20 Best Books About Italy (2023 Update)

Are you one of the 15 million americans with italian heritage? ever wonder what italy is really like? discover what it’s like to be a kid growing up in italy with this fascinating, nonfiction level 2 ready-to-read, part of a new series all about kids just like you in countries around the world! ciao! my name is pia, and i’m a kid just like you living in italy. italy is a country filled with ancient ruins, beautiful beaches, and delicious food! have you ever wondered what living in italy is like? come along with me to find out! each book is narrated by a kid growing up in their home country and is filled with fresh, modern illustrations as well as loads of history, geography, and cultural goodies that fit perfectly into common core standards. join kids from all over the world on a globe-trotting adventure with the living in… series—sure to be a hit with children, parents, educators, and librarians alike!

Hit italy's can't-miss art, sights, and bites in two weeks or less with rick steves best of italy! expert advice from rick steves on what's worth your time and money two-day itineraries covering venice, the cinque terre, florence, the hill towns of central italy, rome, naples, sorrento, and the amalfi coast over 80 full-color maps and vibrant photos rick's tips for beating the crowds, skipping lines, and avoiding tourist traps the best of local culture, flavors, and haunts, including walks through the most interesting neighborhoods and museums trip planning strategies like how to link destinations and design your itinerary, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around suggestions for day trips to milan, lake como, pisa, verona, and padua coverage of venice, milan, varenna, lake como, verona, padua, riomaggiore, manarola, corniglia, vernazza, monterosso al mare, florence, pisa, siena, montepulciano, montalcino, assisi, orvieto, civita di bagnoregio, rome, naples, sorrento, pompeii, capri, and the amalfi coast updated to reflect changes that occurred during the covid-19 pandemic up to the date of publication experience italy's old world romance and new world excitement for yourself with rick steves best of italy! planning a longer trip? rick steves italy is the classic, in-depth guide to exploring the country.

From the most trusted name in travel, frommer's italy is a comprehensive, opinionated guide that was completely re-researched after the pandemic lockdowns. with helpful advice and honest recommendations from frommer's expert authors, you'll walk among the ancient ruins of pompeii, float along the canals of venice, appreciate renaissance masterworks in florence, explore off-the-beaten-path puglia and live la dolce vita in rome―as well as discover timeless wonders such as the vineyards of tuscany and cliff-top towns perched along the amalfi coast. – inside the guide: full-color photos and helpful maps, including a detachable foldout map – detailed itineraries for planning your trip to suit your schedule and interests (and help you avoid lines and crowds)compelling cultural information so that you'll better understand the history, cuisine, and traditions of italy – candid reviews of the best restaurants, historic sights, museums, tours, shops, and experiences―and no-punches-pulled info on the ones not worth your time and money. – accurate, up-to-date info on transportation, useful websites, telephone numbers, health care options and more – budget-planning help with exact pricing listed, so there's never any guessing, along with ways to save money, whether you're traveling on a shoestring or in the lap of luxury – about frommer's: there's a reason frommer's has been the most trusted name in travel for more than 60 years. travel is easy with frommer's.

This is a marvellously atmospheric tale of strangers summoned to a grand but neglected villa on the italian coast. each of them has been named in a will, but nobody knows their benefactress… four very different people are named in a will: delia, an opera singer robbed of her voice by illness; george, an idealistic scientist who cannot face what his skills have created; marjorie, desperately poor and unable to dislodge her writer's block; and lucius, ostensibly in control but whose personal life is in chaos. all are summoned to the villa dante, home of the late beatrice malaspina. but who was she? while they wait to find out, the villa begins to work its seductive magic. with its faded frescoes, overgrown garden and magnificent mediaeval tower, it is unlike anywhere they have been before. slowly, four characters who have gone to great lengths to hide their troubles find that change – and even hope – is possible after all. but, the mysterious beatrice has a devastating secret to reveal that will affect them all! a beautiful evocation of italy in the aftermath of world war two, the personal consequences of living through such a time, and a celebration of humankind's ability to heal and learn to love again, this most absorbing novel will win elizabeth edmondson a host of new fans.

