Italy Books

This is a lovely story about the lives and adventures of several generations of the Salerno family. This story shares their life in Sicily, which is built on their strong family and cultural values. I was reminded of many of my own family's Italian-American traditions and how many popular Italian expressions originated. I especially enjoyed when the characters visited several cities in Italy like Rome, Florence and Orvieto. The vivid descriptions of the history, art and food brought back many wonderful memories of my own visits to Italy.
I found this book very enjoyable and am looking forward to reading more about what lies ahead for the Salerno family.

It is not often that I read a book and find myself interacting with the characters portrayed. It may be the result of my Italian heritage or perhaps that I am lucky enough to have close-knit family and friends like the ones described. Either way, my travels to Sicily through reading this book were a trip that I would recommend to anyone.

Perhaps because I am of Italian heritage I found myself
lost in this book. It's not only a love story,but a
story of friendship and the coming together of genuine
people. However, you don't have to be Italian to
thoroughly enjoy this book. The author has a way of
transporting you to Sicilly.

This is a beautifully written exploration of the work produced in Siena over a two-century period of glory, during which artists like Martini, Sassetta, and Giovanni di Paolo pioneered new narrative techniques. For anyone who has seen or read about these groundbreaking freschi and paintings, which include Lorenzetti's magnificent depictions of Good and Bad Government, this book is a must, since Hyman is able to put such masterpieces into a political and social context. The author writes intelligently throughout, working his research expertly into the text. Happily, he completely avoids the obfuscation and silly post-modern jargon that generally characterize art criticism. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. (And if Hyman's analysis of Sienese life and art doesn't make you want to visit Italy, I can't imagine what could!)

Clear and concise, enthusiastic and insightful, this book provides a very useful introduction to Sienese art. It traces its roots and development, links it to the political state of affairs in Siena and Italy, and contrasts it with the art of Florence, which ended up eclipsing it. The main Sienese artists are discussed in their own chapters, and a clear line of development is laid out, though at the same time the individual characteristics of each artist are discussed. The book is generally very readable and it is clearly laid out and structured.

My only quibble is the fact that so many of the illustrations are black and white. This is particularly annoying in cases where the author is discussing the subtlety of the color!

That point notwithstanding, anyone looking for a basic introduction to the art of Siena need not hesitate.

Any reader who is familiar with Timothy Hyman's BONNARD will be pleased to find the same clarity, depth of knowledge, and instructional vision in his treatment of Sienese painting (SIENESE PAINTING: THE ART OF A CITY REPUBLIC is in the same beautiful small-book format as BONNARD).

Hyman is an odd bird as fas as the art history publishing world is concerned. He is an accomplished artist, but when he puts his energy toward his parallel careers in curating and writing, he knows his stuff just as thoroughly as any other more conventional art history scholar. This comes as a blessing for the general reader as well as historian because he has the gift to blend human feeling and sparkling vision with academics in a highly readable way.

And he makes the material so CLEAR. At the very outset with his discussion of the physical description of the city and the governing body known as "The Nine", the foundation is set to build his elegant story of the city's glorious paintings. The governing principles of Siena were almost Athenian in their idealism, and were cautiously balanced against aggressive clan and economic forces. Somehow the author makes the reader see that the colorated delicacy of Sienese painting is a very logical outgrowth of these various opposing powers.

It didn't used to be all right (critically) to like Sienese painting too much. Duccio--OK, and the Lorenzetti, also. But mainly, Sienese painting wasn't considered "progressive" enough by the Renaissance standards that were constructed by later historians.The republic's painting paled in the shadow of mighty and magnificent Florence with it's army of artists who defended artistic soverignty. Well, all the silly prejudice that was perpetrated on unknowning art students for generations is cleared away once and for all by Mr. Hyman. Just as he convinced us that it's more than all right to love mature Bonnard,the artist-author persuades the reader of the excitement, superb beauty, and compelling legitimacy of Sienese painting.

His descriptions shimmer. How many times have I seen Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Good and Bad Government? After reading his discussion of it, it seemed like the first time. Siena excelled in color, pattern, landscape and narrative--and, dare I say it? Tenderness. Go ahead, let your heart break a little when you see Sassetta or a Giovanni di Paolo, Hyman seems to say. It's OK!

He concludes by giving several examples of contemporary artists whose works are sympathetic to the directions first begun by Sienese forebears.

