Spartacus 2011 2012 Bruno Gmunder Publishing
This redoubtable guidebook was first published 40 years ago. In the introduction we are told about its first edition of 109 page black and white listings and its transformation now to a full colour brick complemented by websites and iphone apps!
Guidebooks are a key part of planning any holiday break. And try as they might the mainstream ones will never be able to give great coverage to the gay scene. In this era of format convergence there is still a place for books such as Spartacus. Listings can be easily bookmarked and highlighted in a printed book. And the portability the book brings can’t be beaten. I’d rather immerse myself in the bath with a guidebook than with my plugged in laptop.
Upon investigation of the guide’s listings for places I know well such as Auckland, Cairns and San Francisco, I am reassured that the information is reasonably accurate and up to date. Spartacus is certainly a useful tool to get your bearings in a new city. The key information about each country will reassure you on how welcome being a gay tourist will be. You will need to look for other guide books for standard tourist attractions like cathedrals and galleries and general shopping but Spartacus will enable your entrance into the gay scene of another country or culture.
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