Apulia (or puglia) is the heel of italy, stretching down from the spur of the italian boot. its landscape is often very beautiful and it has wonderful old cities with romanesque cathedrals, gothic castles and a great wealth of baroque architecture, together with 'rupestrian' churches that contain byzantine frescoes. but, although far from inaccessible, until quite recently it was seldom visited by anglo saxons. today, however, apulia is becoming fashionable, 'an alternative to tuscany'. it is featured on radio and television; travel supplements describe its beaches and its cooking, supermarkets stock apulian wine, oil, bread and pasta. yet almost nothing about the region has been published in english since the days of norman douglas and the sitwells. one can find 'holiday histories' of tuscany, but there is no popular introduction to apulian history, not even in italian. our book, which grew out of what was originally intended as a travel book, has been written to fill the gap by providing a simple, readable account.

“a fantastic read for foodies and a luscious culinary reference.”—booklist from the same team that created let’s eat france! comes this celebration of italian food in the form of an oversized, obsessively complete, visual feast of a book. with a mix of gastronomy, food science, history, cultural references, legend, lore, charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations, every one of the 400 pages in let’s eat italy! is an alluring and amusing journey into italian food. readers will find recipes for classic italian dishes spanning all regions, like pappa al pomodoro, bolognese, risi e bisi, risotto, focaccia, frittata, and so much more—all accompanied by photos and delightfully entertaining information on the origins and modern uses of the foods. there’s an ode to the panettone, the traditional christmas sweet delight. a dedication to the magic of basil, italy’s “royal” herb. a love story between pasta and potatoes that examines the many dishes that marry these two starches in delicious harmony. and, of course, pasta information aplenty; it’s featured in guides like that on the ultimate noodle, spaghetti, which includes all the different forms, the top spaghetti artisans in italy, and the semolina flour mills and farmers. true italians speak espresso, so readers will delight in the poster-like graphic that depicts 27 different types of espresso drinks. tips for the kitchen include cooking beans in a chianti bottle—a trick tuscan nonnas have been using for ages in the dish known as fagioli al fiasco. learn how contemporary food trends (like the oh-so-hip orange wine, which italians have been drinking for nearly 8,000 years) trace their roots to italy. but the influence of italian food doesn’t stop at the table—an entire spread looks at the italian mafia’s favorite dishes as seen in hollywood, through the lenses of scorsese, leone, and coppola. is a splendid exploration of this beloved cuisine, from pizza to gelato, milan to sicily, and from the many kitchens of italy to your own.

Book synopsis in this consummate portrait of the italian people, bestselling author, publisher, journalist, and politician luigi barzini delves deeply into the italian national character, discovering both its great qualities and its imperfections.barzini is startlingly frank as he examines "the two italies" the one that created and nurtured such luminaries as dante alighieri, st. thomas of aquino, and leonardo da vinci; the other, feeble and prone to catastrophe, backward in political action if not in thought, "invaded, ravaged, sacked, and humiliated in every century." deeply ambivalent, barzini approaches his task with a combination of love, hate, disillusion, and affectionate paternalism, resulting in a completely original, thoughtful, and probing picture of his countrymen. review quotes the new yorker searching into every corner of italian life and scrutinizing every cliché concerning it, from the charm of the people (an illusion, he maintains) to the consolations of la dolce vita (another one), mr. barzini has written an invaluable and astringent guidebook to his country. about the author luigi barzini, was born in milan, italy, in 1908. after completing his studies in italy and at columbia university, he worked for two new york newspapers. he returned to italy in 1930 to be a correspondent for "corriere della sera." in 1940 he was confined by the fascists. with the allied liberation he returned to publishing and founded "il globo." subsequently he served as the chief editor of several newspapers and magazines. his books include "americans are alone in the world" (1958), "from caesar to the mafia" (1971), and "peking to paris" (1973). he died in 1984.

Lonely planet's italy is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. discover rome's ancient architecture, explore the waterways of venice, and tour blockbuster museums in tuscany; all with your trusted travel companion. get to the heart of italy and begin your journey now!

The first history of italian football to be written in english, this book is a mix of serious analysis and comic storytelling, with vivid descriptions of games, goals, dives, missed penalties, riots and scandals in the richest and toughest league in the world. this book tells the story of italian football from its origins in the 1890s to the present day. it takes us through a history of great players and teams, of style, passion and success, but also of violence, cynicism, catenaccio tactics and corruption.–publisher's description.