Reviewed By: Kelly Crespin, Eclectic Homeschool Online

Romeo and Juliet is part of the Sixty-Minute Shakespeare series published by Five Star Publications. This series offers a way for many teenagers and adults to read and/or study Shakespeare without having to spend the time required to read an entire play. The author has taken the full works of Shakespeare and edited them into readable and enjoyable condensed versions of the original work. This would be a wonderful choice for introducing Shakespeare.

The paperback book is only 73 pages in length, yet contains all acts of the play through Act V, Scene 3. To make things easier, at the bottom of each page are small footnotes defining words the reader might not know. For example, one page gives these definitions:
Fair and honest = proper
Mark = Target
Tuckle-bed = bed on casters
A quote from the back jacket sums up the true spirit of the book: "While the language is condensed, the integrity of Shakespeare's writings is kept intact so students of the Bard can experience the thrill of the story as well as the beauty of the verse and prose."

Dear Five Star:

I was a frustrated director until I met "The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare." Here was everything I needed: the plot of Romeo and Juliet cut down to a manageable size, production suggestions, blocking notes, set of sound requirements, property lists, detailed stage directions and even the definitions of some of Shakespeare's more obscure words and phrases. I never would have attempted directing a group of homeschoolers, ages 7-14, a Shakespearean production without this marvelous book. And I would have deprived them of an extremely rewarding experience: they worked very hard and the production was highly praised by the community. Not only that, but I am certain that most harbor a distinct affection for the works of Mr. Shakespeare. What more could a homeschool mother and Shakespearian enthusiast desire? Thank you Five Star Publications for providing my children with a never-to-be-forgotten educational memory that was a whole lot of fun!

Sincerely, Susan Zelie Homeschool Educator

Dear Five Star:

I was a frustrated director until I met "The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare." Here was everything I needed: the plot of Romeo and Juliet cut down to a manageable size, production suggestions, blocking notes, set of sound requirements, property lists, detailed stage directions and even the definitions of some of Shakespeare's more obscure words and phrases. I never would have attempted directing a group of homeschoolers, ages 7-14, a Shakespearean production without this marvelous book. And I would have deprived them of an extremely rewarding experience: they worked very hard and the production was highly praised by the community. Not only that, but I am certain that most harbor a distinct affection for the works of Mr. Shakespeare. What more could a homeschool mother and Shakespearian enthusiast desire? Thank you Five Star Publications for providing my children with a never-to-be-forgotten educational memory that was a whole lot of fun!

Sincerely, Susan Zelie Homeschool Educator

Numerous books have been published about Sophia Loren, since this one came out in late 70's. Many of them are very good, but this particular book is still the best for couple of reasons. First of all, it is a 100% autobiography, written by one of the most amazing, and not just most beautiful, women in the world. Loren's character is reflected on every page, as she narrates her life, starting with her family background all the way to talking about her own children. Secondly, she writes with candor that would surely shock a reader, who is used to reading polished and often pretentious autobiographies of Hollywood stars. Loren, the writer, does not shy away from admitting to being the uggliest girl in town, while growing up; to feeling such human emotions as rage, fear, jealousy, hate at various stages of her life...Yet, after you finish reading this book, you will be amazed at the fact that Loren's greatest emotions have invariably been that of a compassionate, forgiving, and loving woman.

I'm not usually attracted to Italian women but Sophia Loren is in a class all by herself. Coming into fame in an era in which most movie stars were peroxide blondes (and to tell the truth it hasn't really changed all that much in Hollywood-worse even-women are not only still majority blonde but flat-backed stick figures!), this sensuous woman's dark and exotic beauty sent young American men's "you know whats" throbbing!
It is ashame this book is out of print. I used to sneak it away from my mother's shelf and run off to look at the photos. The classic wet shot of Sophia from "Boy On A Dolphin" plus several topless shots from her early days as well as pictures of Sophia in gater belts and stockings (circa late-60's/early-70's) and much shots of her showing off those gorgeously full boobs of hers! I was 12 and I "discovered" my manhood from those photos. The woman is in her 70's now and in her latest film appearance, "Ready To Wear" ("Pret-a-Porter"), she was still beautiful, sexy and alluring. She had it all over her co-stars, Julia Roberts and Kim Basinger. Thank you Ms. Loren.

