20 Best Books On Italian History (2023 Update)

Since its formation in 1861, italy has struggled to develop an effective political system and a secure sense of national identity. this new edition of christopher duggan's acclaimed introduction charts the country's history from the fall of the roman empire in the west to the present day and surveys the difficulties italy has faced during the last two centuries in forging a nation state. duggan successfully weaves together political, economic, social and cultural history, and stresses the alternation between materialist and idealist programmes for forging a nation state. this second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to offer increased coverage of nineteenth- and twentieth-century italy, as well as a new section devoted to italy in the twenty-first century. with a new, extensive bibliographical essay and a detailed chronology, this is the ideal resource for those seeking an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to italian history.

One of the economist's books of the yeara provocative, entertaining account of italy's diverse riches, its hopes and dreams, its past and presentdid garibaldi do italy a disservice when he helped its disparate parts achieve unity? was the goal of political unification a mistake? the question is asked and answered in a number of ways in the pursuit of italy, an engaging, original consideration of the many histories that contribute to the brilliance—and weakness—of italy today. david gilmour's wonderfully readable exploration of italian life over the centuries is filled with provocative anecdotes as well as personal observations, and is peopled by the great figures of the italian past—from cicero and virgil to the controversial politicians of the twentieth century. his wise account of the risorgimento debunks the nationalistic myths that surround it, though he paints a sympathetic portrait of giuseppe verdi, a beloved hero of the era.gilmour shows that the glory of italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities, and cuisines. italy's inhabitants identified themselves not as italians but as tuscans and venetians, sicilians and lombards, neapolitans and genoese. italy's strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation.

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.

If you want to discover the captivating history of italy and rome, then keep reading… two captivating manuscripts in one book: history of italy: a captivating guide to italian history, starting from the first settlements through the middle ages to the modern period – history of rome: a captivating guide to roman history, starting from the legend of romulus and remus through the roman republic, byzantium, medieval period, and renaissance to modern history – it is not an easy job to draw the border between the history of italy and the history of rome. in so many places, the two political and geographical entities collide. they wouldn't be possible without each other, but they each have their own story. rome's history is only a small fragment of italy's history. although it is just a city, rome was the birthplace of the republic, a great empire, and notable philosophers, poets, and artists. but on a larger scale, rome expanded its borders, spreading not only through italy but also through the whole known world. in that context, rome ceased being only a city; it also became a universal imperial symbol and the pride of italy. – italy wasn't a united nation until the 19th century, which means the history of this country is very fragmented. it is the job of historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, and various scientists to pick up the pieces of the peninsula's past and put them together. – some of the topics covered in part 1 of this book include: the bronze age in italy and the early settlements – iron age and pre-roman italy – italy in the roman period – barbarian and byzantine italy – the kingdom of the lombards and the emergence of the papal states – italy's place in the holy roman empire – italy's renaissance – and much, much more! some of the topics covered in part 2 of this book include: the founding of rome: myth and reality – the roman republic – social wars and the end of the roman republic – pax romana – the third and early fourth centuries – the fall of the west; the east thrives – rome in the middle ages – the renaissance – and much, much more! so if you want to learn more about the history of italy and rome, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!

Pulitzer prize winner – named one of the best books of the year by san francisco chronicle from national book award finalist david i. kertzer comes the gripping story of pope pius xi’s secret relations with italian dictator benito mussolini. this groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the vatican and fascist archives, including reports from mussolini’s spies inside the highest levels of the church, will forever change our understanding of the vatican’s role in the rise of fascism in europe. the pope and mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. in most respects, they could not have been more different. one was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. yet pius xi and “il duce” had many things in common. they shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of communism. both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals. in a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic church does battle with the fascist regime, kertzer shows how pius xi played a crucial role in making mussolini’s dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. in exchange for vatican support, mussolini restored many of the privileges the church had lost and gave in to the pope’s demands that the police enforce catholic morality. yet in the last years of his life—as the italian dictator grew ever closer to hitler—the pontiff’s faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. with his health failing, he began to lash out at the duce and threatened to denounce mussolini’s anti-semitic racial laws before it was too late. horrified by the threat to the church-fascist alliance, the vatican’s inner circle, including the future pope pius xii, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the church and the dictator for many years. with the recent opening of the vatican archives covering pius xi’s papacy, the full story of the pope’s complex relationship with his fascist partner can finally be told. vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, the pope and mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.

