72 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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Eyewitness Guide Italian Riviera

Eyewitness Guide Italian Riviera

by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A handsome, beautifully illustrated and informative compact guide to Liguria. It covers places, recommended excursions, hotels and attractions from the border with France east to La Spezia. (ITL566, $20.00)

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)

Italy, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Italy, A Traveler's Literary Companion

by Lawrence Venuti

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Not just a literary companion, this anthology is also a who's who of contemporary Italian writers that captures the spirit, history and allure of the country. (ITL466, $14.95)

Liguria Regional Map

Liguria Regional Map

by Touring Club Italiano

  • MAP

A map of the region, including Cinque Terra, at a scale of 1:200,000. (ITL118, $14.95)

Cinque Terre Map

Cinque Terre Map

by Litographia Artistica Cartographica

  • MAP

A detailed shaded relief walking and road map of the Cinque Terre at a scale of 1:40,000. (ITL159, $12.95)

 
Cadogan Italian Riviera & Piemonte

Cadogan Italian Riviera & Piemonte


by Michael Pauls | Dana Facaros

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

An authoritative guide to Liguria, including Cinque Terre, Portofino, Genoa and lesser-known destinations. Strong on practical information, it's also a good overview of the history, culture and cuisine of the region. (ITL407, $19.95)

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)

Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary

Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary


by Rick Steves

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

This compact phrase book, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary, also includes Steves' insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (ITL424, $8.95)

A Ligurian Kitchen, Recipes and Tales from the Italian Riviera

A Ligurian Kitchen, Recipes and Tales from the Italian Riviera


by Laura Giannatempo

  • FOOD
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 234 PAGES

A charming, personal cookbook with an abundance of authentic Ligurian recipes that can easily be replicated in an American kitchen. (ITL862, $29.95)

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)

The Food of Italy

The Food of Italy


by Waverly Root

  • FOOD
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 750 PAGES

Evocative of Italy and its diverse cuisine, this classic book, organized geographically, offers a cook's tour of the country. It's a well-informed and wonderful culinary guide. (ITL75, $22.00)

The Food of Italy, Region by Region

The Food of Italy, Region by Region


by Claudia Roden

  • FOOD
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 440 PAGES

The marvelous Claudia Roden, who spent a year visiting cooks throughout Italy, presents 300 easy-to-prepare recipes in the context of Italian history, culture and geography. (ITL683, $24.95)

The Italians

The Italians


by Luigi Barzini

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

The definitive portrait of the Italian people, this is a classic, scholarly essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. (ITL05, $16.00)

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages


by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology. (MED07, $15.95)

A Traveller in Italy

A Traveller in Italy


by H.V. Morton | Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 640 PAGES

The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings in the temples, tombs and villas of Tuscany, Lombardy, Emilia and the Veneto. (ITL417, $25.00)

Extra Virgin, A Young Woman Discovers the Italian Riviera

Extra Virgin, A Young Woman Discovers the Italian Riviera


by Annie Hawes

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A memoir of travels and life in Liguria, where the Hawe sisters ventured and stayed. In this refreshingly candid account, the English sisters end up buying a house and learning the local customs and eccentricities of their neighbors in Diano San Pietro. (ITL539, $14.99)

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)

Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron

Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron


by Edward Trelawney

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

The lives and deaths of these two most romantic of Romantic poets are lovingly recounted in this memoir by Edward Trelawny. Trelawny was a fascinating figure in his own right, and his tribute to his two lost friends bears all the marks of his own generous, wild personality. (ITL336, $13.95)

Call Me by Your Name

Call Me by Your Name


by Andre Aciman

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES

Aciman captures the lazy, languorous days and nights on the Mediterranean in this gay coming-of-age story set on the Italian Riviera. (ITL828, $14.00)

Italy in Mind

Italy in Mind


by Alice Powers

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 349 PAGES

A terrific collection of some of the best literary writing on Italy, including pieces by Melville, Lawrence, Henry James, Mary McCarthy and many others. (ITL39, $17.95)

Portofino, A Novel

Portofino, A Novel


by Frank Schaeffer

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Set in the 1960s, this coming-of-age tale follows a young boy's encounters with the sights and people of the seaside town of Portofino, while he avoids his missionary parents' constant bickering and their attempts to convert the locals. (ITL164, $15.00)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

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.