Some friends of mine are headed to Italy for the first time, and they asked me for a basic reading list.  Their criteria:  good maps, basic information, and books they can tote easily.  When choosing books for a trip, I tend to choose two kinds:  books with deep information to be read before leaving or to leave in the hotel, and small guidebooks to carry along.  

For the guidebooks: I like pocket or purse-sized books, personally.  I never buy entire country guides unless I am going out into the hinterlands.  Instead, I buy city-specific guides.  They tend to be smaller and have more details.  As for those in-depth books, there are several good series like the Traveller's History books with general information about particular countries and cities.  

My friends are going to Rome, Florence, and Venice for a total of two weeks, and they are not expert travelers.  I put this list together for them, and I thought you might enjoy it as well.  

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