Italy Books

I group this book with Eric Newby's "Love and War in the Appenines" for unsentimental and direct views of the corrupting power of war that use Italy as examples. Liberation seems such a romantic idea that one can hardly resist it, and yet here we can easily read and understand that true liberation takes a lot more than military objectives and shouting in congress.

Lewis's eye was remarkable in one so young. I hope that both these books have found their way to the library at West Point. It is perhaps too much to ask that they should be read anywhere inside the beltway.

Can a foreign military "successfully" occupy another country? Where can we look for historical lessons to our clusterf**k in Iraq. What are our boys reading in West Point? Is there large scale prostitution and venereal disease..Are there markets openly selling stolen U.S. military items.. Where are ordinary Iraqi's getting $ to survive with their economy is shambles? Lots of questions.

Naples 44 is a beautifully crafted account of allied occupation in Naples. Norman Lewis describes, with his usual gentle irony, the unique lifestyle of Neapolitans and how they survive abject poverty.
He has an eye for the absurd whilst retaining his compassionate love of humanity.

When I was younger I knew an Italian-American veteran who spent time in Naples at roughly the time covered by this book. His stories while entertaining always seemed a bit exagerated to me. Now, after reading Norman Lewis' account of those days I owe my long departed friend an apology for having doubted him.
This is a remarkable account from a gifted observer. Lewis as a British intelligence officer assigned to the Area occupied by American forces immediately following the expulsion of the Germans was in a unique position to observe many aspects of the struggles and adaptations of the locals under these extraordianry conditions. The ingenuity and superstition of the Italian people is displayed from a point of view that is neutral in it's judgements while sparing the reader nothing of the darker side of the stuggle to survive at the same time.
As somone who has read extensively about WWII I was surprised this one got by me for so long. I stumbled on it while browsing Amazon and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the War ,Italy or just a good entertaining read.

Lewis left us with a fascinating account of this small but very human part of WWII. And gathered some very interesting details that otherwise would have been lost forever.

I was looking for a complete pasta cookbook and I found it in this one. It has color photos of every recipe and the lay out is user friendly. Much better than I expected.

All recipes are fast and easy. Yet, for pasta, they are the best I have found

This book is one of my favorite cookbooks. The dishes are elaborate, yet easy to follow and always end up tasting delicious. In addition, the book is presented in such a way that each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful picture, allowing you to wet your appetite before you begin cooking. The cookbook not only offers wonderful recipes, but also gives a great general sense on how to cook Italian food.

Truly, if I could only own one cookbook of pasta recipies, this book would be the one I'd want. There are countless books available on the subject and yet none I've seen present pasta cooking in such clarity and with such excellent results.

If you want to know how to make all the basics, and make them right, you'll find the answers here: Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic, with Marinara, Pasta Primavera...they may seem simple but if you follow the directions here, you can't go wrong. Handy details include pasta noodle suggestions as well as alternatives that work well, and variations on recipies depending on what ingredients you have available as well as how you may want to experiment and mix things up. Many recipies in this book have become staples of my cooking, and favorites include the Pasta with Chick Peas and the perfect Putanesca. This cookbook gets my highest recommendation.

I picked up this about two months ago and have been making two or three recipes a week ever since. So far every one was been a keeper.

The recipes are clearly written, all ingredients are listed at the beginning (no surprises lurking in the last line of text) the directions are clear and easy to follow. Each recipe is illustrated by a large photograph, and indicates which type of pasta is best suited for that particular dish. In addition many recipes have variations offered.

Besides the recipes there is lots of other information concerning various types of pasta, proper preparation techniques, hints on stocking a pantry and storing ingregients and cooked dishes. Also there are a couple of meal planning charts, one based on ingredients and the other by suitability (summer, cold weather, for children, for parties etc) that come in handy when looking for a particular recipe.

I highly recommend this cookbook, even for a cook experienced with Italian cuisine this one has much to offer.

I became interested in this book after watching the 1950s movie with Tyrone Power. The movie was so-so, but the story got my attention. It is a fantastic tale of the times, pageantry, personalities, and politics of medieval Italy when Europe was in the process of nation forming. The vocabulary and flow of the story are elegant without being the least overdone or tedious. You are transported to a different time, yet find that you may already know some of these people.

