A social and literary history of Venice's glamorous beach resort by one of Britain's leading travel writers. The Venice Lido by Robin Saikia, published by Blue Guides in May 2011, is a sparkling and elegant account, featuring a host of characters including Coco Chanel, Lord Byron, Serge Diaghilev, Isadora Duncan, Winston Churchill, Thomas Mann, the Duke of Windsor, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Favourite venues and landmarks mentioned in the book include the Grand Hotel Excelsior, the Hotel des Bains, the Aeroporto Nicelli, the Circolo Golf di Venezia at Alberoni, Blue Moon, San Nicolo al Lido, the Palazzo del Cinema, the Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival. For further details of launches, readings and other events, visit www.robinsaikia.com.