Book Description
A modern master of the historical novel, Jeff Shaara has painted brilliant depictions of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War, and World War I. Now he embarks upon his most ambitious epic, a trilogy about the military conflict that defined the twentieth century. The Rising Tide begins a staggering work of fiction bound to be a new generation’s most poignant chronicle of World War II. With you-are-there immediacy, painstaking historical detail, and all-inclusive points of view, Shaara portrays the momentous and increasingly dramatic events that pulled America into the vortex of this monumental conflict.
As Hitler conquers Poland, Norway, France, and most of Western Europe, England struggles to hold the line. When Germany’s ally Japan launches a stunning attack on Pearl Harbor, America is drawn into the war, fighting to hold back the Japanese conquest of the Pacific, while standing side-by-side with their British ally, the last hope for turning the tide of the war.
Through unforgettable battle scenes in the unforgiving deserts of North Africa and the rugged countryside of Sicily, Shaara tells this story through the voices of this conflict’s most heroic figures, some familiar, some unknown. As British and American forces strike into the “soft underbelly” of Hitler’s Fortress Europa, the new weapons of war come clearly into focus. In North Africa, tank battles unfold in a tapestry of dust and fire unlike any the world has ever seen. In Sicily, the Allies attack their enemy with a barely tested weapon: the paratrooper. As battles rage along the coasts of the Mediterranean, the momentum of the war begins to shift, setting the stage for the massive invasion of France, at a seaside resort called Normandy.
More than an unprecedented and intimate portrait of those who waged this astonishing global war, The Rising Tide is a vivid gallery of characters both immortal and unknown: the as-yet obscure administrator Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose tireless efficiency helped win the war; his subordinates, clashing in both style and personality, from George Patton and Mark Clark to Omar Bradley and Bernard Montgomery. In the desolate hills and deserts, the Allies confront Erwin Rommel, the battlefield genius known as “the Desert Fox,” a wounded beast who hands the Americans their first humiliating defeat in the European theater of the war. From tank driver to paratrooper to the men who gave the commands, Shaara’s stirring portrayals bring the heroic and the tragic to life in brilliant detail.
A new level of accomplishment from this already acclaimed author, The Rising Tide will leave readers eager for the next volume of this superb saga of the war that saved and changed the world.
Customer Reviews:
Jeff Shaara has done it again.......2007-10-18
As expected with one of Jeff Shaara's books, it is great. If the next in the series is as good as this one they will be a collectors item.
As with his other novels, Shaara has taken history and put his own literary spin on it. You feel you are right there in the decision making process of the beginning of the war.
I recommend this book to any one who is interested in American history.
Good, but not great.......2007-10-04
(review by her husband)
The Rising Tide is Jeff Shaara's first part of a WW II Trilogy. Having enjoyed both his Civil War and Revolutionary War histories, I looked forward to his approach to this conflict. Unfortunately, the book lacked the spark that Shaara imparted to his earlier writings. Herman Wouk did it better in his set.
Great story!.......2007-10-02
Another great Jeff Sharra story, this time WWII. Looking forward to a continuation of this story in the next volume.
The Rising Tide.......2007-09-30
Interesting part of WW II covered,but not as crisp as some of his earlier works.
El Alamein.......2007-09-29
The Rising Tide
Jeff Shaara has intertwined real life people such as Rommel, Monty, Eisenhower & others along with fictitous
battle ready troops. The settings are real life.
I am halfway through the book & by coincidence my wife & I are going on a pilgrimage to the war memorial at El Alamein where my father was killed in 1942, in October 07. He was Australian.
Jeff has opened my eyes to how it all happened.
Thanks,
Michael O'Mara
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
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Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Product Description
Andrea Camilleri's novels starring Inspector Montalbano have become an international sensation in eight different languages. This funny and fast-paced Sicilian page-turner will be a delicious discovery for mystery afficionados and fiction lovers alike.
Early one morning, Silvio Lupanello, a big shot in the village of Vigàta, is found dead in his car with his pants around his knees. The car happens to be parked in a rough part of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, and as the news of his death spreads, the rumors begin. Enter Inspector Salvo Montalbano, Vigàta's most respected detective. With his characteristic mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food, Montalbano goes into battle against the powerful and the corrupt who are determined to block his path to the real killer.
