clairej04

I read that the Cadogan guides have been bought by a new publisher and the 2008/2009 series is not the same as the older books. A search online couldn't confirm this, but I was wondering if anyone has bought a new guide and not found it the same as the older ones. If so when did they change? I'm going to buy a used one online if the newer ones really aren't the same.

Also, I am looking for a guide book that focuses on museums (in Italy but I'll buy what I can find). Like the Rick Steve's Mona Lisa Winks but more serious. I'm looking for something a bit less "fluffy/corny" than his book (but mean no offense to his many, many fans, he is just not my personal style). I've been to several book stores but have come up empty. Ideas???

StCirq

I have the 2008 India guide for my this-week trip to India (yay!!) - at least I assume it's 2008 because I just bought it last month - and I don't see any differences at all.

Same 3-dimensional maps. Same format. Same sections at the back of the book. It all looks exactly like what I've been used to in using these books for a couple of decades.

Underhill

Only museums in Italy, or elsewhere?

clairej04

I'm interested in museums in Italy for this trip but if there is a good book that includes other countries I'll just save the other sections for another time. Thanks for asking.

Thanks for the info. about the India guide. A poster (maybe on slowtravel) mentioned that the imprint had been sold and the newest guide (this was for Rome, I think) had a very different, and less in depth feel. I just wasn't sure when they were sold and what year to buy if I was going to buy a used one. Good to know that at least the India one still seems good.

yk

I have the BLUE GUIDE Museums and Galleries in London.

I find it useful for trip planning - just browsing through it and see what places might interest me. It gives more detailed description than the average guidebook. Eg, places like John Soane's Museum I think it has 3-4 pages description, whereas a regular guidebook will dedicate 1/4 of a page at most.

It contains all sorts of museums though, not just art-related.

Lexma90

Can't help you with the Cadogan guides - I like them, too, but haven't bought one in the last year.

I have the Blue Guide to Rome, and found it provided VERY detailed and useful information on art and architecture on museums and churches. In fact, sometimes it provided a little too much detail! It did occasionally miss the big picture, and that's when I turned to Rick Steves' book (yes, I'll admit it, I like his books). For example, when we visited Church of the Gesu, the Blue Guide failed to provide the background information that my brain didn't already have about architecture during the counter-reformation, but Rick Steves' book filled the gap very well indeed, but providing a big picture view of the time during the building of the church.

The Blue Guide to Northern Italy, which I bought for a subsequent trip, was not as detailed, as it was covering a much larger geographic area. I'm not sure how much I'll use it in the future.

I have a huge coffee-table book called Rome: Art and Architecture. The publishers have recently started putting out a guidebook sized version of the same series. I got the Tuscany book (Art and Architecture Tuscany) as a gift, but haven't visited Tuscany since I received it. The pictures (photographs) are very good, and the detail seems pretty good, but the book doesn't cover every single town.

Apres_Londee

Another vote for the Blue Guide. They're indispensible IMO:

http://tinyurl.com/526ar7

MademoiselleFifi

I loved Rizzoli's <i>Florence in Detail</i>. There's also one for Rome.