Exceptional novel written by a master of the historical-epic genre. The book follows the life and loves of Andrea Orsini, an erstwhile impoverished Italian nobleman, as he strives to find his destiny in the byzantine politics of Renaissance Italy. The Prince of Foxes was one of several Rafael Sabatini novels made into major motion pictures -- all starring Tyrone Power.

A master of deception and disguise, Andea Orsini plays his hand well, rising from the place of a simple peasant blacksmith, first to General and then to Lord! He thwarts the venemous Ceasar Borgia on every turn, befriends a man with the look of Judas, and serves as the protector of a true lady - all the while fighting his own physical and spiritual battles and growing in character along the way.

A clever and decidedly well written story of both heroic deeds and great deceptions, true love and the pride of men. You won't be wasting your time on this book, it's five-star material.

I heartily agree with other readers who have given Prince of Foxes 5 stars. This novel is fast-paced, informative, believeable, beautifully written and a fantastic blend of history and fiction. Mr. Shellabarger manages to educate the reader about the warring Italian city states of the period while holding their attention with a wholly credible depiction of people and places of the time. The characters in these pages are not the stick figure cartoons of so many bodice-rippers, but display actual psychological development and manage to engage the reader into caring about them - a rare occurrence in much of what passes these days as historical fiction. Once I got past about the first two chapters, I couldn't put this one down. There are no contrived coincidences to spoil the plot development, none of the artificial saving of the day that too often destroys believability. This has to rate as one of the most enjoyable reads I have had in a long time, not to mention, has captured my attention to the extent that I now want to learn more about the Borgias and the times they lived in. Highly recommended. (As an aside, I was disappointed to find that the Tyrone Power/ Orson Welles Hollywood film based on the book is not available on any of the DVD sites I checked. Maybe just as welll, as my own mental images of the characters remain unspoiled.)

Set in Renaissance Italy, this classic of American popular fiction is the story of Andrea Orsini, a peasant boy who rises to perform delicate political, military, and romantic missions for Cesare Borgia. Schellabarger tells a sly, cunning story filled with double dealing, plots, seductions, political overthrow, murder, and a cold blooded assassin that still follows a code of honor... what's not to like?

The best book on vegetable cooking I have ever owned, am on to my third copy.All dishes are easy and delicious, her relaxed
approach to food is one we should all embrace.

I am a huge fan of Viana La Place, I have several of her books...Verdura is another fantastic addition to the foodie's library. I have prepared a number of the recipes in this book and they have all been winners. Her descriptions are spot on, and her cooking advice is always appreciated. I'm a little annoyed to see people complaining about this not being a "true vegetarian" cookbook. Guess what, folks, it's not supposed to be!

After having the eggplant torta from this book at a friends house, I immediately went home and ordered the book. I'm working my way through it slowly since I'm not a consistent maker of dinner, but I have used several recipes repeatedly for home and entertaining. The praise has been universal. Having experimented with lots of recipes, it is such a thrill to make something that people rave about and tastes as good as it "sounded." The pasta with fennel (a fresh sauce perfect for summer) is gourmet in quality and my husband raves! The ricotta torta is another delicious treat. You have to have time to slice and dice, of course, but when the results are this good, I don't mind. I highly recommend this book for amateur cooks like myself who will suprise themselves and increase their confidence through the splendid results!

I received this book as a gift from my father because I kept checking it out from the library. This past weekend I used the Risotto with Swiss Chard and Winter Herbs as a stuffing for winter squash and Rapini with Garlic Bread Crumbs as the main course for a fund-raising dinner for 60 at my daughter's high school. The diners absolutely raved about it! The recipes are simple and straightforward and sooooooooooo good. It's one of my favorite cookbooks.

There's some of everything in this cookbook but if you're vegetarian or vegan be prepared to alter the recipes here and there. There's a recipe for chicken broth and another for beef broth and they're used in a bunch of the recipes -not a big deal - I just substitite a nice vegetable broth and all is well. Anchovies are used here and there too. For the vegan - you'll need to do your own substititues where cheeses are called for and there are a few egg recipes.

