This is how all travel guides should be written. Matthew Rice has created an incredibly atmospheric and informative guide to Venice Italy, rich in history and art. I love his style; at first pictures seem like quick sketches with watercolour splashed on. The simplicity is deceiving as you realise you recognise the places he’s painted, you hear the water and voices bouncing off the buildings. Whether or not you have plans to visit Italy, his watercolours will make you feel like you are already there. For me, most guides can feel a little like…advertisements. Are these restaurants and venues really any good? Are they even still open? The internet is endless and it feels like everyone is paid to say something nice. THIS book is different, it tells you ABOUT Venice. It gets you excited, you feel informed by someone who clearly has spent a lot of time there and is in love. He doesn’t say “eat here” or “do this tour”. He tells you about the culture, the food, the bar culture, the quite things you can discover as a person wandering a beautiful place. I was fortunate to visit Venice for my 30th birthday and it was hands down the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. Flipping through these pages, I felt like I was there again. Listening to the water lapping on the marble, smelling the sea salt, breathing in the architecture. What I love most about this book? At the end of your trip you don’t have an out of date/useless list of tours and restaurants, but a treasured keepsake. A piece of art that serves as a reminder of all you’ve seen and done. If you are headed to Venice, or just got back, or have it on your bucket list, then Rice’s “Venice, A Sketchbook Guide” is a must. Thank you Penguin for this stunning copy, it is a treasured reminder of one of my favourite holidays.

Like other reviewers I love Venice. This book is a delight. Its sketches are all evocative and capture the spirit and fell of the place. As well as the well known sights, Rice takes us off the beaten track (out into the Lagoon) or notices a detail that you might brush by. He captures the details of architecture the campaniles, different windows, lettering on signs etc. There's history (just the right amount),with sections on the different areas and their inhabitants (including feathered ones) He tries to present us with the essence of each place. There are hints on where to eat (and what to eat) and where to drink, alongside pictures of the produce from seafood to polenta. There's advice on things to do and what time of day to do them. It works as a guidebook as well as a book about the architecture It has a wry wit and I can't wait to revisit with this book in my bag. I have been 3 times but the author makes me want to go again and seek out some of the details he drew and painted A thoughtfully produced book . It should slot in just like a sketchbook. It's a beautiful addition to my Venice Library. Tracey Exeter High Street

As a regular visitor to Venice I was very pleased to receive a complimentary copy of this beautiful little book. It's format is small and in the shape of an artists sketchbook, with satisfyingly thick pages on which to display the colourful watercolour illustrations. Matthew Rice's illustrations are so charming and quirky and perfectly capture the atmosphere of the watery city. It's a guidebook with a difference, to dip into and savour to read before a trip, during a trip and after to remember the beautiful places. The first section takes the reader through the city and surrounds by area, each page accompanied by a charming and detailed watercolour illustrations, facts and personal snipets. A personal history of Venice follows, concise and readable. I particularly enjoyed the pages showing the different architectural details. No guide book to Venice would be complete without a discussing the wonderful food available and again this section doesn't disappoint, with wonderfully detailed pictures showing enticing plates of food to enjoy. Sarah Clarke at Torquay