Italy Out of Hand: A Capricious Tour

This is a great little book if one is traveling to Italy, I would assume. It tells of the non-tourist trap places that exist. There are NO advertisements. It gives the history of and famous people from such places as Rome, Naples, Sicily, Perugia, Florence, Milan, to name a few. I liked this book because it was full of history and historical characters and the all the "goodies" such as affairs, beheading, cases of syphilis, etc.Only 3 1/2 stars because I haven't visited any of these places so I can not be sure of what they write.

Lots of random but interesting information, both trivial and useful; many illustrations both colour and monochrome; a great deal of history, often of the gossipy variety. Addresses and information about present-day museums, churches, coffee shops and other destinations are given where appropriate. The mixed-media/collage nature of the presentation is attractive but when the text is printed over greyed-out architectural plans, drawings, and other artwork (and many, if not most, of the pages are thus "enhanced"), it is not easy to read.

Great ideas of what to see, whether intended for that or not, that's how I used it!