In this brilliant and widely acclaimed work, peter burke presents a social and cultural history of the italian renaissance. he discusses the social and political institutions that existed in italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and he analyses the ways of thinking and seeing that characterized this period of extraordinary artistic creativity.developing a distinctive sociological approach, peter burke is concerned not only with the finished works of michelangelo, raphael, leonardo da vinci, and others, but also with the social background, patterns of recruitment, and means of subsistence of this 'cultural elite.' he thus makes a major contribution to our understanding of the italian renaissance, and to our comprehension of the complex relations between culture and society.burke has thoroughly revised and updated the text for this new edition, including a new introduction, and the book is richly illustrated throughout. it will have a wide appeal among historians, sociologists, and anyone interested in one of the most creative periods of european history.

With more unesco world heritage sites than any other country ,it seems as if around every corner in italy lies a beautiful roman ruin, a breathtaking renaissance church , or a timeless village view. but it is not just the buildings that are beautiful: italy's landscapes-high mountains, rolling hills and valleys, and sun-washed coasts have inspired generations of writers and painters. italians seem to have an innate feeling for color and design, and when you study their countryside it comes as no surprise that so many of the world's greatest artist,poets,and musicians came from or were drawn to this stunning land. filled with wonderful photography, italy: history and landscape explores the country by regions. each section gives a flavor of the area,its countryside and historic buildings,from the snowy alps of the north,through the magical atmosphere of venice and the veneto, romantic tuscany,and central italy-perugia and umbria, lazio and emilia romagna-to the hot mediterranean island of sicily and sardinia

In this long-awaited book (already a major bestseller in italy) ginsborg has created a fascinating, sophisticated and definitive account of how italy has coped, or failed to cope, with the past two decades. contemporary italy strongly mirrors britain – the countries have roughly the same extent, population size and gnp – and yet they are fantastically different. ginsborg sees this difference as most fundamentally clear in the role of the family and it is the family which is at the heart of italian politics and business. anyone wishing to understand contemporary italy will find it essential to have this enormously attractive and intelligent book.

This book offers a rich and exciting new way of thinking about the italian renaissance as both a historical period and a historical movement. guido ruggiero's work is based on archival research and new insights of social and cultural history and literary criticism, with a special emphasis on everyday culture, gender, violence, and sexuality. the book offers a vibrant and relevant critical study of a period too long burdened by anachronistic and outdated ways of thinking about the past. familiar, yet alien; pre-modern, but suggestively post-modern; attractive and troubling, this book returns the italian renaissance to center stage in our past and in our historical analysis.

'jeremy black skilfully sketches social, cultural and political trends' – christina hardyment, times audiobook of the week'a remarkable mixture of cold history, wide culture and personal experience'ciro paoletti, secretary general of the italian commission of military historydespite the roman empire's famous 500-year reign over europe, parts of africa and the middle east, italy does not have the same long national history as states such as france or england. divided for much of its history, italy's regions have been, at various times, parts of bigger, often antagonistic empires, notably those of spain and austria. in addition, its challenging and varied terrain made consolidation of political control all the more difficult. this concise history covers, in very readable fashion, the formative events in italy's past from the rise of rome, through a unified country in thrall to fascism in the first half of the twentieth century right up to today. the birthplace of the renaissance and the place where the baroque was born, italy has always been a hotbed of culture. within modern italy country there is fierce regional pride in the cultures and identities that mark out tuscany, rome, sicily and venice to name just a few of italy's many famous regions. jeremy black draws on the diaries, memoirs and letters of historic travellers to italy to gain insight into the passions of its people, first chronologically then regionally. in telling italy's story, black examines what it is that has given italians such cultural clout – from food and drink, music and fashion, to art and architecture – and explores the causes and effects of political events, and the divisions that still exist today.

