Not as good as Hughes on Rome, but a very good, succinct and clear history of Italy from Pre-Roman times through Berlusconi. About the Writer James Mustich. The decentralization that followed the fall of the Roman Empire resulted many entities: friendly, competitive, combative and intermarried entities. One interesting trivia of this election is that One map showing the voting distribution of political party roughly resembles to the state boundary of Italy before its unification, suggesting that the tension between different parts of Italy may not only be out of economics, but with something to do with fundamental cultures of the regions where voters strong identified themselves into. THE PURSUIT OF ITALY by David GilmourKirkus Book Reviews Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, its Regions and their Peoples at Amazon.com. By describing the regions of Italy, and how they functioned as political entities, he carefully laid the groundwork for an overview of the misery that became unification. The Pursuit of Italy, By David Gilmour. After quoting Napoleon on the excessive length of the country, Gilmour properly points out that Italy is really - and always has been - a "country" of its regions and communes, and that it is too much to expect the average Italian to place his primary loyalty to the modern Italian nation/state, with its many shortcomings. Gilmour makes a consistent and convincing case that Italy is largely a collection of independent-minded towns and provinces. Blind spots a mile wide and contradictions a mile long. [Evans] writes with admirable narrative power and possesses a wonderful eye for local color . Reviews In the Press. A historical book as it should be. Randomly placed chapters about opera and cinema looked odd. . Despite attempts at national unity, from the territorial conquests of the medieval period to the Risorgimento, Italians continued to feel disconnected from each other. declares there's no such thing as Italy. James Mustich is the author of the new book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List. Reviews from Goodreads Ever since the Risorgimento, there has been debate about whether the unification of Italy of 1860-61 was a 'a good thing.' The chapters on the past 74 years of Italian history (i.e., post-World War II) are fast and "low flying" over some interesting country. After quoting Napoleon on the excessive length of the country, Gilmour properly points out that Italy is really - and always has been - a "country" of its regions and communes, and that it is too much to expect the average Italian to place his primary loyalty to the modern Italian nation/state, with its many shortcomings. A historical book as it should be. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. [ The Pursuit of Italy ] has the same tonic, exhilarating impact as the thigh-slapping overture to a Verdi opera." . This was weird. A pageant with wealthy and fascinating players: Catholic Church, Florentine bankers, Venetian merchants, Bourbon kings, talented artists and more played across this narrow peninsula. There were wars and competition and money and art to be made. The decentralization that followed the fall of the Roman Empire resulted many entities: friendly, competitive, combative and intermarried entities. . To see what your friends thought of this book, This is a great book on Italy. Nor is his book a collection of iconoclastic provocations. The Pursuit of Italy. THE PURSUIT OF ITALY by David GilmourKirkus Book Reviews. I would especially recommend this book if Italy is your destination. This book surveys the long and complex history of Italy. . David Gilmour's The Pursuit of Italy is by no means the first or last word on this question, but it usefully adds to the conversation. Start by marking “The Pursuit of Italy” as Want to Read: Error rating book. . The book is born not of professional or academic interest but of personal interest, and reads at a good pace, with sufficient historical and po. A certain character could be a hero though, but that doesn’t necessarily imply you should worship him or that he lived a flawless life of conviction. David Gilmour has done all of us a great service in the writing of this readable, entertaining and yet serious history of Italy. Gilmour is a great storyteller, tying together many threads and keeping it comlex and simple at the same time. I could not put it down, finding it engaging and amusing, while still bringing up many one-off (maybe two-off) bits of analysis and perceptions of Italy that make this such a … If nothing else, this book will make the reader way more informed about current events in Italy and the EU. Was this book deal a pay-off for the author? Review of Gilmour, David, The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. [David Gilmour] -- The author, a historian has provided a coherent, persuasive, and entertaining interpretation of the paradoxes of Italian life, past and present. This was a well-written romp through the history of Italy. A rather entertaining account of Italian history throughout the ages. The Pursuit of Italy - A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples - By David Gilmour - Book Review - NYTimes.com. Select Your Cookie Preferences. However, the main part of this book deals with the "great men" of the 18th and 19th century - so countless invasions, revolts, conspiracies, soldiers and kings. This book provides a clear and relatively brief history of the Italian peninsula through the recent present of the premiership of Silvio Berlusconi. THE PURSUIT OF ITALY by David GilmourKirkus Book Reviews Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. Started off well, with interesting ideas about the connection between geography and culture, but eventually became a litany of names and dates from the unification onward that wasn't particularly insightful. Did Gilmour black mail someone at Farrar, Straus and Giroux? Gilmour is himself a British journalist who has worked internationally but also covered Italy at various times, for this book it seems like he dedicated some years of living and studying in Italy, in it's different regions. Monday, 27 June 2011 Share. declares there’s no such thing as Italy.Or rather, he argues in this idiosyncratic text, the 19th-century unification of the Italian peninsula into a single nation ignored the reality of its distinct city-states and regions with long separate histories and little in common. The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples David Gilmour. 168 reviews. This book provides a clear and relatively brief history of the Italian peninsula through the recent present of the premiership of Silvio Berlusconi. [The Pursuit of Italy] has the same tonic, exhilarating impact as the thigh-slapping overture to a Verdi opera. Upon finishing up this book, Italy is now awaiting for a new government, presumably a coalition one due to fragmented party system as usual. Unsure how this was even published, let alone how it received the fairly positive reviews it received. Actually my brain hurts from reading but it's spectacular. