James Bentley (1) (1937–2000)

This is a delightful and excellent guide to Tuscany and well worth the struggle to find a copy. Yes, some of the information (such as recommended hotels and inns) is now somewhat out of date, but the historical information, introduction to the terrain, villages, food and wine of the region is first rate. If you're headed to Tuscany, read this book before you go and be sure to copy and take with you the chapter on visiting the Uffizi Museum, which lays out a large number of this incredible museum's highlights for you in an easy-to-follow, room-by-room recommended walking tour. I loved the chapter on the poets and authors who have fallen in love with Tuscany's many charms (although I found the chapter on the "English" in Tuscany less engaging, but then I'm not British), and the chapter on Tuscan food and wine is exactly the sort of information one needs to know before arriving.… (more)

Bentley has authored what is more or less a coffee-table book depicting villages in England. He opens with an essay about villages and the types found in England. He then proceeds alphabetically by region with selected villages. Each village includes a description of the village with a brief historical sketch. Many of the photographs included photographs of buildings. I would have preferred to have seen more photographs of gardens or the buildings in their natural habitat as that is what I associate with a village's beauty. The latter part of the book did a better job of doing this than the earlier portion. It's an interesting book, but it didn't quite meet my expectations.… (more)