Not very many movie stars, I think, have ever sold tickets to male and female alike: but Sophia Loren did, and probably still could. Even fewer female movie stars who first came to public notice for the "abundanza" of their chests, have, I think, managed to turn into real actresses right in front of our eyes. And only one, I think, has managed to win an Academy Award for a film in a foreign language, following on a career of films in that foreign language, Italian, while never tasting a great English language success. That one, "certo," is Sophia Loren, still very much on the scene for one thing and another. Quite a few years ago, she collaborated with A.E. Hotchner on this book, and it's still one of the best.

Her Oscar, of course, came for her powerhouse performance in "Two Women," a role that well-illustrated how she could move from sexpot to actress. How many glamorous leading ladies-- who happened to be married to their producers, no less-- would take the role of a mother older than themselves, in a film in which they had originally intended to play the daughter? And play it without makeup, in a wardrobe Gina Lollobrigida wouldn't use for rags?

This is only the half of it, for, in order to be able to give that performance, Loren had to dig back to her hungry childhood during World War II. Few of us would want to.

But one of the interesting things about this book is Loren's honesty. She was, as many people know, born illegitimate and very poor in Naples; during the war, her entire village slept in a single rat-infested railway tunnel and scavenged for food. She gives us a good look here at the grit and stamina that got her out of Pozzuoli and into pictures.

In fact, she seems to be a woman of awesome grit, capable of hanging on for years until she got that slippery producer, Carlo Ponti to the altar. Then, she was capable of spending her two pregnancies isolated in her bed: it's what she had to do to have her children.

There's more in the book, of course, such as her affair with Cary Grant and the choice she had to make between him and Carlo Ponti. Many sources agree that she was one of the great loves of Grant's life, and he never quite got over her loss.

For many years, Rome's cinema elite rebuffed her. The Catholic Church preached against her. And she actually faced criminal prosecutions for adultery and public sinning.

But let's not forget that the same woman who gave us "Two Women," also gave us a series of sparkling sex comedies, and the scintillating "Houseboat" with Cary Grant. Her striptease in "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow," for which she prepped with the exotic dancers from Paris's famous Crazy Horse Saloon, absolutely sizzled, yet still had an undercurrent of humor in it,from Mastroianni's command to "do a striptease, with just the refrigerator light on." That unbuttoned Neopolitan humor continued through "Marriage Italian Style," and "A Special Day," and could continue still, should Loren ever decide to go back to film. An actress with as little vanity as Loren could work forever.

How many stars, after all, would quote this remark of Cary Grant's on their first meeting? "How do you do, Miss Lolloloren, or is it Lorenigida? Ah, you Italian actress, I can never get your names straight?

But I think the rest of the world has long since managed to.

This book is a fine piece of work from Hotchner. The woman who said of herself," my mouth is too large, my nose is too long, and my chin and lips are too broad," couldn't have been an easy subject.

St. Anthony: Words of Fire, Life of Light is one of the best books I have read about a saint in a long time. It is written in a creative manner and draws the reader into each story, character and event with such gentleness that one is not even aware of the underlying conversion that is taking place through these "words of fire". Meet St. Anthony and never be the same again!

Scholarly, thoughtful blend of fact and fiction. Writing style is exceptional in bringing to life a real saint into reality. An excellent resource, well annotated.

"The author has given 'life' to this marvelous saint by taking the reader and literally putting them in the picture. As I read this book, I marvelled at the ability of anyone to write in such a way that allows one to believe they are right there---in the story. I came to have greater knowledge and even greater affection for Saint Anthony. By participating through the written word, I was allowed to travel with him on his missionary trips, his teachings, and his wonderful preaching as well as his audience with Pope Gregory IX, and his great love for St. Francis. His sermons were and still are life-changing and life-challenging. One measure of a person is not just how much 'they' loved but how much they are loved in return...and for St. Anthony, love returned hundred fold. He gave much love; he received much love. His deep and abiding love for our Savior, Jesus Christ is vitally apparent by the breadth and depth of his life commitment. Fact has been mixed with fiction in the book, but facts of this saint's life are not lost in the fiction. The book contains many vignettes of St. Anthony's life plus notes for each vignette in each chapter. The chapter notes give the source for the actual words of St. Anthony's sermons and other exchanges as well and why the author chose to give a particular fictional slant around which to build the facts. If anyone desires to read a book which gives flesh, bone, power, and spirit to this great saint...then this is the book for you. It is easy to read, but powerfully written. I would give it 4 stars, but because of the explanatory chapter notes I must give it a 5 star rating."