Each year a flood of visitors come to this decadant, elegant country, to enjoy the pleasures of ‘la dolce vita’. italy has drawn travellers in search of culture and romance for many centuries. from the northern snow-capped peaks of the alps and the idyllic hilltop villages of the renowned central tuscany and umbria area, to the rugged southern shores of sicily, lies a plethora of distinctive regions and people. from the sophisticated, vibrant cities to the simple elegance of the countryside, italy’s culture abounds. with rome at its heart, as a united country, italy is only a 150 years old which means that each region still has a strong cultural identity, resulting in a country of many different faces to delight returning visitors. an exuberance for life and its simple pleasures endears italy to its visitors — an appreciation of family, food, history and beauty are the core values at the heart of this popular country.this gorgeous new book in the successful secrets series is divided into regions: northern, central, southern, rome, the islands. it’s a perfect read for the armchair traveller and everyone interested in the history and the mystique of the great countries of the world.

For nineteenth-century swiss historian jacob burckhardt, the italian renaissance was nothing less than the beginning of the modern world – a world in which flourishing individualism and the competition for fame radically transformed science, the arts, and politics. in this landmark work he depicts the italian city-states of florence, venice and rome as providing the seeds of a new form of society, and traces the rise of the creative individual, from dante to michelangelo. a fascinating description of an era of cultural transition, this nineteenth-century masterpiece was to become the most influential interpretation of the italian renaissance, and anticipated ideas such as nietzsche's concept of the 'ubermensch' in its portrayal of an age of genius.for more than seventy years, penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the english-speaking world. with more than 1,700 titles, penguin classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Lonely planet: the world’s leading travel guide publisher lonely planet’s southern italy is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. island-hop around the aeolian islands, soak up the atmosphere of the amalfi coast and explore ghostly pompeii – all with your trusted travel companion. get to the heart of southern italy and begin your journey now! inside lonely planet’s southern italy:new pull-out, passport-size ‘just landed’ card with wi-fi, atm and transport info – all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel – improved planning tools for family travellers – where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids – new accommodation feature gathers all the information you need to plan your accommodation – colour maps and images throughout – highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests – insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots – essential info at your fingertips – hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices – honest reviews for all budgets – eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss – cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience – history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics – covers naples, pompeii, the amalfi coast, campania, puglia, basilicata, calabria, sicily, capri, the aeolian islands, the ionian coast, and more – the perfect choice: lonely planet’s southern italy is our most comprehensive guide to southern italy, and is perfect for discovering both popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences. – about lonely planet: lonely planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. ‘lonely planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ – new york times‘lonely planet. it's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. it's on mobile phones. it's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ – fairfax media (australia)

Fifty years ago, a group of italian scholars gathered to discuss a problem: how to preserve traditional italian cooking. they formed the italian academy of cuisine to document classic recipes from every region. the academy’s more than seven thousand associates spread out to villages everywhere, interviewing grandmothers and farmers at their stoves, transcribing their recipes—many of which had never been documented before. this is the culmination of that research, an astounding feat—2,000 recipes that represent the patrimony of italian country cooking. each recipe is labeled with its region of origin, and it’s not just the ingredients but also the techniques that change with the geography. sprinkled throughout are historical recipes that provide fascinating views into the folk culture of the past. there are no fancy flourishes here, and no shortcuts; this is true salt-of-the-earth cooking. the book is an excellent everyday source for easily achievable recipes, with such simple dishes as white bean and escarole soup, polenta with tomato sauce, and chicken with lemon and capers. for ease of use there are four different indexes. la cucina is an essential reference for every cook’s library.

