Books you would recommend, in preparation for visiting Italy.
Feb 4th, 2008, 11:42 AM
#22
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"The Dark Heart of Italy" by Oliver Tobias - forget the sloppy "I bought a house on a hill in Umbria" trash. This book is by an English journalist who moved to Parma with work. It gives you a frighteningly accurate insight into life in modern Italy. Berlusconi, Mafia and all.
This is a country where auditors dare not ask the chairman whether the E4 billion on deposit actually exists - In Parmalats case it didn't.
This is a country where huge conglomerates simply charge their customers huge amounts in automated bank payments on a Friday afternoon because they are short of cash then close all their shops for 2 weeks to avoid the complaints. In Tiscali's case they did it.
This is a country where buiders are paid in cash to avoid tax but the poice give you an armed escort when you want to carry that E200,000 cash home!
If you want to travel and understand the people read this book.
If you do want a bit of trash - try "Vrrrooom with a view" - the witty story of an Australian that rides round Tuscany on a 1960s Vespa.
Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia by John Dickie is a very good read but very detailed and hard going.
In the end you cannot go wrong with "The Engish Patient"
This is a country where auditors dare not ask the chairman whether the E4 billion on deposit actually exists - In Parmalats case it didn't.
This is a country where huge conglomerates simply charge their customers huge amounts in automated bank payments on a Friday afternoon because they are short of cash then close all their shops for 2 weeks to avoid the complaints. In Tiscali's case they did it.
This is a country where buiders are paid in cash to avoid tax but the poice give you an armed escort when you want to carry that E200,000 cash home!
If you want to travel and understand the people read this book.
If you do want a bit of trash - try "Vrrrooom with a view" - the witty story of an Australian that rides round Tuscany on a 1960s Vespa.
Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia by John Dickie is a very good read but very detailed and hard going.
In the end you cannot go wrong with "The Engish Patient"
Dec 11th, 2008, 04:54 AM
#24
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Since this thread was in my inbox today from Fodors we'll add some more books about Italy:
Italy, A Love Story - Women write about Italian Experiences by Camille Cusumano (2005)
Spezzatura, 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by Peter D’Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish (2001)
Speaking the Language like a Native by Aubrey Menen (1962)
Italy Out of Hand, A Capricious Tour by Barbara Hodgson (2005)
Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story by AE Hotchner (1978)
Route 66 A.D.- On the Trail of Ancient Rome by Tony Perrottet (2002)
Una Storia Segreta, The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Interment during World War II by Lawerence Di Stasi (2001)
The Proud Italians, Our Great Civilizers by Carl Pescosolido and Pamela Gleason (1995)
An Italian Journey by Jean Giono (1953)
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (1956)
Baudolino (a novel) by Uberto Eco (2000)
The Last Italian, Portrait of a People by William Murray (1991)
The Giro d'Italia by Dino Buzzati (1981; 1999)
Italian Journey's by WD Howells (1867; 1999)
50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by Peter D'Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish (2001)
Dances With Luigi, A Grandson's Search for His Italian Roots by Paul E. Paolicelli (2000)
Italian Pride 101 Reasons to be Proud You're Italian by Federico and Stephen Moramarco (2000)
Marcus Aurelius,The Emperor's Handbook by C Scot Hicks and David Hicks (2002)
Saint Augustine by Gary Wills (1999)
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (2003)
Infinite Variety, The Life & Legend of the Marchesa Casati by Scot Ryersson and Michael Orlando Yaccarino (1999)
The Italian American Reader by Bill Tonelli (2003)
Touring Italy-Touring Club Italy
Italy out of Hand-Barbara Hodgson(2005)
Mission Italy-Richard Gardner(2005)
Italy-Travelers’ Tales- various authors
(2001, 1998)
Straddling The Borders - The year I grew up in Italy by Martha E. Cummings (1999)
We just posted many more books about Italy on our blog - www.italyinside.blogspot.com. We grouped them by region and by type. Happy reading!