Switchblades Of Italy Forbidden things have a degree of attraction for many of us and the information available on these has been concealed or hidden just as the knives themselves were removed from common experience. That is just as well but these originally utilitarian and sometimes decorative novelties were also clever inventions. Many may remember seeing one in their youth and being fascinated and mystified as to its mechanics.
This book explains how a relatively small comunity in Italy exploited and were exploited to produce the world's supply of the Italian variety of these infamous knives. How a few post-WWII American entrepreneurs imported the fruits of that comunity's labors and helped sponsor the switchblade boom in America until the ban.
The ban increased the desireability of these forbidden implements and made some of the more exceptional examples into rare collectables. This book traces the history and details various Italian manufacturers of switchblades with time spent looking at some of the mechanics and the innovations within the industry. Many questions about who made what and what they looked like are answered in this nicely prepared book dealing with rare collectables rarely seen.

This is great book, full scale color pictures. great historical information of vintage switchblades knives from italy.
highly recommended.

The serious collector as well as the curious automatic knife buyer will find this author's work to be extensive on the subject of Italian Automatic Knives. With 128 pages, including high resolution photography of "tang stamps," this title covers topics ranging from the evolution of the automatic knife in Italian production to the ignoble standing this type of cutlery has been labeled with by the media over the years. Detailed information on specific manufacturers and the history of these companies give the reader specific information that is not easily found elsewhere, proving this book to be an invaluable source of information for the collector seeking to authenticate rare Italian Stilettos. A must for the knife collector or dealer.

I teach Shakespeare classes to middle- and high-school aged students and have come to rely on the great series of No Fear Shakespeare texts. They truly do take away the "fear" that keeps people of all ages from enjoying Shakespeare's plays.

So many people, when they hear the very word "Shakespeare" immediately think, "Oh, that's not for me. There's no way I can understand what those characters are talking about."

With No Fear Shakespeare, they can. The plays are presented in their original Elizabethan English on the left hand page with the modern English version on the facing page. Incidentally, I also use The Taming of the Shrew (Cliffs Notes) with my students, teaching them to read the summary of each act before reading in their texts. The final step is watching the play on DVD -- there's lots of good Shakespeare on DVD at Amazon.com, both in the regular DVD store and in the Marketplace. Check out this great commedia dell'arte version by the American Conservatory Theater: The Taming of the Shrew (Broadway Theatre Archive)

As a professional educator, I really feel that a student can't go wrong with these handy books.

No Fear Shakespeare is absolutely the best series for teachers, directors and students of Shakespeare!

I would highly recommend any of the books from the "No Fear Shakespeare" series. As someone who has never quite understood what Shakespeare was trying to say, having both his version and a "normal speak" version of the play side by side was very beneficial. Great for any student! A word of advice though - don't let your teacher know you have them. Any teacher teaching Shakepeare will likely frown upon them, though in my experience my peers rushed to by them as well. What's the point of reading Shakespeare if you can't understand him?

I own 30 or so books on tarot and symbol-systems and this is the best I have ever seen. I give this work a 9, and a complete index would make it a 9.75 or 10.

Mr. O'Neill is a research scientist and his research and scholarly experience certainly pays off here; the text is clear, well-organized, and properly annotated.

The author uses sources familiar to the orthodox student of Renaissance historiography (Burckhardt, et al) and the conclusions he draws are quite good. Do I disagree with his conclusions ocassionally? Yes. But the research he has done lays a wonderful groundwork for the reader to make their own critical assessment.

Well done, Mr. O'Neill. The standard for scholarly tarot symbology research has been set.

O'Neill's book is the seminal history of the tarot. While debunking fanciful occult theories, O'Neill marshalls an amazing array of sources to propose that the Tarot is a product of Italian Renaissance scholarship and Italian Renaissance culture and style.

If you're interested in the history of the tarot, you simply must read and understand this book. Nothing in the book makes the tarot less useful as a tool for today. but understanding the world view of its designers and understanding its original purposes can help the modern taroist form her own practice.

For many years, the tarot has been presented as an ancient occult artifact, encoding deep metaphysical secrets. In this century, historians have offered a contrary view: that the tarot deck is simply a Renaissance card game with no deeper significance. Documentary evidence tends to support the latter view, although the images on the cards remain as intriguing and provocative as ever.