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.

This used book is in very good condition. this book is missing its dust jacket. intended for the student of italian history and culture as well as the general reader, this new edition presents a clear and concise account of the principal developments in italian history from the ice age to the present day. dr. jonathan morris has updated the late professor hearder's long-established and highly successful work with an authoritative account of development in italy over the past decade.

This used book is in very good condition. this book is missing its dust jacket. intended for the student of italian history and culture as well as the general reader, this new edition presents a clear and concise account of the principal developments in italian history from the ice age to the present day. dr. jonathan morris has updated the late professor hearder's long-established and highly successful work with an authoritative account of development in italy over the past decade.

The eleventh to the early fourteenth centuries saw a great transformation in the political, cultural and economic life of the italian peninsula, marked by the rise of the autonomous city-states in the north and centre, the expansion of international trade, and the creation of a wealthy southern kingdom which reached the peak of its power in this period, before fragmenting in two in the late thirteenth century. presenting a rounded view of italy at a time when it was the most dynamic region in western europe, this book looks at italy in its entirety, rather than concentrating largely on the north, as previous studies have done. it also includes expert coverage of topics such as the family and the jewish, greek, and muslim minority communities, in addition to its coverage of developments in the cities, rural life, trade, the monarchy, papal italy, and language and culture.

Italy, the country with a hundred cities and a thousand bell towers, is also the country with a hundred cuisines and a thousand recipes. its great variety of culinary practices reflects a history long dominated by regionalism and political division, and has led to the common conception of italian food as a mosaic of regional customs rather than a single tradition. nonetheless, this magnificent new book demonstrates the development of a distinctive, unified culinary tradition throughout the italian peninsula. alberto capatti and massimo montanari uncover a network of culinary customs, food lore, and cooking practices, dating back as far as the middle ages, that are identifiably italian: o italians used forks 300 years before other europeans, possibly because they were needed to handle pasta, which is slippery and dangerously hot. o italians invented the practice of chilling drinks and may have invented ice cream. o italian culinary practice influenced the rest of europe to place more emphasis on vegetables and less on meat. o salad was a distinctive aspect of the italian meal as early as the sixteenth century. the authors focus on culinary developments in the late medieval, renaissance, and baroque eras, aided by a wealth of cookbooks produced throughout the early modern period. they show how italy's culinary identities emerged over the course of the centuries through an exchange of information and techniques among geographical regions and social classes. though temporally, spatially, and socially diverse, these cuisines refer to a common experience that can be described as italian.

The twelve essays in this volume, each written by a leading specialist, present an accessible and comprehensive introduction to italian renaissance society, intellectual history, and politics, with each contribution reflecting the most recent innovations in the way that historians view and study the period.

A history of modern italy addresses the question of how italy's modern history–from its prolonged process of nation-building in the nineteenth century to the crises of the last two decades–has produced a paradoxical blend of hyper-modernity and traditionalism that sets the country apart in the broader context of western europe. cardoza explores how italians have experienced seismic shifts in their social and economic landscape over the past two centuries, while simultaneously maintaining older cultural norms, social practices, and political methods. the book's narrative of modern italy incorporates and blends the research findings and methodological insights of the new quantitative and cultural historical scholarship of the past twenty-five years. in doing so, the book chronicles the regime changes that have taken the country from a liberal monarchy, through a fascist dictatorship, to a democratic republic while also delving into the economic and social history of the nation through these periods.

