Croatia Rough Guide
 

I've seen many mentions of the Croatia Rough Guide as the best guidebook for this area. There is a 2016 version but also earlier versions available online for much less $. Does anyone know if the latest version is better for any reason, or will I be OK with one from earlier, like 2013.
Also, do I need the separate Croatia Rough Guide Map or any other maps recommended?

You're talking about a book that costs $15 new. How much is the trip costing you? Is it worth the risk of outdated information to save $5 or so?

It's what my mother used to call, "penny wise, pound foolish".

The Rick Steves Croatia/Slovenia book has been my go-to book on my trips to the region. It's full of practical advice and has never failed me. However, his book isn't to everyone's taste, and some people just don't like Rick Steves for some reason. His books tend to cover only the "highlights" of a country so may leave out places you are interested in visiting. His audience is travelers who have a limited time to travel and aren't going to spend a week in each city or stop in some of the more obscure places.

On the other hand, his books tend to offer strong opinions on places - this is great, that place is a waste of time, etc. I like that, even if I don't always agree with his opinions. Other guidebooks tend to highlight the best possible thing about every place they cover, and sometimes it's hard for me to figure out whether the place is worth visiting or not based only on their recommendation. That makes the book less useful to me. I guess some people are put off when a Rick Steves book disses a favorite spot.

I wouldn't expect one guidebook to cover every aspect of a place you might visit. I usually consult more than one - Lonely Planet, Bradt, Rough Guide, etc. I thought the Bradt Slovenia book was great - it covers some obscure places I've liked, but it's now almost ten years old, and they really need a new edition!

Get the latest Rough Guide, best researched of all available.

Another very strong vote for the Rough Guide, and yes, do consider springing for the newest one!

I use about 6 guidebooks per trip and have now used well over one hundred different guidebooks. Of all of them, the ONLY guidebook I thought NOT worth the money was the Rick Steves book to Croatia. I found it absurdly superficial -- it didn't cover many of the things I most treasured in that delightful country.

Consulting a few other guidebooks is, IME, always a good idea. You can do that in your local library or bookstore. IMO, having one really good guidebook will give you a great start.

If you are driving a lot, you might want a detailed map of Croatia, but that depends (I think) on your preferences. I got one once there, because even though I wasn't driving much, I didn't have a GPS at the time and wanted a backup in case I ended up far afield of the google maps I had printed out in advance. And I like maps. :-) You probably don't need one....

Use guide books as a friend but not as a bible.

Remember they are commercial publications, and a lot of their listings are there for one reason.

I take note of the good town maps and general information, but ignore their accommodation and eating recommendations.