Book synopsis "gray malin is renowned for his dreamy photographs from around the world, which would inspire wanderlust in even the deep-rooted homebody." –fortune gray malin turns his unique photographic eye to the coasts, beaches, and landscapes of italy. from the sparkling blue waters of the amalfi coast to the dramatic coastal scenery of cinque terre, gray malin: italy captures and celebrates in photographs many of the country's most famous and beloved destinations. inspired by malin's bestselling photographic series la dolce vita, gray malin: italy highlights timeless details of the italian coasts: happy beachgoers, retro beach umbrellas, luxury motorboats, and of course, the sun-soaked water. whether you've spent vacations in italy since childhood, have made just one trip (that "trip of a lifetime"), or simply dream of lounging on an italian beach on your next great travel adventure, your desire for sand and sea and the good life that italy provides will be ignited by malin's spectacular photography. chapters include: la dolce vita amalfi coast capri cinque terre lake como puglia sicily tuscany portofino featuring never-before-seen, -published, or -privately-sold images, gray malin: italy beautifully depicts the incomparable scenery and enviable lifestyle that the italian coastline has to offer. it brings the goo d life to italy to anyone's living room, beach house, or coffee table. malin writes in his introduction, "for me, italy is an ice cream cone on a hot day in july–nearly impossible to resist, and when finished, you're still craving more. . . . this book is the story of my love affair with italy." about the author gray malin is a fine-art photographer and the new york times bestselling author of beaches and escape. his work hangs in homes across the world and can be found in both private and public collections. he lives in the west hollywood area of los angeles with his husband and dog.

Both the romans and the greeks were attracted to the dramatically beautiful coasts and fertile plains of the region later known as "the kingdom of the two sicilies." in fact, all myriad influences that shaped modern civilization in the mediterranean come together in southern italy and sicily. the world's first secular university was founded in naples. art and music flourished there, as did progressive ideas about education, tolerance, and civic administration.native neopolitan and distinguished scholar tommaso astarita gives us a history both erudite and full of personality–from the freethinking, cosmopolitan king frederick who conferred with jewish and muslim philosophers (and dared to meet with the sultan) to the fisherman masaniello who inspired artists and revolutionaries across europe. in the medieval south, jews, muslims, and greek and latin christians could practice their religions, speak their languages, and live in mostly peaceful cohabitation. from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, naples was on par with paris, one of the largest and most cultured cities in europe. during the enlightenment, southern italy captured the european imagination, and many people traveled far and wide to enjoy southern italy's ancient ruins, beautiful landscapes, sweet music, and magnificent art, marveling at the lively temperament of the southern population. the drama and beauty of the region inspired visitors to claim that one had to "see naples, and then die." yet negative images of the italian south's poverty, violence, superstition and nearness to africa long fueled stereotypes of what was and was not acceptably "european." goethe noted that he had gladly studied in rome, but in naples he wanted "only to live," for "naples is a paradise: everyone lives in a state of intoxicated self-forgetfulness, myself included.from the normans and angevins through spanish and bourbon rule to the unification of italy in 1860 and the subsequent emigration of vast numbers of southern italians, between salt water and holy water captures the rich, dynamic past of a vibrant land.

Highly pictorial, these eyewitness travel guides are now offered in a tenth anniversary edition, with all the information savvy travelers need to know.

Highly pictorial, these eyewitness travel guides are now offered in a tenth anniversary edition, with all the information savvy travelers need to know.

The seven hills of rome, vivaldi and venice, the ruins of pompeii, mount vesuvius, pasta, cappuccino, da vinci, michelangelo, armani, opera. italy is a feast for the senses, and now this wonderful country–rich with history and physical beauty–is accessible as never before with italy for dummies. this concise guide pares down this complex destination and helps visitors plan the trip that's right for them. it includes: easy-to-do suggested itineraries that offer a taste of both cities and the countryside expert advice on finding the most charming small hotels and trattorie tips for avoiding the crowds and beating culture burnout essential information on rome, venice, florence and tuscany, naples and the amalfi coast, and sicily

An alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of italy.

'a marvel of storytelling and a masterclass in the history of the book' wall street journal the renaissance in florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings – the dazzling handiwork of the city's artists and architects. but equally important were geniuses of another kind: florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars and booksellers. at a time where all books were made by hand, these people helped imagine a new and enlightened world. at the heart of this activity was a remarkable bookseller: vespasiano da bisticci. his books were works of art in their own right, copied by talented scribes and illuminated by the finest miniaturists. with a client list that included popes and royalty, vespasiano became the 'king of the world's booksellers'. but by 1480 a new invention had appeared: the printed book, and europe's most prolific merchant of knowledge faced a formidable new challenge. 'a spectacular life of the book trade's renaissance man' john carey, sunday times