Italy Books

John T. Flynn's book titled AS WE GO MARCHING is indeed a classic study of Fascism whatever that political disapproval word means. Flynn's study gives the historical background to late 19th century and early 20th century Italy and German. The book concludes with the U.S. political and economic schemes before, during, and after World War I. Flynn also compares U.S. economic planning and control with that of "Fascist" Italy and Germany.

Flynn introduces readers to the economic realities in the second half of the 19th. century in Italy and Germany. A good point is the fact that deficit spending, protectionism, and economic classifications originated in 19th. century and were not new to rise of Fascism. Flynn provides "chatper-and-verse" statistics of the Italians and German budgets prior to World War I. Flynn's economic analysis is connected with the political changes that occured in these two countries. Flynn cites the "Classical Liberals" and their political allies who preached limited government and balanced budgets but voted for deficits and expanded military budgets.

Flynn patiently explains the rise of Mussolini and Hitler. These two political dictators did not rise to power through luck or what some consider gangsterism. Both Mussolini and Hitler got power due to the political climate and laws that were enacted in Italy and Germany in the late 19th. and early 20th. century. Given the legal and political conditions, both Mussolini and Hitler rose to power via quite legal means. The naive view that they used gangster tactics disintegrates when exposed to reality. Flynn is very clear on this point in pages 149-153.

Flynn then compares the political and economic problems with the background to the U.S. New Deal and the economic schemes that were enacted as part of the New Deal. Flynn makes the remark that the New Deal was not new at all, and FDR'S "Brain Trust" merely emulated their German abnd Italian counterparts. The New Dealers created government corporations, and Fascist Italy was known as The Coporate State. The tax and budget plans of Germany were adopted in by the New Dealers. The Italian and German "Fascists" resorted to borrowing and deficint spending when taxes were too high. The New Dealers did the same. The late A.J.P. Taylor made an interesting remark in his book titled THE ORIGINS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. On page 72 or page 70 in the newer edition of this book, Taylor wrote that Hitler stumbled on the economics of full employment exactly as FDR did. The only difference is that the German New Deal worked better and did indeed eliminate unemployment.

Those in the U.S. who equate Fascism with militarism should look in the miooro. Flynn argued that military expendatures were part of the economic plans in German and Italy. Had Flynn had access to Burton Klein's book titled GERMANY'S ECONOMIC PREPARATIONS FOR WAR, he would have altered his views. Klein cites German and U.S. documents ( not hysteria)to clearly prove that the British and French spend more for guns and munitions than the Germans. The record of the U.S. during World War II until the present dwarfs anything the Germans did prior to and during World War II.

Flynn made brief comment of the terrribly dislocations in Europe after Wrold War I. He should have placed more emphasis on these tragic times which would explain why powerful political leaders labeled Fascists got power. These Fascists got power due to mass support during desparate times.

Flynn's book AS WE GO MARCHING is well worth reading. Those interested should also read Lawrence Dennis' THE DYNAMICS OF WAR AND REVOLUTION and John Maynard Keynes' THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF PEACE. A solid study of the German economy before and during World War II is Burton Klein's book titled GERMAN'S ECONOMIC PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. Another interesting aspect is the comment Keynes made in his German edition of THE GENERAL THEORY in which he stated that his economic theories were more suited to Totalitarians systems than those of laissez-faire. This can be found in James J. Martins' book titled REVISIONIST VIEWPOINTS. A careful reading of Flynn's book plus the others cited above introduces readers to serious political realities and honest history.

"As We Go Marching" is a three-part examination of fascism in Italy (part 1) and Germany (part 2). Part 3 ties things together with an examination of Franklin D. Roosevelt's so-called "New Deal."

The book covers periods from the mid-1800's, the time of the respective unification of Italy and Germany, to mid-WWII. Briefly, neither Mussolini nor Hitler laid the foundations, let alone invented, the social-government systems that supported their regimes. Both systems of fascism, Italian and German, had roots in the early days of industrialization, with deep and powerful roots in the concept of syndicalism. Mr. Flynn opines that, absent certain events related to The Great War, neither Mussolini nor Hitler would ever have amounted to much more than minor political nuisances; but that someone else could very well have held power and governed via fascism through pre-existing government institutions. (eg, imagine a German Chancellor without the anti-semitism but still with the militarism.)

The third part of "Marching" concerns the intellectual and systemic relationships between Italian and German fascism, and FDR's New Deals (there were at least three of them). Although the reader will learn a lot of Italian and German hisotry, the entire book concerns what FDR was doing to the United States in the 1930's. Mr. Flynn's view is through a lens of what had happened in Italy and Germany.

In 1944, some critics called Mr. Flynn's publication of "Marching" treasonous. But I doubt they read the book before doing so. Mr. Flynn was labeled, in his day, as a "Roosevelt-hater," and summarily dismissed in polite company of the time. Many people worked overtime to discredit him and his books. But to this modern reader, Mr. Flynn offers a historical and logical, well written and consistent study of fascism, with a disturbingly accurate critique of FDR and his programs.