Customer Reviews:
Marvelous Introduction to the Politics and Sociology of Sicily.......2007-09-01
As any Italian will tell you, Sicilians (or Sicilianos) are not Italians, and any Sicilian worth his salt will tell you thats a good thing. Camilleri who wrote this story back in 1994 has a feel for a part of his country that is remote and misunderstood by most of his countrymen. This is not the urbane Commissario Bruneti of Venice, Salvo Montalbano was born and bred on the island, and has contacts among all strata of society.
On the island of Sicily, one has three choices in life, 1)government and politics, 2) mafioso, and 3) leave. Montalbano is unusual in that he grew up there and stayed. He uses his connections to ferret out information as to things that happen on the seamier side of life.
The story itself is pedestrian, but must have been much more intense in 1994 (dealing with adultery, prostitution, bisexuality, homosexuality) so it will read as dated. But all in all it's a good introduction to the character of Inspector Salvo Montalbano.
A very Sicilian novel.......2007-08-21
Dottore Montalbano is urbane, intelligent, smooth, guttoral, well dressed, well read, well spoken, sharp as a tack, and as cynical as they come without resorting to bitterness. He is a detective in the Sicilian town of Vigate, a town seemingly overruned with crime, crooked politicians (is there another kind?), communists, fascists, over sexed and moneyed men and women.
The beauty of this book is not that the crimes are all that difficult to figure out. Plus the previous reviewers have delved into the intricacies of the plot. I will focus on the beauty of this book.
The beauty of this book is the tone of the conversations, the nature of the repartee and the give and take between friends and foes, the political, the literary, the profane and the profound. It is like a long drawn out lunch over a fine lunch al fresco, with an abundance of good wine and gossip. Food for the mind, body, and soul. It lets you into the conversations that Italian friends have with each other, all the laughs, conflicts, and resolutions. This book was an extended conversation with Camilleri and his views of everything Sicilian.
Fighting Stereotypes in Sicily?.......2007-07-24
Andrea Camilleri's police detective series, set in Sicily with his Inspector Montalbano, reinforces all of your stereotypes about crime, corruption, intrigue and double dealing on the island. This is an earthy story with sex as a leading element. The protagonist, an intuitive cop, questions why one does favors for those in power. A witness explains, "Inspector, you can't sail without a favorable wind."
A big shot is found dead in a compromising position in a distinctly bad locale. People in power seem determined to gloss over the details and put an end to the case. The Inspector smells something fishy so he wants to investigate.
The author has fashioned a complicated plot, but he hasn't made it very engrossing. He has sprinkled into his mix a lot of conniving characters, but hasn't made them very individualized or interesting. The book lacks spark and vitality. It is advertised as having a comic quality, but to this reader, it came over as rather glum and sodden. This is the first in Camilleri's series about the Sicilian police inspector, and I hope that the later ones are better.
The Daemon in Our Dreams
Nine Lives Too Many
The Rice Queen Spy
The Gentleman in a Savage Land.......2007-06-03
Inspector Salvo Montalbano is a gentleman: a gourmet and an esthete.
He is also a faithful lover to his Livia who waits for him in Genoa
while he toils as a police inspector in a mythical region of Sicily.
The Sicily of Andrea Camilleri's fiction is a savage place indeed.
Nothing and nobody is at it seems and layers of conspiracy underly
other layers.
In this context, when a prominent engineer is found dead in a trash-
filled dump where prostitutes ply their trade, Montalbano is
suspicious of the coroner's verdict of death by natural causes.
His investigation takes him through descending layers of depravity
which conclude with a long, surprise-filled monologue in which all
is revealed.
This is very cerebral detecting, even given the Maigret-like texture
of the narrative. Fans of rough-and-tumble may be disappointed.
Those who flinch at the social critique of the South of Italy may
find the portrayal of Sicilians to be a bit problematic too.
But I think these objections are misplaced. The real action in this
book is on the social and personal level. It is precisely the
quality of thought that the ever-humane Montalbano brings to the
proceedings that make them exciting. More importantly, his dim-eyed
view of Sicilan society and mores is an invitation to reflect on
its similarities to our own. Sicily here is not a stand-in for
some uncivilized 'other'. It's handled with a sympathy that
makes it a proxy for all of us.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005
Camilleri's a blockbuster author.......2007-05-25
I bought my first Camilleri novel a few weeks ago after reading a New Yorker piece on trends in European detection writing. They indicated that he was pretty good. The Shape of Water turned out to be so incredibly good that I quickly returned to Amazon to buy up everything Camilleri that was on offer.