This book represents a milestone in tarot scholarship; O'Neill presents the thesis that the tarot symbols *do* constitute a profound metaphysical system, even while he acknowledges and accomodates the historical evidence which debunks the fanciful speculations of the early occultists. Marshalling an encyclopedic array of sources, the author establishes that the intellectual climate of the Italian Renaissance was highly conducive to production of an emblematic synthesis of Neoplatonic philosophy and heretical mystical practice. He makes a sound case that the tarot was designed as a cosmograph, a map of the underlying spiritual structure of the universe, which might be used by those seeking enlightenment within the western tradition.

One of the outstanding qualities of this book is the thoroughness with which O'Neill addresses rival hypotheses about the origin of the tarot. He considers both the strong and weak points of all the major theories on the subject, so readers can follow the arguments for themselves, and reach an informed opinion about the strength of each theory. The book thus makes an excellent starting point for learning about these rival theories; the interested reader can then follow up by seeking out the books and articles O'Neill references.

There are some shortcomings, however. This book is not for casual reading. The style is that of an extended research paper. Alas, the manuscript did not receive the attention of a major publisher, so the presentation suffers in many ways: there is virtually no illustration, there are many typos, and many of the tables and lists could use the work of a good designer. Taken together, these things may discourage the less dedicated reader.

O'Neill is tackling an extraordinarily difficult topic, in that he is trying to fathom the intentions of the anonymous designer of the first tarot deck, using only the indirect evidence of the cards themselves and the cultural millieu which produced them. If, in the end, having exhausted the facts, he seems to follow his personal hunches, at least he does so with candor and tempered by humility. A person with different background and interests could well reach different conclusions.

This book is completely unrivaled as a scholarly attempt to understand the tarot as a coherent symbolic system. Some may argue that the tarot is not a coherent symbolic system at all, but no one makes the case better than O'Neill.

How historically plausible is it that the tarot was invented to embody a serious metaphysical doctrine? If this question interests you, _Tarot Symbolism_ is required reading, utterly indispensible.

I bought this book for my son before our trip to Italy, in which we spent a week in Rome. My son just turned 5 before our trip and I homeschool. We read this book and looked at the beautiful pictures before going. It was a wonderful book! After reading the book together, he looked forward to seeing the Coleseum and throwing the coin in the Trevi Fountain and eating some gelato. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning on visiting Rome with children between the ages of 4-8. Prepares and excites child for what they will see. Then afterward is a good reminder of their vacation. My son will still pull out his 'This is Rome' book!

Exclamations come to mind: beautiful design and drawings, comprehensive and to the point guide! And this goes for all his city guides Paris, Rome, Venice and Hong Kong. You might argue it is a bit old fashioned, but I think you are confusing it with "it s one of the Classics". And when something is called a Classic, it is timeless and a Must-Have! Trust me, it is worth your while and money!

What a lovely book! How have I missed it all these years? I gave it to my daughter, 20, as a memento of our trip to Rome. It captures the spirit and sights of Rome better than anything else I've seen. It might work as a runup to a trip also, or just a wonderful book to dream on for kids and adults. The illustrations are sixties sublime!

Italy has such a rich gastronomic history and there are so few restaurant guide books that focus on this (with the exception of Florence and Tuscany). Many guide books only focus on the well-known, more touristy, places which I would prefer to skip. Zagat on-line only lists a few places. I have had the opportunity to dine at a few of the places listed and the experiences have been consistent with the reviews. And, it's small enough to keep in your pocket for quick reference by Rome's geographical areas.

The small size of this book makes it perfect to tuck into a purse or pocket. The restaurants are organized according to neighborhoods and are marked on detailed maps, making them easy to find. I'm just back from a week of wonderful meals in Rome thanks to this guide. No matter what neighborhood I was in when I felt hungry, I could read the descriptions in this book and decide on the perfect place to eat. Included is helpful information on cuisine, tipping, and a glossary of Italian menu terms.

After living in Rome for a year and a half, I still find myself lost in the restaurant and dining scene in Rome. Finally there is a guide to help people find new and interesting places to go to. Through the millions of restaurants available this guide helps shine a light to the kind of place one is searching for. Dana Klitzberg and Time outhas really brought a guide that is worth every penny and more. The reviews are personable, informative, fun to read, and cover a wide spectrum of options and areas in Rome. Thank you Timeout for finally sorting out the restaurant and bar scene in ROME!!