Anyway, that said, there are lots of great recipes in here. Here's a quick view of the table of contents and a few of my favorites:

- Antipasti (vegetables, fruits, cheeses, marinated vegetables, hot antipasti) - Artichokes Griti Style is really tasty - it has olive oil and parm. cheese; also some really easy recipes for things like raw vegetables with olive oil, marinated eggplant, spicy carrots, etc

- Salads (leafy, little, and salads as main courses) -lots of nice, mostly simple salads. I made the one called Warm Cannellini Bean and Herb Salad and served it at our Christmas dinner alongside raviolis etc and it was a hit

- Grilled bread and sandwiches - haven't tried any of these but they look tasty

- Soups for every season (minnestrone soup with rice was excellent - I did it in the slow cooker - yum! There's also an escarole soup similar to what my grandmother used to make - it was good but not as good as hers :)

- Pasta Sauces (excellent, fresh ideas straight from the garden. pasta with 10 herbs was great. I haven't tried it yet but there's a recipe that uses tomoatoes and avocados that sounds really good. These sauces are pretty much all things you can whip up fast, no cooking for hours on the stove - its focus is fresh and almost raw - really good - and good for you :)

- Rice and Polenta dishes (I haven't tried any of the polenta dishes - had some bad experiences with that so far)

- A sampler of Main Dishes (many interesting recipes here like zucchini stuffed wit mushrooms, gnocchi, ftittatas.)

- Side vegetables (I love side dishes and there are some good ones in here that I've tried and were great. The ones I've tried are: artichokes w. sundried tomatoes, artichokes braised with thyme, broccoli w. garlic and red chili pepper, etc. There are some tasty sounding bean dishes that I haven't tried yet but plan to)

Overall great cookbook - I've tried a sampling of recipes and they've all been good, just need to modify ever so slightly to make them vegetarian.

I'd buy it again!

Most books with really good illustrations are usually a little weak in the next. Not The Ancient City. The excellent text in this book is completmented by beautiful illustrations of what is being told.

The past is another country, and the farther back in time we try to go, the harder it is to get there. If it is difficult to understand daily life in Rome and Athens today, even if we are there in person, able to see the sights and walk the streets with a native guide, then imagine how much more difficult the task to go back several thousand years. The natives are long gone, and only the shattered remains of marble buildings and monuments remain to guide us.

"The Ancient City" shows us, with a wealth of pictures and artistic reproductions, what life may have been like when Rome and Athens were the centers of their respective empires. Illustrator Peter Connolly draws on the latest archaeological finds to recreate buildings that range from the well-known, such as the Parthenon and the Colosseum, to tenements, temples, public baths and latrines (of the one in Rome -- dedicated to topping any other city -- boasted of one that featured an open-air design and over 100 seats).

Connolly also recreates statues, reliefs, frienzes and pottery, sometimes adding the original color scheme, creating a startling effect to an eye used to seeing plain white marble. The text, co-written with Hazel Dodge, describes daily life, how the people dressed, wed, entertained, worshiped and died.

Short of building your own time machine, "The Ancient World" is a worthwhile passport to the past.

The Ancient City: LIfe in Classical Athens and Rome is a good book because it has a good description of the two civilizations. Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece are two different periods, and the book divides the two with clarity and nice colorfull pictures. It will give you good information that you can't find in a encyclopedia.

I teach Classical Studies from the junior school to the senior student and am always on the lookout for resource material which can make the subject more inherently interesting. This book has it all-a wealth .of information presented in a great format with brilliant illustrations. I have posters by the author hanging in my classroom but in this production he outdoes himself. I can now readily picture what the great Panathenaic procession might have looked like , what happened in bathing establishments and how the average citizen coped with the problems of everyday life.
If anyone ever thought the Classics were dull, I would encourage him or her to peruse this book. A new adventure awaits the reader.