I am a little biased because I know and love Italians so well.
Camilleri combines deep introspection on the part of gloomy Inspector Montalbano, his disgust with Sicilian and Italian corruption, the blackest of noir, commentaries on contemporary political events, intellectual and culinary asides with broad ethnic humor including well-rendered translations of local dialects that connote ignorance and peasantry. Think of Elmore Leonard at his best. Definitely five standing bravos. I can't wait for the movie. If any of his stuff has made it to the screen, please let me know.
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Arabic Administration in Norman Sicily: The Royal Diwan (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization)
Jeremy Johns
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0521816920 |
Book Description
Jeremy Johns' unique study is the first comprehensive account of the Arabic administration of Norman Sicily. While it is generally assumed that the Normans inherited their administration from the Muslim governors of the island, Johns demonstrates that the Norman kings actually restructured their administration to the model of Fatimid Egypt. Controversially, he suggests that their intention was not administrative efficiency, but the projection of their royal image. This accessible account of the Norman rulers reveals how they related to their counterparts in the Muslim Mediterranean.
Book Description
Through the evocative photographs of Melo Minnella, Sicily - Art, History and Culture captures the elusive spirit of Sicily, its inhabitants and its landscape. It offers a sweeping account of the island, from ancient history to the present day.
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Morgantina Studies
Claire L. Lyons
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Morgantina Studies
ASIN: 0691040168 |
Book Description
Excavations on the slopes of the Cittadella settlement at Morgantina in eastern Sicily have revealed nearly seventy tombs dating from the late eighth to the mid-fifth century B.C. In this volume, Claire Lyons presents a full publication of these Archaic cemeteries, examining the structure of the tombs, their rich range of grave furnishings, and the evidence for funerary ritual that they preserve. Often reused for multiple inhumation and cremation burials, these tombs provide significant documentation of the critical period when immigrant Greeks interacted with the substantial indigenous community, introducing foreign objects and practices that modified the local Iron Age funerary rite.
Detailed reconstructions of all of the burial contexts are presented in an illustrated catalog of the more than 1,350 artifacts found in the tombs. The author's close typological analysis of these grave goods--Attic, Corinthian, Lakonian, East Greek, colonial, and local pottery, as well as terracottas, jewelry, and metal objects--brings new evidence to bear on questions of chronology, production, trade, and function. A particularly intriguing chapter focuses on the meaning of the objects deposited with the dead in Archaic Morgantina, extracting from them information on class, social identity, gender, age, and ethnicity, as well as evidence for the process of transculturation that gradually transformed both the native and the colonial populations. The volume also contains an appendix on the human skeletal material, prepared by Marshall J. Becker.
Book Description
The Italian-American mafia has its roots in a mysterious and powerful criminal network in Sicily. While the mythology of the mafia has been widely celebrated in American culture, the true origins of its rituals, laws, and methods have never actually been revealed. John Dickie uses startling new research to expose the secrets of the Sicilian mafia, providing a fascinating account that is more violent, frightening, and darkly comic than anything conceived in popular movies and novels. How did the Sicilian mafia begin? How did it achieve its powerful grip in Italy and America? How does it operate today? From the mafia's origins in the 1860s to its current tense relationship with the Berlusconi government, Cosa Nostra takes us to the inner sanctum where few have dared to go before. This is an important work of history and a revelation for anyone who ever wondered what it means to be "made" in the mob.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent history of a little known world.......2007-04-28
Compellingly drawn from original sources, this history reads almost like an insider's confession. Dickie tears away the cobwebs in Western mythology regarding the Sicilian mafia's history to present a credible, well-researched and well-presented picture of this secret but formidable player in Italian and subsequently American economics.
Films like "The Godfather" and others are the primary source of information for many American readers. While being a devoted history in its own right, this book occasionally draws parallels between the Coppola film to separate truth from fiction and probability from implausibility. Perhaps the only problem I had with the book was the heroic conclusion that after so many decades of almost untouched power, a recent series of judicial and political setbacks for the Sicilian mafia in 21st-century Italy might have effectively and permanently disabled the mob there.