You will gain additional perspective by reading Mr. Flynn's "The Roosevelt Myth" (1948/rev 1956). This latter book utterly demolishes FDR and his four terms of office, like a fast freight train hitting a stalled pickup truck. "The Roosevelt Myth" should be required reading in every US history course. No, that is not quite right. What I really mean is that the legend of FDR the Great President and Wartime Leader cannot co-exist in any universe in which a single copy of "The Roosevelt Myth" remains unburned.

John T. Flynn -- a forgotten master from a different era.

_As We Go Marching_ by John T. Flynn, first published in 1944 during the Second World War, and reprinted in The Right Wing Individualist Tradition in America series, is an attempt to come to grips with fascism by an opponent of the New Deal and a non-interventionist. Flynn, who began his career as a proponent of progressive economic policies, came to oppose Roosevelt's New Deal policies and the entry of the United States into the Second World War. In this book, Flynn predicts how these policies are leading in the direction of increasing militarism, socialism, and eventually totalitarianism and fascism. Flynn's understanding of fascism is in economic terms, an attempt to overturn the capitalist system through state borrowing and continued militarism (i.e. the state sanctioned continuation of perpetual revolution) and corporativism. While Flynn recognizes the defects in the capitalist system, particularly those that have led to the coming crisis, he believes that this system is far superior to that of fascism in which individual liberties are trampled upon. In this sense, Flynn may be seen as an advocate for classical liberalism against government intervention and the debt based economy.

This book traces the history of fascism as it developed in Italy and Germany and then turns its attention to the United States, where Flynn sees a creeping fascism. Against those who argue that "it cannot happen here" or who point to the various pro-German or outright Nazi groups in America at the time as the only fascist threat, Flynn argues that the fundamental basis for the totalitarian state is already established and that all that remains is for the President to claim for himself absolute power. Flynn begins by tracing the origins of fascism in the Italian state under Mussolini. In particular, he shows the conflicts that arose between various socialist groups who sought to abolish the capitalist system and conservative groups. While conservative groups often represented a reaction of the most heavily taxed, it became apparent that while they would not support the growth of public welfare projects that they would support an increase in militarism. In particular, militarism became a means to achieve full employment. In addition, rather than trying to achieve a balanced budget, the government became based upon a system of tax and borrow and spend. Another important point to note is the growth of syndicalism as a viable alternative to socialism. While socialism had sought for the state to seize control of the means of production, being little more than "state capitalism", syndicalism proposed the alternative that the means of production should actually be controlled by the workers themselves and the state composed of worker's counsels. The theory of syndicalism was advocated by Georges Sorel as the alternative to socialism and as an answer to the crisis in capitalism and was taken up by the young Mussolini. Indeed, Mussolini's system came to make use of syndicalism as well as militarism in its quest to achieve total dominance of the state. This apparent alliance between the forces represented by the far Left and those of the conservative Right was achieved under Mussolini who continued to tax, borrow, and spend his way to dominance. Flynn also turns his attention to Hitler's Germany. In much the same way, the economic system of Hitler's Germany can be understood. The new breed of economists came to deny the importance of a balanced budget while at the same time claiming that the debt was unimportant as an attempted cure for the depression. In particular, it must be noted that Germany's economy had been crippled because of reparations owed for the First World War. It was the Treaty of Versailles which Hitler came to use as a strong point which he rallied against. A second important point to note is the role of militarism (conscription even during peacetime) and imperialism as part of Hitler's fascism. These components along with the absolute rule of the dictator allowed for the creation of fascism in Hitler's Germany. Following this discussion, Flynn turns his attention to the most controversial component of his thesis. This is the rise of fascism in America brought about by similar forces and a debt based economy with a government operating on the principles of tax, borrow, and spend. In particular, Flynn shows how the executive branch has subtly usurped the powers of Congress allowing for the rise of a potential dictatorship. Flynn also shows how militarism, the draft, and American imperialism have made for a particularly dangerous concoction especially in light of the growing absolute powers of the executive. Flynn shows how Anglo-Saxon imperialism shares many of the same racialist underpinnings as fascist imperialism and has come even to reject the Teuton as racially inferior. This difference is particularly striking in light of the entry of the United States into the Second World War. While Flynn calls attention to the presence of pro-German or pro-Nazi forces in America at the time, he believes these do not constitute the greatest fascist threat, which arises from the government itself. In light of these remarks, Flynn ends the book with this chilling warning, "My only purpose is to sound a warning against the dark road upon which we have set our feet as we go marching to the salvation of the world and along which every step we now take leads us farther and farther from the things we want and the things that we cherish." In a time in which the nation again is involved in war, Flynn's warnings are particularly prescient.

John T Flynn was a business journalist who originally covered graft and Wall Street scandals in the 1920s and 1930s. Originally a supporter of Roosevelt, he came to believe the New Deal's compulsory cartels under the NRA was a betrayal of traditional 'trust busting' liberalism. He saw FDR's massive reliance on public borrowing and deficit spending, rather than fiscal reform, was dangerous. A former Nye Committee investigator, Flynn was involved in Nye's exposure of the role major banks and munitions makers played in President Wilson's march to war in 1918. Flynn believed the failure of the New Deal to bring jobs would see FDR turn to military spending as an economic cure. When this prediction eventuated, Flynn became a leading spokesman for the America First Committee. After the war, wrote one of the first exposes arguing FDR had prior knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack. Flynn stayed a committed "isolationist" after the war, believing the same pattern of was re-emerging in the then new Cold War.