I wanted a basic overview text on Greek and Roman civilizations. Luckily I stumbled upon this book by Connolly and Dodge. The book is terrific. The layout is excellent. The writing is succinct and the text moves along smoothly. I now have a basic knowledge of Greek and Roman eras. I got a lot more out of this book by also reading Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way. However, I must confess, this book is far more interesting and keeps one glued. A joy to read. Very highly recommended.

I totally loved the first book in this series, The Begotten. It was fabulous. The second book in this series, The Betrayed was just as good. I recommend reading the series in order. There was a point in the middle of The Betrayed when I put this book down due to other commitments, but when I picked it up again I was pulled right back into that world.

The brutality the "gifted" experienced was as powerful as the miraculous events. I couldn't believe how many times they were captured after trying to get free. And being pursued like that had to make them crazy. I found the parallel between the "dark" lord and Satan quite interesting. He would get furious when Daria quoted scripture during times of suffering, yet that was the one thing that sustained her. For me, another profound conclusion from this story was how God will sometimes allow others to suffer alongside us to provide encouragement.

I loved the message about God's perfect timing and tuning into his voice. And the strategies that the evil Lord, Sorcerer Abramo, used to try to break them were so similar to the devil's. First he tries luring you in with your own lusts and weaknesses. If that doesn't break you he goes after your flesh (like with sickness) and if you still refuse to curse God in the midst of that pain he tries the ultimate tactic of hurting those you love. What a wicked enemy we have!

Bergren did such a fabulous job of making me see how the enemy works through this parallel story. It makes me want to memorize more scriptures that I can use when I need encouragement and when I need to fight off the enemy's attacks. As far as the edgy factor goes? I'd rate this with 8 out of ten stars for edgy content. If you want to experience an adventure that will both thrill you and at the same time cut you to the very marrow of your bones, you will love this book.

After reading THE BEGOTTEN I was hooked and quickly located THE BETRAYED to read. Then I realized the third book wasn't out yet and am still on the edge waiting for it. Bergren has a way of weaving her story with history and religion that makes me want to learn more. Not only is the message important but the way it is presented is exciting enough you can't put it down. HIGHLY recommend "THE GIFTED" series by Lisa T. Bergren.

Hard to believe Lisa Bergren could out do herself, but she did! The 2nd of the Gifted Series is even better than the first. If any drawback, its that I found these before the 3rd book was out. I am counting the days to see how this plays out. Excellent characters and storyline. And nothing beats the message!

This is a great continuation of the Gifted's journey through Italy to battle against evil and heal the sick and innocent. It kept my attention through all the twists and turns. I recommend you read the first book in the trilogy before you read this one.

The Gifted continue their quest for St. Paul's lost letter, seeking the guidance they need to fulfill their roles in the prophecy and to serve God. Even as they come closer to their goal, the forces of darkness assemble against them, and now it seems might have won a victory. Betrayal delivers them into the hands of a sorcerer who is determined to make the Healer, Daria, his own. Alone with the enemy, it will take every amount of faith and grace available to the young noblewoman to resist the pull of temptation to give in to her fears. Will her friends be allowed the grace to deliver her?

**** Gripping suspense and action abound in this sequel, proving that Christian novels need not be tame and blah. Ms. Bergren brings spiritual warfare to vivid life in a rich setting that will appeal to fans of not only stories with a message, but of history as well. ****

Amanda Killgore

I own dozens of Italian cookbooks and decided to buy Harry's Bar Cookbook. I'm very glad I did. This book offers many unique recipes and is well written. Highly recommended!

I think, also, that Amazon may have a mistake with Nigella Lawson doing the foreward? Even the book cover pictured says it's Michael Winner. I don't know if this has been updated once inside, but it appears to be the same book with a different publisher. It's also more expensive than the 1991 version from Bantam Books. Great book, by the way.

This book offers such wonderful recipes and a great story too! I like reading about the history of the restaurant which is absolutely wonderful. Can't wait to go back. The book is great, and the recipes are basic and easy to follow. Wonderful find for anyone who enoys cooking and loves to eat!

I own and love the original Harry's Bar Cookbook. Is this book the same thing but with Lawson included? As I read the reviews I saw the same stories as appear in the original.

I have been a serious student of cooking for the past 25 years. I have focused on Italian cooking for 10 of the last 25 years after my first trip to Italy.