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. Welcome back. I was delighted with the first part of the book, covering the earlier history of the landmass that is now Italy and its diverse population and culture. 0 comments. This is very much a personal view of the history of Italy, and while that makes it a lively read, it is not an objective one, indeed, it is a book written with the intention of debunking national myths about the country and arguing that not only was Italian unification in 1859-61 to 1870 an unnecessary and non-determinate process, but also it was a negative one for the peoples of the new state, particularly those of the south. If one can use the word restore to describe their agenda of promoting the country's medieval heritage for political purposes while attempting to remove all things Baroque. I wish the author wrote similar books on histories of other controversial states like mine (Russia), where so much glazing was put on so many historical figures that they actually sainted XVIII century admiral Feodor Ushakov as recently as in 2000s, never mind his actual temporal achievements. David Gilmour doesn't hit it out of the park but without his book, my understanding of Italian history would certainly be a lot poorer. This is not a "review" by any means. As Gilmour notes, "[Berlusconi] appealed to many men because they thought that...all his pleasures were their pleasures, especially those connected with football, sex, and making money.” Ultimately, Gilmour finds redemption to modern Italian life by glorifying the idea of campanillismo, or dedication to one's hometown, its simple life, and familial connections. I'd heard things like that before, but Gilmour delivers an impressive, fact-filled argument that has me thinking he and others like him are right. That Gabriele Muccino is a great story teller shows the way he has presented the story of his movie 'the Pursuit of Happyness' in a very subtle way. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The author is a British historian who has a long association with Italy beginning in childhood and continuing … Visiting a villa built by Lorenzo de Medici outside Pisa, David Gilmour fell into conversation about the unification of Italy with a distinguished former minister: ''You know, Davide,' he said in a low conspiratorial voice, as if uttering a heresy, 'Garibaldi did Italy a great disservice. The Pursuit of Italy : A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples by David Gilmour (2017, CD MP3, Unabridged edition) Be the first to write a review About this product Brand new: Lowest price With The Pursuit of Italy, David Gilmour has provided a coherent, persuasive, and entertaining interpretation of the paradoxes of Italian life, past and present. Italy's strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation. Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. The Literary Review Jonathan Keates British historian Gilmour ( The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj , 2006, etc.) I planned to read this book during our holiday in Tuscany, Italy. For a complete beginner on Italian history this is probably the book to read. That Gabriele Muccino is a great story teller shows the way he has presented the story of his movie 'the Pursuit of Happyness' in a very subtle way. The Pursuit of Italy : A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples by David Gilmour (2017, CD MP3, Unabridged edition) Be the first to write a review About this product Brand new: Lowest price Article bookmarked. I was truly sorry when I finished this book. . This work is expansive and at times overbearing, but nearly always entertaining. He notes that this makes up for an inefficient bureaucracy, corrupt politicians, and a dangerous mafia. Was this book deal a pay-off for the author? I quickly lost interest, mainly because Gilmour's narrative became strangely. Did Gilmour black mail someone. The Pursuit of Italy offers an enduring tribute to a various and wonderful people." The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples David Gilmour. Retrouvez The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. There were wars and competition and money and art to be made. A book recommendation for all Italophiles: The Pursuit of Italy by David Gilmour. He often sounds more like a gossiping friend than an academic, which definitely adds to the readability and the thrill factor. - The New York Times . This is a great book on Italy. Historian David Gilmour takes a revisionist view of the past two centuries when he argues in this new volume that the unification of Italy was a mistake, a yoking-together of many disparate strains never meant to huddle under one national umbrella. The Pursuit of Italy offers an enduring tribute to a various and wonderful people., Praise For The Pursuit Of Italy "Amazingly compendious . Excellent history of Italy from its earliest times to Berlusconi with the theme that Italy has always been better off as a collection of smaller entities (cities, communes, duchies etc) than as a unified country due to its cultural and geographical diversity; highly recommended. It attempts to capture the major political mov. The book helped to appreciate the various Risorgimento museums and the beautiful renaissance bulwarks of Florence, Sienna and Lucca. British historian Gilmour (The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj, 2006, etc.) Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Zero pizzazz or elan that can be found in other histories where the past sings and dances for the reader, becoming, for a moment while reading, the present. . Blind spots a mile wide and contradictions a mile long. Mystery/Thriller. Zero pizzazz or elan that can be found in other histories where the past sings and dances for the reader, becoming, for a moment while reading, the present. He calls events and processes precisely by their correct names and not just recites glorious titles. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. the pursuit of italy a history of a land its regions and their peoples Nov 16, 2020 Posted By Frank G. Slaughter Media TEXT ID e70aaec9 Online PDF Ebook Epub Library experience and peopled by many of the great figures of the italian past from cicero and virgil to dante and the medici from the pursuit of italy a history of a land its regions It included many historical over views but jumped around in time and geography. In light of the earlier. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Nor is his book a collection of iconoclastic provocations. A relatively snappy history of Italy written in an engaging style, this book could perhaps have provided greater coverage to certain eras and topics.
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