The battle of the ski guides starts here with both the major ski guides out, priced the same, and bristling with information.

Let's start with Peter and Felice Hardy's near 600-page work which assesses resort, ski schools, accommodation, night-life and food in over 650 places on five continents (Asia, specifically Japan, is the one you couldn't think of). One advantage over its competitor is that it takes no advertising or sponsorship so claims to be truly independent. It lists the best places for all manner of categories, like airport convenience, families, value for money, restauraunts and luxury. For each resort it lists pros and cons, gives maps and has eating-out sections, which seemed slightly more detailed that the Reuters Guide, a facts page and, at the back, an extensive list of operators and who goes where together with hundreds of other useful numbers - like where to get avalanche warnings.

The authors ask for help from readers and the book also offers half-price membership of the Ski Club of Great Britain.

The Reuters Guide is nearly 700 pages long which includes a lot of advertisements and colour pictures. Its layout is more sophisticated and its accommodation sections in each resort are more detailed. The piste maps are adequate, but maps of the towns are a mess of unintelligible squiggles.

With sections on gear and resort ratings at a glance, it is clear that this one has had more money lavished on it.