Harry's Bar in Venice is one of those places that everyone wants to visit at least once. The restaurant does not disappoint and neither does the cookbook. If I had to pair down my Italian cookbook collection (which is now well over 50 cookbooks) this book would be in my top 5. Each recipe in the book that I have tried has been perfect. Even if you normally tinker with recipes, as I usually do, try these just as they are written at least once. I don't think that you will be disappointed.

I appreciate the fact that the book is authentic, as opposed to the Italian-American books that are normally available in America. This book is packed full of fabulous recipes, each one better than the last. The pictures of the recipes are beautiful as the photos of Venice.

This book will be a wonderful addition to anyone's cookbook collection. This would also make a fabulous gift for a lover of either Italy or cooking.

Being of Italian decent on my mother's side, I was overwhelmed by this fantastic collection of Italian accomplishments. This book gives detailed information about contributions made by Italians and Italian-Americans. Finally, a "User friendly" book which is quite addictive and difficult to put down. This reminds me of those famous stories my mother use to tell me as a boy. I only wish she had the opportunity to experience this pleasant and enjoyable reading material. I highly suggest giving this book to any young person who is trying to discovering his/her great rich Italian background. It is all here!

I enjoyed the Heritage Italian American Book immensely. Being Italian I found the book to be very informative and entertaining. The book became a wonderful gift for my family and friends. A close family friend-teacher/priest expressed to me how he was going to introduce the material in this book to his students. He complemented the true educational benefits of this exceptional book. Amore' Thank you Leon...Job well done.

Reading this book is like roaming through 2000 years of the Roman empire and all the transplanted Romans who grace the US. I loved it and I'm not Italian. And, sorry, Leon, but I don't even want to be Italian. I've got a better idea. Why don't you do one on Jewish or Irish people? They're pretty entertaining. The book probably deserves five stars, but I'd like to see some graphics in it, so I just gave it four.

When the family gets together either at home or for an outdoor picnic, we whip out our copy of "Heritage Italian-American Style!" We have a blast with this jam-packed collection of both recognized and some not-so-well-known contributions that Italians have made to better the world. Invariable, the teens and young adults chime in to test their own knowledge of their culture and are often surprised to discover in the process of "playing" a game...just how much fun learning can be! Especially, when you're learning about why we should be proud to be Italian!! The old timers are equally entertained while being secretly educated at the same time!!

As editor of AMICI Magazine, the largest Italian-American Magazine west of Ohio, I am inundated with requests to review Italian books. Leon's book is one of the few I couldn't put down. It made me think. It made me laugh. It made me proud...or prouDER, should say!!

I can tell you one the cultural tragedies of our time is that we're literally forgetting to keep our kids Italian. As silly as that sounds, the truth is many families today understandably marry outside of the culture or simply live life in fast lane and overlook the importance of story telling, carrying on Italian traditions and keeping ourselves informed about our culture. Books like Heritage Italian-American Style truly keep our heritage alive!

Once you get your own copy, you'll see why you feel inclined to buy several for your family and friends!

Radomile's presentation on Italian-American culture is a warm reflection on what has often been demeaned, or misrepresented in the press, or totally lacking in book form. I found so much information, in such a easily obtainable manner that I could not put this outstanding presentation down until I literally devoured its contents. A must read for all Italianophiles. Sincerely, A.H. Angelini

I have just finished reading Levi's book, If This Is a Man. It was picked as one of the best books of the 20th centurey by the Folio Society of Great Britain, and having read it, I know why. It is a dispassionate but not emotionless, account of one man's experience in one of the Auschwitz satellite camps, from capture in Italy to the coming of the Russians. The book is frightening but never seeks to more than describe the actual events. Could this happen again? Of course. Should it happen? Never. The book has to be a must-read for anyone concerned with the world in which we live, and the world in which we and our childen COULD live.

If you are a man, no matter if you're jew or german or whatever else, you cannot read this book emotionless. This is something so strong words are not enough to describe it. Nobody must forget, nobody must repeat what's so honestly described in this pages. Primo Levi committed suicide 40 years later, never able to chase those days off his days and nights. We owe him and everybody who suffered that atrocity at least the promise to keep on reading his testimony,generation after generation, no matter our race, religion or gender.