This book was written in 1944. I read the 1973 reprint "Free Life" edition of the book. It includes an excellent preface essay by Ronald Radosh summarising Flynn's life and work and placing his ideas in a broader context. Radosh compares Flynn's analysis to that of Indian / British communist writer R. Palme Dutt whose "Fascism and Social Revolution: A Study of the Economics and Politics of the Extreme Stages of Capitalism in Decay" provides something of an interesting "odd couple" pairing.

"As We Go Marching" provides an analysis of fascism that looks beyond the biographies of Mussolini and Hitler, and even the histories of the fascist and nazi parties. Flynn is interested in the political economy roots of fascism. This he locates in the economic crisis, but he goes beyond the depression, into the on-going political and economic crises of his subject states.

This is really two books in one. Flynn provides a background to the development of fascism in Italy and Germany and then looks as fascistic trends in the US during the war and pre-war periods. If Flynn had excluded the US chapters his well written book would have been more broadly acknowledged as a dissection of the roots of nazism. His American chapters however are what make the book controversial, especially as most (but not all) of the faults he identifies are rooted in the New Deal. Has he left the American material out he would probably have had a wider audience. Thankfully he didn't. But even the most one eyed liberal reader will find something to appreciate in his non-American sections.

Flynn shows how non-fascist politicians paved the way for fascist and nazi rule in Italy and Germany. The Weimar Constitution, with it's dictatorial Article 48 provision, exploited opportunistically by non-authoritarian politicians, was a time bomb waiting to explode. In both countries, it was non-fascist leaders, opportunists dealing with crises, paved the way for later dictators. They did so by building centralised emergency administrations and autarchic economic policies, all in the name of rational economic planning. They fostered syndicalism and corporatism, these tended in time to blur and the top down government element grew. They generated massive cycles of public spending and public debt. Debt and the growing cost of servicing it generated opposition from the saving, investing and taxpaying classes. Both Mussolin and Hitler were opportunists who felt unconstrained by tradition, ethics and even their own parties' platform. In order to win and maintain support from debt burdened taxpayers, they found militarism the path of least resistance, and the form of public spending least likely to alienate the savers. And to keep militarism alive they needed infusions of imperialism.

Flynn walks through this process in both Italy and Germany and highlights similar steps then being taken in the USA. Flynn's journalistic experience shines through and his writing is clear and argument logical. Some of his writing in the section dealing with America's turn-of-the-century experience with imperialism in the Philippines and Cuba is superb. Indeed Flynn's discussion of the linkages between depression, debt, militarism and war, what would later be called "military Keynesianism", is some of the best written.

A major weakness in Flynn's argument is his lack of any discussion of what causes economic crises that play such a prominent role in his book. He is more interested in how politicians and political systems react to depression than what causes it.

Another weakness, by focusing on the foundations of fascism he dismisses too lightly some of the 'superstructure', namely the fuehrer prinzip, antisemitism and alike. Flynn sees these almost as 'optional extras' for a fascist state not the real meat. This may be true, but these are of course, some of the most unpleasant and inhumane aspects of the whole system. Without them, as Flynn himself notes, many firm anti-fascists would be quite happy under fascism. My suggestion is that a quick peek at Peter Viereck's discussion of some of the 'spiritual' and romantic aspects of the Nazism to fill in the gaps.

How then do Flynn's arguments stand up looking back sixty years later? Although America isn't quite the great republic it was, the US certainly didn't end up like Mussolini's Italy, let alone Hitler's Germany.

If anything, subsequent research, particularly by historian Henry Ashby Turner, has shown that, in Germany at least, big business was probably not as supportive of Hitler as Flynn, and conventional wisdom ever since, imagined. And both the corporatism and economic planning of both Italy and Germany was probably more shambolic than their friends, foes and Flynn ever imagined. So, again, maybe superstructure is more important than Flynn's foundations.

Flynn believed the US would pursue national economic planning after the war. The postwar planning fashion attracted the critique of Hayek whose "Road To Serfdom" provides something of a distant cousin to Flynn's book. Flynn believed economic planning would necessitate, if not outright economic autarchy, at least international coordination between the major corporatist nations. The New Deal planners around Dr Alven Hansen, who headed FDR's personal planning think tank, were definitely thinking along these lines. The post-war planning push was however defeated and Truman's postwar demobilisation was probably more extreme than the New Deal planners wanted. The resulting postwar boom took much of the wind out of the sails of the economic planners. Was this enough to stop the beat of the marching drums?

To a certain extent, no. By the time Eisenhower left office the 'military industrial complex' had grown to be a sufficient concern to warrant his Farewell Address warning. Flynn's fellow WW2 isolationist Lawrence Dennis noted that US military spending in the 1950s in terms of GNP percentages exceeded Nazi Germany's prior to WW2. The US ultimately didn't adopt planning, but it did embrace it "lite" as keynesianism via the Full Employment Act. So without full national planning there was no need for autarchy, or Fynn's internationally co-ordinated corporatist autarchies.

