The Rough Guide to Vienna

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Excellent guide for a long visit - Rated
I spent most of last year living just outside Vienna, and this guide proved invaluable, it pointed me to the usual tourist sites and gave detailed information about what I was seeing and it's relevance. Having exhausted all these things, (which takes a while but is possible if you have a year at your disposal!) It gave excellent advice on further and lesser known attractions including those in the surrounding areas, all information was honest and useful.
Alongside the information about visiting it was full of useful suggestions on where to eat, drink and be merry! Without it I doubt I would ever have found a vegetarian restaurant for my boyfriend, or discovered some of the best bars I've come across.

One word of warning though, if you're off to Vienna for a short break, it might be worth reading through and working out exactly what it is you want to do before you arrive, otherwise you could find yourself trying desparately to work out which of the hundreds of suggestions you have time to try.

Too much information for a weekend break! - Rated
I bought this book for a 3 day weekend break we were taking and I was disappointed to find a lack of photographs. Indeed, the book is almost (other than the cover and a couple of maps) devoid of any colour at all. The only illustrations are a number of maps of the city which don't really make the grade.
OK, so I may be slightly unfair. The book is absolutely packed with information about every single thing you will come across in Vienna and I did learn some interesting things about the Spanische Reitschule and Hofburg and the Hapsburgs but it's really too much to take in for a short break unless you're really interested in the history of everything in great detail.
If you want to learn a lot about Vienna by reading, buy this book. If you want to find your way around and choose which sites to visit - this isn't the book for you.

Vienna itself is lovely. Clean, quiet and small enough to explore on foot in a few days. Wrap up warm though if you go in March!

This man has obvioulsy been to Vienna! - Rated
As a resident of Vienna for the past three years, and previously sceptical of most guides, it was interesting to check up on whether Rob Humphreys really knew his stuff. I was not disappointed and actually quite impressed with his in depth knowledge of the city and all its subtle nuances. This book is packed with the sort of information any discerning visitor to Vienna would need. The historical, social, and cultural commentaries are spot on, up-to date and accurate. More importantly, though, he knows his bars and restaurants which for any traveller has to be the standard at which all credible knowledge is based. Each recommendation is evidence that Humphreys has not only been to the city but that he found the time to unearth the non-touristy parts of the city and the places to go and enjoy real Viennese life. What more can I say but, surprisingly excellent!