Rome Alive: A Source-Guide to the Ancient City, Volume 2 (ISBN 0865165076)

Expert commentary and informative insights:
Compiled, organized, and enhanced with occasional black and white maps and illustrations, Rome Alive: A Source-guide To The Ancient City, Volume 1 by Peter J. Aicher (Associate Professor of Classics, University of Southern Maine) is a superbly presented tourist and "user friendly" travel guide for anyone aspiring to experience Rome's rich historical past, as well as the enshrined legacy of its contributions to art, culture, science, politics, and so much more. Expert commentary and informative insights on the diverse landmark locations (complete with their historical backgrounds), combine in a travel guide that is as enjoyable for the armchair traveler as it is usefully practical for those who seek to experience Rome's majesty on-site and at firsthand.

Great for lovers of Ancient Rome:
As a historical novelist, I found this book a great source of contemporary comments about various sites in the ancient city. Where else would you find out that Agrippa originally wanted to name the Pantheon for Augustus, but Augustus declined? If you're planning to visit and/or write about ancient Rome, Rome Alive and the Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome make an excellent pair of guidebooks.

Bring the past to the lap of an enthusiastic Romanophile:
Being not only a teacher of Ancient Roman History, but also an avid tourist of the eternal city, I found this book highly readable and very practical. It is a valuable resource for the teacher, student and adventurer all in one volume. This book is a must for anyone who intends more than a cursory few hours in Rome, not on a tourist bus, but by navigating the winding streets of Rome with a bottle of water, a good pair of walking shoes and this book as your guide. This book really brings the marble glories of Republican and Imperial Rome back to life. It is also a must for the student and teacher as the author has collected a dazzling array of ancient sources on a myriad of important structures that have contributed to the western psyche of what Rome was like.