Florence - Alberto Anichini

Putting together
a guidebook that really does its job is no small challenge. Some guidebooks rely on the appeal of images which 'speak for themselves', while others - more traditionally - offer a text which purports to say and explain everything. In the first case the tourist is highly impressed, but soon discovers that precious little lies behind the painted veil. In the second case he finds himself saddled with a cumbersome tome which is useless in the field. Not to mention the run-of-the-mill straight-line walking tours which take you to a given place but don't tell you how to make the most of the way back! This volume strikes an ideal balance between text and photographs, offering a truly original solution to the visitor's queries. Thus, for instance, its itineraries are circular, and the various aspects of the city (art, history, language, local lore and food) do not get lost in the folds of a top-heavy introduction, but are dealt with in a series of numbered sections which are concise and oft.