The history of naples is long and tortured, or at least for centuries that was how its history has been told.[ 1] inhabited almost continuously from the neolithic era to the present, naples was founded by the greeks and conquered by the romans. after the fall of the roman empire, naples passed between various foreign rulers for its entire history prior to italian unification. starting in 1040, when the norman french invaders conquered campania, naples was ruled in a dizzying succession by germans, then french, then spanish, then austrians, then spanish, then french, and then spanish.[ 2] although it is in many ways a microcosm of european history with a revolving door of conquerors, historians like to stress the unique status of naples thanks to these diverse influences and unique geography. set on a bay that provided a natural harbor, naples is home to mount vesuvius, the only active volcano on the european mainland.[ 3] when vesuvius erupts, the neapolitans pay the price, and it has earned its reputation as the most dangerous volcano in the world. however, the threat posed by vesuvius is tempered by a great benefit: naples is blessed with extremely fertile soil.[ 4] the natural harbor of naples and its position on the southwest coast of italy helps explain its history of multiple rulers, insofar as it made naples a central locus of trade between italy, greece, byzantium, north africa, spain, holland, flanders, and germany. due to its strategic importance, naples reached high levels of prosperity, and for the same reason, it also suffered as various foreign powers vied for control of the city and the surrounding area.[ 5]

The history of naples is long and tortured, or at least for centuries that was how its history has been told.[ 1] inhabited almost continuously from the neolithic era to the present, naples was founded by the greeks and conquered by the romans. after the fall of the roman empire, naples passed between various foreign rulers for its entire history prior to italian unification. starting in 1040, when the norman french invaders conquered campania, naples was ruled in a dizzying succession by germans, then french, then spanish, then austrians, then spanish, then french, and then spanish.[ 2] although it is in many ways a microcosm of european history with a revolving door of conquerors, historians like to stress the unique status of naples thanks to these diverse influences and unique geography. set on a bay that provided a natural harbor, naples is home to mount vesuvius, the only active volcano on the european mainland.[ 3] when vesuvius erupts, the neapolitans pay the price, and it has earned its reputation as the most dangerous volcano in the world. however, the threat posed by vesuvius is tempered by a great benefit: naples is blessed with extremely fertile soil.[ 4] the natural harbor of naples and its position on the southwest coast of italy helps explain its history of multiple rulers, insofar as it made naples a central locus of trade between italy, greece, byzantium, north africa, spain, holland, flanders, and germany. due to its strategic importance, naples reached high levels of prosperity, and for the same reason, it also suffered as various foreign powers vied for control of the city and the surrounding area.[ 5]

This history of modern italy began in march 1861 when count camillo cavour proclaimed a united italian kingdom with the goal of creating a prosperous, liberal new power in europe. for a country whose ancient heritage had placed it at the center of western culture, this late entry into nationhood and rapid reach for power would bring frequent crisis. in this fully revised edition of his classic history of the country, denis mack smith provides a complete and engaging narrative of the fate of italy from risorgimento to the present. for sixty years after 1861 italy was governed by a liberal oligarchy under a parliamentary constitution. italy chose the winning side in the first world war, but the enormous costs of victory revealed social tensions and constitutional weaknesses that prepared the way, after 1920, for europe's first fascist dictatorship. after the painful civil war that followed world war ii, italy rediscovered liberal democracy, and under a new republican regime became one of the major industrialized countries of the world. first published in 1958 as italy: a modern history, the book has been substantially rewritten with a new section on the period after 1945, a new bibliography, new maps, and updated factual appendices. stylish, clearly written, deeply informed and often controversial, it remains the definitive account for anyone interested in modern italy. ". . . an extraordinarily good and concise introduction to the scandals that almost destroyed the italian republic." –alexander degrand, north carolina state university "no one will be surprised that in this new edition mack smith recounts the recent history of the republic up to 1996 with the same shrewd authorial eye, both distant and perceptive, the deep knowledge, and the skill that made the older edition of this book a classic." –raymond grew, university of michigan denis mack smith is a fellow of the british academy and wolfson college, oxford, and a foreign member of the american academy of arts and sciences. he has been awarded a dozen literary prizes in italy and is a commendatore of the italian order of merit. among his recent books are italy and its monarchy (1989) and mazzini (1994).