But there was Breton Woods and the push for a new dollar based world monetary system and the birth of the so-called "free trade" regime. This has evolved into today's "Washington consensus". Instead of the unilateral removal of import restrictions as advocated by Adam Smith, "free trade" has now been reinvented a series of internationally negotiated agreements. It is now forgotten, but the Truman originally wanted a UN International Trade Organisation (the forerunner to today's WTO) but due to conservative opposition could only obtain a GATT. GATT, ITO, WTO or NAFTA are probably more accurately described as "mutually assured protectionism", or "mercantilism lite". So maybe Flynn was partly right here.

Militarism and 'imperialism' have certainly progressed since Flynn's day and executive power has risen to the point where "the Imperial Presidency" is now a reality not a nightmare. I doubt whether Flynn would have imagined Truman waging a major war without Congress vote, or Nixon's and LBJ's "secret wars" (presumably the enemy knew). Or Bush's organizing of illegal mass surveillance at home and rendition and Cuban Gitmos, thus placing his policies and agents, beyond the clutches of US law.

Still, thankfully, there do seem to be barriers, however thin, between our current predicament and Flynn's fascist future. The press, law and parliamentary practice, despite real failings, have not exactly rolled over and played dead. One party rule is still a long way off. And despite the slow ratcheting upwards of government spending, the market economy has managed to outrun the worst of the assaults of depression, corporatism and the wannabe economic planners. Whether what remains of these institutions can do so forever remains to be seen.

A very good introduction to a beautiful sounding language. It helps if you speak and understand Italian as the basics of the grammar are similar. Another advantage being that a lot of Sicilian utilises Italian with a different inflection. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Sicilly and its culture.

Beginnger's Sicilian is indeed a great tool for learning the Sicilian language. There are a great number of exercises and real dialogues listed. Once you finish doing all the exercises, you will be able to speak and understand basic sicilian. However, it seems that the grammar itself isn't complete, especially the part of verb conjugation. I recommed this book to people who would like to chista bedda lingua

This excellent book by the author "Basic Sicilian: A Brief Reference Grammar" provides for some of the exceptions noted by "A reader" (from Idaho Falls ID). There are exercises in learning basic phrasing to deal with specific needs (e.g., accommodations, transportation, restaurant service, asf). The brief grammatical entries are presented in parts of speech order (articles, adjectives [several], aumentatives and diminutives, numerals, pronouns [several], cojunctios and prepositions, adverbs, and finally verbs (no specific section seemed needed on nouns which are dealt with in context. Vocabulary is introduced with each lesson. The book doesn't pretend to do more than introduce, but it does that well.

I really enjoy this book because it contains the basics of Sicilian grammar, from verb conjugations to articles and pronouns. It is not the type of book that one could use to learn Sicilian in a classroom setting, because it doesn't have practice exercises or anything; however, if you are looking for a compact book of about 70 pages that is filled with basic Sicilian grammar rules, this book is for you.

Frassati is an excellent model for the life of a young person, and this is a helpful introduction to the qualities that made him extraordinary.

If you are interested in a book about Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, this is the one to get - or at least to start with. The other two books available in the U.S. are "Man of the Beatitudes" and "His Last Days - My Brother Pier Giorgio", both written by Pier Giorgio's sister Luciana. If you're really interested in getting to know Pier Giorgio I recommend these books as well, but they are not as succinct, nor are they as well written as "Ordinary Christian". "Man of the Beatitudes" is written by his sister, is of course based on first hand accounts, and has a lot of great information. However, it jumps around a lot and doesn't read very well. There is also a flawed representation of Frassati's parents according Frassati's niece Wanda Gawronska, head of the Associazione Pier Giorgio Frassati. "His Last Days" is a better book, and a powerful telling of Pier Giorgio's tragic and heroic last six days. I highly recommend this very detailed acount of the last days of his life.

"Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: An Ordinary Christian" is simply a much better biography. Well written, easy to read, filled with information, quotes, and pictures - it combines much of the information from the other two books and adds new information to produce a fine book that covers almost every aspect of his life personally, politically, and spiritually -including the process involved in his beatification.

As the moderator of the Frassati Society at the Catholic high school where I teach, having a deep devotion to this amazing Christian, and having been blessed to personally meet and talk with Wanda Gawronska several times in Rome - it is my opinion that this is the best introduction to the life and witness of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - perhaps the most relevant example of a devout and dynamic young Catholic life for the youth of today.

"By his example he proclaims that a life lived in Christ's Spirit, the Spirit of the Beatitudes, is `blessed', and that only the person who becomes a `man or woman of the Beatitudes' can succeed in communicating love and peace to others. He repeats that it is really worth giving up everything to serve the Lord. He testifies that holiness is possible for everyone, and that only the revolution of charity can enkindle the hope of a better future in the hearts of people."

From Pope John Paul II's homily
at the Beatification Mass of
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,
May 20, 1990.