Unrreal, surreal... anything but real.......2007-01-22
I became fascinated with Italy and its history when I was studying italian. Then I became fascinated with secret societies when I was reading about the death/murder if Pope John Paul I and its links with masonic lodges. So the next logical step was to read about the mafia.
I am a couple of chapters away of finishing, but I am fascinated with this book. The author does a great job keeping you hooked on the book from page to page. Sometimes it feels as if you were reading a novel instead of real-life events. Once you take a look on this book, it makes "The Godfather" look like a fairy tale. As far as I am concerned, it depicts an accurate account of the mafia and its 'men of honour'.
A superb book of Revisionist History .......2006-06-30
The author has written a compelling, well researched and substantial account of the history of the Sicilian Mafia. The bibliography is very impressive as Mr. Dickie has read widely and deeply to produce this book with careful attention to details of persons and events.
He argues that the Sicilian Mafia did not originate centuries ago as an Honored Society but contends that its genesis was a criminal organization during the troubled period of 1860 to 1876. Sicily during this period became part of the nation of Italy after decades of rule from Naples as part of the Bourbon Kingdom. During these chaotic years the organization that we know today as the Mafia took shape, organized and began to proper. However its genesis was a complex affair and the author is able to unravel the puzzle and produce a very readable and fascinating account from its beginnings to the present day.
One of the most fascinating figures to emerge from the book was the very competent and efficient Ermanno Sangiorgi who was Chief of Police of Palermo at the turn of the 20th century. He conducted criminal investigations made raids and arrests and was able to lay the ground for prosecution of Mafia figures. He produced a very comprehensive report on the Sicilian Mafia with details of criminal family structures, individual profiles, Mafia initiation rituals, codes of behavior as well as it business methods and operations. Despite his best efforts the Mafia survived his attempt to shut it down, however with more support from the government and certain officials he would certainly have seriously weakened it but probably not shut it down. Sadly all the good work Sangiorgi did was filed away and forgotten about and a valuable chance to seriously weaken the Mafia was lost.
The author is able to peel away the layers of myth and mist that surround the history of the Sicilian Mafia and reveal an organization that is very adaptable and sophisticated. There is much information about it workings in the affairs of government and private industry as well as its international relationships
Educational.......2005-06-11
My first mafia book. They way i see it, it provides the readers with a solid picture on what the Mafia is about.It is educational based on collective facts. Back to the basics i would call it. Sikelia as the mother land deserves much attention in the literature and this book is definitely going for that. The locus of attention is in situations from an old era but evidently their effect is manifest in various ways today. Good stuff
must-read for maffia buffs.......2005-04-25
I hold a healthy fascination on the maffia and its politics. This book gives an in-depth description of how the Sicilian maffia was entangled into Sicilian and Italian daily life. One can feel the frustration of the lone heroes who made an attempt to defy the Cosa Nostra and its contemptful modus operandi.
John Dickie did a good job presenting all the various anecdotes into one large account of the maffia's history: from the gruesome details of the maffia's "business model" to the strenuous crusade against this organisation by a few individuals.
However the book shows the same shortcoming that seems to hunt more historical accounts: the lack of comprehensive maps, relationship diagrams and timelines. A lot of names and events are described and will later on in the book be referred back to. It would be a great feature to be able to refer back to a summary, an outline, as a memory refreshment during the course of the book. Helping the reader to maintain a clear overview and understanding of the total account is the difference between a 3 and a 4 star rating.
Regardless of the rating, this book is a must-read for any maffia buff in this world.
Average customer rating:
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Islands of Italy
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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Binding: Hardcover
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Midnight in Sicily
ASIN: 0395593026 |
Customer Reviews:
One of my favorite books.......2003-02-26
I found this book quite by accident while doing research for an upcoming trip to Italy. This was only one of many books I looked at and I didn't expect it to be anything more than a resource. Instead, it turned out to be one of the most beautiful and satisfying books I've ever read.
I really cannot say enough in praise of Barbara G. Harrison's writing. She tells anecdotes, expresses odd thoughts, describes scenarios, but the impact of her words goes far beyond a simple travelogue. Never mind the excellent photography featured in this book; Harrison's writing is reason enough to seek out this book.
Meditative, thought-provoking, occasionally disturbing, and at times quite challenging, The Islands of Italy isn't simply a book about Italy.
It's so much more...