Italy, A Love Story - Women write about Italian Experiences by Camille Cusumano (2005)
Spezzatura, 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by Peter D’Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish (2001)
Speaking the Language like a Native by Aubrey Menen (1962)
Italy Out of Hand, A Capricious Tour by Barbara Hodgson (2005)
Sophia Living and Loving: Her Own Story by AE Hotchner (1978)
Route 66 A.D.- On the Trail of Ancient Rome by Tony Perrottet (2002)
Una Storia Segreta, The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Interment during World War II by Lawerence Di Stasi (2001)
The Proud Italians, Our Great Civilizers by Carl Pescosolido and Pamela Gleason (1995)
An Italian Journey by Jean Giono (1953)
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (1956)
Baudolino (a novel) by Uberto Eco (2000)
The Last Italian, Portrait of a People by William Murray (1991)
The Giro d'Italia by Dino Buzzati (1981; 1999)
Italian Journey's by WD Howells (1867; 1999)
50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by Peter D'Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish (2001)
Dances With Luigi, A Grandson's Search for His Italian Roots by Paul E. Paolicelli (2000)
Italian Pride 101 Reasons to be Proud You're Italian by Federico and Stephen Moramarco (2000)
Marcus Aurelius,The Emperor's Handbook by C Scot Hicks and David Hicks (2002)
Saint Augustine by Gary Wills (1999)
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (2003)
Infinite Variety, The Life & Legend of the Marchesa Casati by Scot Ryersson and Michael Orlando Yaccarino (1999)
The Italian American Reader by Bill Tonelli (2003)
Touring Italy-Touring Club Italy
Italy out of Hand-Barbara Hodgson(2005)
Mission Italy-Richard Gardner(2005)
Italy-Travelers’ Tales- various authors
(2001, 1998)
Straddling The Borders - The year I grew up in Italy by Martha E. Cummings (1999)
We just posted many more books about Italy on our blog - www.italyinside.blogspot.com. We grouped them by region and by type. Happy reading!
Dec 11th, 2008, 05:23 AM
#25
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The perfect antidote to all the guff about Italian food: Delizia, by John Dickie, explains how all this "authentic" nonsense was invented right after the war, and reminds us just how awful food was in Italy before then - and, by extension, why food in US "Italian" restaurants is so close to inedible.
For an enjoyable insight into daily Roman life in a rare period Rome was run by a more or less sane and politically secure Emperor: the Marcus Didius Falco books by Lindsey Davis.
The best book on modern Italy: The Dark Heart of Italy by Oliver Tobias
The best good old fashioned anecdote-rich travel writer about specific Italian places: Jan Morris. His Venice book's a great deal better than the one she wrote about Trieste.
For an enjoyable insight into daily Roman life in a rare period Rome was run by a more or less sane and politically secure Emperor: the Marcus Didius Falco books by Lindsey Davis.
The best book on modern Italy: The Dark Heart of Italy by Oliver Tobias
The best good old fashioned anecdote-rich travel writer about specific Italian places: Jan Morris. His Venice book's a great deal better than the one she wrote about Trieste.
Dec 12th, 2008, 03:07 AM
#27
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I just read one of Magdalen Nabb's mysteries, Vita Nuova. She really was a very good writer. Her books are set in Florence
I have also enjoyed Eric Newby's Love and War in the Apennines and A Small Place in Italy. These are memoirs about his time as a POW in Italy where he met his wife, Wanda, and about the old farmhouse he and Wanda bought
I have also enjoyed Eric Newby's Love and War in the Apennines and A Small Place in Italy. These are memoirs about his time as a POW in Italy where he met his wife, Wanda, and about the old farmhouse he and Wanda bought
Dec 13th, 2008, 11:20 AM
#28
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Here's a list of new books this year about Rome:
http://www.eternallycool.net/
It was posted on Dec. 13, in case you are looking at the site later. Just scroll down. I look at this site every day for cool stuff about Rome.
http://www.eternallycool.net/
It was posted on Dec. 13, in case you are looking at the site later. Just scroll down. I look at this site every day for cool stuff about Rome.