Pier Giorgio was athletic, fun-loving, knew the true meaning of friendship, and yet had a small vice or two (he smoked a pipe). He came from an average, and averagely disfunctional, family. He was deeply in love with a beautiful girl whom, rightly or wrongly, he felt he had to give up because his parents would object. And so he courageously did so, not even letting the girl suspect the depth of his feelings for her. His love for God and for the poor filled his young life. His sister Luciana felt that his death from polio at age 24 was indirectly caused by the inattention and even neglect of his parents during his grandmother's last illness. A good read, and an inspiring one!

I found myself unable to put this book down, devouring it in a day's time and finding myself to inspired by this great saint. The author's organization makes it for an easy read - starting with one aspect of Blessed Pier's life and spirituality, covering it in depth, and then moving on to another. Pier was a multi-faceted man - a romantic, a mystic, an athlete, a student, an outspoken political critic, a son/brother, and a friend. Thank God this author is able to write beautifully on Pier from each of those aspects in such a manner that anyone who reads this book will feel a connection to this blessed youth.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's life-though brief-was truely a model example of the heroic, an unyielding quest to fully and earnestly live out the Gospel. At times, it's an indefinable journey that is filled to the brim with unimaginable heartbreaks and delights of unprecedented scope, a trek that is sometimes lived out both publicly and privately. In the case of Pier Giorgio Frassati-in his cultured and affluent upbringing-he was the private Catholic Robin Hood, living a life divided of what his family and the moneyed society he was born into expeced of him versus what his heart yearned to bring to fruition: helping the less fortunate and living out his vocation of faith with zeal, simplicity and adventure. He could have lived a cushioned life as a freewheeling member of the intellectual Italian aristocracy, his agnostic father, Alfredo, being the founder of the noted newspaper, La Stampa, as well as being a politician and diplomat, while his mother, Adelaide, was a sculptress of acknowledged repute. Yet, there was an aspect of heavyheartedness and mistrust regarding the life he was born into, often shunning society balls and all the baggage associated with it. He did not yearn to be an executive paper pusher within La Stampa, as his father had set up for him. Rather, he wanted to be a mining engineer in order to work with the poor and needy miners, to cater to their spiritual and economic needs--foregoing even the priesthood, becasue he believed he could give more and better as a member of the laity, offer more hands-on, practical service where he saw fit, which was almost everywhere. Sadly, the unmistakable vocation to the religious life was never fostered nor promoted by his parents, as noted on page 30: "Once, when a nun asked Adelaide what she thought of the idea of Pier Giorgio becoming a priest, she answered abruptly, 'I would rather he graduate from the university and die.'" As that was so, Pier Giorgio, thrust himself behind Catholic Action, adhering strictly to their motto of action, prayer and sacrifice. He also became a political Catholic neophyte, getting into brawls to protect the faith, while denouncing Mussolini's facism. All the while, he would make private visits to the poor, trudging with an abundance of care packages into the most dilapidated and disease infested areas conceivable, only to rise very early in the morning for devotions, to pray with Mary for guidance and sing the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary or do the rosary, which was the "testament in my pocket."--page 53. Tersely yet eloquently written, An Ordinary Christian is a beautifully crafted biography of a most remarkable, humorous and winsome young man, a keen mountaineer who made his Catholic faith his priority; his compassion, openness, feisty doggedness, enthusiasm, grinding patience and loving acceptance of God's will for him, definitely makes him a Catholic Blessed and hopefully a soon-to-be Catholic Saint that all humainity-young and old-can look up to, a man who scaled beyond the mountain crests up to the heavenly realm.

I loved Mirella's first book and was looking forwards to reading her second novel. And she didn't disappoint me as her second novel is just as great as her first. Set in Italy aminst the harsh times of a family fued with murder, betrayal and love that seems to survive it all. The opening scene is one of the most touching scene I ever have read and the story that unfolds from that drama is just as gripping... a rollercoaster of emotions that keeps you reading till the end. I am already looking forwards to Mirella's third novel as I want more of this!

This is the Gothic romance novel lover's Gothic romance novel!

The atmosphere is dark and claustrophobic, reflecting the emotions of the denizens of Bloodstone Castle. The characters never disappoint, from the compellingly arrogant hero to the strong willed heroine whose body has other ideas than resisting, to the desperately scheming villain. The tempral setting allows for both the allure of the Roman and the passion of the medieval.

When you finish "Bloodstone Castle" you will sit back and sigh, sated and happy, having feasted well on all you were served.

Review by Anita Davison
Historical Fiction Author

Based in Medieval Italy, the story begins with the birth of Morena and her dying mother's gift of the legendary bloodstone which holds a clue of a long forgotten Roman treasure said to be buried beneath Bloodstone Castle.

Eighteen years later, Duke Amoro Dragone races home to Genoa to be with his mother, Caterina. His father Duke Bartolomeo Dragone, is dead, killed in an ambush by brigands. His dying wish is that Amoro end a feud and marry the Contessa Morena Monterossa of Portovenere.

Amoro is more concerned with seeking revenge on his murdered father, and is reluctant to marry a woman he has never seen and cannot love. He breaks the news to his mistress, but Laria had harboured hopes he would marry her and surprises him with her grief when she swears she will fight to keep him.

Amoro goes to Bloodstone Castle to claim his bride, but his task is made more difficult by a rival, but Morena herself. Enemies gather, each of them is taken to the depths of despair and degradation until they come to realise the life of the other is more important than their own.