Customer Reviews:
Dour and Tense.......2006-12-28
I've had this book lying around the house for some years and an impending trip to Sicily motivated my recent reading. It has a flow and comfort with material that I hadn't felt in Robb's book on Carravagio(which was the reason I'd shelved MIS).Robb was resident of Naples for sufficiently long to know his subject well. Mafia ethos is portrayed in all its gritty and complex shades. For someone well outside the culture and the flood of Sicilian names that, frankly frequently lost me, it was a testament to Robb's narrative grip to sustain me to the conclusion. He's able to evoke the topography, his senses are on green alert, with interest in the cuisines of various cafes, fully related. The note on Sicilian authors, painters and historic events is beautifully interwoven, spaced so as to relieve us of the tedium and intrigue of Sicilian politics.
The Killin' Sicilians.......2006-06-15
If you didn't think you could ever call a history of the Cosa Nostra's brutal terrorism a fun read, try this book. The bombs, assassinations, extortion: it's all there. But also included are mouth-watering descriptions of the house seafood specialities of the restaurants where the kisses of death were exchanged. The author jumps around a lot, pulling together the facts and fictions of Sicilian political history and mixing it up with descriptions of the art and cuisine on the island. Once in a while he gets carried away and I had trouble following along. He also throws a lot of Italian names at you. I am generally unfamiliar with Italian and the names started to blur together after awhile. It doesn't really matter much in the end though, who blew up a particular bridge or politician, the m.o. of the cosa nostra comes through loud and clear.
The Poetry of Finitude.......2006-04-21
One of the greatest books about Sicily ever written. It evokes like no other the visceral reality of the acceptance of Death as the only truly "serious thing". Another masterpiece from my second favourite contemporary writer (second, that is, only to Nick Tosches, himself a master of all things Sicilian).
Italy, an update.......2005-08-20
Italy is our favourite land en stays this.
After reading this book, I see Italy with other eyes.
Go to Italy, but read this book first.
An amazing read.......2005-07-08
This book is such a good read, especially if you love Italy or want to learn about the island of Sicily.
The author begins with such an innocent little story and then it erupts into this full-blown expose of how and when the Mafia was "ushered" into power in Italy.
This guy can make you feel like you are walking through the now extinct marketplaces in Palermo.
I can't urge readers enough to check this book out!
Book Description
For over 100 years, Touring Club of Italy has been regarded as Italy's foremost publisher of guidebooks and maps. Written by a uniquely qualified editorial board of specialists, many of whom are respected art and architecture historians, TCI's comprehensive guide to Sicily provides travelers with unparalleled information on one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily offers an exceptional wealth of history and art, set in a landscape of remarkable intensity and variety. An overview of the island's geography and history is followed by an exploration of its cities and sights, divided into ten chapters focusing on different regions within the island. The book features 29 excursions starting from the capital, Palermo, and traveling along the coast, to outlying islands, and through the interior. Each itinerary is packed with archaeological sites, museums, examples of baroque architecture, and descriptions of numerous other cultural attractions. Meticulously drawn street plans, road maps, and plans of archaeological sites help travelers plan their routes. Throughout the book, fascinating tidbits bring to life the island's many-layered history. Also included are practical travel tips, useful addresses, and a large detachable map. This edition contains 20 percent new material, including over 200 color photos and an all-new introduction geared toward American travelers.
Customer Reviews:
So-So.......2005-08-16
I didn't really use this book very much -- It was accurate, but very dry and the book only describes locations by their Italian names without reference to how it is pronounced in English which made it difficult to use.
Looks good in print!.......2005-07-25
I like the format and content of this guide. It seems to cover the most important sites and details of many Sicilian towns and cities that I will visit in Feb '06. I look forward to taking it with me and trying it out!
Wonderfully Informative.......2000-08-31
This guide is extremely helpful in planning a trip to Sicily. It is also an excellent source of information for anyone interested in the beautiful island and its culture.
Many already popular attractions are covered as well as some lesser known ones. For a traveler seeking to get off the "beaten path" this guide will offer some good ideas on where to find less popular, but equally beautiful, areas of the island.
The extensive history of the island and its towns will appeal to history buffs and make the trip much more interesting.
This guide is a wonderful addition to any Sicily lover's library. Through its fascinating text and pictures, a new appreciation for this culturally rich island will be formed.
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