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This is definitely worth the money. It is a very, very detailed work with many references to things I'd never even heard of. I've successfully used it as a reference for several papers, and recommend it to anyone-- especially classicists who're interested in the finer points of Rome's architecture, geography, and history. This is an excellent way to learn more about less common aspects of Rome, as well as the big things like the Pantheon, etc.
All in all, it's an excellent reference and a great read as well-- I highly recommend it.
I have lived in Rome for 12 years and have become an avid enthusiast of ancient Roman history. History is inextricably connected to physical locations. The Topographical Guide has proven to be invaluable. There is not one location in Rome that I have looked up that I did not find. The who, what, when, where and why of the location is concisely and clearly presented in a very easy reading style. I consider it a must for any student or enthusiast of Ancient Rome.
There is a wealth of fascinating textual information in this book, together with about a hundred illustrations, mostly architectural plans or fragments of the ancient marble plan. The author states that it was a deliberate decision not to include drawings or photographs, since these are available in Nash's Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome -- but that work is very rare and expensive. His decision is understandable, but it is harder to account for the complete absence of maps. A couple of flyleaf maps of the ancient and modern city would have been very helpful in orienting the reader.