Can they save themselves and make a future together, or will their enemies defeat them both and will they lose the ancient treasure which is Morena's birthright?

No sweet love story this, Bloodstone Castle is an uncompromising tale of love, murder and betrayal, where the lives of the main characters are taken through a devastating chain of ordeals.

If you like your heroes bloody but unbowed, Mirella Patzer's novel will be exactly the kind of historical story you will love. Its characters will provide you with a roller coaster read with its array of twists and turns which plunge to the depths of ruthlessness and a love which refuses to die.

Mirella Patzer brings to life the 12th century in her historical romance, Bloodstone Castle.
The author knows the period well and weaves a brilliant story together that keeps the reader interested and wanting to turn the pages.
The love story of Morena and Amoro will delight the reader as they negotiate the rocky path that leads to true love and happiness.
I highly recommend Bloodstone Castle to those readers who enjoy well-researched historical romance novels, with engaging characters and intriguing plots.

[...]

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3O071P5YXML3C I am pleased to introduce my latest novel, Bloodstone Castle. Beneath Bloodstone Castle's hidden corridors and dungeons is an ancient Roman treasure sought after by many. Murder and intrigue, danger and love, abound in this medieval romance set on the lush shores of the Ligurian Sea in Italy. This is truly an extraordinary romance.

If you would like to learn more about me and my novels, I invite you to visit and comment at: [...]

Bloodstone Castle

Mr. Acton relates almost a century of Neapolitan history (1730 to 1825). A large part of the text is made of original letters written by contemporaries, which makes it very vivid. The book covers life at the court of the Two-Sicilies, from the most trivial incidents of everyday life through to major political events, the discovery of Pompei and Herculanum, artistic life, war against the French... Characters include Minister Acton, Nelson, British Ambassador Hamilton, Metternich, King Joachim Murat, Queen Maria Carolina, Lazzarone King Ferdinand, Abbé Galiani, Napoleon Bonaparte and many more. Very good book, despite the Anti-French feelings of most of the protagonists :-) (not surprising, given that Neapolitan Minister Acton was an Englishman and hated the French).

Eighteenth-century Naples, like fifteenth-century Burgundy, was a small but culturally important state. Under Charles III and his son Ferdinand the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a center of art and a tourist attraction that drew many Englishmen on the "Grand Tour". Harold Acton (a relation of Sir John Acton?) made good use of the rich archives of Naples and Sicily as well as the memoirs of Sir William Hamilton, Giacomo Casanova and other contemporaries to evoke the spirit of the age. I only hope the Prion will see fit to reissue Acton's "The Last Bourbons", which covers Neapolitan history from 1825 to the unification of Italy in 1861.

Every once in a blue moon, one comes across an unexpectedly great work of history that takes your breath away. In addition, THE BOURBONS OF NAPLES was written by a descendent of one of the major players, Sir John Acton, and of that Lord Acton who said "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This work was therefore also an exercise in family history for Harold Acton.

When you conjure up a picture of Naples in the 18th century, what comes to mind is the Grand Tour -- that endless stream of well-to-do English and other Europeans (including Goethe) who considered their upbringing incomplete until they had seen the classical art treasures of Italy, wondered at the magnificence of Vesuvius, and tasted of the fleshpots of Naples. There, they partied with complaisant British consul Sir William Hamilton and his delectable wife Emma (later associated with Horatio Nelson).

The time period covered by the book encompasses the reigns of Charles III and Ferdinand I (or III or IV, depending on whether you are referring to him as King of the Two Sicilies, Sicily, or Naples). Ferdinand was married to Maria Carolina, daughter of the Austrian empress Maria Theresa, sister of Marie Antoinette and grandmother of Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise. While something of a grand scale manipulator, Maria Carolina pretty much ran the kingdom (into the ground) while Ferdinand spent his time hunting wild boar with cronies. Yet, thanks to the British fleet and Austrian army, she managed to hold on to her throne and write agonized letters to every crowned head in Europe until she proved too much for one British emissary, who packed her away to Vienna with her husband's permission.

The vicissitudes of the Bourbon monarchy in Italy make for fascinating reading. It had twice as many lives as a cat and even managed to survive the threats posed by the French Revolution and Napoleon -- but just barely.

This book is a lost gem and now is thankfully back in print. The author, Harold Acton appears as Anthony Blanche in Waugh's BRIDESHEAD REVISTED (where he is portayed somewhat unfairly as a fop). The Bourbons of Naples, unlike the Bourbons of Spain or France, did not have the same magnificent reputation as their more famous cousins. The best of the lot, Charles, later Charles III, the king of Spain, left an significant mark on Naples, building the city's famous opera house (he frequently dozed off during performances when he could be bothered to attend. The rest of members of the family are fine targets for Acton's wit. And what a canvas he has to paint his scenes of regal decay.

While Charles III was the ideal monarch, his successor (at least to this throne) was a ruler who spent most of his time hunting and fending off attempts by Napoleon to wrest his kingdom from him. This did not bother him so much as it did his wife Maria Caroline.