Dec 13th, 2008, 01:20 PM
#30
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Suggestions from
www.ItalyInside.BlogSpot.com
Rome From Its Founding to the Present Day : a Quartet
Editor’s comment: Do read these books on Rome in the order presented. Enjoy them as you would a good grappa, slowly. Warning: once you start reading you will be unable to stop. And you will be unable to control the urge to go to Rome and wander about Ancient-Christian-Renaissance Rome as the Romans do. DED
1-Roma, the Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor (2007) -
Tells the story of Rome’s first thousand years, 1000 BC to 1BC, from the salt gatherers at the mouth of the Tiber to Caesar Augustus. DED
2-Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin (2008) –
Simply a masterpiece. Tells the story of Lavinia, princess of Latium, who, with pious Aeneas, is destined to found Rome. Their descendants ruled for 15 generations. DED
3-The Aeneid by Virgil (29-19 BC), Translation, Robert Fagles; Introduction, Bernard Knox (2006) –
Modern verse translation of the ancient Roman epic of goddess-born Aeneas, who, following his fate, fled from the burning Troy and founded Rome. DED
4-The Secrets of Rome, Love and Death in the Eternal City by Corrado Augias (2007) –
The 15 chapters cover 2700 years of Roman life. Fascinating tales presented in an interesting fashion: “The Most Beautiful Lady of Rome” tells the story of Lucretia Borgia; “The Other Michelangelo,” of Caravaggio. DED
www.ItalyInside.BlogSpot.com
Rome From Its Founding to the Present Day : a Quartet
Editor’s comment: Do read these books on Rome in the order presented. Enjoy them as you would a good grappa, slowly. Warning: once you start reading you will be unable to stop. And you will be unable to control the urge to go to Rome and wander about Ancient-Christian-Renaissance Rome as the Romans do. DED
1-Roma, the Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor (2007) -
Tells the story of Rome’s first thousand years, 1000 BC to 1BC, from the salt gatherers at the mouth of the Tiber to Caesar Augustus. DED
2-Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin (2008) –
Simply a masterpiece. Tells the story of Lavinia, princess of Latium, who, with pious Aeneas, is destined to found Rome. Their descendants ruled for 15 generations. DED
3-The Aeneid by Virgil (29-19 BC), Translation, Robert Fagles; Introduction, Bernard Knox (2006) –
Modern verse translation of the ancient Roman epic of goddess-born Aeneas, who, following his fate, fled from the burning Troy and founded Rome. DED
4-The Secrets of Rome, Love and Death in the Eternal City by Corrado Augias (2007) –
The 15 chapters cover 2700 years of Roman life. Fascinating tales presented in an interesting fashion: “The Most Beautiful Lady of Rome” tells the story of Lucretia Borgia; “The Other Michelangelo,” of Caravaggio. DED
Feb 11th, 2009, 05:16 PM
#37
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Rick Steves' book is without a doubt the worst book of any that I've seen.
Mr Steves uses some quaint language, for example, in reference to the Doges, “Many others just put on their funny hat and accepted their role as figurehead and ceremonial ribbon cutter. Most were geezers, elected in their seventies and committed to preserving the Venetian traditions”. Tell that to Doge Dandolo, invader of Constantinople. Maybe Mr Steve does not indulge overly in checking his facts – his book is full of errors.
He does says one very true thing, though. “If there is a negative aspect to the image Italians have of Americans, it is that we are big, loud, aggressive, impolite, rich, and a bit naive”. and “... they nearly always afford us individual travellers all the warmth we deserve”. With his approach, the warmth Rick receives may be a little frosty. Good book for the dedicated sight seeing tourist.
Mr Steves uses some quaint language, for example, in reference to the Doges, “Many others just put on their funny hat and accepted their role as figurehead and ceremonial ribbon cutter. Most were geezers, elected in their seventies and committed to preserving the Venetian traditions”. Tell that to Doge Dandolo, invader of Constantinople. Maybe Mr Steve does not indulge overly in checking his facts – his book is full of errors.
He does says one very true thing, though. “If there is a negative aspect to the image Italians have of Americans, it is that we are big, loud, aggressive, impolite, rich, and a bit naive”. and “... they nearly always afford us individual travellers all the warmth we deserve”. With his approach, the warmth Rick receives may be a little frosty. Good book for the dedicated sight seeing tourist.
Feb 11th, 2009, 05:44 PM
#38
As The Romans Do by Alan Epstein.
http://www.astheromansdo.com/
http://www.astheromansdo.com/
Feb 12th, 2009, 11:53 AM
#40
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a long Italian Reading list is available on www.elegantetruria.com , fruit of many years here in Bella Italia.
