The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C.

by Joe Surkiewicz, Bob Sehlinger, Eve Zibart

This candid, value-conscious guide to D.C. gives you the inside story on where to catch the U.S. government at work, complete information on Washington's cultural and historic sights, and much more. It includes an invaluable rating system to help find the top hotels and restaurants and advice on how to get around quickly and easily.

448 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2001

About the author

I'm a former newspaper reporter, columnist, and travel guide author living in Vermont and writing stuff I actually like. For now, that means noir, crime fiction and humor (allegedly).

A major influence is Holly Martins, the pulp fiction writer in the 1949 classic The Third Man (played by Joseph Cotton). No one's heard of him except Sgt. Paine (Bernard Lee, later "M" in 11 Bond flics), the Other Ranks Brit soldier who has read some of Martins' cheap Westerns (and ends up socking him in the jaw). At the end of the movie, Martins doesn't get the girl. Set your sights low, I always say.

Holly Martins : Did you ever hear of "The Lone Rider of Santa Fe"?

Maj. Calloway : Can't say that l have.

Holly Martins : "Death at Double-X Ranch"? Uh, "Raunch".

Reviews

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has great information about DC's main tourist sites. The author has a witty and entertaining rating system. However, it isn't any better or worse than any other DC guides I've used.