Like Louise of Prussia, or even Madame de Stael, Maria Caroline hated Napoleon (who in a strange twist of history became her grandson in law) and spent much of her life trying to come up with ineffective means of frustrating attempts at seizing Naples from the Bourbons. Even had Napoleon not tried to evict the Bourbons from Naples (as he had from Spain), Maria Caroline saw him as the heir to the same French Revolution which had cut off the head of her favorite sister Marie Antoinette.

Ambid the efforts of the queen, who was the won who wore the pants, to rule Naples and maintain the throne, and the kings persistent hunting excursions, a whole host of ministers and advisors come into the scope of the Bourbons. Nelson, Lord and Lady Hamilton are supporting characters in this work.

This is one of the best books in English on the Bourbons of Naples, but it is not without its defects. While Harold Acton is well-versed in the family, I would have liked more context, particularly on some of the short comings mentioned, but not fully explored. I was not sure why, after the chief minister (an ancestor of the author named Acton) was unable to bring the army up to respectable levels. Funds are expended and this is looked upon with alarm by the nation's adversaries, but in the end this had little effect. Even after reading this work, I am not sure why the Neapolitan army was so lousy.

Still and all, it is great to see this book in print again, I am hoping the publisher is able to bring out the sequel which addresses how the Bourbons of Naples were finally defeated by their enemies the house of Savoy and were left behind in the unification of Italy.

This really is an amazing breakfast cookbook. All of the recipes are tasty and delicious. It seems to make really good use of fresh, readily available ingredients.

Some really great recipes:
Farfelle with Crabmeat, Asparagus, Scrambled eggs, and Herbs
Toasted Pine Nut-Honey Butter
Balsamic Strawberries
Lots and Lots of recipes with Marscapone cheese. Yum!

You will not be disappointed with this cookbook. It's too bad that it's discontinued. :-(

This is a good cookbook and it does have beautiful pictures but if you have a large collection of cookbooks, as I do, it doesn't have any new recipes or any recipes you couldn't think of yourself.

Since breakfast is our most important meal of the day this certainly will help a cook prepare fantastic meals for a great start. Being a visual learner, the pictures are works of art! The book contains a wonderful glossary of Italian ingredients, that a cook/shopper could buy at any large grocery store. Don't let the title deceive you - many of the recipes, especially the pasta meals could be served any time of day. As an owner of many cookbooks this has become one of my top favorites! Mangia!

An unusual focus on breakfast and brunch Italian dishes points out that the American affection for both Italian food and breakfast can lead to a wonderful combination. From quiches and scones to sweet risotto puddings with fruits and baked polenta, Boungiorno! provides an excellent set of Italian specialties which lend well to brunch. The profusion of color photos peppered throughout are distinctive attractions for the cookbook collector.

Carol Field's Celebrating Italy is as much an Italian cultural reference book as it is a cookbook. I loved reading through all the different holidays celebrated in Italy complete with traditional recipes. Having lived in Italy for 8 years myself, Carol's stories made me long for a return trip.. Being the Italian Cooking Host @ Bella Online I found the recipes true to their cultural origins, but yet given with clear, easy to follow directions. If you are as fascinated with Italian cuisine as I am, you'll love this book!

This book is full of everything that makes being alive(not to mention being ITALIAN) so wonderful...! Traditions, recipes, slices from everyday ife that make you feel the "specialness" of every single day. Carol's research and her love shine through in CELEBRATING ITALY, so much so, be prepared to take a trip to one of the small towns she describes so mouth-wateringly delicious! Carol made me hungry for tradition, hungry to go back to things I always cherished in my heart. Can't wait for your next book, Carol! Con Amore, Terry Stellini

I bought this book from Amazon.com because of its title alone but was so easily assimilated into Carol's amazing talent of recreating events with the written word that I found it difficult to put down. She put me right IN the festival! Because I live in Italy I have been able to visit a good number of the festivals that she describes in this book and have found her descriptions to be so accurate as to be scary. She seems to have found a way to penetrate the soul of these manifestations in a manner that not even many Italians can do.

I praise this not as a cookbook or a collection of recipes, but as a literary work that can be taken seriously as a 'training manual' on the spirit of Italian celebration. I recommend it to anyone who harbors a love of Italy and wants to know more about its inner being...

I highly recommend all Carol Field books, even if you don't cook. She TAKES you to Italy and FEEDS you. She writes engrossing and vividly descriptive literature which also happens to contain really great, authentic Italian recipes. Celebrating Italy will make you want to move to Italy and eat all day and night.

I agree with all that has been said about the pictures in this book from the professional and reader reviews. The reading is easy and I am sure that children will enjoy having it read to them and third or fourth graders will enjoy reading it for themselves. But given the beauty of the pictures, even those older than 9 years will enjoy this book. It starts with a short summary of Francis' and Clare's lives told by 24 small pictures on two pages, each with one or two sentence explanations. Having read several other books on Saint Francis of Assisi, I read the book with the question in my mind, "What is the basic theme or message of Saint Francis life that the author is trying to convey in what she includes, emphasizes or minimizes?" I would say that it is this: that Saint Francis, who always gave to the poor even in his care free days, loved God and, as a result, the poor, the animals, those with little and those with much power in his day, and even his enemies in foreign lands. Francis loved them with God's love. And God's love revealed through Francis for others drew them: women, such Clare, his old neighbors, the poor and even the animals to God. It is not surprising to learn that the author of this wonderful story, while born in Italy, and after receiving a degree in Literature and Philosophy is now, with his wife, directing a village school in India.