I've never really invested any thought in the holocaust before reading this book. Levi's testimony has changed all that. His sober view of the concentration camps and the war have made this book one of the selected few which have truly changed the way I think. It has been an honor and a pleasure reading it. I can offer no guarantee others will feel the same way I did, only my humble and sincere recommendation of this book.

If I had to nominate one book from the 20th century to give to a person from another century it would be this one. The two books in this single volume complement eachother perfectly. They are so different and yet I cannot say which is the better book. I have tried for several weeks to write a few paragraphs to sell this book to any would-be reader, but nothing I can say can convey the extraordinary personality of the writer. Reading If This Is A Man was a humbling experience in a way that no other book or movie I have encountered in my life has been.

People sometimes suggest that the Holocaust is old news, part of a long ago past. The day after I finished Levi's book I heard five English soccer fans singing songs about Belsen, imitating the sound of gas escaping and yelling "turn on the shower" - and laughing. I've debated with educated Americans who believe the Holocaust was exaggerated and that most of the deaths were caused by disease. One in seven French voters support a man who is in Holocaust denial. Perhaps these people would not be changed by this book, but I hope that a hundred years from now millions of people will still be reading Primo Levi and learning from this sad, brave, modest man.

Reading this book filled me with sorrow and horror. I was prepared for the horror but did not expect the crawling sadness of this impassive tale of improbable survival, of days and months of fear, hunger and torment that I devoured in astonishement but digested with a lot more difficulty. That there were millions of human beings that went through such systematic torture and annihilation and that this whole torment was inflicted by man. That others (all of us) should quickly declare it an aberration and fail to relate to it. Primo Levi talks of a nightmare common among concentration camp prisoners: they are telling their story to people from home, people outside the camps and no one is listening. Reading Levi's tale of survival and lengthy repatriation, we come to understand the need for telling this extraordinaty experience. It is said that those survivors who chose not to talk were those who could not reconcile the shame and misery of the camp experience with their condition as human beings. They tried in vain to suppress a memory they could not assimilate. Others, like Levi, maitained the belief in his humanity as well as in that of every other man. Fot this, he claims, the extermination camp experience touches us all. 'If This Is a Man' made me realize once and for all that it is extemely important that we know, that we relate to what happened. For every victim of insane hatred and violence and for humanity's sake.

"I loved 'Infinite Variety' for the way the authors brought the Marchesa Casati vividly to life."--Robert Fulford, author of 'The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture'

"'Infinite Variety' is a thoroughly unbiased and well-researched biography. The 'Definitive Edition' includes a plethora of new information as well as artwork and photos. Thanks to the efforts of Ryersson and Yaccarino, the story of the Marchesa Casati, with all its splendor, will continue to astonish.--Jonathan Williams, Gothic Beauty Magazine

"Mesmerizing and revealing, 'Infinite Variety' is the definitive account of the Italian femme scandaleuse. A great glimpse, and more, into the life of a larger-than-life individual."-Mar Yvette (Clear Magazine)

"'Infinite Variety: The Definitive Edition' provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the bizarre and spectacular life that Casati led...All you fashion-conscious history buffs will love the in-depth exploration the authors take into Casati's stylish life."-Denise Dandeneau (Zink Magazine)

"This meticulously researched and completely updated biography vividly details Luisa Casati's extravagant life...Fashionistas, art history buffs, aficionados of Belle Époque and Jazz Age culture-and general readers-will be pleased."-Lorraine Thompson (Primo Magazine)

'This book about the Marchesa Casati (1881-1957) is called "The Definitive Edition" about a lady of extravagant leisures. It is an excellent book reviving the roaring twenties in Europe and gives you a fairly good insight of the lifestyle of the truly rich and famous through to the 1940s. Part of this set was the Marchesa Casati, who is a source of inspiration to this very day for fashion designers, artists and wealthy heirs. So if you squander your vast inheritance, at least do it in style!' (review from Elegant Lifestyle)