Clare And Francis by Guido Visconti is an incredible, beautifully illustrated picture book about the lives of both Francis and Clare, two people who were born in Assisi, Italy around the year 1200. Although both Francis and Clare were born into wealthy families, both of them deliberately chose to live lives of dedicated poverty. Francis preached to people throughout towns and villages, while Clare cared for the sick in the convent of San Damiano. Both Francis and Clare wholeheartedly embraced spirituality and Christian faith, and their lives set an example in the Middle Ages that is remembered down to this very day. Stunning, colorful illustrations by Bimba Landmann in an offshoot of medieval painting style help make Clare And Francis an unforgettable biographical portrait, one which is meant to be treasured and shared between readers of all ages and generations.

This is the most gorgeous children's books I've ever seen--the illustrations are rendered like classic iconography. The text is decent as well, though the real reason to have this book is not to read it but to look at it.

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated children's books I've ever seen and I've been a librarian for over 30 years. Few books bring tears to my eyes and this did. A treasure!

"The Classic Italian Cookbook" features many delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes from Central and Southern Italy and contains many full-colour photographs. I've made a few of the recipes and, although none of them are unique to this book, they turned out well and were simple to complete.

I found two major drawbacks to the book, though. One is that most of the recipes come from southern and central Italy - in other words, where most Italians who emigrated to the New World came from. Few come from the populous, well-fed northern areas of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Piemonte/Savoia that have such a rich and varied food heritage. I found this extremely disappointing. (Vegetarians and vegans will also not appreciate that even the vegetable dishes get most of their flavour from meat, meat broth, cheese, butter, and/or milk.)

But the second drawback is almost inexcusable: many of the images are extremely unappealing to the point that they ruin the reader's appetite. As anyone who has read The Gallery of Regrettable Food knows, there's a right way to photograph food and a wrong way, and the wrong way can make even an appetizing dish seem thoroughly disgusting. I doubt many North Americans are attracted to pictures of dead, staring fish; even fewer want to see a skinned, eviscerated rabbit in full colour. But somehow even some images of vegetables look gruesome, especially given the consistently unappealing British "cut-out images with a drop shadow on a stark white background" art design that makes even the tastiest food look cold and clinical.

I would recommend this book for its recipes, but only for those who can look beyond the unappealing images and who are only interested in classic south-central Italian cooking.

This is my favorite cookbook, and I have over a hundred to choose from. The recipes are classic italian and delicious...

The clams and spaghetti recipe is particularly awesome... follow the recipe to a 't' and you will be making it several times a year, especially for guests.

Buy this book, you'll thank me for the recommendation!

The most fantastic things about this cookbook is that you can get detailed information about dishes (with Italian name), regional background, basic ingredients and tools with pictures, and cooking techniques how to deal with fishes and meats and how to make pasta and pizza with these ingredients and tools. The content is very organized, not too overwhelming, and easy to look them up. If you are an intermediate-level cook and ready to move on to the next stage (but you don't want to be overwhelmed by the professional cookbook), this is the one!

This is my favorite Italian cookbook. The illustrations are wonderful and the directions are perfectly clear. The Pasta Vongole and Tiramisu are a couple of my favorite recipes.
This book is particularly good if you are a beginner.

I cooked Osso Buco alla Milanese, Fagiolini al Pomodoro and Patate al Forno from recipes in this book. Together with Italian bread, a nice little wine, a simple green salad and dessert, it was a superb meal.

Ask Dorling Kindersley to rush this wonderful cookbook back into print so your dinner guests will say you're a culinary genius.

Perfectly perfect -- This catalogue of Clemente expects total satisfaction of the senses to achieve self-definition.
And it gets it, definitely.

Clemente quoted De Chirico once in an interview with Vanity Fair, "What Shall I love if not the enigma." Clemente's paintings, indeed, exhibit a mysterious charm that invites the viewers into the artist's inner world of Indian mysticism and physcial beauty. Juxtaposed with Robert Creeley's poetry, this volume of fantastic and sensual paintings clearly is a must for all Clemente fans. From Napoli to New York, Clemente has wooed the jet-setters on both sides of the Atlantic, establishments such as the Guggenheim in New York, and me, a Yale College student.

I was lucky enough to catch his show at the Guggenheim several years ago and have been desperately coveting this book since. Clemente works on a large scale, so capturing his imposing imagery can be tough (to be mild). However, in an endeavor to capture the man through his works, this large-scoped voluminous edition works wonders at the foot of the mountain. The best of the attempts, it's like a conversation with the man himself.

A must have for art lovers, a must have for romantics, a must have for any library or coffee table. It's a lovely book, full true color, and a ripe collection of his works. A good work, and well worth anyone's time.

This is a must have for anyone intersted in beautiful and thought provoking material. It is a thorough look at this imaginative artist's work. It will be a source of inspiration I will look to time and again!